EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
The Secret of the Sacred Scarab
(The Chronicles of the Stone Book 1)
(The Chronicles of the Stone Book 1)
by Fiona Ingram
The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is the first book in The Chronicles of the Stone, recommended for children ages 10 and up. Also available: The Young Explorer's Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. Coming soon: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur and The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper.
Description
A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt.
Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs.
Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They survive terrifying dangers in a hostile environment (such as a giant cobra, as well as sinking sand), pursued by enemies in their quest to solve the secret of the sacred scarab.
They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out. They must also learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor.
With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!
Awards:
Finalist Children's Fiction USA Next Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards
Finalist Juvenile Fiction USA National Best Books 2009 Awards
Winner Pre-Teen USA 2009 Readers' Favorites Awards
Number 2 in the USA Children's & Teens Book Connection Top Ten Favourite Books of 2009 for Kids, Tweens & Teens
Winner Silver Medal Teen Fiction 2010 Nautilus Book Awards
Finalist Children's Fiction 2010 International Book Awards
Winner Bronze Medal Pre-Teen Fiction 2010 Moonbeam Book Awards
Finalist 2011 Rubery Book Awards
Winner Gold Award Mystery Pre-Teen 2011 Children's Literary Classics Awards
2nd Place in the 2011 YA Sharpwrit Book Awards
Winner Gold medal 2013 Wise Bear Book Awards
Finalist Children's Fiction USA Next Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards
Finalist Juvenile Fiction USA National Best Books 2009 Awards
Winner Pre-Teen USA 2009 Readers' Favorites Awards
Number 2 in the USA Children's & Teens Book Connection Top Ten Favourite Books of 2009 for Kids, Tweens & Teens
Winner Silver Medal Teen Fiction 2010 Nautilus Book Awards
Finalist Children's Fiction 2010 International Book Awards
Winner Bronze Medal Pre-Teen Fiction 2010 Moonbeam Book Awards
Finalist 2011 Rubery Book Awards
Winner Gold Award Mystery Pre-Teen 2011 Children's Literary Classics Awards
2nd Place in the 2011 YA Sharpwrit Book Awards
Winner Gold medal 2013 Wise Bear Book Awards
Book Video
Excerpt
Pointing to the open books, Adam asked, “Are you writing another article, Aunt Isabel?”
“Perhaps,” Isabel replied. She had a mysterious expression on her face. “Maybe something on this Scottish archaeologist.” She pointed to her desk where a newspaper lay open, half-hidden beneath the books.
“What archaeologist?” the boys chorused. They loved hearing about how their aunt would come up with interesting articles. Many of her articles had won her top awards for journalism.
As soon as Justin read the bold headline—“Controversial Archaeologist Sticks to Legend Claim”—he grabbed the newspaper. “That’s the guy who says there was an ancient Egyptian ruler called the … something king—I forget the name—who has treasure still hidden away in a tomb somewhere.”
“The Scarab King,” Adam broke in. “Miss Briggs read us the article in history class.”
“Well,” Isabel said, “it’s an interesting theory, but none of the experts have found any important reference to this king. Looks as if he’s on a wild goose chase.”
Gran appeared in the doorway to summon them to tea. “What’s this about a goose, a scarab, and a king?”
Justin put on an air of importance as he explained. “Well, Gran, we just did Egypt in history class. It was so interesting because there was a big article in the local newspaper about this archaeologist James Kinnaird and his controversial theories.”
“What’s contro—controv—?” Adam asked.
“It means he says what he thinks,” Isabel replied.
Adam was confused. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”
“Well,” his aunt murmured, “I suppose it depends who you’re talking to.”
Gran put her hands on her hips and then raised her eyebrows. “I’m just an old lady who doesn’t know anything, but will somebody please explain.”
Isabel replied, “James Kinnaird is a Scottish archaeologist who’s always off on some fantastical quest or other. He says he’s made a sensational discovery about ancient Egypt that will rewrite history.”
