In the Days of the Pharaohs (Single Title: Social Studies) by Milton Meltzer

by Milton Meltzer

Among the topics discussed are how people in ancient Egypt worshipped their gods, how their government operated, what their family life was like, and what kinds of games the children played. Readers will learn about such fascinating practices as mummification, which the Egyptians used to preserve the bodies of their dead in order to honor them. Also discussed is how this vital culture changed and developed throughout the reigns of the pharaohs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ancient History, History

Library Binding

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Milton Meltzer wrote 110 books, five of which were nominated for the National Book Award. With Langston Hughes, he co-authored A Pictorial History of Black Americans, now in its sixth edition. He received the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to children's literature, the 1986 Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, and the 2000 Regina Medal. He died in New York City of esophageal cancer at age 94.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Winner of the Regina Medal, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and other major honors over the course of his career in juvenile nonfiction, Milton Meltzer turns his attention to Ancient Egypt, an empire that lasted thousands of years over three distinct Kingdoms. This is a civilization known by stereotypes and half-truths: legends of mummies, fantastic architecture seemingly too advanced for humans of ancient times, heavy-handed rule by godlike pharaohs, and enigmatic hieroglyphics that weren't decoded until millennia after Egypt had fallen. Milton Meltzer presents a culture unique to the Ancient Egyptians, whose lust for life extended beyond the grave into the ornate tombs the rich built for themselves. Their view of the afterlife is what B.C. Egyptians are best known for, but there's more to their society than that. If you want details, look to this book.

The timeline of Ancient Egypt is hard to follow. Dynasties and Intermediate Periods spanned centuries, and winners of bloody political wars attempted to excise mention of their enemies from history. Tombs of some pharaohs have been found, but many remain unaccounted for, and information on them is spotty or missing entirely. Laws existed to prevent the poor from starving, but commoners had no ladder to social or economic prosperity, and could be forced into public works projects such as construction of the pyramids. Revolts that erupted now and then testify to the discontent of a populace the pharaoh could use as standby slaves. Ancient Egypt contributed its share of inventions, including using papyrus as a writing surface to record their thoughts for posterity, and had a vibrant localized religious culture that flowed from worship of the pharaoh as an incarnation of the gods. The everyday may have seemed dull to an average Egyptian farmer, but this was an intriguing historical epoch of political theater and cultural progression that influenced every human society after. We have much to learn from studying Ancient Egypt, a civilization as rich in reality as in legend.

I have to say, I expected more from In the Days of the Pharaohs: A Look at Ancient Egypt. The text seems accurate, free from bias or agenda, but there's no story to pull readers in. I got no sense of how it felt to live in Ancient Egypt, nothing to connect their lives and motivations with ours, and that's essential for historical nonfiction to be interesting. I learned noteworthy information, but nothing I couldn't get from a research paper. One and a half stars is my rating for In the Days of the Pharaohs, and I thought about rounding up to two. I'd look elsewhere for a compelling account of Ancient Egypt, but I respect Milton Meltzer's legacy, and would try another of his books anytime.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction into Ancient Egyptian culture! Boils it right down to the point!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really impressed with how well this author condensed all of this information about Ancient Egypt into an easy to understand and navigate children's book. The language is simple enough for children between 8 and 12 to understand without too much difficulty, and the author does a good job of defining unfamiliar terms in a conversational way. The scope of this book is also very well done. The author does not try to cover every detail about this culture but instead teaches just a little bit about the more important aspects of the culture. He puts a lot of focus on teaching the reader who these people were as a race, which is helpful to children because it gives them something to relate to: what these people were like in comparison to what people are like today. I would highly recommend this book to older children as a great way to introduce them to the Ancient Egyptian people and culture.

[Cornelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book for study or research - I recommend it for 4th grade children up to adults - it also has some wonderful photos

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A juvenile book giving lots of beginning information on Egypt. I'm interested because of the Amelia Peabody books I'm reading. A first-rate introduction to the topic--160 pages.