Exploring a mysterious cave in the mountains behind their house, John and his sister Sarah are shocked to discover they’ve time traveled to ancient Egypt!
Now they must work together to find a way back home from an ancient civilization of golden desert sand and a towering new pyramid, without parents to save them. The adventures abound—cobras, scorpions, a tomb robber, and more! The two kids have to trust each other, make friends who can help, and survive the challenges thrown at them . . . or be stuck in ancient Egypt forever.
For readers graduating from the Magic Tree House series and ready for intense action, dive into this middle grade novel rich with meticulous historical detail.
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“An engaging, eventful, history-based fantasy with realistic protagonists and an enjoyable, twist-filled plot.” —Kirkus Reviews. Full review here.
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“Fun, action-packed read, with a healthy dose of historical facts. Kids will be hooked on this one!” —Adam Perry, author of The Magicians of Elephant County, gave it 5 stars
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“This book was awesome! …the book captivated me in a story of two siblings, trying to handle and save one world and, at the same time, get back to another.” —10-year-old book blogger Emmie from “Fantastic Books and Where to Find Them“, rating 4.5 of 5
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“Every night I was so excited to go back to the book because I wanted to read more…I really hope there are more books in the series.” —11-year-old son of Goodreads reviewer SK
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“I read this story in one sitting (& late into the night) & completely fell in love with Ben Gartner’s writing. I loved the strong female characters in the story, especially because the sisters often took charge of their brothers! The plot was your typical time travel MG adventure but felt unique & fresh, with the chosen era & twist at the end. I also really appreciated the good family bonds in the story, as a lot of MG (& YA) stories either don’t include parents at all or make them careless – there was lots of love & support in this story, which was lovely. This was a brilliant debut & I can’t wait for more from Ben (& his children)!” —Lucy-May book blogger Writing With Wolves
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“I couldn’t put this down! It was so entertaining every step of the way and I read it all the way through the night. I really enjoyed the characters and am crossing my fingers that there is more soon.” — Saraphim
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“I LOVE this! A fun adventure story . . . exciting . . . hilarious . . . The plot pacing was great, especially for a middle grades novel. I work with 3rd-5th graders, and I think this book would do an excellent job of holding their attention. Such a great ending!” —Megan S.
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“The Eye of Ra is an exciting story with excellent character development and a strong narrative arc. A well-paced adventure novel that will keep middle grade readers turning the pages.” —New York Times published writer Jamison Hill, author of When Force Meets Fate
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“Skillfully written, clever, suspenseful, flowed effortlessly, had a hard time putting it down.” —Jim C.
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“This is exactly the type of adventure story that kids go for, the setting is fantastic. It is obvious that you are experienced in writing adventure tales. And you manage to hit the beats, the plot all keeps rolling along at a good clip and you don’t get tied down or let anything slow the forward momentum.” —Fay C.
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“Well done . . . great atmosphere packed into this book . . . Fits right in with what good middle grade is all about. The pacing was fast, which is a great way of captivating the reader and I liked the ending a lot.” —Bethany V.
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“Interesting and exciting. You really captured the essence of a middle grade story. It had over the top action and suspense that really capture the imagination of someone this age. You did a great job taking our main characters, especially John, and changing him for the better over the course of the story. I thought this was an incredibly fun story and one I would’ve absolutely devoured as a kid.” —Juliette T.
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“The characters are authentic, you pass on their struggles and emotions well. ” —Klaudia K.
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“Excellent. You’ve hooked me. Excellent build-up of tension and suspense. The plot is captivating. I love how everything feels high stakes from start to finish (as in, I felt something matters and I felt endeared to your characters).” —Stu M.
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“The Eye of Ra is an easy and enjoyable read. I enjoyed learning about Ancient Egypt in a way that never felt forced or didactic. I also enjoyed all the close encounters with the scary inhabitants. You have some great moments of conflict and drama in your story. I enjoyed your use of evocative description.” —Amanda S.
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“Gartner’s middle grade time-travel adventure is a rollicking ride . . . [this] well-researched novel is suffused with atmospheric detail . . . [and] a relaxed, playful sense of humor . . . this adventure novel hits the sweet spot. ” —BookLife Reviews
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“This book would be a top choice for the students in my class. They’d eat up the adventure! Your tense scenes are so well-written. I didn’t see the twist in the plot coming. What a great surprise!” —Elaina B.
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“A portal adventure romp that will appeal to young lovers of history and ancient Egypt…I was a big fan of the Magic Treehouse series and this did feel reminiscent of the way that series explored history, making it great for young history lovers.” —Reedsy Discovery
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“The Eye of Ra is adventure, suspense, history lesson and cultural exchange all rolled into one fine read! Middle schoolers will identify with your characters and be captivated by your fast paced story. I loved it!” —Louise C.
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“It was a great read for the age group, but I think many adults could use the life lessons from this book too. I swear, I could barely put it down.” —Bob S.
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IN THE LIBRARY!
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AT THE BOOKSTORE!
