Rau, Dana Meachen. Mummies

Rau, Dana Meachen. Mummies      

Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark    2011   24p     22.79  978-0-7614-4869-3           

elem                Surprising Science (MC/Benchmark)         E-BNes           

This simple little book for elementary students gets to the heart of what is

interesting about mummies, from several different cultures.     This book is well

organized, informative, easy-to-read, and attractive, with many excellent

photographs.  New and important terms are bold-faced and explained in the

glossary at the end.  The index is good, and the list of websites for further

research includes The Museum of Natural History, NOVA, and the people behind the

King Tut exhibit.  An excellent introduction to the concept of mummies.          This

is part of the Surprising Science series.      Kennedy, Carol

The Parliament of Blood

Richards, Justin. Parliament of Blood, The
Bloomsbury see St. Martins, 2008, 358p 16.99 978-1-59990-140-4 ms/hs

Vampires in London! Are you sure? George Archer, Liz Oldfield, and Eddie Hopkins (coconspirators from The Death Collector) join forces with George’s mentor at the British Museum to foil the overtaking of the British Parliament by Vampires. Oddly enough it all started with the disclosure of a mummy from the Department of Unclassified Artifacts.
This is a second book from the author of The Death Collector. In this book, the same cast of characters commences upon another adventure in Victorian London. Generally, one would assume that working in the antiquities section of the British Museum would present a mundane working environment. This does not seem to be the case when a mummy from Saqqara is unwrapped in the Egyptian Room.
The drama immediately starts to unfold on page 22+ as Sir Harrison Judd stumbles while helping to uncover the mummy causing blood to drip on the mummy. Immediately, the wrappings seem to dissolve and a weathered parchment like face appears. Then the wrappings tremble and emaciated a hand appears from under the fabric. At this point chaos ensues and George is off on a whirlwind adventure that is both mysterious, intriguing, and heart stopping at times.
The story will appeal to readers of the occult genre. The characters in the story are very believable and will have the readers identifying with their struggles. L. McNeil