Secrets of a Sun King: ‘THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION’ Guardian

Great historical fiction book which is well written and has different stories which weave together. Perfect to link with Egypt topic!

LaurenFT

I loved how the real-life discovery of the tomb was blended with the story of the mysterious and possibly cursed package. It really brought the story of Tutankhamum to life. I would definitely recommend it.

katekhh

Although I found parts of it a little not-believable, I thought that my students would really enjoy it and perhaps suspend their disbelief a little more than I could. I liked the style and found it easy to read.

RuthSettle7

I read this with my 9 year old son as it fitted perfectly with his history topic of Egyptians. The storyline was good although it was hard to follow in parts for him. The characters were interesting and well written. We both looked forward to reading it every evening. We would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is learning about Egypt, loves history or adventure stories.

Mrs Morgan

Very well written with a thrilling plot. Excellent for any readers interested in Ancient Egypt. I loved the mix of ancient writings and more modern story telling, an excellent mystery.

DebLai

Absolutely loved it. The narrative about Tutankhamen was fascinating and you wanted it to be correct. I will be looking for more of her books

vmac1981

I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to someone else. It would be a great read for a KS2 class book. Lots of historical references to the Egyptian period and the young King Tut. The characters are likeable and the friendship between them is full of kindness.

Buff

Loved the beginning but found the ending disappointing

Mrs Binnie

This was a good story to link with the Ancient Egyptians. Set in 1922, It is all about how some children embark on a journey to return a package to the tomb of an ancient king. Although it is fiction, Emma Carroll has included some interesting historical facts. Whilst most of the story is exciting, some elements are a bit too coincidental and far fetched.

Rawl011

A fast paced and enjoyable read. I am looking forward to sharing with my class.

LauraB81

Perfect for an Egyptian topic. Tackles racism, class, gender differences and is a great insight into the discoveries of Howard Carter.

MrMoostashio

I loved the story having a heroine - I had been on the lookout for stories with strong female characters to try and somewhat redress the balance in the class library books, and I think this will go some way to meeting that. The story has an Agatha Christie type feel about it, but this may be due to the period rather than anything else, but I enjoyed the ‘something goes wrong at every turn’ style of writing. I think the way Emma Carroll has challenged the mytholigisation (if there is such a word) of real-life characters that may not have been as heroic with our modern-day eyes (Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon) is excellent - it will help children develop skills of critical analysis that can be tricky to develop in the classroom. Although I think that this will be too tricky an independent read for my year threes, I would consider it for a class story when I next ‘do’ the Egyptians…

Stuee1975

A fantastic book full of twists and vivid description. Can't wait to read it with my next class.

RachelE

Right from the start I was hooked! A mysterious package and an eager young girl who would stop at nothing to save her grandfather. The adventure unfolds at such a pace, you do not want to stop reading. A beautiful, heart warming end too. A fabulous book to introduce Young readers to Egyptology.

ElizabethKeen1

I have read several of Emma Carroll's other books and love her writing. The description of places and atmosphere are always perfect for emersing the reader into the world with the characters, enabling them to live in the story with them. I loved this book for the history of Egypt I've been so long fascinated by myself, but also because of the strong feminist and equality message it so subtly sends. Lil is living in a post WW1 world where life is still tough for women, despite women's suffrage, but she's bright and doing well at her scholarship school. Her grandad falls ill at the same time a mysterious death is reported in the newspaper and she discovers it's all linked. A chance meeting in the British Museum sends Lil off on a path of discovery, danger and adventure that is riveting to the end.

MrsBYear6

A great read that will hook you in from the start. With a plot based on a huge event in history, I was hooked from start to finish. I loved the relationship between Lil, Tulip and Oz - such acceptance of each other.

missp237

A good book to link with an Ancient Egypt topic. A mysterious death and a mysterious parcel lead to adventure. Lilian’ grandfather receives a parcel and suddenly falls ill; the only way to cure him is for Lilian to return it to where it originally came from- Egypt! So begins an adventure

Sacci

We have a topic coming up on Ancient Egypt in my year 6 class so this was an obvious book to read, to see if it would be suitable as our class novel. I was not disappointed. It is a great piece of historical fiction, set just after the first world war at the time of Howard Carter's famous discovery. The main protagonist is a girl from a home struggling to make ends who gets thrown into an adventure thanks to a mistake her intrepid Grandfather made decades before. Whilst it adds lots of invented historical events, the story line includes much to set the scene of a world recovering from WW1 and the excitement that Carter's discovery brought to a weary British people. It also features ethical dilemmas about how we should and shouldn't treat artefacts from the past. The story moves along quickly and is an easy to understand plot, suitable for year 5 and year 6 readers. I would recommend it to teachers looking for a book to use during an Egyptian topic and to readers looking for a stoey full of likeable characters and adventure.

bcameron

I love Emma Carroll and this book did not disappoint. A real page turner with a gripping yet historical factual story.

Lexi158

Super story with a twist of history! Lil and her two friends set out on an adventure to Egypt to return a priceless artefact, but will they be discovered? A tale entwined in historical facts with a little myth thrown in. Recommended for 8+ and a great read if you are studying the Ancient Egyptians.

CHollis