''Secret of the Andes'' is a children's novel by

Ann Nolan Clark Ann Nolan Clark, born Anna Marie Nolan (December 5, 1896 – December 13, 1995), was an American writer who won the 1953 Newbery Medal. Biography Born in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1896, Clark graduated from New Mexico Normal School (now New Mexic ...

. It won the 1953

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

Plot summary

Cusi, a modern

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

boy, leaves his home high in the

Andes mountains The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the List of mountain ranges#Mountain ranges by length, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range i ...

to learn the mysterious secret of his ancient ancestors. Accompanied by his pet

llama The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a List of meat animals, meat and pack animal by Inca empire, Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with othe ...

, Misti, he slowly discovers the truth about his birth and his people's ancient glory. Now he must prove himself worthy to be entrusted with the fabulous secret from the past.

Historical accuracy

''Secret of the Andes'' is historical fiction. Some events were inspired by real events in history. In reality, the Inca King ( Ataulpa) at one time was held for ransom by the Spaniards. However, llamas were not a part of the ransom, and the form of the gold was primarily solid, not gold dust.

Themes

Themes of ''Secret of the Andes'' include racial identity, preservation of historical cultures, adoption, animal guides, royal lineage, and the Spanish conquest and betrayal of the

Incan Empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

Newbery Medal

E. B. White Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including ''Stuart Little'' (1945), ''Charlotte's Web'' (1952), and '' The Trumpet of the Swan'' ...

's '' Charlotte's Web'' was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal the year ''Secret of the Andes'' won the award. According to a 2008 article by children's literature expert Anita Silvey in the ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'', one member of the Newbery committee stated that she voted for ''Secret of the Andes'' rather than ''Charlotte's Web'' "because she hadn't seen any good books about South America." Silvey further commented, "''The Secret of the Andes'' is a good book; ''Charlotte's Web'', the best."

References

Newbery Medal–winning works 1952 American novels American children's novels Novels set in Peru Viking Press books Children's historical novels 1952 children's books {{1950s-child-hist-novel-stub