Gideon and the Mummy Professor [Hardcover]

Kathleen Karr (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

In 1855, while performing a vaudeville act with his unpredictable father, the ""Mummy Professor,"" the mummy in the act reveals to twelve-year-old Gideon the location of a treasure. By the author of It Ain't Always Easy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set among Mississippi river towns in 1855 and laden with period atmosphere, Karr's latest introduces 12-year-old hero who grudgingly looks after his father, the "Mummy Professor" who lectures on Egypt and the pharoahs. But while Gideon and his father eke out a living, they unwittingly carry a priceless gem with them--in the genuine mummy that climaxes their humbug-heavy show. Rival tomb-looter Emmanuel Wistover knows of the treasure and is pursuing them, as suspense-building cross-cuts reveal to the reader; Gideon uncovers the stone, and the professor offers it for sale in New Orleans, attracting even more interested parties. Kidnapped by Wistover, the plucky Gideon survives to strike out on his own--but only after a climactic fight in the Louisiana bayous, and a voodoo invocation that lays the spirit of the mummy to rest. As she did in Oh, Those Harper Girls! , Karr spins as fine a piece of melodrama as ever appeared on a 19th-century stage and providing plenty of unexpected twists. Why can't more historical fiction be as much fun to read? Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-- A mummy named George, magic acts, a priceless gem, and a robbery come together in a story crammed full of adventure, danger, and intrigue. Gideon, 12, assists his father in a cheap 1855 vaudeville act. When they are forced to leave town on the sly, he finds a valuable green scarab; with it, their troubles and fortunes increase. They are pursued in New Orleans by an archrival and a rich collector, both hoping to possess the rare emerald they believe will lead them to the tomb of Tutankhamen. The stone passes from one villain to another as Gideon is drugged, kidnapped, and whipped. Eventually , the heroes prevail, the villains are vanquished, and Gideon and Naseem (a mute Abyssian slave girl) sail away to Egypt. This is a Victorian style melodrama with Jewel of the Nile and Indiana Jones thrown in for good measure. The complex plot is difficult to follow; the style is cumbersome for reading aloud and requires a knowledge of Victorian and Creole life as well as Egyptology. Characters are well developed and appropriately mean or heroic, but they race from one escapade to another at breakneck pace. Though there is demand for scary adventure tales, this one is too convoluted for most readers. --Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 137 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (J); 1st edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374325634
• ISBN-13: 978-0374325633
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,412,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, October 11, 2000

By 

"seanhaight" (Austin,TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gideon and the Mummy Professor (Hardcover)

The story has a slow start but does get interesting near the end. Over all it's a fairly good book.

4.0 out of 5 stars a rollicking good time for fifth graders, March 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Gideon and the Mummy Professor (Hardcover)

One need not feel sorry for Gideon even though he is surrounded with irresponsible adults. Gideon is thoughtful and intelligent enough to make up for them all. Karr's characters are alive and handle the problems she throws at them;sometimes efficiently,sometimes unrealistically but always in an entertaining fashion. Chapter 7 is spine-tingling. Fifth graders will enjoy this romp.