ANCIENT EGYPT

Books | Web Sites

Books

For Teachers

Ancient Egypt by David Silverman. (Oxford University Press, 2003)
A lavishly illustrated book on all aspects of ancient Egyptian life.

Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians by Bob Brier and Hoyt Hobbs. (Greenwood Press, 1999)
A detailed account of daily life in ancient Egypt.

Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia by Karen Rhea Nemet-Nejat (Hendrickson Publishers. 2002)
A comprehensive look at daily life in the ancient lands of Mesopotamia.

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life, Volume 1, edited by Joyce E. Salisbury. (Greenwood Press, 2004)
A comprehensive look at the lives of ordinary people—their clothes, food, culture, customs, beliefs, etc.

Hidden Treasures of Ancient Egypt by Zahi Hawass. (National Geographic, 2004)
A look at newly-discovered artifacts and what they tell us about life in ancient Egypt. See other books on ancient Egypt by this author.

For Students

Fiction

The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle by Claudia Logan. (Farrar, 2002)
When a secret tomb is discovered in 1924, young Will uses his new archaeology skills to help determine who it was built for.

Casting the Gods Adrift by Geraldine McCaughrean. (Cricket Books, 1998)
In 1354 B.C., Tutmose must choose between his father's belief in many gods and goddesses and the pharaoh's decree that his people must worship only the sun god Aten.

Cleopatra VII, Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory. (Scholastic, 1999)
The Royal Diaries series. Princess Cleopatra describes the intrigue of her father's court in a "diary" that ends when she becomes queen.

The Egyptian Box by Jane Louise Curry. (McElderry, 2002)
When Leticia's brother deciphers the hieroglyphs on an Egyptian figure called a shabti, strange and scary things begin to happen. Can the shabti be returned to its box?

Egyptology by Emily Sands. (Candlewick, 2004)
Written as an amateur Egyptologist's travel journal from 1926, this dairy is enhanced by illustrations, pull-outs, pop-up art, mini books, fold-out maps, and more.

Ghosts of the Nile by Cheryl Harness. (Simon & Schuster, 2004)
A visit to the museum with Great Aunt Allie is anything but boring when Zachary is transported back to ancient Egypt where his guide is a talking cat.

I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert by Eve Bunting. (Harcourt, 1997)
Heb-Nefert speaks from the dead as she asks museum-goers to take a look at her pampered daily life and the preparation of her body for burial.

Pharaoh's Daughter by Julius Lester. (Harcourt, 2000)
An intriguing look at Pharaoh's court through the eyes of Moses and his sister Almah.

A Place in the Sun by Jill Rubalcaba. (Clarion, 1997)
Senmut kills a dove and must pay the consequences. Only his skill as a sculptor and his devotion to his father save him from a life of misery in ancient Egypt.

Temple Cat by Andrew Clements. (Houghton Mifflin, 1996)
Humans worship the divine cat in the temple of Neba, but the cat leaves his life of luxury in search of a different kind of life.

Tut, Tut by Jon Scieszka. (Puffin, 1998)
The Trio finds themselves in ancient Egypt where they must outwit the pharaoh's evil advisor.

Nonfiction

Ancient Egypt Revealed by Peter Chrisp. (DK, 2002)
This book presents the world of ancient Egypt in diagrams, photographs, illustrations, and transparent overlays.

Ancient Medicine: From Sorcery to Surgery by Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods. (Runestone, 1999)
Information on ancient medical practices from the Stone Age to ancient Rome.

Mummies of the Pharaohs: Exploring the Valley of the Kings by Melvin Berger and Gilda Berger. (National Geographic, 2001)
Color photos illustrate information about Tut, Hatsheput, and Rameses II, with special sections on the Valley of the Kings, the great tomb of Seti I, and building a pharaoh's tomb.

Pyramid by David Macaulay. (Houghton Mifflin, 1975)
Detailed black-and-white drawings show how and why a pyramid is constructed.

Pyramids! 50 Hands-on Activities to Experience Ancient Egypt by Avery Hart and Paul Mantell. (Williamson, 1997)
Play games, make a pop-up pyramid with a pop-out pharaoh, write in hieroglyphs, draw a cartouche, and walk like an Egyptian!

Secrets of the Mummies: Uncovering the Bodies of Ancient Egyptians by Shelley Tanaka. (Hyperion, 1999)
Describes Egyptian techniques for preserving the dead, why and how tombs were plundered, and modern scientific methods of studying mummies.

Secrets of the Sphinx by James Cross Giblin. (Scholastic, 2004)
Research and speculation about famous artifacts and monuments — pyramids, the Rosetta Stone, and the Great Sphinx — are included.

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs by James Rumford. (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
A picture book biography of Jean-Francois Champollion.

Voices of Ancient Egypt by Kay Winters. (National Geographic, 2003)
Fourteen workers describe their duties and lives. Chapter headings are written in English and hieroglyphs and the illustrations show workers' dress and tools.

Web Sites

Ancient Egypt: Lesson Plans for Teachers
http://www.dia.org/education/egypt-teachers/
A selection of cross-curricular lesson plans created by local teachers and posted on the Detroit Institute of Art site.

The Ancient Egypt Site
http://www.ancient-egypt.org/
Created by Egyptologist Jacques Kinnaet, this site includes information and pictures of the history, monuments, language, and other aspects of life in ancient Egypt. (Particularly good for kids.)

The British Museum
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html
This site includes a search engine for kids that will take them directly to artifacts from ancient Egypt. Also contains information for adults. (Particularly good for kids.)

Discovery's Rameses: Wrath of God or Man?
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/rameses/rameses.html
Contains a variety of games and information, including a quiz you can take to see if you are ready to be a pharaoh. (Particularly good for kids.)

Egypt: Secrets of an Ancient World
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html
Various features explore the world of ancient Egypt, including an interactive game about the pyramids. (Particularly good for kids.)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Timeline of Art History
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/hi_afeg.htm
Use this index to find information about and photographs of this museum's extensive collection of ancient Egyptian art and artifacts.

NOVA: Mysteries of the Nile
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/
Based on the NOVA program, "Mysteries of the Nile," this site features facts, information, special features (you can wander inside the Great Pyramid), and classroom resources.

Secrets of the Pharaohs
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/pharaohs/
This site, based on the PBS television show, contains extensive resources, links, and historical overviews of ancient Egypt.

Theban Mapping Project
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/
The official Web site of an excavation led by archaeologist Kent Weeks offers a tour of Thebes, an overview of the Valley of the Kings, and an introduction to Egyptology.

Write Like an Egyptian
http://www.upennmuseum.com/cgi-bin/hieroglyphsreal.cgi
Type in any word and this site will transcribe it in hieroglyphs. (Particularly good for kids.)