Customer Reviews

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

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The Secret of the Sacred Scarab - Fiona Ingram

This is an adventure story about two cousins, Adam and Justin who live in South Africa. They are typical young teen age boys who are excited when their aunt, an investigative journalist and their grandmother take them along on a trip to Egypt.

Adam is convinced that he is going to have the adventure of a lifetime and is not disappointed. Adam is given 3 small scarabs by a strange peddler. When the authorities come by, the peddler quickly hands the items to Adam and disappears without being paid. Adam later finds out an expensive scarab in his pocket. A famous archeologist is missing and the boys feel that the scarab is involved in the mystery.

This book is filled with nuggets of information about Egypt. Some items are common knowledge things but she fills the novel with a lot of details about Egypt. This would be a fun classroom read 4th - 6th grade, if you were studying Egypt. The students would have fun "checking" the facts that Fiona Ingram has woven into the story.

The book reminded me a lot of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series of my childhood because the kids are the brains in the investigation and outwit the adult "bad guys". Students who like either mystery or adventure stories, would like this book. Students who are interested in Egypt would like this as well. While the main characters are boys, girls would also like this book. It will keep an adult's interest and it perfect for a family reading activity.

The only thing that I would change would be the cover if it is marketed in the United States as the cover illustration pictures boys who look a lot younger than the almost 13 and 14 year old characters. The cover looks dated and students "judging a book by its cover" might not pick it up.

This is the first book of a series and I am going to read the other books in the series this summer.

Adam and his cousin, Justin, were hoping for adventure when they left for a vacation in Egypt with their aunt and grandmother, but the two get more than they bargained for when they become mixed-up in a dangerous mystery involving a lost tomb, a missing archaeologist, and a smuggling ring led by a high-level official in the Egyptian government. Ingram's fast-paced plot is sure to hold the attention of even reluctant readers, and children will appreciate the boys' ability to outwit many of the adult characters in the story. First in a planned series, this is a must-read for young Egyptologists who will appreciate the vivid descriptions of the setting and the realistic reactions of the boys as they see the treasures of ancient Egypt for the first time. Readers will love following Adam and Justin on their journey and discovering hidden chapters on Ingram's interactive website.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is an enjoyable book to read for both adults and children. The 13 years old Adam and his cousin, Justin are excited about accompanying their award-winning journalist Aunt Isabel and their Granny to Egypt. If you enjoyed reading Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and Enid Blyton's The Famous Five, I am sure you will look forward to reading this book. It will keep you spellbound to the end. The mysteries of the Sacred Scarab and the Scarab King unfold gradually. The story is even livelier because of its references to ancient history, legends and archaeology. It is not only educative for an inquiring mind, but also where the history comes alive!

Whisked away on a short vacation with their aunt, cousins Justin and Adam find themselves on a tour in the middle of the Egyptian desert. Both cousins admire Mr. Kinnaird, an English archeologist, who suddenly went missing on a dig while investigating the ancient legend of the Scarab King. Fueled by these accounts, Adam convinces himself, along with his cousin, that there is adventure to be found in Egypt and treasure that is just waiting to be uncovered. While following their beautiful tour guide, Laila, the boys are approached by an unusual peddler outside the museum in Memphis. This odd looking man gives them three wooden scarabs in exchange for no money and utters odd words like "son of fire and light", catapulting the boys suddenly into a real-life Indiana Jones adventure movie.

The book continues to pick up the pace as Adam and Justin begin to find clues connecting these plain looking scarabs with Mr. Kinnaird's mission and the tomb of the Scarab King. Being chased by men dressed in dark robes, uncovering secrets of the dark Dr. Khalid, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department, and inching closer to the location of the Scarab King's tomb are just some of the details that continue to pour out of the pages of "The Secret of the Sacred Scarab" and will leave young readers mesmerized. As danger becomes a reality for both boys, their aunt and feisty grandmother begin to worry and slowly connect the dots, aiding these youngsters on the quest of their life.

Fiona Ingram creates the first book in the Chronicles of the Stone and "The Secret of the Sacred Scarab" does not disappoint. While adding in facts about Egyptian culture and history, I did not even notice that this book was a learning tool until after the last page. Laila, the tour guide, provides factual information about hieroglyphics, ancient culture, and the practices of the pharaohs and their priests. Stemming from Ingram's trip to Egypt as a child, this novel imbeds history into the core of the adventure. Although simple in language and obvious plot details foreshadowing future action, this book is perfect for young readers, male and female alike. Adam and Justin are typical boys, and filled with imagination and a spirit thriving for adventure they invite other young readers on their remarkable escapade. Ingram excels at combining a foreign culture with an interesting plot and details that will jumpstart any child's imagination.

This is a book targeted to tweens but it still held my interest. Two young cousins, Adam and Justin are very excited about their trip to Egypt with their Aunt. While it is supposed to be an educational trip the boys are looking for ADVENTURE! And adventure they find. While the boys are exploring a marketplace a strange peddler gives them several scarabs; three are quite ordinary but one is very unusual. From that point on the boys are a target of a madman who ultimately kidnaps them as part of a plot to steal ancient treasures. I don't want to give too much away but your tweens will be enthralled with this tale.