She walked over to her desk and flipped open a large book, riffling through the pages until she found a map of ancient Egypt. “Come and look at this, then it’ll be clearer.”
The boys and Gran clustered around the desk.
“As we know,” Isabel continued, “Egypt was once divided into two parts: Upper and Lower Egypt—it’s plainly marked here.”
“Oh, I know,” Justin interrupted. “The two Egypts were united by some king—Menes, I think. And that’s when they started recording history and the Egyptian dynasties for the first time, right?”
His aunt said, “That’s quite right, Justin. However, Mr. Kinnaird believes that long before that—in the prehistoric time—there was a ruler called the Scarab King. Not much is known about him, but there seems to be some sort of popular legend about his treasure. It would be a major archaeological scoop for whoever found it. It would make a great story for the newspapers as well.”
Isabel smiled at her nephews’ eager faces.
“About a year or two ago, James Kinnaird made this his quest, just about demanding that the Egyptian government allow him to search for the Scarab King’s tomb. He managed to ruffle so many official Egyptian feathers that he was almost deported. It’s rather strange he’s been so insistent.”
“I thought the Egyptians were keen to dig up stuff from the past,” Gran said.
“Yes, I’m sure they are,” Isabel said, closing the book, “but recently there have been an extraordinary number of thefts of valuable artifacts from archaeological digs. Artifacts are being smuggled out of the country at an alarming rate. Mr. Kinnaird has pointed fingers at certain people in high positions in the government, almost accusing them of stealing.”
“Well,” Adam said, “this is a chance to look for treasure ourselves. We could make a discovery that’ll go down in history and make us famous.”
Justin narrowed his eyes. “What rot,” he scoffed. “If experienced guys like that archaeologist can’t find anything, how do you expect us to? Anyway, we’ll be on a tour. We can’t just go off and look for things.”
Adam glared at Justin. “I don’t know how,” he said, “but anything can happen.” He hated feeling put down like that. Justin could be quite mean at times.
Then Adam beamed hopefully at his aunt. “We could have an adventure, though, right? Just a small one.”
Praise for the Book
"Wow! That was an action-packed story! I loved how Ms. Ingram just dove right into the story. From the time that Adam is given the scarab to the time that Adam and Justin return home, there is non-stop action. Through Ms. Ingram’s fantastic writing skills, I was able to visualize all of the events as they were occurring. I can totally see the story in this book transformed into a screenplay for the big screen. I think it’s a fabulous story filled with mystery, intrigue, and action." ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews
"Author Fiona Ingram mixes history and legends in this fast action adventure that keeps you reading till the very end. The characters are cleverly written. Young readers can easily step into the shoes of these two cousins and experienced this exciting adventure that takes you into the heart of Egypt. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery..." ~ 5-Star review from Coffee Ramblings "Billy", Amazon (US)
"If you enjoyed reading Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and Enid Blyton's The Famous Five, I am sure you will look forward to reading this book. It will keep you spellbound to the end. The mysteries of the Sacred Scarab and the Scarab King unfold gradually. The story is even livelier because of its references to ancient history, legends and archaeology..." ~ 5-Star review from Book Review, Amazon (US)
"This story ROCKED! It was exciting, action-filled, adventurous and history filled book! It pretty much had everything me (as a boy) would want in a book - danger, mystery, legends, exciting setting, myths and much more. The story was written really well and it kept me reading page after page. I really liked the simple pencil illustrations in the book. I liked the characters of Justin and Adam. They were both nice, smart and brave. The book has no bad language or graphic violence in it..." ~ Erik @ This Kid Reviews Books
"...[T]his is a fun read that reminded me more of the Hardy Boys than anything else. Characters using their minds to solve the problems in the modern world. The writing is tight and fun. It doesn't linger on the unnecessary, rather, it constantly moves forward, always capturing your attention and finding reasons to read on and neglect whatever is burning on the stove. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a fun mystery in what projects to be the first in a well-crafted and original series." ~ 5-Star review from J. Lurie, Amazon (US)
About the Author
Giveaway
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