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Shadow Hawk

Book cover: 'Shadow Hawk'
Author(s): 
Andre Norton

Set in approximately 1590 B.C. in Ancient Egypt and Nubia, this historical novel tells of Rahotep, an Egyptian nobleman who commands a small but capable force of Nubian archers. He and his archers offer their services to the Pharaoh Sekenenre, who wishes to finally throw off the rule of the Hyksos invaders and restore Egypt to its former glory. The young and sometimes rash Rahotep finds himself in the middle of a complex web of traditional court protocol, scheming temple priests and treacherous plots to take the life of the Pharaoh.

The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone

Book cover: 'The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt'
Author(s): 
James Cross Giblin

Interesting and fairly simple history of the attempts to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics, and most notably the work performed by many scholars in trying to understand the text inscribed on the Rosetta Stone in hieroglyphics, demotic (a more modern form of Egyptian writing) and Greek. Because the same text was written in these three languages, the Rosetta Stone truly became the "Key to Ancient Egypt" in that it allowed the modern world to unlock the mysteries of Ancient Egypt through the hieroglyphic writing (of which numerous texts have survived on monuments, tombs, etc.

The Golden Goblet

Book cover: 'The Golden Goblet'
Author(s): 
Eloise Jarvis McGraw

The Golden Goblet is a story set in Ancient Egypt, of a young boy, Ranofer, who dreams of becoming a goldsmith like his father before him. Unfortunately, now that his father is dead, Ranofer lives with his horrible half-brother, Gebu, who has no love for his young charge, keeps him undernourished and beats him whenever he's in a bad mood. In the course of struggling with these things, Ranofer and his two loyal friends get caught up a in a mystery that leads from the revered tombs of the dead all the way to the Pharaoh's palace.

Pyramid

Author(s): 
David Macaulay

Black and white illustrations and readable text take you through the building of a fictional pyramid in Ancient Egypt (but so close to reality that you'll hardly know the difference) from the beginning plans of a Pharaoh for his final resting place, thorugh years of construction, and finally, the Pharaoh's death, mummification and entombment. Fortunately, the emphasis is on the design and construction of the pyramid rather than mummification. The many detailed pictures illustrate tools, techniques, materials used, etc. This is a very nice book and comes highly recommended.

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt

Book cover: 'The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt'
Author(s): 
Elizabeth Payne

This is a fascinating and very readable history of Ancient Egypt - suitable for family reading or independent reading from mid-grade school and up. The first chapter describes the rediscovery of Ancient Egypt in the late 18th and early 19th century. This is a particularly fascinating account because it describes the amazement of the first Europeans (at the time of Napoleon) to view the great monoliths. The author briefly relates the history of the deciphering of Egyptian Hieroglyphics which, of course, have provided the text of the history of Egypt which comprises the rest of this book.

Saint Paul the Apostle

Book cover: 'Saint Paul the Apostle'
Author(s): 
Mary Fabyan Windeatt

Saul was a devout Jew so zealous about the Law that he persecuted the followers of the Nazarene with a vengeance. Through God's miraculous intervention Saul discovers that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and longs to proclaim and exhort that which he has formerly persecuted and abhored. There are many obstacles to overcome. The Christians have a difficult time trusting him and are focused on differences with the Jews, whereas Paul is eager to proclaim the Gospel to everyone. As he travels all over the Mediterranean, he is impeded by shipwreck and many who hate him.

Early Women Martyrs of the Church: Coloring book

Book cover: 'Early Women Martyrs of the Church: Coloring book'
Author(s): 
Katie Elizabeth Roll

Portraits of 12 saints--from St. Philomena to St. Lucy--are portrayed in large ready-to-color illustrations alongside a brief description of the martyr. This 8 1/2" x 11" coloring book has a soft cover and staple binding making it easy to lay open for coloring. The saints are depicted with the common symbols telling about their life and death and the descriptions are simple and short enough that they can be enjoyed by a child as young as 5 or 6 years old.

Saint Athanasius

Book cover: 'Saint Athanasius'
Author(s): 
F.A. Forbes

This short, and fairly easy to read biography chronicles the life of Saint Athanasius (early 300s) - Patriarch/bishop of Alexandria and Doctor of the Church (and model of perserverance). Athanasius was a defender of the faith in a very critical time in the early Church's history. Even before the Edict of Milan which allowed Christians to practice their faith freely (at least for a time), the heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ, was beginning its attack on the Church.

St Monica: Model of Christian Mothers

Author(s): 
F.A. Forbes

This book tells of the life of St. Monica (332-387 A.D.), mother of St Augustine of Hippo. As a young girl in a Christian family, she heard the stories of the early martyrs and asked God to let her suffer for Him. Her prayer was granted in an unexpected way as she became the wife of a pagan and the mother of a son who, though brilliant and talented, soon fell into sinful ways and in time adopted the heretical beliefs of the Manichees.