Sarah and John live in Colorado - for now. Having just finished another school year, the siblings are now facing down a cross-country move to Maryland for their dad's new job, and while Sarah is excited about the move since it will give her the chance to have all sorts of new experiences, John is much less excited about the prospect.
The two siblings are out on a family hike one evening when Sarah spots a cave just off the trail. Taking off into the cave without a thought to anything - or anyone - else, Sarah soon disappears into the darkness. Faced with the choice of leaving Sarah alone while he goes to get their parents or going into the unknown - and potentially very scary - cave after Sarah, John ends up doing just that. When he finally catches up with Sarah at a dead end, the two discover carvings that look like Egyptian hieroglyphics. It's when Sarah traces the eye of Ra, which is then followed by a bright flash of light, that their adventure really begins because when they walk back out of the cave, it's not into the forests of Colorado but the rolling dunes of the Egyptian desert near the ancient city of Saqqara.
This was a fun adventure to read, and I really liked the details of what life at that time would have been like. The way the story was centered around the final weeks of construction of Djoser's temple with the inclusion of individuals that are known to history, as well as other individuals who are not, was also really cool. And I had to laugh at the parallels of John's struggle with his family's impending move to Maryland and Zack's struggling with his family's impending move across the Nile.
Though this was a relatively short novel, the pacing of the story was really good, and I definitely liked how it ended. While I know that there are sequels to this book that follow Sarah and John, I wonder if there will also be books that follow the siblings introduced in the epilogue. I think it would be neat to see what kind of trouble those two get up to as well.
All in all, this is definitely a fun read for kids of all ages and for adults who still feel like kids at heart.
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From the Publisher
The thrilling time travel adventure series!
The Eye of Ra is a thrilling time travel adventure series with meticulous historical detail, endearing characters, and page-turning fun!
Awards
Gold Recipient, Mom's Choice Awards Honoring Excellence; Grand Prize Winner, Colorado Author Project; 1st Place, Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Award; Gold Medal in Children’s 4th-6th, 2021 International Readers’ Favorite Awards; Silver Medal in Children's Adventure, 2020 International Readers' Favorite Awards; Award-winning Finalist, Next Generation Book Awards; 1st Place in both Children's Adventure AND Grades 4th-6th, 2020 TopShelf Awards
The Eye of Ra (book 1)
Exploring a mysterious cave in the mountains behind their house, John and his sister Sarah are shocked to discover they’ve time traveled to ancient Egypt! Now they must work together to find a way back home from an ancient civilization of golden desert sand and a towering new pyramid, without parents to save them. The adventures abound—cobras, scorpions, a tomb robber, and more! The two kids have to trust each other, make friends who can help, and survive the challenges thrown at them . . . or be stuck in ancient Egypt forever. For readers graduating from the Magic Tree House series and ready for intense action, dive into this middle grade novel rich with meticulous historical detail.
Sol Invictus (book 2)
Siblings John and Sarah barely made it home last time, but in their next time traveling adventure the challenge really heats up. Surrounded by clashing cultures on the ancient Roman frontier, they must fulfill their quest to unite the emperor with his enemy, an Alemanni barbarian, or risk being stuck in time forever. An action-packed fantasy full of sword fights, chariot chases, fearsome wild animals, and high mountain survival. For graduates of the Magic Tree House looking for a thrilling middle grade page-turner, read Sol Invictus, book two of The Eye of Ra series!
People of the Sun (book 3)
The explosive reveal about who John and Sarah really are and why they’re traveling through time, with their most gut-wrenching challenge yet. In the time of the Aztec, a scoundrel named Cortés arrives and the kids are forced to make an extremely difficult decision: If you could change history, should you? For more twists, more danger, and more fun, read the third book in The Eye of Ra series, People of the Sun!
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Teaching history through adventure at its finest!
I've been wanting to read this book for a while, and I'm glad I finally made the time for it!! First of all, I love the cover-- what an eye-catcher! This MG adventure is about a brother and sister, John and Sarah, who unintentionally travel to ancient Egypt while hiking in the Colorado mountains. As they try to find their way back home, they experience life as it was in ancient Egypt-- the clothes, the food, the pyramid-building, the creepy animals. It's loaded with cool bits of history, has a couple of strong mystery threads, lots of plot twists, and really great sibling interaction. I breezed through it and have already moved on to book 2, Sol Invictus. Teaching history through adventure at its finest. Middle-grade readers should definitely check this series out!
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2021
Teaching history through adventure at its finest!
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2021
I've been wanting to read this book for a while, and I'm glad I finally made the time for it!! First of all, I love the cover-- what an eye-catcher! This MG adventure is about a brother and sister, John and Sarah, who unintentionally travel to ancient Egypt while hiking in the Colorado mountains. As they try to find their way back home, they experience life as it was in ancient Egypt-- the clothes, the food, the pyramid-building, the creepy animals. It's loaded with cool bits of history, has a couple of strong mystery threads, lots of plot twists, and really great sibling interaction. I breezed through it and have already moved on to book 2, Sol Invictus. Teaching history through adventure at its finest. Middle-grade readers should definitely check this series out!
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2021
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
Mrs. D
Great ancient Egypt read for upper elementary
Reviewed in Canada on March 8, 2023Tamjid Choudhury
Takes you back time
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2022