Egypt's Ancient Secrets

In this series readers can learn about the interesting mysteries surrounding the ancient Egyptian civilization. The titles cover lots of in-depth information about the pyramids, mummies, religious rituals, and burial practices of the ancient Egyptians, which are fascinating to students because they are so different from our customs today. These books are very readable high-interest books and convey their facts in a narrative nonfiction format. High quality color images and pictures on each page grab the reader and let them see the history being described. At the end of each book, the author poses questions or mysteries that are still unsolved, because for all of these topics many questions still remain to be researched. Overall, this series presents these selected elements of ancient Egypt in a way sure to fascinate any student interested in the topic.
Recommended

From sarcophagi to the process of embalming to the puzzle of mummy identification, this book takes a dive into ancient Egyptian tombs and reveals all sorts of gems of information young readers probably didn’t know before.

At only 32 pages, this book holds a treasure trove of information surrounding the mysteries and history of Egyptian tombs. The author grabs the reader right away with a mysterious story about 8 men digging in the desert and goes off from there. A short text covers each spread, with quick and clear descriptions explaining everything from tomb robbers to the problems Egyptologists face when investigating a tomb. The words are engaging and hold a slight air of tension. More difficult or unfamiliar words are placed in bold letters and later explained in a glossary at the end of the book.

Each spread is bright, real life photos and, sometimes, diagrams. Small tidbits are added to give more clarity and explanation to side thoughts such as what a papyrus is or what a make-up bottle looks like. There’s something interesting on every page, making this a book young readers are sure to come back to time and again.

While the text and information is easy to read and understand, some of the topics addressed might be a little harsh for children younger than the fourth grade (real life mummy photos and the clear presentation of the punishment tomb robbers faced).

Summed up, this book offers a wonderful glimpse into ancient Egyptian tombs and many interesting facts surrounding them. Even adults will enjoy flipping through this and discover one or two facts they might not have known themselves.

This volume in the Egypt’s Ancient Secrets series follows renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawaas on an exciting 1996 dig near the Bahariya Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert. After hearing about a donkey that stumbled in a hole containing a golden burial mask, Hawaas rushed to the scene and discovered an ancient cemetery that could contain as many as 10,000 mummies! Readers will get a basic overview of the excavation process, as well as an understanding of how a person’s class affected their burial—for instance, only the wealthy could afford gold masks. The text also follows one mummy to the lab for examination and investigates a potential mummy’s curse. Liberally illustrated with labeled photos of artifacts and the dig, this look at one of Egypt’s less-discussed discoveries will pique the interest of any Egyptophile.

The “secrets” of ancient Egypt are revealed through visits to archaeological excavations and analysis of what they reveal about Egyptian civilization. Spreads have several paragraphs of text, with sufficient background and detail. . . .Illustrations are an eye-catching mix of well-captioned drawings of processes like mummification and pyramid construction alongside contemporary photos of artifacts and locations. The market has a surfeit of sets on ancient Egypt, but this one offers valuable perspective on how ongoing archaeology and scholarship continue to expand current knowledge. VERDICT: Ghost Ship, Tomb Robbers, and Golden Mummies will be new for most readers and are primary purchases. Great Pyramid, King Tut, and Sphinx are good additional purchases.