Bread for the Pharaoh by Jerome Asher

Summary: San, the son of a baker, and Aja, the daughter of the high priest at the temple of Ra, definitely come from the opposite sides of the Sphinx. But when it comes to Sheskhaf, a priest who has only recently joined the temple's ranks, San and Aja are on the same side in finding him thoroughly detestable. Drawn together by Sheskhaf's thoughtless cruelty, San and Aja discover not only friendship, but intrigue. Why has Sheskhaf come to the temple? What secret disaster has befallen the half-constructed Sphinx, the grand monument to beloved Pharaoh Khafre? And can someone in their very midst truly be plotting to kill a god? When San and Aja discover the answers, they must also decide what two powerless children can do. With Pharaoh Khafre's inspection of the Sphinx set to happen soon, time is running out. Fighting against the most powerful forces in the kingdom, fighting against rigid class lines that forbid their friendship, can they stop the most unthinkable of all blasphemies in ancient Egypt? They must, for if they fail they will lose everything they hold dear. Perhaps even their lives.

Review: I hate history. I hate history with a passion. I find it incredibly dull. That being said, I absolutely adored this book. This is a middle grade historical fiction novel that I will without a doubt be putting in my classroom library. Aja is nobility and San is a peasant, but that does not stop them from becoming fast friends. I really like that in a middle grade book. If children can read a book where the 2 main characters are completely different and yet they still become great friends that gives me hope that kids will try to put that into practice. I really loved how the story would switch between San and Aja so you can really get a feel for how different these 2 characters are. Again I have to say that I fell I fell in love with this book instantly and I feel that this book is a great way to learn about Egyptian culture. So far this is probably my favorite middle-grade book that I've read this year. Way to go Jerome Asher!

5/5

*note* I can't seem to find any pictures of this book, and if my computer wasn't difficult then I would upload my own. If you're interested in what this book looks like I'll tell you that my copy has a blue background with the head of the Sphinx on it with blocky red print.

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