Deep in the jungle, among the rubber trees, the Olmec people lived thousands of years ago. Did you know they were the first to make chocolate? Did you know they loved to play sports? Did you know they were the first people to harvest latex into rubber? Did you know they believed in shape shifting jaguars and carved huge stone heads? Come meet the Rubber People and learn their ancient secrets! The Olmecs were the first major civilization in ancient Mexico. They are famous for their art and architecture. Their name comes from the Aztec word for "rubber people." Their original name is just one of the many mysteries of this ancient culture. Come along with us back in time to discover more about these fascinating people. This high-interest text features easy-to-read text and original illustrations highlighting the accomplishments of the Olmecs. Perfect for ages 6-10. Our Leveled Readers feature a helpful dual rating system: Reading Levels: A) Read With Me: Simple text for child, deeper text for educators B) I Love Reading: Stories to be enjoyed with independence Theme Levels: 1) Simple, gentle, fascinating stories 2) Engaging story with mild story violence and/or conflict themes 3) High interest story with dynamic language and moderate violence and/or conflict themes This title is a B1.