Ancient Egypt Topic Booklist

This chapter book story is set in 1922, around the time that Howard Carter famously excavated Tutankhamun’s tomb. Thirteen-year-old Lilian joins a voyage to Egypt to the very heart of Howard Carter’s fascinating discoveries.

Woven into Lilian’s story are letters from Ancient Egyptian times, detailing the last days of the young Sun King and his closest friends, revealing stories of humanity and vulnerability. Much like the tomb’s treasures, there is a strong sense that these stories from the past should only fall into the hands of people willing to treat them responsibly and act with due respect to the original owners.

Rich in historical details about Ancient Egypt and moving at a pleasing pace, this is a gripping story with plenty of mystery to get stuck into. Dynamics of race and gender are explored compassionately, and this aspect of the book has the potential to lead to some promising discussions in the classroom.

A Mummy Ate My Homework is full of interesting facts woven into a fun, action-packed time travel story set in Ancient Egypt. The book is heavily illustrated in an engaging mix of styles – including comic strips, maps and full-page spreads. Every page is a delight to turn for curious minds, with anticipation of what you might encounter next!

The book is a winning combination for reluctant readers and those who enjoy fact-finding in a story. Bonus activities at the end include hieroglyphic codes to crack. Being A5, it’s also a nice size to hold. Fans of other illustrated chapter books, like Pugs of the Frozen North by Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve, will love this. Ideal for Y3 onwards.

Fans of Percy Jackson will enjoy this edge-of-your-seat Egyptian adventure from the same author.

This fast-paced narrative follows the story of two siblings who find themselves thrown into an action-packed adventure where the world of Ancient Egypt meets modern life, complete with gods, pharaohs and ancient magic.

This is a good choice for upper KS2, full of mystery and a sure winner for fans of action and adventure.

The Ancient Egypt Sleepover is a fast-paced, easy-to-read adventure story that is bound to engage any reader interested in history and museums, especially those who would love the opportunity to sleep in a museum overnight!

Told from the viewpoint of the main character, Mo, who won a writing competition prize of a sleepover in a museum, this story makes many references to Ancient Egypt throughout its plot, in particular the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the importance of Hieroglyphics.

Readers can imagine themselves, just like Mo, getting up to all sorts of adventures in a museum like this. The author also weaves ancient historical discoveries with the modern-day wonder and awe of the children finding out about the past.

This would be a great additional classroom read for lower KS2 that could support or further learning about Ancient Egypt.

Another brilliantly hilarious read from Maz Evans in her series of funny history-themed books, where modern mortals meet ancient gods and goddesses.

In this book, Vespa and her cousin travel to the Egyptian underworld to rescue Ra, the sun god, who has been kidnapped by Seth, the god of chaos. To do that, they have to be dead, so Isis sees to it by sending their spirits down, much to the dismay of their parents. Isis insists they will be sent back alive by Osiris once their mission is complete.

The cousins are faced with plenty of danger while looking for Ra. This book is packed full of mythology presented humorously. It’s a fabulously engaging book that had me chuckling all the way through! . It’s perfect for use in the classroom for teaching about mythology in a light-hearted, entertaining way. Teachers and pupils alike will love this book.

Hot on the heels of their award-winning, multiple middle-grade book series spanning beetles, trains and birds, M.G. Leonard is back, launching a new action-packed, time-travelling adventure series with an initial foray into Egyptology.

Sim lives with his mother, Callidora, in a flat above the museum of Sir John Soane. One evening, while Sim and his mum are training in the museum, they hear voices approaching. Callidora pales and opens a door in the museum, rushing Sim inside, opening a world of questions that even she can’t avoid forever.

Underpinned by historical fact, a tale of adventure, lies, trust and time travel unfolds, sweeping you along with twists and turns that keep you gripped and wanting to read on.

A brilliant book to accompany any unit on Ancient Egypt, readers will look forward to discovering what, where and when Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson will get up to next in this promising series.

It is 1249 BCE, and Henut lives in Egypt with her blended family. Her father remarried following the death of her mother, who was lost in the River Nile. Henut feels she is different from her family and is distrustful of the gods, which frustrates her father and causes a rift between them.

Strange things start to happen to Henut and her family, which lead to her leaving her family and embarking on a mission to uncover the truth and set things straight. She soon finds out that family cannot always be trusted and that the protection of the gods might be important after all – especially when breaking into a tomb in the infamous Valley of the Kings.

The book was enjoyable to read and would be a great class reader for a lower KS2 class studying the Egyptians.

For those studying Ancient Egypt as part of the KS2 history curriculum, this would make a good (quick) class read. This short read from dyslexia-friendly publisher Barrington Stoke is a time-slip novel about a community of village children and their families who live, work and play by the banks of the Nile, the Pharaoh’s palace shimmering in the distance. Modern-day schoolboy Seth comes tumbling into their world, dragging himself out of the crocodile-infested river and coming face-to-face with a hyena.

