A bit slow to start, but once we get close to finding King Tut it gets exciting. Fleming intersperses the narrative with creepy stories about the supposed curse of Egyptian artifacts. As an adult, I didn't actually find these scary -- but if a young reader is at all open to occult Ouji Board-type stuff they might be a little freaked out. Of course, by the end of the book, it's clear that all the hype over curses was nonsense.

The thing that was super interesting to me, though not the focus of the book, was the succession of rulers/conquerers/colonizers in Egypt, from the Pharaohs to the Persians to the Greeks to the Romans to the Caliphates to the Ottomans to the French to the British and (finally!) back to the Egyptians. Fleming focuses on the tension between the British and the Egyptians over who the artifacts belong to (obviously they should belong to the Egyptians, but rich British men funded the excavation efforts expecting to make a profit).

Many photographs are included. It's so sad and telling that all of the British and French people are named and almost all of the Egyptian people are listed as "unnamed."

There are difficult questions in this book about what right modern people have to disturb ancient graves. Of course, we are curious about ancient civilizations. And some feel enough time has passed that we can excavate in the name of history and science. But Fleming asks why the Egyptologists seemed to feel no compunction about what they were doing. Maybe the legend of the curse came from the very real feeling that there ought to be consequences for disturbing burial grounds. ( )

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!!! ( )

Synergy: Tutankhamun

Best known as King Tut, Tutankhamun (c.1341-1323 BC) was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. In 1922, Tutankhamun’s nearly undisturbed tomb containing thousands of artifacts was discovered by two British adventurers along with Egyptian workers. Deaths associated with the discovery of Tutankhamun’s mummy have led to legends about a curse.

Read the recently published nonfiction narrative for youth then learn more at the website.

THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY by Candace Fleming is an engaging work of nonfiction narrative immersing reader in the well-known stories of the excavation and aftermath. While each chapter begins with a spooky reference to the curse, the body of the narrative traces the story of the expedition. Of particular note is the inclusion of the Egyptian perspective and issues about ownership of artifacts. Historical photographs and drawings bring the story to life.

TUTANKHAMUN’S TREASURES is part of the National Geographic Lost Treasures of Egypt series exploring archaeological digs in the Valley of Kings. This episode uses new technology to discover how the tomb remained hidden for so long and examines the contents.

To watch the video, go to https://youtu.be/-obKX-mqjXQ.

ARC courtesy of Scholastic. ( )