Secrets of a Sun King: ‘THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION’ Guardian: 1

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London 1922. After World War I, the country is nearly bankrupt, and the Kaye family are struggling; Lil’s grandad, who is passionate about Egyptian archaeology, is in hospital; Lil herself hates being a scholarship girl at snooty St Kilda’s; and her parents are struggling to make ends meet. I liked the characters and thought Lil was an independent and brave girl, Tulip was resourceful and Oz was clever. I thought maybe Oz had autism. There is also a thread about families and secrets that weaves through the story which adds to the mystery. Plot: A young girl named Lilian (Lil) has a grandpa who loves Egypt and he falls ill from a curse and she goes to feed her grandpa’s cat (Nefertiti) and sees some parcels and makes friend with a girl (Tulip) and they talk about it. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments

There are a total of 126 SMART Notebook screens (in one file) and each lesson is clearly marked, along with details about which lesson each chapter should be read, to aid and link to the learning. See Faber authors in conversation and hear readings from their work at Faber Members events, literary festivals and at book shops across the UK. Faber Members have access to live and online events, special editions and book promotions, and articles and quizzes through our weekly e-newsletter. I liked that skin colour wasn't an issue and wondered how Mrs Mendoza got on with society in her choice of partner. I really enjoyed reading this book. My favourite character was Tulip because she was kind to Lil and she was strong minded about what she wanted and didn't want to do. I liked all the characters in the story, my favourite part about the book was when you read about the Kyky. I liked that part because you could find out about why there is a curse and how Kyky died.In Emma Carrol’s latest historical adventure for Middle Grade we find Lilian and her friends in a race against time to stop the Pharaoh’s curse. Olive and her brother have been evacuated to Devon, but big sister Sukie is still missing from the night of the bombs. Emma Carroll is a natural storyteller: there's a good twist towards the end that even the most wily readers won't see coming. Fantastic resource. I shall be using chapter 1 and 2 resources with my class. Very well presented! Please say you are doing the rest of the chapters :-) A sheet where they have to write a story about being on an adventure and discovering a tomb in Egypt I definitely found out a lot from the past like the story of Tutankhamun and Lord Carnarvon’s death. Even though this story is fiction there are certainly lots of historical things about this book.

Read about the Faber story, find out about our unique partnerships, and learn more about our publishing heritage, awards and present-day activity. I certainly found the characters very interesting and they each had an important role to play which made the story even more fantastic. My favourite character has to be Lilian Kaye because she is courageous enough to go all the way to Egypt to save her ill grandad from a deadly curse. This time she has turned her skill to the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922 and with her usual flair has woven a plot mixing historical facts with fictional characters and discoveries. Faber and Faber would love to see how you use their provided resources. You can do this on social media using #SunKing or #SecretsOfASunKing and tagging faberchildrens and readingagency. You can also tag the author Emma Carroll with @emmac2603. When Lil’s grandfather is taken ill, she goes to his house to feed his cat, discovering a letter from Ancient Egyptian times. It has been deciphered by a professor who has recently died in mysterious circumstances, and this convinces Lil that her grandfather is cursed, a notion that is furthered when she finds a canonic jar.For your chance to win a signed copy of Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carroll, all you have to do is decorate an ornate design onto a jar.

This story provides good vocabulary that was relevant to our Ancient Egypt topic, providing names of places, artefacts that originally come from Egypt and names. There are lots of references to Tutankhamen in particular, that provided further discussion for our history lessons. The book is rich in adjectives, smilies and metaphors that really pained a picture of what the setting would be like for the class. It was engrossing, so much so that I would get told off by my class every time I finished reading for the day because they wanted to know what happened next! This book is a well-paced historical adventure with a wonderfully intimate heart centred in a story of steadfast friendships and personal remembrance. The ancient diary entries that punctuate Lilian's narrative were a lovely addition, giving us a voice into the past that felt both fresh and of the time. Lilian is a clever and conscientious kid, who is immediately easy to love. She has an engaging voice, a thirst for adventure, and a lot of loyalty for her friends and family. Her story gently takes some deep topics like the death of a friend and gives it warmth, a strong sense of peace, and a wonderfully satisfying ending. During the book there are possibly three main characters, Lilian Kaye, Pepe and Tulip, and Oz Mendoza. However, there are multiple other characters that have significant roles in the book but do not appear enough to be classed as main characters. These include Lysandra, Maya, and Kyky, the three characters most focused on within Lysandra’s account of Kyky’s, or Tutankhamun’s, final days as King of Egypt. Other secondary characters that are mentioning would be Alexander, the boy who helps to get the parents of our main characters to reveal the blood relativity between the Mendozas and the Kayes. I would have liked more scenes with Lil and her grandfather. I liked the scene at their Sunday roast.My favourite character in the book would have to be Pepe. This because he is expecting of politeness and is annoyed to see Englishmen invade Egypt and straight away act as if they own the place which I perfectly understand and can sympathise for. On the other hand; there are no characters that I would not be happy to be acquainted with.

You’ll see this book on the bookstores’ shelves and it will grab your attention just by its lovely image.A fast paced, thoroughly researched and fascinating historical adventure with ancient gods and curses to appease and unscrupulous villains to outwit. I learned a lot about how Egyptian pharaohs were treated after their death. The plot of this book was exciting. A lovely, exciting story about the opening of Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922 that'll make readers feel as though they were really there. I love Emma's writing - she can bring history to life, and this is another great book from her. (10+)