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History in the Faking
Life is getting more dismal by the minute in the town of Sultana, Manitoba. Thanks to a dry season that nearly dried up the river, no one wants to camp there anymore. There aren't enough tourists to keep the local restaurant busy and, if Cody's best friend's mom loses her job there, the family will have to move away. Cody, his best friend, Eric, and Eric's twin sister, Rachel, concoct an elaborate hoax that transforms this tiny town into a hotbed of activity-a hoax involving an "ancient Egyptian" tablet discovered in Sultana. Soon the tourists come flooding back, but Cody, Eric, and Rachel discover that they should have been more careful about what they wished for. This quirky caper will appeal to children aged eight to ten.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2014
1 person is currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Andreas Oertel
19 books10 followersAndreas Oertel
AKA "The Tallest Writer in Canada"
Andreas was born in Germany, but lived most of his life in Canada. He's travelled all over the world and had a hundred different jobs -- everything from rickshaw driver to health inspector -- but his favourite occupation is writing.
His middle grade fiction is critically acclaimed and has been nominated for several awards (Silver Birch Award, Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award, Charlotte Award). Andreas spends much of his free time visiting schools, and in 2012 and 2013 he was Writer in Residence at Lac du Bonnet's Centennial School.
Andreas enjoys movies, and books, and traveling, and being outside. He lives with his wife Diane next to the Lee River, which is a little bit east of back-of-beyond, in Manitoba, Canada. And if you're ever strolling along a beach and see a lanky man with a metal detector, that's probably Andreas -- still a kid at heart, and still dreaming of finding meteorites, lost treasures, and...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 14, 2015
Another winner from Wandering Fox publishers.
The Shenanigans Series is definitely a middle grade series; the action and content are age-appropriate to that group, and the protagonists are intelligent, active, ambitious twelve-year-olds. The dialogue is clean, fun, and natural; the overall writing style is brisk, with long descriptions added only where necessary, and few if any complex sentences.
In this first book, , the three children, Cody and his best friend Eric and Eric's sister Rachel, need to come up with a way to drum up some business in their tiny Canadian town of Sultana so that Eric and Rachel's mother won't lose their job, which would result in the family moving away from Sultana and Cody; what they decide to do is as complex and detailed as it is unethical, and they learn so much and have so much fun throughout the entire experience, and they end up taking responsibility for their actions and making it right after the adventure is over. What kids act like that? These characters are great.
The story works in historical fact and scientific methodology without once being dry or pontifical; there are tidbits about Egyptian culture and hieroglyphics, information about geography and geological characteristics, and basic, brief descriptions of work on an archaeological dig.
Again, this book is just chock-full of fun stuff.
Then there's the plot -- it moves, it's coherent, it's plausible (in a kind-of far-fetched, what-if way), and kids will love it.
The three children set about researching Egypt and pictographs, gathering clay, backing it with slate, creating a stylus, carving the glyphs, baking the tablet, aging it artificially, and burying it convincingly in a place where it could conceivably have been hidden for millennia, until shifting earth and heavy rains caused a riverbank to belch it up for an unwitting veterinarian to find.
The process is detailed and logical; nothing is left out or glossed over, lending the whole venture credibility and making it that much easier for readers to get invested in the idea and suspend disbelief.
There's a Q&A with the author and questions for reading comprehension at the end of the novel, both of which are interesting and potentially valuable, especially if a teacher or librarian wanted a discussion club or unit to revolve around Egypt, archaeology, or just wanted to use this book as a stand-alone because it's fun.
History in the Faking is a must-buy; it will appeal to a wide range of readers, including reluctant or low-level, but not excluding avid readers looking for a fun new adventure series.
A+, 5 stars.
The Shenanigans Series is definitely a middle grade series; the action and content are age-appropriate to that group, and the protagonists are intelligent, active, ambitious twelve-year-olds. The dialogue is clean, fun, and natural; the overall writing style is brisk, with long descriptions added only where necessary, and few if any complex sentences.
In this first book, , the three children, Cody and his best friend Eric and Eric's sister Rachel, need to come up with a way to drum up some business in their tiny Canadian town of Sultana so that Eric and Rachel's mother won't lose their job, which would result in the family moving away from Sultana and Cody; what they decide to do is as complex and detailed as it is unethical, and they learn so much and have so much fun throughout the entire experience, and they end up taking responsibility for their actions and making it right after the adventure is over. What kids act like that? These characters are great.
The story works in historical fact and scientific methodology without once being dry or pontifical; there are tidbits about Egyptian culture and hieroglyphics, information about geography and geological characteristics, and basic, brief descriptions of work on an archaeological dig.
Again, this book is just chock-full of fun stuff.
Then there's the plot -- it moves, it's coherent, it's plausible (in a kind-of far-fetched, what-if way), and kids will love it.
The three children set about researching Egypt and pictographs, gathering clay, backing it with slate, creating a stylus, carving the glyphs, baking the tablet, aging it artificially, and burying it convincingly in a place where it could conceivably have been hidden for millennia, until shifting earth and heavy rains caused a riverbank to belch it up for an unwitting veterinarian to find.
The process is detailed and logical; nothing is left out or glossed over, lending the whole venture credibility and making it that much easier for readers to get invested in the idea and suspend disbelief.
There's a Q&A with the author and questions for reading comprehension at the end of the novel, both of which are interesting and potentially valuable, especially if a teacher or librarian wanted a discussion club or unit to revolve around Egypt, archaeology, or just wanted to use this book as a stand-alone because it's fun.
History in the Faking is a must-buy; it will appeal to a wide range of readers, including reluctant or low-level, but not excluding avid readers looking for a fun new adventure series.
A+, 5 stars.
