(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries series. Each book in this series looks at a different ancient city or monument and explores unanswered questions about its construction and uses. Both historical and modern views are provided, with differences explained by recent research and technology. Plentiful photographs and illustrations bring the sites to life. "Dig Deep!" and "Myth Alert!" sidebars provide additional interesting context and detail. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries titles: Mysteries of the Egyptian Pyramids, Mysteries of the Great Wall of China, Mysteries of Easter Island, Mysteries of Pompeii, Mysteries of Machu Picchu, and Mysteries of Stonehenge.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Brief chapters introduce newly independent readers to some aspects of the structure, function, and history surrounding Egyptian pyramids. The final chapter ("Still Exploring") effectively highlights recent theories and scientific techniques currently being applied in archaeology. Images of artifacts, photographs of tomb sites, and computer-generated maps, all captioned, introduce readers to myriad sources of historical evidence. "Egypt Word" boxes highlight key vocabulary. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 Kane Chronicles series. Adapted by Orpheus Collar. Illustrated by Orpheus Collar. Siblings Sadie and Carter Kane attempt a "shadow execration" to subdue Apophis, the Egyptian god of chaos, by imprisoning part of his spirit. This graphic novel adaptation of the series' third book has the snappy pace and humorous quips of a good comic book, while the dramatically blocked, color-saturated panels--showing a diverse group of teens blasting baddies in swirls of color--add visual appeal.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Pyramid Hunters series. Sam discovered in The Iron Tomb that his parents are still alive. He and his friend Mary embark on another adventure, this time in Belize, where they search for both Sam's parents and more hidden treasures. The protagonists are a likable pair whose interactions keep the story interesting in between the action. Mystery, intrigue, and twists keep the plot humming along to its conclusion.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Building by Design series. The author presents a brief history of the three most noted Egyptian pyramids, providing pertinent information related to their construction and modern use. Details about planning, design, selection of location, and the search for appropriate building stones for these engineering marvels are included. Stock photographs, diagrams, direct quotes, and sidebars provide clarity. "Fast Facts" and critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Brain Game Treasure Hunts series. Each book contains ten challenging illustrated puzzles (numeric and geometric puzzles, mazes, codes, patterns revealing words, etc.) in the context of a themed adventure. Math skills, logic, and spatial manipulation are required for readers to safely "return" to their starting places. One appended section provides hints to puzzle solutions; a separate section provides the actual solutions. Ind. Review covers the following Brain Game Treasure Hunts titles: Jungle Puzzles, Ocean Puzzles, Pyramid Puzzles, and Space Puzzles.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lisa Brown. A dainty mummified cat emerges from a small coffin. He prowls the pyramid, looking at paintings depicting first his happy life with an Egyptian queen, then her death. Ultimately, cat and queen are reunited. Rhyming couplets and the gouache, watercolor, and ink illustrations' bright colors offset the eeriness of the subject. Information on Egyptian burial customs and a key to the illustrations' hieroglyphic messages are appended.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(4) K-3 Time Shift series. Illustrated by David Antram. These books provide information relating to structures and customs of ancient and medieval times. Colorful illustrations use split pages to capture scene changes, while the bare-bones texts relate the history, purpose, construction, and rituals of castles and pyramids; Mummies extends information about pyramids through discussion of the preservation of bodies entombed within. More substantial facts are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Time Shift titles: Castle, Mummies, and Pyramid.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Time Shift series. Illustrated by David Antram. These books provide information relating to structures and customs of ancient and medieval times. Colorful illustrations use split pages to capture scene changes, while the bare-bones texts relate the history, purpose, construction, and rituals of castles and pyramids; Mummies extends information about pyramids through discussion of the preservation of bodies entombed within. More substantial facts are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Time Shift titles: Castle, Mummies, and Pyramid.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Ancient Wonders series. Each volume offers the basic who-what-when-why-and-how for its titular ancient structure and concludes with a quick overview of its current condition and tourism. Color photos, maps, and other illustrations supplement the text; short question-and-answer footers provide additional detail. The brightly designed series is basic, but the content is sufficient for the target audience. