Blog Tour: Secrets of the Dead and The Curse of the Tomb Robbers

I am delighted to be taking part in this Blog Tour. Both of these books are published in collaboration with the British Museum, one of my favourite places to visit and somewhere I have spent many happy hours!

It is home to the Rosetta Stone, a large stelle inscribed with three translations of a single passage, written in two Egyptian language scripts (hieroglyphic and Demotic) and in classical Greek. Named after the town on the Mediterranean coast in Egypt in which it was found, the Rosetta Sone was deciphered largely through the efforts of Thomas Young of England and Jean-François Champollion of France. Champollion made a crucial step in understanding ancient Egyptian writing when he identified the hieroglyphs that were used to write names, deciphering ‘Ptolemy’ and ‘Cleopatra’. He finally announced his discovery on the 27th September, 1822- two hundred years ago today which makes it the perfect day for reviewing these two book!

In ‘The Curse of the Tomb Robbers’, Andy Seed mixes story with problem solving to engage children with learning more about life in Ancient Egypt. Nub and his friend, Iteti, are introduced to the reader at the beginning of the book, along with information on how to use the codebreaker. Full of details of life at this time, the story is not only engaging, but a mine of information about this period of Egyptian history.

The puzzles encourage children to use hieroglyphs, learning in which direction they should be read, how to identify royal names and how to use the number system. Other puzzles are also included and all the solutions are given at the end of the story with explanation when necessary.

The illustrations are wonderful. Sure to instigate conversation about Egyptian life and offering plenty of opportunity for children to practise identifying hieroglyphs, they would be perfect for using as starting points for children to develop their own stories about Nub and Iteti, other figures shown in the pictures or characters of their own invention. Whether being used in class or at home, ‘The Curse of the Tomb Robbers’ is a welcome addition for those interested in or learning about the Egyptians.

‘Secrets of the Dead’ looks at human remains from around the world. Starting in Africa, the book focuses on Egypt and the mummification processes the Ancient Egyptians used to preserve their dead. Starting with the formal burials of Tutankhamun and Rameses the Great, the book also looks at the natural mummification of Gebelein Man and explores what can be learned in each case. Having taught the Egyptians many times, I can vouch for the fact that this is an area which fascinates children and the text is both accessible and interesting.

The book then continues with examples from the other continents showing how the dead have been preserved, offering specific examples such as the Ice Maiden of the Altai mountains and the bodies displayed in the Capuchin Catacombs beneath Palermo in Sicily (somewhere I did not visit when there!)

The book concludes with drawing attention to the amazing secrets of the past which have been uncovered by studying the bodies of those from the past as well as all the things that remain unknown. A map of the world shows the location of each discovery and a comprehensive glossary helps to explain many of the terms used. The History curriculum at KS2 says that pupils should learn about ‘the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China’. ‘Secrets of the Dead’ allows for comparisons to be made between death customs and discoveries in various locations around the world, encouraging children to make comparisons between different civilisations.

The Curse of the Tomb Robbers

Andy Seed, illustrated by James Weston Lewis

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1788009652

Secrets of the Dead

Matt Ralphs, illustrated by Gordy Wright

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1788009003

Two excellent books to support the history curriculum or to develop a passion for the past! Many thanks to Catherine Ward for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour.

Make sure you look at the next posts!

The Crocodile Curse

The second of ‘The Nile Adventures’, ‘The Crocodile Curse’ is set in 1269BCE in the tenth year of the reign of Ramesses II and continues the story of brothers Renni and Mahu and their friend Princess Balaal. Having thwarted the plans of the evil vizier, Paser, and survived, the children find themselves caught up in a new adventure when Balaal asks the brothers to accompany her to Shedet, the City of Crocodiles, to visit the temples dedicated to Sobek. However, when they arrive, they soon realise that their old enemy, Paser, is once more up to no good…

‘The Crocodile Curse’ (like all of Saviour’s historical fiction) offers not only an exciting and engaging story, but the rich descriptions and historical details incorporated seamlessly into the fabric of the tale also make it perfect for being used to support work on the Ancient Egyptians, one of the civilisations suggested for an in-depth study as part of the KS2 work on achievements of the earliest civilisations.

Details about daily life, customs, religious practices, the landscape are easily absorbed whilst the reader enjoys the story, making it perfect as a class read or a guided reading text. The joy of books like this is that, if you want to use them to support the curriculum, they can be used at any time. If the children have not learned about the Ancient Egyptians yet, they will absorb lots of information which they can later pin new learning on; if they have previously learned about the Egyptians, the story will encourage them to recall this learning and use it to deepen their understanding of Renni’s life; if the Egyptians is not the ancient civilisation chosen for in-depth study in a particular school’s curriculum, the story will allow children to encounter the Egyptians, perhaps encouraging them to find out more independently, and allow them to make links and comparisons between the civilisations of the past. A glossary and author’s notes at the end offer additional information for the reader.

Most importantly, ‘The Crocodile Curse’ is a well-paced, gripping read, full of adventure and intrigue, magic and mystery. Renni, Mahu and Balaal are appealing characters, each very different. In this story, Renni learns that he can find courage when he needs it whereas his brother learns that it is sometimes better to think before speaking.

The book is full of black and white pictures by Jo Lindley which help to bring key scenes further to life as they capture details from the text. The children’s adventures continue in ‘The Jackal’s Graveyard’ and you can get a hint about what’s coming in that if you read my ‘Meet Saviour Pirotta’ post.

The Crocodile Curse Saviour Pirotta, illustrated by Jo Lindley

Maverick ISBN: 978-1848868946

You can read my review of ‘The Heart Scarab’ here.

The Heart Scarab

Brothers, Renni and Mahu, are complete opposites. Renni, the younger, is an apprentice painter, learning to decorate tombs in the Valley of the Kings whilst Mahu looks for opportunities to make money. When Mahu hatches a plot to rob the tomb of a famous general, Renni reluctantly agrees. He steals the heart scarab from the General’s sarcophagus, leading to the unleashing of dead spirits, magic and mayhem. Renni and Mahu must return the missing scarab before Anubis comes not only for the general’s soul, but theirs as well.

‘The Heart Scarab’ is a pacy adventure with lots of action. Saviour is well known for his excellent historical fiction, effortlessly lacing exciting stories with details from whichever period he is writing about and this, the first in the new ‘Nile Adventures’ series, is rich with information about the ancient Egyptians, their lives and time.

Set in the tenth year in the reign of Ramesses II, the story would make an excellent text for using to support work on the Ancient Egyptians in upper KS2, either as a class story or as a key text to inspire and develop work. The story lends itself to plenty of writing in role, research, non-fiction writing and poetry as well as being perfect for developing reading skills. The story benefits from a section of additional information at the end of the book, including instructions for playing Senet.

The story is atmospheric and includes some dramatic scenes with the angry ghost of the dead general and the curse he lays on the boys. Having stolen the heart scarab and set the train of events in motion, they must now take responsibility for their actions and make things right again. Jo Lindley’s black and white illustrations throughout the book add much to the text.

The children’s adventures are set to continue in The Crocodile Temple, the second book in this series!

The Heart Scarab Saviour Pirotta, illustrated by Jo Lindley

Maverick Publishing ISBN: 978-1848868144