Caboodle books, 9781919614809

“The Ancient Egypt sleepover” by Stephen Davies  follows young Mo when he wins a place at a sleepover at the British Museum.  However there are villains about and the young students find themselves having to stop a robbery, after all the adults have been drugged by the robbers.  A great read, especially if you are about to visit the Museum itself.

Maverick, 9781848868144

“The Heart Scarab” and “The Crocodile Curse”  by Saviour Pirotta and Jo Lindley are the first two adventures in a series by this superb writer of historical fiction for younger readers.  This series is set during the reign of Ramses II and features two brothers, who find themselves in danger from a villainous magician.  A brilliant addition to the list of books about this civilization.

Maverick, 9781848868946

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, , 9780618756384

“Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos” by R L LaFevers is the first in a series featuring a young girl, whose mother is an archaeologist and her father is curator of a large Egyptian collection.  When a mysterious amulet seems to bring the threat of magic and destruction, Theodosia finds herself caught up in the fight to save the country.  There are four books in this series and a theoretical fifth volume, although I have been waiting for quite a few years for this to appear.

Buster books, ‎ 9781780557519

“Sherlock Bones and the Curse of the Pharaoh’s Mask ” by Tim Collins follows the canine detective and his assistant Dr Catson as they take a well earned holiday in Egypt.  But when a gold mask is stolen, they become the chief suspects.  They have to prove their innocence and find the true thieves to avoid going to prison.  This is full of action and adventure and is great for 7-9 year olds who are exploring Egypt for the first time.

Barrington Stoke, 9781800900073

“Tutankhamun’s treasure” by David Long is  Barrington Stoke book aimed at introducing young readers to the story of Howard Carter and Tutankhamun.  This is an information book that is told in an easy to read and understand way.  There are plenty of pen and ink illustrations that help the reader to get the feel of the story.

Welbeck Flame, ‎ 9781801300230

“The Mummy’s Curse” by M A Bennett is the second in a series featuring three young explorers, who can use a time machine to help change history.  In this book, they find themselves travelling forward to 1922 and being present at the opening the tomb of Tutankhamun; but what can they do to prevent robbery and more?  This is an excellent series and is unusual in that the heroes travel FORWARD in time for their adventures.

Faber & Faber, 9780571328499

“Secrets of a Sun King” by Emma Carroll is written by an author who is one of our most highly regarded history writers.  In this story, the heroine Lilian finds herself caught up in the suspect death of an archaeologist, a mysterious package and the discovery of a new tomb in Egypt.  The year is 1922 and the world has got Egypt mania, but are there some real dangers to be faced and new stories to be told?  This is a favourite story for use in KS2 studies of Egypt.

Sweet Cherry, 9781782268161

“Tombful of Trouble” by Pip Murphy.  This is the third in the series of stories featuring the twins, Christie and Agatha (yes, they have lived in Torquay!) and this time they find themselves in Egypt at the same time as Howard Carter discovers his famous tomb.  When precious objects start to disappear from the tomb, the girls (who run a Detective Agency) decide to find the culprit and retrieve the treasures.  This is a great read for younger readers and definitely for those who will go on to read Robin Steven.

Candlewick, 9781536205237

“Julius Zebra: entangled by the Egyptians” by Gary Northfield is the third book in the series featuring the less than fearless Zebra called Julius.  The stories are set in the ancient world and so far the hero and his friends have been taken to Rome, then Britain and now find themselves ship wrecked off the coast of Egypt.  They start by being treated as gods, but things rapidly go downhill.  This is a fun filled story that young readers will love.

Elmside Publishing, 9781999364113

“The Adventurers and the Temple of Treasure” by Jemma Hatt follows a group of young people as they follow clues left by their father and persuade their uncle to take them to Egypt, to search for hidden ‘treasure’.  The adventurers love to detect and this story allows them to do just that.  This is the second in the series and will add more fans to the books.

CreateSpace, 9781478305705

“Mystery of the Egyptian Scroll” by Scott Peters (Kid Detective Zet) is first in a series featuring a young boy called Zed, who lives in ancient Egypt.  He is the son of a potter,  but would much rather be solving mysteries and is actually quite successful at what he does.  This series is great for showing a world that is not just in palaces, but also shows the lives of ordinary people.  there are four stories to be read, but I am sure that readers would love some more in the future.

