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This is the non-fiction companion to Mummies in the Morning from the Magic Tree House Series. I think it has an element of Historical Fiction as Jack and Annie guide you through this book, which is a research guide. It is much like the notes that Jack takes in his notebook when he and Annie are swept back in history or to another place. This companion book has many more facts for kids who have read the story and want even more information about mummies and pyramids.

My son and I read this together while he was learning about ancient Egypt in his history lessons. He enjoyed it although he began to lose interest towards the end. I thought it was a decent overview of ancient Egypt and a good complement to the lessons we did in Susan Wise Bauer's The Story of the World. ( )

The book Mummies and Pyramids by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne is a scientific history book all about mummies and pyramids. This book takes you on a journey through Ancient Egypt from back before mummies and pyramids were around. The book is told through children’s eyes. The characters of Jack and Annie have done the research on mummies and pyramids and share what they have learned throughout the book.
They firsts introduce you to the life of an Egyptian and their religion. They look at things like why they chose to live where they did. How the land flooded and how they farmed. They also talked about how in the early days there were two kingdoms but eventually King Menes united the two kingdoms into one. They showed examples of the hieroglyphic writing they used back then. They described and drew picture of what the housed looked like. They learned about pharaohs, gods, and the importance of the next life to the Egyptian people.
They then go on to talk about the history of mummies. They learned how they were probably an accident at first. The hot desert dried out the bodies and they didn’t decay. This showed them how to protect the dead from decay for the next life. The book then describes the process of making a mummy. They talk about amulets or magic charms they would wrap with the mummies along with several pictures. They described the process of an Egyptian Funeral.
They then look at pyramids. They talk about several famous pyramids and have picture of them through the chapter. Including the first pyramid called a step pyramid. They talk about how the pyramids were made and what all went in the pyramids with the mummies.
The last chapters they look at treasures and tomb robbers, the most famous mummy of all, and gifts of the pyramids and mummies. Many treasures were lost due to tomb robbers. Because of this they started hiding where they were buried. One lost mummy and his treasures was of pharaoh Tutankhamun, the most famous mummy of all. The book talks about the journey to find him and has several pictures of his treasures. Last it talks about the wonderful gift the mummies and pyramids gave us: knowledge.
This is a very interesting and educational book all about mummies and pyramids. It has an element of science, history, and adventure. It is a little longer but an easy read for middle school age students. I think you could easily find several science or history lessons to go along with this book or use it as a book report for your students. This book seems to be very accurate in its facts throughout the book. The magic tree house series seem like a great educational tool as a way to explore other areas of the world without leaving the classroom. ( )

1. Main character
Mummies and Pyramids

2. Write the summary of the book.

Egypt is where one of the oldest civilizations in the world began. Five thousand yeas ago, Egyptians invented one of the first forms of writing. The writings, paintings and treasures of the mummies' tombs teach us how the ancient Egyptians lived, how they worked, and how they played.
Ancient Egyptians cared a great deal about how they looked. Wealthy Egyptian men and women both wore eye makeup and wigs. They also wore necklaces, bracelets, and rings.
The mummies of Egypt have given us a great gift of knowledge,which helps bring the distant past alive.

3. Write your feelings about the book in details.

The first Egyptian mummies were probably made by accident....The Egyptian studied mummies. They learned from them how to protect the body for the Next Life(See p 55).

They believed the Next Life and that's why they preserved their body from decaying.

4. Write the words, phrases or sentences that impressed you most in the book and explain why they impressed you. Or you could write your questions about the book.

Wealthy people wanted to have servants in the Next Life. Since they couldn't take their living servants with them, they made servant statues(See p 86).

They wanted to bring whatever they could for the Next Life. ( )