The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun’s Tomb by Candace Fleming || Engaging Archaeological Nonfiction

The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb (Scholastic Focus)

Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within.

During the reign of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled and died tragically young. In order to send him on his way into the afterlife, his tomb was filled with every treasure he would need after death. And then, it was lost to time, buried in the sands of the Valley of the Kings.

His tomb was also said to be cursed.

Centuries later, as Egypt-mania gripped Europe, two Brits -- a rich earl with a habit for gambling and a disreputable, determined archeologist -- worked for years to rediscover and open Tutankhamun's tomb. But once it was uncovered, would ancient powers take their revenge for disturbing and even looting the pharaoh's resting place? What else could explain the mysterious illnesses, accidents, and deaths that began once it was found?

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Perfect for readers who want:

• Interesting, engaging nonfiction that pulls you in.
• Archaeology blended with history.
• Curses and mummies and all sorts of spooky goodness!
• Lots of detailed, informative pictures.
• A look into the situation surrounding King Tut’s Tomb’s discovery.

Many thanks to Scholastic Focus and Rockstar Book Tours for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Quotes taken from an unfinished version and may differ from the final product.

Young me was absolutely obsessed with archaeology. Probably because it was paleontology’s first cousin, and that’s what I was determined to do when I grew up. So I was fairly well versed with King Tut and his mysterious tomb, along with the so-called curse that surrounded it. But obviously I was going to pick this book up because . . . well, it’s King Tut and archaeology. Duh.

The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun’s Tomb is a fun, engaging middle grade nonfiction that hooks the reader with the mysteries behind King Tut’s tomb, weaves a creepy tale of curses, and digs deeper into the story surrounding the boy king’s discovery.

I’m not a huge fan of nonfiction books in general, but I had a really good time with this one! I even learned some new things, despite already being familiar with the story. I can definitely see this book sucking in young, curious readers. In fact, Minion saw me reading it and picked it up while I was doing her hair, and she read the first couple of chapters out loud to me and decided that I should give it to her to read when I was done. Minion doesn’t read nonfiction at all, so color me surprised!

Fleming doesn’t just talk about the discovery of King Tut’s tomb as an isolated incident, but rather sets up the cultural context of the times in which it was discovered.

I was actually really surprised by this, because there was quite a bit I didn’t know about the “discovery craze” regarding the Tomb of Kings that swept across England at the time (mostly at Egypt’s expense, of course). I’ve read and watched a lot of things that discuss the discovery of the tomb in isolation, so I particularly appreciated the more holistic here. It gave me a really good sense of exactly what the discovery meant to everyone involved but also how it was poised on this very tense, unstable precipice that played a major role in the course of its excavation.

As exciting as Carter’s discovery was, I appreciate how Fleming doesn’t shy away from the ugly realities of archaeology, either, delivering up a narrative occasionally filled with sweat and disappointment.

When I was little (all those eons ago) and reading all about paleontology, it seemed exciting! Thrilling! Filled with glorious purpose! Until I got older and realized all the work that actually goes into it and generally with little to nothing to show. I mean, we only read about the successes in each field, right? Otherwise, what would be the point?

While Carter’s expedition is eventually a successful one (obviously), Fleming does an amazing job of building anticipation by not rushing his discovery. At first, she discusses the backbreaking work, the lousy conditions, and the disappointment of coming up empty time and time again. In this way, Carter’s success even feels like a success for the reader, while also giving a clearer picture of the time and energy that went into the attempt.

Fleming makes nonfiction fun with a gripping writing voice and just enough mystery to make you wonder what will happen next.

I usually have trouble getting into nonfiction because of how dry it is, but that was not the case. Right from the start, I was engaged with this story and curious about where it would go (even though I sort of ultimately knew the ending, of course). The book is great for young readers just learning about King Tut and the discovery of his tomb, but it also works well for those who may have already read a few books on the subject, without feeling like a boring rehash of facts.

This book is also chock full of interesting pictures of artifacts, people involved, and different steps of the expedition.

While Minion did not read the book yet, she was very interested in the pictures . . . you know, as I shoved the book in her face and eagerly shouted, “Look at this!” (Hey, just because I gave up my dreams of being a paleontologist doesn’t mean I have to give up this!) I loved all the glimpses not only into the tomb but into different aspects of the work in general and the meticulous way Carter excavated the tomb. Plus, being able to see pictures of the coffin and mummy is just plain cool no matter what age you are!

My favorite part of this book was definitely the “It was said . . . ” chapters where different rumors about the curse are shared.

Many of them I’d heard before, but there were some that I hadn’t even heard of! Fleming does an amazing job of capturing the spookiness and the mysticism that would’ve surrounded the curse in that day. Even though she ultimately shoots down the notion of a curse in the end, it’s still exciting to think about all the rumors and creepy stories that surround the discovery of King Tut’s tomb!

About Candace Fleming

Candace Fleming awarded herself the Newbery Medal in fifth grade after scraping the gold sticker off the class copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and pasting it onto her first novel—a ten-page, ten-chapter mystery called Who Done It? She’s been collecting awards (her own, not Elizabeth George Speare’s) ever since.

Today, Candace is the versatile and acclaimed author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize honored The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of the Russian Empire; Boston Globe/Horn Book Award-winning biography, The Lincolns; the bestselling picture book, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!; the Sibert-Award-winning Giant Squid; and the beloved Boxes for Katje. She contributed the chapter on Katharine of Aragon to Fatal Throne. Photo credit: Michael Lionstar.

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3 winners will win a finished copy of THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY, US Only.

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