Mummies: A Strange Science Book - Softcover

Funston, Sylvia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1894379047 ISBN 13: 9781894379045

Publisher: Maple Tree Pr, 2000

Synopsis

With just the right dose of gruesome details and mesmerizing facts, a gripping text introduces readers to some of the most famous--and not so famous--mummies, showing how different sorts of mummies are made, how dead bodies tell tales, and even how to make a mummy at home. Simultaneous.

About this title

About the Author

An accomplished writer and former editor of Owl magazine, Sylvia Funston has a keen sense of what young readers want to read about. She explored the science of fear in Scary Science (1996), which has been shortlisted for the 1999 Red Cedar Book Award, and co-authored A Kid's Guide to the Brain (1994) with Jay Ingram, which won the Children's Book Award from the Canadian Science Writers' Association of Canada. Her most recent books include explorations into animal behavior in Animal Feelings (1998,) and Animal Smarts (1997).

Reviews

Grade 5-7-A broad introduction to mummified human remains, from the expected carefully wrapped mummies of ancient Egypt to the peat-discolored bog bodies of Iron Age Europe and the freeze-dried Incan "ice maiden." Funston's conversational text includes the 1996 discovery of a vast cemetery of the "golden mummies" at an Egyptian oasis and the 1999 find of George Mallory's remains on Mt. Everest. The book is profusely illustrated with photos, soft pastel-toned artwork, and a global-location map/time line. Numerous sidebars provide snippets on such diverse topics as the Pharoah Akhenaten and the ill-fated Franklin Expedition. An experiment in freeze-drying, directions for making a dried-apple headed mini-mummy, and a board game called "Mummy Trekking" round out the presentation. Researchers looking for more detailed data should supplement this title with Charlotte Wilcox's fine Mummies & Their Mysteries (1994) and Mummies, Bones, & Body Parts (2000, both Carolrhoda), James Deem's dramatic Bodies from the Bog (Houghton, 1998), Johan Reinhard's gripping Discovering the Inca Ice Maiden (National Geographic, 1998), and Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's excellent Secrets of the Ice Man (Benchmark, 1998).
Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Maple Tree Pr
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1894379047
• ISBN 13: 9781894379045
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 40