First published 2012
Melanie Ross doesn't expect much when she first meets April Hall. The two girls seem completely different. Then they discover their shared fascination with ancient Egypt. They find an empty storage yard that becomes the perfect setting for their elaborate game. Melanie and April create Egyptian personas, design costumes, and invent ceremonies based on what they know about pharaohs and pyramids. Four more children join them, each taking on Egyptian identities. The six friends develop secret codes and perform rituals in their makeshift temple. What starts as innocent play becomes increasingly elaborate and mysterious. Strange events begin occurring that none of them can explain. The children wonder if their Egypt Game has somehow awakened forces beyond their control. As the line between fantasy and reality blurs, they must figure out whether they've stumbled into something dangerous.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, mystery
Setting: Egypt
Period: 20th-century
240 pages · Kindle Edition · Atheneum Books for Young Readers