Discover GEEO’s recommended books to read before you travel to Belize and Tikal. Our book club is a way for travelers to learn through literature about the places they’ll be visiting.
These are some of our favorites about Belize & Tikal, so if you’re heading there, take a look (the GEEO book club is not a required element of our programs, just a bit of added fun)! We hope you will enjoy the books we have selected and they will enhance your experience.
You should be able to find most of our selections through the links below and in your local library system as well. Do you have any feedback on our selections or suggestions for additions? Contact us and let us know!
Recommended books to read before traveling to Belize and Tikal:
Fiction:
- Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell (Bookshop.org | Amazon)
- Maya Gods and Monsters: Supernatural Stories from the Underworld and Beyond by Carol Karasik (Bookshop.org | Amazon)
Non-Fiction:
- The Fallen Stones: Chasing Butterflies, Discovering Mayan Secrets, and Looking for Hope Along the Way by Diana Marcum (Bookshop.org | Amazon)
- How to Cook a Tapir by Joan Fry (Bookshop.org | Amazon)
For those looking for more suggestions, here are some other books you may want to consider:
- Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of The Mayan Book of The Dawn of Life and The Glories of Gods and Kings by Dennis Tedlock (Bookshop.org | Amazon)
- The Heart of the Sky: Travels Among the Maya by Peter Canby (Amazon)
- Belize: A Novel by Carlos Ledson Miller (Bookshop.org | Amazon)
- A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya by David Freidel and Linda Schele (Bookshop.org | Amazon)
- The Lords of Tikal: Rulers of an Ancient Maya City by Peter D. Harrison (Amazon)
- On Heroes, Lizards and Passion by Zoila Ellis (Amazon)
Recommended films and videos to watch before traveling to Belize and Guatemala:
GEEO travelers can register with SIMA Academy for free using a unique access code that we provide after our programs end. Feel free to contact us if you would like to receive the access code early. For this program, we recommend watching Rain Harvest and Clear as Day. SIMA Academy utilizes the storytelling power of award-winning global short documentaries to nurture globally competent and socially active learners worldwide.
GEEO utilizes both Bookshop.org and Amazon Associates links for the above-suggested books. If you purchase a book through one of the links above, you’re supporting us as a nonprofit and helping more teachers travel through GEEO!