The Secret Of The Sacred Scarab

A veritable treasure trove of fantasy and intrigue for young readers

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab offers a veritable treasure trove of fantasy and intrigue for young readers. When young cousins, Adam and Justin, take off on a tour through Egypt with their aunt and grandmother, they have their hearts set on adventure. As their journey begins, the boys encounter a mysterious man who disappears into the crowd before they have a chance to pay him for the scarabs he tries to sell to them. As the story unfolds, they uncover hidden secrets, buried treasure and more. Replete with kidnapping, robberies, hidden doors, quick sand, and so much more, kids will surely be captivated by this gripping tale which is as compelling as it is educational.

This book earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval, a designation reserved for those books which uphold the rigorous criteria set forth by the Literary Classics review committee, a team comprised of individuals with backgrounds in publishing, editing, writing, illustration and graphic design.

Delightfully authentic adventure

Do you remember the excitement and mystery of a child's view of Egypt? All the strange possibilities that waken the imagination when mummies are first introduced? The dreams of magical powers and Pharaoh's treasure in ancient tombs? The pyramid's curse? If you do, then you'll love The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram.

A really enjoyable children's book, the Secret of the Sacred Scarab starts with two boys in South Africa getting ready for a week-long trip to Egypt with their aunt and grandmother. It's the trip of a lifetime and they can scarcely wait.

The author places them on a plane for their first ever flight, and delightfully conveys their youthful excitement. The same sense of newness and adventure pervades the whole tale. They arrive in Egypt and we see the sights through their eyes, beautifully described (so I long to go there too), but never devolving into travelogue. It's a masterful acheivment.

And then the boys are placed in danger too. The story's told with all the innocent love of adventure that I enjoyed when I was growing up. It's fun. It's exciting. The boys must use their wits, intelligence and imagination, as must their grandmother in some truly hilarious scenes. Officials, good, bad and indifferent, intervene. Mysterious gifts bestow mysterious powers. And when the story ends-a good strong ending indeed-the reader knows there's more and hopes it will come soon.

I've never been to Egypt or seriously studied its history, but I'm fairly sure Fiona Ingram has. She describes the steps of the tour very beautifully and convincingly, and she gives an entirely plausible background to the history of her tale. I really enjoyed this adventure and would recommend it to any adventure-loving readers of any age.

Great tween adventure

My Take: What a great summer read for tween boys especially. This book has all of the elements that boys would find interesting, boys for the main character, the adventure of Egypt the mystery behind the Sacred Scarab and the action of the chase and kidnapping. Girls will enjoy this book as well.
A by- product of this books may spark an interest in Egytian culture and history and what a better way for kids to spend time than learning. Great book!!

A must for any ten year old's (or above) shelf!

Adam reminded me of my 11 year old son. He wants adventure, thinks he can be Indiana Jones and I bought this book with him in mind. It suited his age perfectly and seemed to be written just for him!
The illustrations were very well drawn, and my son thoroughly enjoyed it. If there's a book to get kids away from the Xbox then this is it!
Imagine my delight in realising this was the first in a series of seven books! The story revolves about two young boys on a family holiday to Egypt with their eccentric gran and Aunt Isobel. They soon discover that a famous archaeologist is missing and Adam has a scarab slipped to him from a mysterious stranger.
Full of mystery and adventure. Move over Harry Potter, welcome Adam and Justin!

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

We find upon opening this book that young Adam and his cousin Justin Sinclair have been invited to go on a tour of Egypt by their Aunt Isabel, an investigative journalist, and will be accompanied by their grandmother as well. Their excitement is palpable as they begin a journey of adventure, danger and even deception before finally making the discovery of which dreams are made.


Joining their tour group in Cairo, Adam is given three small scarabs by a peddler who disappears when the police arrive. Suddenly their average run of the mill tour is replaced by mystery and intrigue, some which place the boys in danger and some which give them insight into not only the three scarabs but another unique scarab they discover has been slipped unknown into a pocket of Adams' pants.

When they discover that the famous archeologist James Kinnard is missing, the boys are more than ever drawn to finding out what is so special about the scarabs they now have in their possession. They have a feeling that Kinnard's disappearance is somehow mixed in with the mysterious peddler and the searching of their room. But it isn't until their Aunt's camera is stolen and they are suddenly given a much more expensive version by a highly placed Egyptian man, who just happens to be around when the thief is caught, that they are drawn even deeper into the mystery and become more involved as the days pass watching and waiting for the next turn in their adventure.

