Most Beautiful Place in the World

Ann Cameron has worked in publishing, as a university teacher and as a camp cook on a Mayan dig in Belize where boa constrictors climbed into the thatch of the roof to hunt mice at night. Ann has written a number of books for children.

Seven-year-old Juan lives in Guatemala, a place of stunning beauty and grim economic reality. Abandoned by his mother, Juan lives with his grandmother and shines shoes. He passionately wants to attend school, but fears Grandmother will say no. Finally gathering his courage, he is surprised when she not only agrees to send him to school but also chides him about the importance of standing up for himself. Juan tells this bittersweet story, which reads smoothly and powerfully on several levels, with warmth and dignity.