See More Readers: Pyramids & Mummies - Level 3

by Seymour Simon

Enter into the mysterious world of ancient Egypt and learn about its structures and rituals that still amaze us today, from the great Step Pyramid to the mummification of pharaohs.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Seymour Simon, whom the NY Times called "the dean of [children's science:] writers," is the author of more than 250 highly acclaimed science books (many of which have been named Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association).

Seymour Simon uses his website, SeymourSimon.com, to provide free downloads of a wealth of materials for educators, homeschoolers and parents to use with his books, including 4-page Teacher Guides for all 26 of his Collins/Smithsonian photo essay books. The site provides multiple resources for kids writing book reports or wanting to explore the online Science Dictionary, and also features the Seymour Science blog highlighting current science news. Educators and families are encouraged to sign up to receive the monthly newsletter from SeymourSimon.com to stay abreast of the latest materials that Seymour Simon is introducing to enrich the reading experience.

He taught science and creative writing in elementary and secondary schools and was chair of the science department at a junior high school in the New York City public school system before leaving to become a full-time writer. "I haven't really given up teaching," he says, "and I suppose I never will, not as long as I keep writing and talking to kids around the country and the world."

Seymour Simon is also a creator and the author of a series of 3D books and a series of Glow-in-the-Dark Books for Scholastic Book Clubs, a series of leveled SEEMORE READERS for Chronicle Books, and the EINSTEIN ANDERSON, SCIENCE DETECTIVE series of fiction books. His books encourage children to enjoy the world around them through learning and discovery, and by making science fun. He has introduced tens of millions of children to a staggering array of subjects; one prominent science education specialist described Simon's books as "extraordinary examples of expository prose."

Seymour Simon has been honored with many awards for his work, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature; the New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature; the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library for his contribution to children's science literature; The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction; the Jeremiah Ludington Award for his outstanding contribution to children's nonfiction; the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Forum on Children's Science Books.

In a recent interview Simon was asked if he ever thinks of retiring. "I seem to be working faster and harder than ever. I absolutely don't feel any urge to sit back and look at what I've done. The only things that I'm thinking about are things I'd like to do in the future. I'm planning and doing and continuing to write. It's what I love to do. I remember a story about an anthropologist going to talk to a tribe and he asked them what was their word for "work." Their response was they have no word for work. Everybody does the things that they do in their life. I love that response. I don't differentiate between work and play. Everything I do is something that I enjoy doing - the writing, the research and everything else."

Seymour Simon writes and photographs nature from his hilltop home in Columbia County in upstate New York, where he lives with his wife Liz Nealon.

You can follow Seymour on Facebook and on Twitter, as well as on his website, which offers free, downloadable Teacher Guides to his books for educators, parents and homeschoolers, as well as the popular Seymour Science Daily Blo

Reviews

[Bailey Scales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pyramids and Mummies was an interesting read that made me want to go and visit the Egyptian temples. This book would be useful in the classroom to teach about Egyptian culture and history, in a world history lesson. A teacher could also read this book during an Egyptian mythology lesson. I would recommend this book for independent reading for students that want to learn more about mummies and pyramids. It could also be an educational view point during Halloween. This informational book gave context clues to maybe unfamiliar words, pronunciation guides to harder ones. It used excellent photos and visuals as if you were seeing these ancient temples in person.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young readers love learning about mummies and pyramids, but I wished the color photos accompanying the text actually matched/enhanced the text more. Young readers really rely on photos and graphics to enhance their understanding. Headings or chapter titles would be helpful too.

[Jordan Brophy-Block · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect length for reading with the kids at night. Great companion to The Magic Treehouse: Mummies in the Morning. There are pictures of mummies in the book though and plenty of detail about the embalming process.

[Deanna Sutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mummy book. It was specific in embalming process which some of my kids liked and others it kind of freaked out!

[Miekka · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very informative book about ancient Egypt. I wish there were more pictures that go along with the text. For ages 6 and up.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one as well, perfect for beginner readers!