Secrets of a Sun King: ‘THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION’ Guardian: 1

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Education Shed Ltd, Severn House, Severn Bridge, Riverside North, Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK, DY12 1AB

I liked that skin colour wasn't an issue and wondered how Mrs Mendoza got on with society in her choice of partner. There is also a thread about families and secrets that weaves through the story which adds to the mystery.I liked the characters and thought Lil was an independent and brave girl, Tulip was resourceful and Oz was clever. I thought maybe Oz had autism.

I enjoyed the way that the story’s twists and turns develop out of Carroll’s well-researched knowledge of the period. For example, Mrs Mendoza is never chosen for top assignments for the Washington Post because of her sex. They travel to Egypt 1922 style: by boat, train to Athens, a smelly cargo boat to Cairo, another train to Luxor, and finally by camel. It all takes days – will the children and Mrs Mendoza be on time? I would have liked more scenes with Lil and her grandfather. I liked the scene at their Sunday roast. There are a total of 126 SMART Notebook screens (in one file) and each lesson is clearly marked, along with details about which lesson each chapter should be read, to aid and link to the learning.For your chance to win a signed copy of Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carroll, all you have to do is decorate an ornate design onto a jar. A lovely, exciting story about the opening of Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922 that'll make readers feel as though they were really there. I love Emma's writing - she can bring history to life, and this is another great book from her. (10+) Olive and her brother have been evacuated to Devon, but big sister Sukie is still missing from the night of the bombs. Emma Carroll is a natural storyteller: there's a good twist towards the end that even the most wily readers won't see coming. This story provides good vocabulary that was relevant to our Ancient Egypt topic, providing names of places, artefacts that originally come from Egypt and names. There are lots of references to Tutankhamen in particular, that provided further discussion for our history lessons. The book is rich in adjectives, smilies and metaphors that really pained a picture of what the setting would be like for the class. It was engrossing, so much so that I would get told off by my class every time I finished reading for the day because they wanted to know what happened next! You’ll see this book on the bookstores’ shelves and it will grab your attention just by its lovely image.

Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - When Lil’s grandfather is taken ill, she goes to his house to feed his cat, discovering a letter from Ancient Egyptian times. It has been deciphered by a professor who has recently died in mysterious circumstances, and this convinces Lil that her grandfather is cursed, a notion that is furthered when she finds a canonic jar. I definitely found out a lot from the past like the story of Tutankhamun and Lord Carnarvon’s death. Even though this story is fiction there are certainly lots of historical things about this book. London 1922. After World War I, the country is nearly bankrupt, and the Kaye family are struggling; Lil’s grandad, who is passionate about Egyptian archaeology, is in hospital; Lil herself hates being a scholarship girl at snooty St Kilda’s; and her parents are struggling to make ends meet. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical MomentsThe book has a feeling of a classic adventure book with the theme being Egypt. The heroin/main character is Lillian, whose characteristic is intelligent, adventurous and bold. The story was good vocabulary including names, places, and artefacts that originally come from Egypt. Emma Carroll is one of my favourite writers for children, and has been for a while now. I met her a few months before this book was published and she told me a little about her process for writing this book and how deadlines were helpful for her, which was really inspiring for me. Like her previous books, this is a story centred in history, but with a modern-day awareness of social issues like representation, colonial footprints, and cultural appropriation. In Emma Carrol’s latest historical adventure for Middle Grade we find Lilian and her friends in a race against time to stop the Pharaoh’s curse. The story starts off in London 1922, Lilian Kaye finds a parcel on her grandad's doorstep with a note about a strange curse. It was sent by a famous Egyptologist, who was found dead that very morning. Fantastic resource. I shall be using chapter 1 and 2 resources with my class. Very well presented! Please say you are doing the rest of the chapters :-)