The Secret of the Scarab Beetle

Eleven-year-old Horace’s life is falling into disarray. His grandmother tells him to find some strange “key,” a giant bird crashes through the window of his house, and a mysterious man shows up at Horace’s doorstep with a beetle-shaped stone.

It is through this stone that Horace discovers a portal to Ancient Egypt on his grandfather’s farm. But danger is near, and though he wants to help a young King Tut claim the throne, Horace is supposed to stay home and guard the beetle. It is not until Horace makes another trip through the portal that he realizes how dangerous the portal really is.

Horace’s story is exciting, but not unique enough to set it apart from other fantasy/time-travel stories or gripping enough to leave readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. Additionally, the plot line does not contain any major unexpected twists.

That said, the characters’ feelings and dialog are realistic and readers can certainly sympathize with them.

Overall, The Secret of the Scarab Beetle is an interesting read, but one that lacks memorability.