In Search of Tutankhamun : The discovery of a king's tomb
Grade 3-5-These two titles are attractively illustrated and thoughtfully arranged. Each book features the now-standard two-page layout with short "main" text and multiple illustrations with explanatory captions, some of which are almost as long as the central text. Troy moves from Heinrich Schliemann's fascination with Homer, to his determination to find the site of Troy, to its discovery and excavation, and finally to an investigation of life in the ancient city and the Greek legends connected with it. Tutankhamun follows Howard Carter's discovery of the tomb of the "boy-king," as well as the wealth of material found there, and then surveys Tut's life. In texts so short, there are almost bound to be oversimplifications. Troy assumes that the connection between Greek myth and history is more firmly settled than it is, referring, for example, to the treasure, city and palace of King Priam as though there were no doubt of such identifications. Only later are readers told that Priam's existence has not been established. Tut accepts Akhenaten's paternity as a given-though it is not. Even so, the titles are generally solid and are impressively illustrated. The layout for the chapter "Tutankhamun's Tomb" is especially good, depicting the plan of the tomb, a cut-through illustration of the jumbled contents, and a "flattened" sketching of the wall paintings in the burial chamber. While not essential purchases, these offerings will be welcome where more material on ancient history is needed.Coop Renner, Moreno Elementary School, El Paso, TXCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.