Wacky Wednesday: Explore Egypt with Fiona Ingram

What could be better than two boys and an adventure in Egypt? It’s hard to think of anything! So, join me today with Fiona Ingram while she visits my blog on her WOW! Women On Writing blog tour to talk about her middle-grade novel, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab.

**BOOK GIVEAWAY CONTEST: Please leave a comment or question for Fiona about her book, Egypt, or any of the resources she has for us here. If you are a teacher, home school parent, or librarian, you can use all of Fiona’s information and her book to teach your students and children about Egypt.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab:
A thrilling adventure for two young boys whose fun trip to Egypt turns into a dangerously exciting quest to uncover an ancient and mysterious secret. A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive. . .only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!

A special treat! An interview with the author:

Margo: Hi Fiona! Welcome to Read These Books and Use Them! Where did you get the idea for The Secret of the Sacred Scarab?

Fiona: Believe it or not, but a family trip to Egypt with my mom and my two nephews inspired the book. We had a wonderful time, filled with exciting and memorable events. And on our return, I decided to do something different. I decided to write my nephews a short story to keep as a souvenir of our holiday. Pretty soon, that short story just ran away with me and turned into a book; and by the end of the book, I knew there was still a lot of story to complete. So, here I am with a book series facing me.

Margo: But how exciting that you have so much to say! How long did you research this book since it is set in Egypt? What are a couple of your favorite research methods?

Fiona: I am a journalist so I tend to “collect” things on any trip—souvenirs, postcards, museum tickets, air tickets, post cards, book marks, and guide books. These act as triggers for my memory. I also scribbled down things on the Egypt trip. Then of course, the real experiences of the place are important—the heat, the people, the customs, the different clothes, the monuments, the endless waves of desert sand, the blinding sunlight. . . Back home, I structured my story and then did solid book research on the places and historical things that would play a part in the unfolding of the plot. I tend to plot the whole story, then create my chapter points, then look up all the information I will need in each chapter. I always do a final “fact check” before completing a chapter. The entire project took about three years from start to finish, from starting the manuscript to finally getting it published.

Margo: Thank you for sharing your process with us. If anyone reading this post is a children’s writer or aspiring to be one, your answer could help them on their journey! What are some challenges of writing a mystery for kids?

Fiona: Kids love a mystery, but one cannot make it so complex they become confused or frustrated. The plot should be riveting but not too convoluted. Personally, I feel that kids love a mental challenge, and one should strive to get them thinking along with the heroes as they unravel the story’s events. I think I was fortunate that I chose such an interesting location (or did it choose me?) because anything set in an exotic place automatically brings an aura of mystique. Ancient secrets waiting to be revealed, codes that need to be cracked, the danger posed by villains and their ruthless henchmen. Those elements in themselves create the kind of atmosphere that kids love. I think the hardest part is to enable kids to work it out but not work it out too soon. There must be an element of surprise, a wonderful twist in the tale that gets them thinking.

Margo: So true! Mysteries are not easy to write; but when they are good–kids love them! Please share with us a few activities/lesson plans that teachers, librarians, and/or home school parents can do with children.

Fiona: Egypt is just the most wonderful topic because its history dates back so far. There is an absolute wealth of fantastic information that should keep kids glued to the subject. I have included a good book list with activities and some of the best websites (see after the interview for e-mail address for these lists), but here are some excellent suggestions for a hands-on approach. (All these questions can be answered by using the book’s website, filled with information, photos, and a great glossary of all things relating to Egypt.)

A Hands-on Project – Create Your Own Pharaonic Death Masks
Books and the Internet contain plenty of images of possibly the most famous Pharaonic death mask–that of the boy king Tutankhamun. This can easily be recreated with papier-mâché, water-based paints and some creativity. You can use a ball or round object to make the framework for the mask. Don’t forget that Ancient Egyptians loved bright colors, especially turquoise, yellow, red, and blue. Remember, you’ll be recreating the gold, gems, and other precious stones and metals that were used to decorate the death masks, so get painting!

Margo: WOW! Fiona–thank you so much for showing us how to USE your book! Readers, don’t forget to leave comments or questions below for a chance to win a copy of this book! By the way, Fiona just learned that The Secret of the Sacred Scarab was nominated a Finalist in the Children’s Fiction section of the USA National Best Books 2009 Awards. It got the same nomination earlier this year in the New Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards. Congratulations to Fiona!

If you are interested in an Egypt book list or website list, please e-mail me at margodll (at) aol.com and put Egypt book list in the subject line! Thanks!