- tells a surprisingly fascinating story of how the stone was discovered
- includes lots of helpful photos
- ties into Napoleonic history–his invasion of Egypt and eventual defeat
- Bible mentioned once–as a reliable historical document
Type: juvenile non-fiction
Ages: 8+
Author: James Cross Giblin
Though this is written for older children, it is absolutely readable for adults. It doesn’t “talk down” to kids, but uses simple language in an effective way. I was surprised at how interesting the tale was as it slowly uncovered the secrets of the famous stone.
For a picture book biography on Jean-François Champollion, one of the men who first deciphered the hieroglyphs, see this review.
Definitely pick this one up for your Ancient Egypt studies (or anything related). You won’t regret it.