So many beginning readers are fiction, so it is nice to run across something in the non-fiction genre. This particular book's focus is death and the afterlife in ancient Egypt. It begins with a discussion of the more familiar gods -- Osiris, Isis and Anubis -- what they looked like and what attributes they had. It then goes on to describe the dangers to the soul that were thought to exist as it transitioned from life to death. Including the final judgement at the end.

Other points of interest are the burial practices. The book actually goes into a considerable detail about how mummies were made. Very cool, but not gross. There is also a discussion of pyramids including some of the typical contents that might be found inside: items such as glassware, chairs, and musical instruments. Examples of cuneiform are shown. The book finishes by noting that modern Egyptians are mostly Muslim and that they pray to one god - Allah.

The publisher lists this book as a Level Two and suggests it as a practice reader for those in first, second, and third grades. However, the Accelerated Reading designation for this book is 3.2 -- which means that that group feels that the book is best suited for new Third Graders.

[The AR designation is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.]

You find vocabulary words such as: festival, people, prayed, thousand, special, powers, brought, warmth, guarded, warriors, protected, etc.

Four Stars. Okay Read-aloud. In general, I think this book is a nice introduction to a historical period most young children wouldn't otherwise be exposed to for years. Content is fascinating and even I learned something.

Annoyingly there is no pronunciation guide. Most adults may know the names, but children probably won't.

While there are a lot of sight-words in this book, it is very accessible for novice readers. I got this book alone with easy readers on the Nile and King Tut for a unit we did on Egypt. It could also be useful for a unit on ancient mythology (when paired with books on Ancient Roman and Greek myths).

While there are a lot of sight-words in this book, it is very accessible for novice readers. I got this book alone with easy readers on the Nile and King Tut for a unit we did on Egypt. It could also be useful for a unit on ancient mythology (when paired with books on Ancient Roman and Greek myths).

Beautifully illustrated children's book. Gives basics of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, ancient Eryptian beliefs in afterlife, mummies, pyramids, and more. Great for kids, with or without a trip to the museum!