Puffin, 9780141325507

“The Kane trilogy” by Rick Riorden is an absolute must for fans of Percy Jackson.  Set in the same world, this is based around the Egyptian gods  and features Carter and Sadie, the children of Egyptologists as they are caught up in a war between the gods.  This is a fantastic series for middle grade readers and it is a shame that there are only three full length novels in this series, although there are also several short novellas.

Crescent Vista Press, 9781734155211

“The Eye of Ra” by Ben Gartner features American siblings, John and Sarah, who accidentally stumble on a cave  and find themselves drawn back to Ancient Egypt.  There they find themselves up against a mysterious character and need to find a way of getting back to their home, without changing the course of history.  This is the first in a series of three titles in which the children visit the Roman Empire and the Aztec Empire.

b small publishing, 9781911509097

“An Egyptian Adventure” (The Histronauts)  by Frances Durkin and Grace Cooke is part of a graphic novel series centred around the major ancient civilizations.  In this book, the heroes are taken back to Ancient Egypt  and make friends with a girl who shows them what life is like.  The book is full of factual information and excellent illustrations that bring the period to life.  This makes for a really good introduction to the life and beliefs of the Egyptian people.

CreateSpace, 9781544763774

“The Cleopatra Curse” and “The Great Pyramid Robbery” by Katherine Roberts are part of a series called the Seven Fabulous Wonders.  they are adventure stories full of action and history, but also with a magical and mystical element that really hooks the reader.  the Pyramid robbery is set during the reign of Khufu in early Egypt, whereas the Cleopatra Cure is set in the final days of this great civilization, as Rome flexes its military might.

A & C Black, 9780713674552

“Casting the Gods Adrift” by Geraldine McCaughrean is a short story by a Carnegie winning author.  It is an exciting adventure story, set during the reign of the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten, when he built his new capital city Amarna out in the desert and away from the Nile river.  This is great for those who prefer shorter books and it deals with a time that is not written about as much.

Andersen Press, 9781849395748

“The Lost Prophesies” by Michael Malaghan  When siblings Callie and Nick go to stay with their uncle at the museum he curates in Egypt, the last thing they expect is to find a message from 4000 years ago and addressed to them.  What follows is a tale of mystery and magic, as they try and unravel centuries of intrigue and danger.

HarperCollins, 9780007514083

“Time Hunters; Egyptian Curse” by Chris Blake.  the main character, Tom, finds himself on time travelling adventures to the past after he accidentally breaks a statue at the museum, he sets free a young girl called Isis who had been imprisoned there since ancient times.  They find themselves on a quest to go back in time, retrieve some amulets and in this, the sixth and final adventure Tom finds himself fighting in the forces of Tutankhamun.  Hopefully he will solve the riddle and break the curse that has held Isis captive.

Orion, 9781842556054

“Scribes of Alexandria” by Caroline Lawrence is part of her long series about a small group of children and their detective adventures during some important events in Roman history.  This book sees them in Egypt and having to travel down the Nile in their quest to find the answers to their questions.

Walker books, 9781406361445

“Jake Atlas and the Tomb of the Emerald Snake” by Rob Lloyd Jones is about Jake and his sister Pan as they try and find their parents in the deserts of Egypt.  They face all kinds of problems including thieves and high tec dangers.  This is the first in the series and Jake is not your usual hero, in fact he has some real issues that he has to deal with.

Simon & Schuster, 9781471147197

“Violet and the Mummy Mystery” by Harriet Whitehorn this is the fourth adventure for the young sleuth, Violet and her friends.  After a mummy is stolen from the British Museum, Violet hunts for the culprits and is desperate to help her Aunt Matilde, who is an Egyptologist.  This is a delightful and exciting story for young enthusiasts.

With the centenary of the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb  taking place on at this time, there is a real resurgence in interest; although the fact that it is on the National Curriculum means that there is always a good range of materials available.  I hope that these two blog posts about the subject will spark your interest and that people will discover some new authors to enjoy.