The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone [Paperback]

James Cross Giblin (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

"Until the Rosetta Stone was finally translated and the decoding of hieroglyphic writing made possible, much of Egyptian history was lost. The author has done a masterful job of distilling information, citing the highlights, and fitting it all together in an interesting and enlightening look at a puzzling subject." —H. "The social and intellectual history here are fascinating. A handsome, inspiring book." —K.

Notable Children's Books of 1991 (ALA)
Notable 1990 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
Children's Books of 1990 (Library of Congress)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing (NY Public Library)
Parenting Honorable Mention, Reading Magic Award

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Copiously illustrated with drawings and historical prints and photographs, this accessible account explicates one of history's greatest discoveries. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Giblin chronicles the lives of several scholars, namely Thomas Young and Jean-Francois Champollion, who struggled to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs and break the code of the Rosetta Stone. Most children's books on Egyptian history make mention of the Rosetta Stone, but few (if any) give it the detailed attention of Giblin's book. This isn't a biography of Champollion, nor is it a dictionary of how to read hieroglyphs (as is Katan's Hieroglyphs: The Writing of Ancient Egypt McElderry, 1981). It's actually more of a "biography" of the stone itself. The writing style is a little dry, and somber photos and black-and-white illustrations lack the vivacity to catch a young reader's eye. But both adults and children will find this a solid reference source for reports or for more detailed information than general books on Egyptology provide. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 28, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064461378
• ISBN-13: 978-0064461375
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Science > Archaeology
  • #62 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Ancient

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ideal introduction to how heiroglyphics were decoded., March 3, 2001

By 

Jef Raskin - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone (Paperback)

"The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone" is accessible to our 9-year-old would-be Egyptologist with just a bit of vocabulary help from adults, yet is not the least insulting to her parents. This small book, with fewer than 100 pages, largeish type, and many clear illustrations, gives a readable and straightforward account of how the Rosetta stone allowed scholars to understand and even find the pronunciation of a language long after its last speaker was long dead. We learn, for example, that to the ancients, she was "Cleopadra" and not "Cleopatra".

There is enough detail to help understand the process, and to convince the reader that the reconstructions are sound. The stone and its translation is put into its historical context, both ancient and modern.

This is an admirable, brief, and inexpensive introduction to the subject, and is well-written. The professional will look elsewhere, and the complete greek, demotic, and heiroglyphic texts are available in the inexpensive Dover reprint of E.A. Wallis Budge's "The Rosetta Stone", which I review separately.

26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is a young persons book, written with not much detail, January 11, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone (Paperback)

A nice little book, easy to read and worth the price paid for it. I would have liked to see more detail, perhaps in the next book I buy. I gave it three stars as it is a light report of the Rosetta Stone. I read the whole book in about 1/2 hour. It does have other sources from which to select more detailed books.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, July 11, 2004

By 

Jennifer R. Lewis (Loganville, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone (Paperback)

The Rosetta Stone, found in Egypt in 1799 by the French but later turned over to the British, contains text written in three alphabets: Greek, Egyptian, and hieroglyphics. Decoding the hieroglyphics on the stone remained a puzzle to many experts for years. This book provides a biography of the stone, describing the contributions made by many linguists that eventually led to deciphering the mysterious symbols.

Black and white photographs of the stone as well as portrait illustrations of the men who helped decode the symbols break up the text. The book provides a very informative history of the writing system of ancient Egypt.