The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb. Candace Fleming. 2021. 285 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: It was said...the boy king's tomb was cursed.
Premise/plot: The Curse of the Mummy is middle grade nonfiction. (Though I could see upper elementary grade students seeking this out if there is an interest in the subject.) It is the true story of the search for and discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of Kings. It explores the mythology--urban legend-izing--of the so-called "curse" that plagued any and all that came into contact with ancient Egyptian artifacts. It clarifies that there was no actual "curse." It looks at how that built up and became a thing...[but how there was no basis of truth in it.]
It is set mainly in Egypt in the 1910s and 1920s. It covers a tiny bit the controversy of who owns these artifacts and how they should be treated. Or should have been treated (but weren't.)
My thoughts: Sixth-grade me would have absolutely loved, loved, loved, loved this one. Sixth grade was a big [memorable] field trip year for me. I've been interested in Ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology ever since. So adult-me is still excited to have read this one. I do think I read more nonfiction as an adult than I did as a kid. [I think the quality and quantity are better.]
I really enjoyed this one. I read a physical library book copy of this one. The printing seemed a bit off. Some pages looked like copies-of-copies. [Are photocopies even still a thing????] Some text was gray instead of black. [And I don't think it was meant to be.] All of the sections about the curse were black background and white text. Some of these black pages were more gray than black. Again I don't think this was intentional. But technical printing issues aside, I'm very glad I read this one!!!
© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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