How to Survive Ancient Spells and Crazy Kings — Laura Pauling

Convinced that her grandfather, Zeb, needs help, twelve-year-old Bianca persuades her family to fly to the Mayan ruins of Tikal on a search and rescue mission. Impatient, she and her brainy cousin, Melvin, sneak out in the middle of the night and follow clues to the ancient city of Etza, where the people haven't aged in 2,000 years. The cousins face loin-cloth wearing skeletons from the underworld, a backstabbing princess, and an ancient prophecy-one that says in three days the city will be destroyed. Except Zeb does not want to be rescued and the fact that a crazy king wants to serve Bianca up to the gods as an appetizer, is just a minor technicality.