Even meeting Dr. Faisal Khalid, the head of the Egyptian museum somehow makes them uncomfortable and when they follow some men into a hidden room, they boys know they are in for trouble if they do not discover, before someone else does, the real importance of the scarab they hide so carefully.

Add to this a trip down the Nile, a face in their window, the story of the Scarab King, ruins galore and the appearance of many sinister characters and you have the makings of a book any young reader will find not only riveting but fun to read as well.

I highly recommend this for the young adventurer in your life. Through it's twists and turns the author leads the reader to an end and puts two young boys and assorted characters through many exciting and mesmerizing times.

It is a book that young readers will cling to for it's excitement and suspense and a book that older readers will enjoy for the pure joy of reading a book filled with possibilities of treasure in Egypt.

I know, I enjoyed this book as much, as my young son will and I intend to obtain every copy I possibly can, of books, author Fiona Ingram has written. For in this day and age of real life horrific tales, this is one that safely takes the reader into a land of mystery and intrigue yet delivers them in the end safely back at home, ready for the next adventure of Adam and Justin. And that in my opinion, is what makes a successful writer for young readers, that safe ending that is premised by excitement, promise of treasure, adventure intertwined with twists and turns galore!

An adventrous journey into Egypt

Justin and Adam, two cousins who are always looking for a grand adventure, and in the first book in the Chronicle of the Stone "The Secret of the Scared Scarab" by author Fiona Ingram, an adventure is exactly what they get. Accepting an invitation from their aunt Isabel to join her and their Grandmother on a trip to Egypt the boys are sure that an adventure awaits. Their idea is further established at their aunt's house when they discover that the world renown Scottish archaeologist, James Kinnaird has disappeared trying to find the secret tomb of the Scarab King. The boys are determined to find the missing archaeologist and prove that the Scarab King is more than just a legend. When they land in Cairo they are unaware just how close they are to a real adventure. Joining up with the collective group that comprised Ramesside Tours, the boys are shocked when the tour guide, Laila informs them that the little scarab they brought with them was more than just a trinket but in fact was a cippi that supposedly harbored the power to save someone. Arriving at their first destination Memphis, the group is sent off to explore the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. Soon Justin and Adam encounter an odd peddler who is acting odd and asking if the boys happened to be English. Saying yes the peddler places three tiny scarabs into the Adams hand and run off soon to be arrested. From there things only become worse when aunt Isabel's camera is stolen and instantly replaced by Dr. Khalid. After that Adam is connived that someone is following him. When they return to their hotel Adam discovers that the peddler also slipped a larger scarab into the pocket of his pants. Aunt Isabel tries to convince Adam and Justin that the scarab is just a souvenir but the boys are sure that the scarab is the key to finding James Kinnaird. Their suspensions are conformed when Dr. Khalid spots the drawing of the scarab in Adams notebook and then pays to have it stolen. Then Adam and Justin decides to follow Khalid they find that Khalid is behind the smuggling ring that has been plundering Egypt of it's artifacts. Soon the boys are in more trouble than they know how to handle but they are still determined to solve the mystery on their own. When Adam is nearly killed at the Sphinx and has to be rescued by Ebrahim, he gives Adam his card and tells him call if he happens to need help. Adam then decides to give to the card to his Gran for safe keeping. Once again Adam finds himself in serious trouble after he and Justin figure out that the peddler also slipped a piece of paper into his pocket along with the scarab. Aunt Isabel demands that the boys explain to her what is going on. After telling their Aunt everything she sends a telegram from the ship to James' father telling him the location that James is being held. From their it escalates out of control when Justin and Adam goes missing, and Isabel is also kidnapped. It's now up to their Gran to solve the problem. Calling the number on the card once she arrives at the Embassy, Gran is determined to rescue her family. Figuring out that Dr. Khalid is the master mind behind the plot, they soon figure out that the scarab is not only an artifact but also one of the keys needed to open the tomb of the Scarab King. Finally the Justin, Adam, Aunt Isabel, and James are rescued and reunited with their families. Although this adventure comes to an end I'm sure it's just the beginning of many more adventures to come.



