Review of "The Secret of the Sacred Scarab" by Fiona Ingram ~ Blog Tour

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to review as part of the Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour
Genre: Middle Grade Adventure/Fiction

Book Description from Goodreads: Cousins Justin and Adam are ecstatic about accompanying their aunt to Egypt. Both love adventure and know the work of James Kinnaird, an archaeologist searching for the tomb of an ancient Egyptian ruler, the Scarab King. Some dismiss the tomb as legend, but Justin and Adam believe differently.

From the moment their plane lands, Justin and Adam bounce from one mysterious event to another, starting from the moment a street peddler gives Adam an ancient scarab. Dr. Khalid, head of the department of antiquities and research at the Egyptian Museum, shows excessive interest in the cousins and their relic. Then, when the boys learn that James Kinnaird is missing, they realize something sinister is afoot.

Kidnapped and taken across the desert, the boys are plunged into serious danger and chased by ruthless enemies. Dr. Khalid will stop at nothing to discover the Scarab King's tomb and claim its treasures. But he has underestimated the boys' ingenuity.

Join Justin and Adam as they evade their captors and unravel the secrets of the Scarab King. Relying on their wits, courage, and each other, the boys must solve the mystery of the sacred scarab and rescue James Kinnaird before time runs out.

My thoughts: Adam and Justin are excited to take a trip with their aunt and grandmother to Egypt. What could be better than going to Egypt with your cousin? They believe that there is treasure to be found in Egypt, but this is to be an educational trip, not an adventure.

When you are a tween, adventure is waiting to be found. Their imagination has been sparked by a missing archaeologist who is looking for the Scarab King's tomb. It is pretty much all they can think about. While in the market they speculate about the finding the tomb and meet a peddler. They peddler suddenly gives them three ordinary scarabs and slips a fourth into one of the boys pockets.

Suddenly the boys find that this is not just an educational trip but is definitely an adventure.

I loved the historical fact brought to life in this fictional book. Seeing Egypt through their eyes is great.  (I wish that I could see it in person!) It is a fun book to read, and the boys are mischievous and full of fun. I think that tweens will love this book and relate to the characters.

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About Fiona Ingram:

Although Fiona Ingram has been a journalist for the last fifteen years, writing a children’s book—The Secret of the Sacred Scarab—was an unexpected step, inspired by a recent trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for her 2 nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied her on the Egyptian trip. This short story grew into an award-winning children’s book, the first in the adventure series Chronicles of the Stone. The author has already completed the next book in the series—The Search for the Stone of Excalibur—a huge treat for young King Arthur fans.

Although Fiona Ingram does not have children of her own, she has an adopted teenage foster child, from an underprivileged background who is just discovering the joys of reading for pleasure. Fiona’s experiences in teaching her daughter to read has resulted in her interest in child literacy and in creating ways to get kids more interested in reading, as well as helping parents to instil a love of reading in their children.

Naturally, Fiona is a voracious reader and has been from early childhood. Her interests include literature, art, theatre, collecting antiques, animals, music, and films. She loves travel and has been fortunate to have lived in Europe (while studying) and America (for work). She has travelled widely and fulfilled many of her travel goals.

Fiona’s latest book is the middle grade adventure novel, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab – Book 1 in the Chronicles of the Stone series.

Visit her website at www.fionaingram.com.