Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Straightforward mummy adventure with a side of gamer fun.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Alex doesn't want to worry his mom. He's in a lot of pain again -- a mysterious ailment he's had his whole life -- and he thinks there's nothing his mom can do. But little does he know that her life's work as an Egyptologist and collector at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has been driven by Alex's illness. For years she's been searching for the lost spells from the Book of the Dead, and she's finally found them. And just in time, as Alex collapses in the museum and is rushed to the hospital and put on life support. Alex's mom is thrilled when a lost spell brings him back. But unleashing the ancient, powerful magic has a price; other things are stirring -- ancient evil things wrapped for hundreds of years. And scorpions. Lots of scorpions.
Is It Any Good?
This is what a good tomb-raiding adventure should have. Mummies -- check! Booby traps -- check! Magic powers -- check! Treasure -- eh, not so much yet, unless you count powerful old books and a couple of magic amulets. The goods are mostly there. Now we need our evil-fighting duo.
Alex is back from the dead -- nice touch. And Ren is the New York girl with good grades. And they're best friends. Great, but that's about all readers really know at this point -- and that Alex loves and misses his Egyptologist mom. If we're going to follow the twosome around the world for at least four more books, they should have been more fully developed as characters. All the characters -- the cousin, the frog-faced doctor -- could use a bit more depth. The more the author finds that good adventure/character balance, the more everything will be in place for a truly exciting series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about ancient Egypt. What's so fascinating about it?
What did you learn about Egypt and mummies from Book of the Dead? What more can you find out online? (The Metropolitan Museum of Art's website is a good start.)
Will you play the online game if you haven't already? Or write some fan fiction? Do interactive books make you want to read more of them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Animals ( Bugs ) , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Inc.
- Publication date : January 27, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 208
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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