The font style and overall design will also suit those with dyslexia, which is apt since the main character, Seth, struggles at school. He can’t focus on lessons and thus begins a prank that lands him on the muddy banks of the Nile. The way back isn’t at all clear, so, while he works it out, he’ll just have to muddle along with Mery, the Egyptian girl he first meets, and her family, who are soon busily preparing for Pharaoh Akhenaten’s visit to their neighbourhood. The exact details of their celebration, as well as other aspects of life in Ancient Egypt, have Seth questioning not just his knowledge of history, but also customs that seem quite shocking. As readers, we are offered some ‘facts behind the story’; insights into Seth’s experience, which might just help others when learning is a little challenging.

Author Karen McCombie also visited our blog to tell us more about the inspiration for the story.

Flat Stanley: The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery is a good choice of text for a younger class or for less confident readers.

In this quick-paced adventure, the well-loved flat main character Stanley is airmailed to Egypt to search the great pyramids for ancient treasure at the request of an archaeologist.

Adventure awaits as Stanley finds himself in a new fix, this time involving an underground tomb, ancient treasure and impressive pyramids.

Join Greg Jenner and his expert companion, Dr Campbell Price, on their whistle-stop tour of Ancient Egypt. Over 3,000 years of history told in just 156 pages!

From the earliest days of Egypt, even before the Pharaohs made their first appearance, to the last ever Pharaoh to rule, this book takes in all the key figures of Ancient Egyptian history from Ramesses to Tutankhamun and Cleopatra. We learn about family feuds, religious and political turmoil and all kinds of dastardly shenanigans along the way. The book also includes chapters on Ancient Egyptian Gods, pyramid building, Ancient Egyptian medicine and a real-life murder mystery to solve.

Full of myth-busting and fact-checking from a real Egyptologist, many of which may turn what you think you know about Ancient Egypt on its head (was mummification a way of preserving the body or transforming it?).

Myths, Mummies and Magic in Ancient Egypt is illustrated throughout in shades of orange and blue, with helpful pages naming and describing the main players in Egyptian mythology and history, and topics such as mummification and hieroglyphics.

The main body of the book is given over to mythical and historical stories told as comic strips, from the creation myth through to Cleopatra (and so many puns).

We like the way the stories have been simplified without losing the sense of other-world mysticism; confident readers from Year 3 upwards would find this a great way of picking up these tales for the first time. Readers familiar with Ancient Egypt will enjoy the humour and there’s a good dash of obscure fact to add to their knowledge.

Egyptian Myths is a brilliant book to accompany KS2 history topics about Ancient Civilisations. It looks stunning, with its black cover and golden spine, and is packed with stories from Egypt, which have been retold in a way accessible to younger readers. The stories have their fair share of mythical creatures, terrible consequences and gruesome endings, all of which are completely captivating to read and perfect to share aloud.

The illustrations are rich in colour and pay homage to hieroglyphics in their style, but are slightly cartoonesque too, enabling children to grasp some of the quite complicated ancient plot lines and characters.

The final spread is a list of Egyptian vocabulary with anglicised pronunciation underneath, which will be invaluable to most teachers when they start this topic.

Hugo D Cook’s passion for Ancient Egypt meals out of every page in this fascinating book.

Starting with the origins of Ancient Egyptian life to tombs and mummies, to Kings and Queens, ending with the magic of the Egyptians, this fictional style of non-fiction writing will delight any reader.

Sona Avedikian’s vivid illustrations Bering to life the thrilling tales, fascinating characters and puzzling pyramids.

The perfect introduction to Ancient Egypt or to add value to an existing knowledge base. What a fantastic book!

This highly appealing text is a graphic-novel-style picture book

It follows the story of young Marcy, who finds himself on a mission to save her father after he becomes trapped inside an Ancient Egyptian Sphinx. On her journey, Marcy must learn to overcome her fears and challenge evil as she encounters hieroglyphs, Egyptian gods and ancient tombs as she goes about her quest.

A gentle introduction to Ancient Egyptian mythology in the form of an exciting quest narrative.

Get to grips with nine intriguing key people from Ancient Egypt as Marcia Williams returns with her distinctive comic-book style to present exciting tales of gods, goddesses and pharaohs.

These stories have plenty of humour and a great visual appeal, proving particularly popular for engaging reluctant readers. Subjects include Cleopatra, Tutankhamen, Ra and Isis.

Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medals, this is a comic-style exploration of the story of an Egyptian king and the 20th-century explorer who found him.

Discover the troubles Tutankhamun faced as a young king, his untimely death, and his legacy, which lay hidden for centuries. Pore over his treasures, learn the steps of mummification, and see Tutankhamun’s fascinating story brought to life. Travel through history with Howard Carter on his quest to uncover Tutankhamun’s hidden tomb, his incredible discovery, and our continued hunt to understand and unearth the riches of Ancient Egyptian life.

A picture-book style non-fiction text about the Ancient Egyptian people. Each page has a short chunk of text accompanied by simple, bold illustrations or infographics.

Humorous and stylish without compromising on factual content, this book is a popular choice with reluctant or younger readers.