May 4, 2015
HISTORY IN THE FAKING: The Shenanigans Series: Book One
Author: Andreas Oertel
Type of Book: Paperback
Length: 185 pages
Publisher: Heritage House Publishing
www.wanderingfoxbooks.com
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads Giveaway program.
Set in the tiny town of Sultana, Manitoba, best friends Eric and Cody are worried that Eric's mother is going to lose her job. Since the town is so small, they know that she will not be able to find another job. If that happens Eric, his twin sister Rachel and their Mom will have to move away.
In a desperate attempt to increase tourism in their town they come up with a plan.
An "ancient Egyptian" tablet is found on the bank of the local river. Business at the restaurant where Eric's Mom works picks up and people flock to the small town. But maybe this isn't what the kids thought it would be.
This book also contains an author Q&A section, a "Questions for Discussion" section and a "Reading Comprehension" section. It also contains an excerpt from STONES OF TIME which is the second book in the Shenanigans Series.
This is a quick, fun read and is perfect for ages 8-12.
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andreas Oertel was born in Germany, but lived most of his life in Canada. He has travelled all over the world and had many different jobs -- everything from rickshaw driver to health inspector -- but his favourite occupation is writing.
His middle grade fiction is critically acclaimed and has been nominated for several awards (Silver Birch Award, Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award, Charlotte Award). Andreas spends much of his free time visiting schools, and in 2012 and 2013 he was Writer in Residence at Lac du Bonnet's Centennial School.
Andreas enjoys movies, and books, and traveling, and being outside. He lives with his wife Diane next to the Lee River, which is a little bit east of back-of-beyond, in Manitoba, Canada. And if you're ever strolling along a beach and see a lanky man with a metal detector, that's probably Andreas -- still a kid at heart, and still dreaming of finding meteorites and lost treasures.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Author: Andreas Oertel
Type of Book: Paperback
Length: 185 pages
Publisher: Heritage House Publishing
www.wanderingfoxbooks.com
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads Giveaway program.
Set in the tiny town of Sultana, Manitoba, best friends Eric and Cody are worried that Eric's mother is going to lose her job. Since the town is so small, they know that she will not be able to find another job. If that happens Eric, his twin sister Rachel and their Mom will have to move away.
In a desperate attempt to increase tourism in their town they come up with a plan.
An "ancient Egyptian" tablet is found on the bank of the local river. Business at the restaurant where Eric's Mom works picks up and people flock to the small town. But maybe this isn't what the kids thought it would be.
This book also contains an author Q&A section, a "Questions for Discussion" section and a "Reading Comprehension" section. It also contains an excerpt from STONES OF TIME which is the second book in the Shenanigans Series.
This is a quick, fun read and is perfect for ages 8-12.
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andreas Oertel was born in Germany, but lived most of his life in Canada. He has travelled all over the world and had many different jobs -- everything from rickshaw driver to health inspector -- but his favourite occupation is writing.
His middle grade fiction is critically acclaimed and has been nominated for several awards (Silver Birch Award, Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award, Charlotte Award). Andreas spends much of his free time visiting schools, and in 2012 and 2013 he was Writer in Residence at Lac du Bonnet's Centennial School.
Andreas enjoys movies, and books, and traveling, and being outside. He lives with his wife Diane next to the Lee River, which is a little bit east of back-of-beyond, in Manitoba, Canada. And if you're ever strolling along a beach and see a lanky man with a metal detector, that's probably Andreas -- still a kid at heart, and still dreaming of finding meteorites and lost treasures.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
March 2, 2016
Cody, Eric and Rachel live in Sultana. The town is slowly drying up, meaning there are no tourists and soon no work. They threesome want to be able to drive tourists to their dying community and the only way to do it is to have someone respectable, like Dr. Murray make a big discovery. The it, a bright idea, the three conjured up, is an ancient Egyptian tablet. The kids needed something that would draw the attention of people from all around.
Together, so as not to be seen as frauds, the kids began to research hieroglyphics. They have found a way to put a message on a clay tablet. They baked the tablet to give it a more authentic look and feel. With a quick run through the dishwasher and some sandblasting will work into their plan for now. The kids know the habits of Dr. Murray and his favorite fishing spot so the plan would be to bury the tablet just close enough and deep enough for it to be found by him. Next and anonymous call to the local paper prompted the police to check out the site and gradually more experts and curious visitors began to show up. Will the town be revived or will the kids and their families end up leaving to find a new life and work somewhere else?
Author Andreas Oertel has created a fun adventure for kids. Young readers will be engaged as the mystery unfolds. Parents and teachers will approve of this great read and this story can even be presented as a classroom read-a-loud.
Together, so as not to be seen as frauds, the kids began to research hieroglyphics. They have found a way to put a message on a clay tablet. They baked the tablet to give it a more authentic look and feel. With a quick run through the dishwasher and some sandblasting will work into their plan for now. The kids know the habits of Dr. Murray and his favorite fishing spot so the plan would be to bury the tablet just close enough and deep enough for it to be found by him. Next and anonymous call to the local paper prompted the police to check out the site and gradually more experts and curious visitors began to show up. Will the town be revived or will the kids and their families end up leaving to find a new life and work somewhere else?
Author Andreas Oertel has created a fun adventure for kids. Young readers will be engaged as the mystery unfolds. Parents and teachers will approve of this great read and this story can even be presented as a classroom read-a-loud.
January 17, 2015
This author does a great job of taking an unlikely premise (discovering an Egyptian artifact in small-town Manitoba) and making it plausible. There is quite a bit of information about ancient Egypt but all of it seems relevant to the story. Nothing seems artificial or forced. The characters are well drawn and the book is well-paced. This book is really intended for tween readers but would also be a good read-aloud book for younger children.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews