Hard as Nails in Ancient Egypt. (Hard as Nails in History Series). Tracey Turner. Illustrated by Jamie Lenman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2015. 64 pp., pbk. & hc., $12.95 (pbk.), $23.96 (RLB). ISBN 978-0-7787-1514-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-1511-5 (RLB). Subject Headings: Egypt-Biography-Juvenile literature. Egypt-History-Juvenile literature. Grades 4-6 / Ages 9-11. Review by Janet Beauchamp. *** /4

excerpt:

If you ever wanted to drive a war chariot, invade Nubia, or live forever, read on. You will journey across the Sinai desert, along the Nile, and into a swirling Saharan sandstorm. As well as discovering stories of courage and cunning, you might be in for a few surprises.

This nonfiction book is effective at educating the reader about the topic of Ancient Egypt in an engaging way. The author provides a rating scale out of ten on four different characteristics for each individual being highlighted. Included are pharaohs, warriors, invaders and Gods… both the good guys and the bad guys. The introduction could have defined these characteristics so that young readers could more thoroughly wrap their heads around these individuals.

      The author has written a book jam-packed with tidbits of information, and the provided Hardometer rating each individual receives adds to the intrigue when comparing all of the players throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. Included in the book are additional pieces, including a history of the time period, information about the Gods, a quiz, facts about pyramids and a timeline. While I enjoyed reading these in between the profiles of the characters, it would have been helpful to have placed the history and the timeline at the beginning of the book.

      If you have a child who has demonstrated an interest in Ancient Egypt or would like additional reading to complement their school curriculum on Ancient Civilizations, then Hard as Nails in Ancient Egypt would be a good pick. There are many players in this civilization, and parents may need to support their child’s understanding of all of the information coming at them.

Recommended.

The mother of three girls ands a high school teacher and teacher-librarian, Janet Beauchamp lives in L’Amable, ON.

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