Archaeology

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)

For more than 3,000 years, Egypt was a great civilization that thrived along the banks of the Nile River. But when its cities crumbled to dust, Egypt’s culture and the secrets of its hieroglyphic writings were
also lost. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt explains how archaeologists have pieced together their discoveries to slowly reveal the history of Egypt’s people, its pharaohs, and its golden days.

Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide)

If the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions a mummy is a ghastly, bandaged creature staggering forth from a tomb, it's time to take a look at Mummies and Pyramids. This entertaining and enlightening research companion to Mary Pope Osborne's Mummies in the Morning is perfect for readers who developed an insatiable taste for the mysteries and science of ancient Egypt while reading about Jack and Annie's time- and space-traveling adventures at the pyramid of Queen Hutepi. Guided by siblings Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House series, the easy-to-read text offers up the secrets of pharaohs, hieroglyphic writing, the building of pyramids, how and why mummies were made, the Book of the Dead, Egyptian gods and goddesses, tomb treasures--and tomb robbers--and more. Divided into chapters covering everyday life in ancient Egypt, religion, funerals, and the most famous mummy of all, King Tutankhamen, the book also offers suggestions on how children can do their own research. Plentiful black and white illustrations and reproductions of Egyptian art make learning extra fun, as do regular appearances by Jack and Annie as they explain details of the text or offer commentary ("Not fair!" Annie says, "Only boys could go to school and become scribes!"). Stimulating and lively, this research guide is a stellar introduction to a subject guaranteed to intrigue young readers. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

How were pyramids built? Why did people make mummies? What magic charms were buried with mummies? Who discovered King Tut's tomb? Unwrap the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids, Jack and Annie's very own guide to the secrets of ancient Egypt. Includes information on hieroglyphics, how mummies were made, tomb treasures and robbers, Egyptian gods and goddesses, and much more!

Pyramids: 50 Hands-On Activities to Experience Ancient Egypt (Kaleidoscope Kids)

Archaeologists Dig for Clues (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

A Street Through Time

Demonstrating the unfolding of history, panoramic views visiting a particular site every few centuries follow the evolution of a Stone Age riverside settlement into a twentieth-century city. A bold title and date with a few sentences describing significant changes appears in the upper-right-hand corner of each broad vertical scene. Added statements wind around the four borders, offering details about daily life of the period and inviting readers to search for significant activities among the many small vignettes in the larger view. Tiny figures busy at daily life offer an engaging chronicle of human experience over time as invaders and disease take their toll or more peaceful times bring prosperity and growth. The hypothetical street is in an unnamed European setting; Romans, Barbarians, Vikings, and the plague alter the fortunes of in-habitants. Some of the historical milestones represented by the fourteen segments are not so far apart, while long stretches of time separate others. It's a very telescopic view, compressing the rich complexities of history into a few glimpses, but there's plenty of human interest in the passing scene to keep readers poring over the shifting yet similar pursuits of people over time. The timeline construct is a useful demonstration for children, and the busy vistas would make a fine springboard for encouraging students to create scenes of local history.

Abigail Adams: Girl of Colonial Days (Childhood of Famous Americans)

Pyramid (DK Eyewitness Books)

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

They Pyramids at Giza in Egypt have stood for over 4,500 years, and the amazing feat of their construction is shrouded in mystery. This superb collection of specially commissioned photographs tries to answer some of the riddles about them and the people who built them. Discover what archeological finds have revealed about life on the banks of the Nile during the Pyramid Age. See the pyramids and temples of Egypt and Mexico in breathtaking detail, as well as statues of pharaohs, officials, workers, and religious texts written on stone and papyrus thousands of years ago. Reconstructions show the step Pyramid Complex at Saqqara, the interior passages of the Great Pyramid, and a pyramid being built. Pyramid is a unique and fascinating introduction to the mysteries of these striking and colossal structures.

Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past, 25 Activities (For Kids series)

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins: An Illuminating History of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, Artist and Lecturer

"Can you fathom a time when almost no one in the world knew what a dinosaur looked like?" Barbara Kerley and Brian Selznick can--and it was a time when people used words like "fathom" a lot, about 150 years ago. This author-illustrator team became experts on the subject, delving deeply into the life of Victorian artist Waterhouse Hawkins, the first person to ever summon up, sketch, mold, and fabricate these ancient giants into full-size models.

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, presented in breathlessly earnest chapbook style ("A True Dinosaur Story in Three Ages"), follows the life of Hawkins from his early fossil studies to the first iguanodon that he extrapolates into existence for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The story then follows his subsequent victories and defeats at home and abroad: a triumphantly unorthodox New Year's Eve dinner party with the fathers of paleontology; the unveiling of Dinosaur Island; Boss Tweed's scuttling of a planned Paleozoic Museum in Central Park, and the destruction of years of Hawkins's work in the process.

And the story is all true, although this veracity does make the pacing a bit clunky in spots. Then again, Kerley and Selznick have researched their hero with meticulous care (check out the copious endnotes), so perhaps only Hawkins himself can be blamed for leading a life that didn't always progress in perfect dramatic form. Overshadowing the narrative, though, are Selznick's stately, ghostly illustrations--of towering megalosaurs and Hawkins shuffling about with cane and top hat--which more than make up the difference. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

Can you fathom a time when no one knew what a dinosaur was? That was true in the mid-nineteenth century, until a Victorian artist named Waterhouse Hawkins brought these ancient animals to life for all to see. Originally in his native England, and later in New York City, he devoted more than three decades to building the first life-size models of dinosaurs, and he dazzled the world with his awe-inspiring creations. With style, spirit, and impeccable attention to detail, Barbara Kerley unearths a story of consuming passion, triumph, loss, and courage -- and ultimately, of an extraordinary legacy that lives on today. Brian Selznick celebrates this complex and fascinating individual through luminous and soul-stirring paintings that -- apropos of his subject -- form a visual masterpiece. From the youngest dinosaur aficionados to those interested in art, science, or pioneering people, the unforgettable story of Waterhouse Hawkins and his dinosaurs has something to teach all of us about the importance of believing in oneself and following a dream.

Lift The Lid On Mummies (Lift the Lid)

Open the mummy-shaped box.... Smell the must of the tomb.... Reveal the secrets within.... Included among these secrets are a 24-page booklet all about real-life mummies and the people who study them, a 10-inch plastic-model body, and four carved heads of gods to protect the Canopic jars where you'll store the plastic organs found inside the body--both lungs in a single jar, please! Find the hidden drawer containing the gauze wrappings, headdress, scarabs, and a cardboard cat you can mummify to accompany your Pharaoh in the afterlife. Wrap your mummy from head to toe, place lucky amulets in the gauze, and bury it in the back yard (soak the gauze in brine first for a more realistic mummy experience). Don't forget to seal the tomb with your "Curse of the Mummy" sticker ... and to warn your parents, so when they rent the expensive tiller to dig up the garden, they don't break the blades on your ultracool mummy.

This kit introduces curious kids to the mummies of many different cultures, such as those of ancient Egypt and South America, and to all the types of mummies, including shrunken heads, bog mummies, and ice mummies. Slightly creepy good fun.