During the early twentieth century, Howard Carter, the Chief Inspector of Antiquities in Upper Egypt, and financier Lord Carnarvon were determined to find King Tut's tomb. The book details their years of fruitless search and subsequent amazing discovery. The story is oversimplified but clearly related and will entertain young readers. Nelson's black-and-white illustrations help set the scene.

Adding a light dusting of invented detail, Zoehfeld retraces the course of Howard Carter's youth and career to its dramatic high point, mentions the "curse" in a single brief, dismissive passage, then closes with a note on modern investigations into the causes of King Tut's early death. Fledgling chapter-book readers may be drawn in by the title, but rare is the library that doesn't already own other renditions of the renowned tale. The illustrations are unlikely to carry as much visual interest as the photos and images of golden artifacts in the likes of Giovanni Caselli's In Search of Tutankhamen: The Discovery of a King's Tomb (1999) or Zahi A. Hawass's Tutankhamen: The Mystery of the Boy King (2005). (Nonfiction. 9-11)

Gr 2-4-Zoehfeld presents the exciting story of Howard Carter's discovery of the tomb of Egypt's boy-king, beginning with Carter's childhood in England. As a young man and a painter, he had the opportunity to visit Egypt, where he worked closely with and learned from archaeologists. He went on to become Chief Inspector for Antiquities and, contrary to popular belief, was convinced that there was still at least one more pharaoh to be discovered in the Valley of the Kings. He was introduced to Lord Carnarvon, and the rest is amazing history. This beginning chapter book vividly describes how Carter's determination led to one of the most exciting discoveries of all time. It presents the facts objectively, and the story of the curse is downplayed, noting, "the stories of the curses were all made up." This book will appeal to young readers in search of true adventure.-Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.