What it was like to be an Ancient Egyptian (What It Was Like to be . . . 4)

David Long has written another excellent fact filled book about the people of ancient Egypt with What it was like to be an Ancient Egyptian. With helpful diagrams and illustrations by Stefano Tambellini, this book traces the ancient civilisation which grew and thrived on the banks of the River Nile.

From early settlers 7000 years ago to the final invasion of the Romans in 30bce, the most notable Pharaohs are included (such as Ramases, Khufu, and Akhenaten) as well as descriptions of the lives of ordinary Egyptians. Chapters include depictions of the building of the pyramids, cracking the code of the written language of hieroglyphics, and the rituals of mummification and the belief in the afterlife. The penultimate chapter is dedicated to the most famous discovery of treasures from this ancient world; the tomb of Tutankhamun.

What it was like to be an Ancient Egyptian is the fourth in the What It Was Like to be . . . series about ancient people, published by specialist publisher Barrington Stoke. Although an excellent non-fiction selection for any reader from junior school onwards, the format of the book is particularly suited to children who have reading difficulties. Using a dyslexia-friendly font on buff coloured paper, the use of simpler sentences and plenty of space and illustrations, this book is a welcome addition to their super-readable, hi-lo catalogue.

I would highly recommend this book to children and younger teenagers who are interested in fact books full of the most important details of life during the ancient civilisation of Egypt. It will be a great addition to the library stock in a primary or secondary school and the eye-catching covers from the series make it a useful front-facing book for displays and dynamic shelving.

104 pages / Reviewed by Ruth Cornish, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+