The Pharaoh's Secret

by Marissa Moss

Overview

When Talibah and her younger brother, Adom, accompany their father, an academic, to his homeland of modern Egypt on his research assignment, they become involved in a mystery surrounding an ancient, lost pharaoh—a rare queen ruler. Someone has tried to wipe her from the record, to make it appear as if she never existed! She needs Talibah to help her and her high priest, Senenmut, reclaim their rightful place in history. Exotic locales, mysterious strangers, and a sinister archaeologist round out an adventure that is full of riddles, old tales, and, most surprisingly of all, a link to Talibah’s and Adom’s mother, who died mysteriously.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613120125
Publisher:	ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date:	05/23/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	322
Sales rank:	851,779
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	1 - 12 Years

About the Author

Marissa Moss has written and illustrated many books for children, including the popular Amelia’s Notebook series. She lives in Berkeley, California. Visit her Web site at www.marissamoss.com.

Editorial Reviews

A spring break trip to Egypt becomes more intriguing when 14-year-old narrator Talibah discovers a mystery regarding Egypt's only female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, which turns out to involve Talibah's family. Not that she's initially thrilled about this turn of events: “My goal for this trip is to lie by the pool and get a great tan, not run errands for some Egyptian ghost, even if that ghost could be my mother,” Talibah quips (her mother died five years earlier). Talking sphinxes and gods, as well as time travel back to Egypt's 18th dynasty set Moss's (the Amelia's Notebook series) thriller in the realm of fantasy, as Talibah attempts to solve the mystery and put souls to rest. The villain, in the guise of a family friend and tour guide, is largely one-dimensional, though Moss fills the Egyptian setting with evocative imagery. The family dynamics between Talibah, her younger brother and her grieving scholarly father prove to be one of the most compelling aspects of the story. Talibah's b&w sketches support the narrative with pen-and-ink images of obelisks, hieroglyphics, maps and family trees. Ages 9–13. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 5–8—From the moment they arrive in Cairo, 14-year-old Talibah and her 10-year-old brother, Adom, feel connected to the land of their Egyptian ancestors and are swept up in an ancient mystery involving the disappearance of the pharaoh Hatshepsut's chief architect, Senenmut. Talibah even hears a voice saying "Find him!" But is it the voice of the ancient queen or the voice of her mother, who died mysteriously five years earlier? With a sinister "old family friend," they travel to Luxor and explore tombs and temples. Talibah receives a variety of messages, and her brother buys her an antique bracelet with magically protective powers. Talibah's sketches are included—pictures of carvings, tomb paintings, and hieroglyphs. Moss has a good sense for what might interest middle school readers about Egyptian culture, and her protagonists are believable. Their improbable adventure will leave readers with the feeling they have toured the Valley of Kings themselves, with an able and patient guide.—Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD

School Library Journal

There's no reason an author can't step away from a successful formula to try something new. This time, however, the experiment doesn't pay off. Moss, author/illustrator of the highly graphic Amelia series, mixes historical intrigue, family issues and a brief episode of time travel, but the disparate elements never quite jell in this full-length, lightly illustrated novel. Talibah, 14, is visiting Egypt with her widowed father and younger brother. Immediately odd visions plague her and mysterious figures press unusual gifts into her hands. Convinced that a long-dead (female) pharaoh seeks help in locating her lost love, Talibah follows physical clues and vague hints to determine what became of the ancient architect Senenmut. With her brother Adom's help she solves the mystery, provoking a deadly attack and reconciling with her grieving father. The author's interests in Egyptian history and in exploring the impact of the loss of a parent is made clear in a concluding note. Unfortunately, the first-person narration varies from stilted to overly adult and never quite brings Talibah to life, a flaw that the busy plot just can't overcome. Disappointing. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews