The Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures with Mummies [Library Binding]

Zahi Hawass (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

"Hardcover: 160 pages Publisher: National Geographic (May 1, 2004) ISBN: 079226665X Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.6 x 0.6 inches All Ages ""Why do [people] want to believe that the ancient Egyptians wish to reach out over thousands of years an"

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–Some children will already be familiar with the work of this Egyptian archaeologist from TV documentaries about his excavations along the Nile. Hawass is passionate about this work and effectively relates his enthusiasm for it in this first-person account that has the same immediacy as the televised specials. The history of the mummy's curse becomes the frame of his narrative, but the author is at his best when describing his excavations, their inherent dangers (ancient germs, crumbling rock, snakes), and the excitement of discovery. His stories of grave robbers caught millennium ago, and documented in papyrus texts, are fascinating. He also discusses his recent excavations at Giza and his discovery of multichambered tombs at Bahariya Oasis that contain hundreds of mummies. After providing readers with some history of the many myths and legends surrounding the "curse," which he attributes to novelists and "silly" Hollywood movies, he adds a few of his own stories and experiences with the "magic" of the tombs. The full-color photos are superb; they include clear close-up shots of mummies, statues, artifacts, sites, and a number of the scientist at work. There are also a few helpful cutaway diagrams. Appendixes provide tips for kids thinking about a future in archaeology, information on mummification, and useful glossaries. While the exciting title and cover will draw young readers in, it's Hawass's passion, storytellling skills, and the terrific illustrations that will keep them reading.—Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. "Why do [people] want to believe that the ancient Egyptians wish to reach out over thousands of years and do us harm?" asks Hawass, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. The answer, he argues, goes back to the opening of King Tut's tomb, when the deaths of several people associated with the discovery fueled notions of a "pharaoh's curse," propagated by journalists and Hollywood. Hawass tries to refute manifestations of the so-called curse by citing "natural explanations" or just plain coincidence. Unfortunately, the sheer quantity of eerie concurrences (as when Hawass suffered a heart attack just before announcing a major discovery) may unintentionally leave some readers more convinced than ever of the ancients' ill intentions. When not devoted to furthering his debunking agenda, Hawass' writing is passionate, informative, and kid friendly (he notes that "mummies smell awful"). Even so, what will probably most attract aspiring archeologists are the National Geographic-quality photographs, which lend tantalizing immediacy to real-life tales from the crypt. Ample end matter concludes. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 160 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792269632
• ISBN-13: 978-0792269632
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 0.6 x 11.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,371,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to introduce someone to Egyptology, December 15, 2009

By 

Jean A. Jones (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Curse of the Pharaohs : My Adventures with Mummies (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) (Hardcover)

I originally borrowed this book from the local library to read to my 9 year old daughter but it proved to be so interesting I bought a copy to reread to her from time to time. This is a great introduction to modern Egyptology by Egypt's renowned archaeologist. I would recommend getting this book for anyone you know who is seriously interested in studying ancient Egypt.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Curse of the Pharoahs Excellent, August 12, 2005

By 

Virginia N. Jones - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Curse of the Pharaohs : My Adventures with Mummies (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) (Hardcover)

Well written and easy to read. Would be a good book to get children interested in the pharoahs. Wonderful pictures.
Ginny J

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for Child and Parent, November 13, 2006

By 

Sarah M. Atkinson (Columbus, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures with Mummies (Library Binding)

This is an excellent book on Egyptology. It has a more personal narration then most books on Egypt--partly due to the authors use of first person narrative and partly due to his passion and enthusiasm on the subject. The effect is the reader takes more then just a factual view of data surrounding stories of Curses in Egypt but rather a personalized look at Archaeology. This is an excellent book for any school aged child weather he is interested or not in Archeology.
This book starts out with and introduction about Zahi Hawass and some of the sites he has worked on including the tombs of the pyramid builders. He then goes into talking about Tutankhamun and how the rumors of a curse began. He then describes some of the information known about ancient grave robbers as well as his own experiences with the curse.
The Appendix in this book is amazing. It has 5 parts:
*Tips for becoming and Archaeologist - This is a good guide for children who dream of following in Dr. Hawass's footsteps.
*Tracing Egypt's glorious past--One of the best brief Chronologys of the periods and kingdoms of Ancent Egypt.
*How mummies were made--this was one of the few spots that was a bit dry.
*Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt--While this section is not compleate (there were I think thousands of different Gods and Goddesses) it does provide a brief description on 17 of the major ones.
*Glossary--Basic glossary of terms used in the book.