The story manages to be both educational and compelling. Ms. Ingram teaches about ancient Egypt and about the wrongs committed by smugglers in a smooth fashion that ties into the plot. The characters are well developed and in some cases downright fun. The bad guys are very, very bad! I think the target audience will find themselves racing through the pages to get to the very satisfying conclusion. The book is the first in what I hope is a long series. These boys are smart and fun.

"From the heights of these pyramids, forty centuries look down on us." Napoleon Bonaparte

Forty centuries have challenged the best of them - Caesar, Bonaparte, Indiana Jones, and even the Transformers. Along come Justin and Adam Sinclair to fall into a mystery of a missing archaeologist. It would be easy to label this a "Hardy Boys Go to Egypt" but it is more than two teens solving a mystery. Ingram packs the story with Egypt's history, legends, and culture. Plus we see Egypt through the eyes of teens from South Africa who have a different perspective of their Northern neighbor than American (or even European) teens.

The bonus - this action packed page turner gives the reader a vivid image of Egypt's landscape and legends. Having the opportunity to cruise the Nile, THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB was a pleasant trip down memory lane for me. This book will enchant children, teens, and adults who have been hypnotized by Egypt's lure.

Recommended read for fans of Ancient Egypt and even students engaged in a lesson on world civilizations.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab offers a veritable treasure trove of fantasy and intrigue for young readers. When young cousins, Adam and Justin, take off on a tour through Egypt with their aunt and grandmother, they have their hearts set on adventure. As their journey begins, the boys encounter a mysterious man who disappears into the crowd before they have a chance to pay him for the scarabs he tries to sell to them. As the story unfolds, they uncover hidden secrets, buried treasure and more. Replete with kidnapping, robberies, hidden doors, quick sand, and so much more, kids will surely be captivated by this gripping tale which is as compelling as it is educational.

This book earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval, a designation reserved for those books which uphold the rigorous criteria set forth by the Literary Classics review committee, a team comprised of individuals with backgrounds in publishing, editing, writing, illustration and graphic design.

Adam and Justin yearn for nothing less than a real-life adventure on their upcoming trip to Egypt. They get just what they're looking for - and then some - from the moment Adam is handed three scarabs from a mysterious peddler on their very first day in Cairo. As the boys try to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of a famed archaeologist and his connection to the scarabs, they learn a pyramid's worth of information about ancient Egypt. (The author has obviously done her research on ancient Egypt!) Through museums, temples, and tombs - despite kidnappers, thieves, and corruption - Adam and Justin passionately follow their dream of adventure and determination to know once and for all - is the Scarab King just a legend or does his treasure lay buried in the desert sands?

Despite a few inaccuracies about modern day Egypt (nagging probably only to me), this book would definitely find its place on my classroom library shelf! I love learning - and teaching - through stories and The Secret of the Sacred Scarab would make a great supplemental trade book to a unit on ancient Egypt, motivating reluctant learners and readers or providing an extension read for the more curious. The Secret of the Sacred Scarab would be especially appealing to readers who prefer an action-packed plot.

Fiona Ingram's modern Egyptian adventure "The Secret of the Sacred Scarab" is a page-turner. The two young South African protagonists will capture young readers' attention and their ensuing adventure will fuel dreams of treasure hunts amid mysterious lands. Long has Egypt held young readers' attention because of its mystic, hidden treasures, and hint of marvelous adventures. Ingram captures the nature of an real Egyptian visit and follows the boys from their arrival in Cairo along with their journey south to Abu Simbel and back to the Valley of the Kings. In each site, readers are enveloped into the mystery, danger, and excitement right along with the characters. I loved reading this. It just seems that nowhere else on Earth calls to more readers than Egypt.

Cheryl Carpinello
author of "Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend"

Egypt - full of fantasy, adventure, secrets, curses, and treasure. This intriguing land is one that I have always wanted to experience for myself, so anytime a fun new book comes out surrounding the mysteries of this extraordinary land, the temptation to dive in is overwhelming.

The same feelings sit with the heroes of our story. Justin and Adam are two youngsters getting ready to go on a family outing with their famous Aunt Isabel. Adam and Justin cannot wait for the adventures to start, after all, if an adventure was going to start anywhere, Egypt would be the place.

Soon after the group arrives the mysteries start to unfold; a merchant slips free gifts to the boys in a hurry and runs off before the boys can question him or even thank him! Cameras are broken and rucksacks are nabbed. In contradiction to Isabel's claims of "NO ADVENTURES", this trip is turning out exactly the way the boys would like. Hidden messages, sacred objects, and danger at every stop. Throw in a smuggling ring, and this is turning into a true life story for these young boys. What the boys soon learn is that the real adventures are often more dangerous and frightening than they seem from the outside. Once fully immersed in the danger, you cannot wish yourself out.

This is a grand adventure for any child who is looking for a journey to one of the most fascinating areas on the planet. With all of the secrets Egypt still has to offer, people of all ages are drawn to this place as were the boys in the story. The pacing may be a bit slow for older readers, but I think any young adult will have a full experience with this book. The story really gripped my interest as the final chapters unfolded.

The different tombs, areas, and the culture in this book will make even the most reluctant student want to pick up another book about Egypt. This is the first of a series, and I have no doubt that the children will be waiting on pins and needles to get the next installment of the adventures of Adam and Justin.