Fiona Ingram is

action packed

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab
Fiona Ingram
IUniverse
1663 Liberty Dr, Bloomington, IN 47403
1-800-288-4677 www.iuniverse.com
978-0-595-45716-8, $17.95, 12/09/2008

This book is a cross between the Goonies meets Indiana Jones. The story revolves around Adam and Justin who are cousins that go to Egypt with their Aunt Isabel and Gram (Grandmother). The boys are interested in James Kinnaird who is an Archeologist who is searching for the tomb of the ancient Egyptian ruler, The Scarab King. A lot of myths and legends surround this ancient ruler and the boys try to figure out what is fact and what is fiction.
While on the street, the boys meet a mysterious street peddler who gives Adams an ancient scarab. Very bizarre things start to happen from this moment on and they start to believe it is this scarab that is causing them misfortune. At the museum, they meet Dr. Khalid who is the head of the Department of antiquities and research, and he shows an interest in their scarab. Adam and Justin soon learn that their hero, James Kinnaird is missing and they feel that something is defiantly going on here. The boys are being chased by countless enemies and eventually they are kidnapped by these men. The motive appears to be Dr. Khalid is trying to locate the sacred tomb and get the treasures.
Eventually, the boys evade their captors and finally fond James Kinnaird and Laila at the same time. The foursome is able to escape the tomb in the nick of time before it crumbles to the ground and is covered with sand. The boys are reunited with their Aunt and Grams and they return to the United States. Ebrahim, a man they had met in Egypt, shows up at their school and rewards them both with gold medallions to commemorate their visit. He also gives them a replica of the scarab.
This was a great novel for young adults and had a lot of action in it, although it did not appear until late in the novel. The author is very knowledgeable about Egypt and the history of it as well. She is also very descriptive in the landmarks in Egypt. I only gave it four stars because I thought it was lacking in something that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Great Adventure

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab
BY: Fiona Ingram
PUBLISHED BY: iUniverse
PUBLISHED IN: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-595-457168
Pages: 258
Ages: Teen & Up
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In this first chapter of the Chronicles of the Stone, Adam and his cousin Justin are invited to go on a trip to Egypt by their Aunt Isabel and their Grandmother. The boys are excited about visiting another country. Their Aunt tells them that the archaeologist, James Kinnaird, has disappeared while looking for the tomb of the Scarab King. The tomb of the Scarab King is just a legend and has never been proven to exist by any archaeologist.

When they arrived in Cairo, they joined a tour group. A stranger gives three tiny scarabs to Adam. More odd things happen. Their aunt's camera is switched with Dr. Khalid's camera. Adam then discovers a fourth scarab in his back pocket. What are theses mysterious scarabs? Is someone one following them? Is the legend of the Scarab King real? Adam and Justin must try to solve the mystery.

Author Fiona Ingram mixes history and legends in this fast action adventure that keeps you reading till the very end. The characters are cleverly written. Young readers can easily step into the shoes of these two cousins and experienced this exciting adventure that takes you into the heart of Egypt. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

The cousins' first real adventure

Author Fiona Ingram understands that young readers have no patience for long, drawn-out prologues. At the first sentence-a one-word exclamation-of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, she jettisons readers off on an adventure to a far-away land with two young cousins.

Justin and Adam are leaving the comforts of home and the family dog for a one-week adventure in Egypt with ace writer/researcher Aunt Isabel and their loveable and zany Gran. In exchange for missing school, their assignment is to keep a daily record of things they've seen and learned along the way. It so happens that their aunt's current project and the boys' recent history lessons coincide and set the reader on firm footing before they even lift off.

Aunt Isabel has guaranteed their maximum travel experience and personal safety by booking them on a tour with a host of entertaining fellow sojourners and a tour-guide who is suspected of knowing far more than she shares with the group. Safety vanishes early in the hot, still air of a marketplace when the boys are encountered by a ragged peddler who bestows upon them four scarabs; one of which is particularly ancient and coveted.
The story flies forward from there as the boys put together fortuitous pieces of a puzzle in quest of a legendary tomb of an ancient Egyptian ruler and a missing archeologist. Ingram writes the landscape and the legend vividly and keeps the boys barely one step ahead of death and dismemberment at the hands of men in black, the fangs of a giant cobra, and all manner of danger that lurks in caves, shifting sands, and things hidden in deep, dark places.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is entertainment for readers up to around age fourteen and for those who wish they were fourteen again. It is at once adventure and history, art and architecture, humor and redemption, travel writing and social studies, and great fun. Fiona Ingram presents this as her first of seven in a series titled Chronicles of the Stone.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.