Ever wanted to know ‘What a humble dung bug has to do with the rising sun’, ‘Why the pyramids were built’ or ‘What was the role of the baboon police’? Then look no further! Told in a comic book style, ‘Pets Tell Tales – Ancient Egypt’ is an engaging and hilarious way for young readers to learn about the history of Ancient Egypt.

The book begins with an introduction from Manny (an Egyptian bird similar to Bennu), explaining where the reader can find Egypt on a Map. Throughout the chapters, Manny adds his hilarious commentary, engaging the reader with witty remarks and asides.

Among the comic strips, the book interweaves timelines, graphs, images, dates and key facts to aid learning on this period of history. These work as tools to clarify the story and embed learning. I would recommend this book to history lovers, graphic novel fans, reluctant readers and any primary school child who has an interest in Ancient Egypt.

A novelty information book digging deeper into the topic of Ancient Egypt.

With flaps to lift on every page and vibrant illustrations of Egyptian scenes, there’s plenty to keep little hands busy and curious minds at work, as topics include mummification, pharaohs, culture and mythology.

This is a beautiful and unusual hands-on text that will engage and enchant pupils and teachers alike. Egyptology recounts the lost expedition of Emily Sands in her 1926 scrapbook journal. Through flaps, envelopes and interactive extras, readers will encounter jewels, mummy cloth, hieroglyphs and a working board game.

Egyptology brings art, literacy and history together in a stunning and imaginative way. This book is a real gem and certainly one with the wow factor.

This is a book in a series from The British Museum that looks at children’s experiences in different historical periods. The format is designed to look at different aspects of Ancient Egyptian life (for both rich and poor) and compare it to today’s lifestyles, including fashions, homes, education, food, entertainment and medicine.

The book will be well-placed in classrooms covering the topic of the Ancient Egyptians.. The book also covers the topic of historical sources as it links what we know about the Ancient Egyptians to the paintings and carvings of the day. Like all good research books aimed at children, it covers the topic of poo(!) and how the Egyptians dealt with their waste, which is something that my classes have always wanted to know about!

A gorgeous and fun Egypt-themed children’s book that will add value to any classroom or library.

Telling a story that continues to fascinate young and old readers alike, this powerfully visual book tells the story of the boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamun.

The book explores the story and legacy of Tutankhamun as well as Howard Carter’s ground-breaking discovery of the tomb and the treasures within. The pages are mostly set in eye-catching yellows and blues, evoking the dry heat of the desert set against the powerful Nile.

There is a high image-to-text ratio, which works with the vivid design style of the spreads to give the book a powerful visual edge and helps to break down the topic into manageable bites of information for younger readers. We recommend this for KS2 classes covering the Ancient Egyptians topic.

This superb book takes you into the world of the Ancient Egyptians through the artefacts left behind and shines a light on some of the most fascinating mysteries of the time by focusing on historical coursework

Every double page features an object from history (themed around topics such as daily life, royalty, beliefs, farming, and famous objects such as Tutankhamun’s mask) with text split into bullet points, a fact file about the relics shown and stunning artwork showing the different artefacts in detail.

A recommendable non-fiction book covering a comprehensive range of areas likely to come up in a KS2 history topic on Ancient Egypt.

What would you be in Ancient Egypt? is a fantastic book for anyone wanting to learn more about Ancient Egyptians and their daily life. The book begins with a simple timeline and an introduction that explains that real men and women got married, worked their jobs and had families – there is much more to learn than just mummification and the pharaohs! Each double-page spread then focuses on different types of people or professions during the Ancient Egyptian era.

The book is full of interesting facts and details about all aspects of Egyptian daily life and job roles, and would be an excellent resource for anyone studying this period. With a clear contents page and an index page, the book is easy to navigate. There is also the fun feature of a two-page quiz at the back of the book to test the knowledge acquired.

‘Cleopatra: The woman behind the stories’ is the true recount of the life of one of history’s most fascinating women.

The book tells the life story of Cleopatra with the idea in mind that what we think we might know might not be the full story.

The book begins by describing the formation of Alexandria (where Cleopatra lived) and the rise of the Ptolemy family from Greek leaders to rulers of Egypt. It then describes Cleopatra’s childhood and education, suggesting that she was smart, well-educated and charismatic. We learn of her rise to power, her relationship with Julius Caesar, Rome, Mark Anthony and the many battles, schemes, negotiations and sly plots that are reported to have taken place. Adults and children who know a little of Cleopatra’s story will find that their understanding greatly improves.

An A4 hardback book, this is a very interesting read that would be appealing to non-fiction fans or useful to accompany an Ancient Egypt history topic.

A treasure trove of information about Ancient Egypt presented in a seek-and-find format, with a magnifying glass included (because “every Egyptologist needs a magnifying glass”). This fun and interactive book includes 16 scenes depicting daily life for the Ancient Egyptians, each with hundreds of miniature cartoon-style figures going about their daily activities. Readers familiar with the Where’s Wally? books will dive right in without hesitation as they search for different characters, animals, symbols and objects that all build up to create a detailed picture of different aspects of life in Ancient Egypt.