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review includes these Ancient Wonders titles: Egyptian Pyramids, Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Statues of Easter Island, Stonehenge, and Taj Mahal.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Great Idea: Engineering series. Nardo briefly explains the initial purpose of the Giza pyramids--to deter grave-robbing of royal tombs--and predominantly focuses on the development of these remarkable structures without modern technology. Historical myths regarding the pyramids' construction are swiftly redressed, giving credit where credit is due: to free Egyptian workers. Diagrams, maps, and historical photos helpfully amplify the account. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(4) 4-6 Max Flash series. Illustrated by Ned Woodman. Max Flash, a budding escape artist and magician, is put into the field for the Department for Extraordinary Activity. Using his talents, Max pulls off incredible missions in a virtual reality world, outer space, the deep sea, and at the site of an ancient Egyptian pyramid. Slick, active black-and-white illustrations match the spirit of the frenetically high-octane, fast-paced prose. Review covers these Max Flash titles: Game On, Grave Danger, In Deep, and Supersonic.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(2) 4-6 Kane Chronicles series. With Egyptian gods from the previous two books and teen magicians Zia and Walt, the Kanes face the culmination of peril. Serpent of Chaos Apophis is attempting to swallow Sun God Ra, destroying creation; Sadie and Carter try to perform a spell of banishment on him. The siblings' confidence and ability grows, wry asides keep them accessible, and Riordan's climax soundly delivers.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Geography Library: Troubled Treasures--World Heritage Sites series. This book touches on the major pyramids of Egypt. Topics include the landmarks' physical structures, time periods and locales, and a "How They Did It" section. The last spread emphasizes protection and preservation. Photographs and a map, in addition to a useful pronunciation guide, help support the rather sparse information. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Pebble Plus Bilingüe: Mira dentro / Look Inside series. This bilingual book for beginning readers looks at how the ancient Egyptians built pyramids. With an overly simplified text and large-size photos, double-page spreads show the building process (mostly of the outside, making the title misleading) and explain why these massive monuments were constructed. In both English and Spanish, this is a readable if slight offering. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) 4-6 Magickeepers series. Cousins Nick and Isabella are busy honing their craft as Magickeepers when another crisis arises that only they can solve. Incorporation of Russian culture and lore, historical figures, and mini history lessons makes for an educational read. However, the frequency of such components, minus a strong interconnecting narrative, slows the story down.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess

(2) 4-6 Kane Chronicles series. Carter and Sadie's father is a magician and descendant of the pharaohs; he disappears after a failed spell summons five gods into the mortal world. Fleeing assassination orders, the brother and sister begin to discover their own powers. The book's action hits its stride in the second chapter and never lets up. Narrators Carter and Sadie are nicely individuated with honest, compelling voices.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(3) 1-3 Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by Sara Pennypacker. These brief chapter books find our hero using his state of flatness to rescue his friend from a rockslide at Mount Rushmore and to foil tomb raiders in Egypt. With their breezy "Oh, golly" tone and broad humor (also apparent in the black-and white cartoons) deftly mimicking the originals, these geography-themed books will likely be popular with kids and social studies teachers. Review covers these Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures titles: The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery and The Mount Rushmore Calamity.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 100 Things You Should Know About series. This book presents one hundred facts about pyramids. The text focuses on the history of pyramids, first in ancient Egypt then in ancient Rome, Central and South America, and "modern pyramids." The volume's snippets may entice readers to seek further information. Busy pages are packed with photos, cartoonlike drawings, and more realistic illustrations in addition to "I Don't Believe It!" sidebars. Ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Max Disaster series. Fans of Moss's Amelia series (or more likely fans' brothers) will enjoy these stories about Max, an aspiring scientist and inventor who's dealing with the separation of his parents. Max and his best friend create a comic book about alien erasers, reproduced on the pages alongside other cartoon drawings, Max's sketches, and scientific experiments. An entertaining choice for intermediate-level readers. Review covers these titles: Alien Eraser to the Rescue and Alien Eraser Unravels the Mystery of the Pyramids.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister