Ziad and the Genies – Ziad Discovers the Ark of King Cheop

Ziad is just an ordinary Arabian boy living in a large, modern city until his mother dies and his father disappears. Suddenly, Ziad is taken in by Prince Ali and his wife, Leila. They tell him that he is going to go on a special hunting trip to the mysterious palace of genies. Ziad is told that the forces of darkness are gathering, and in order for Prince Ali to defeat them, he needs the genies that helped construct the seven wonders of the ancient world. He sends Ziad into the past to retrieve the genie who helped build the pyramids of Giza. Ziad, with a genie friend, travels to the pyramids, but before he can find the genie he needs, he is arrested. As Ziad tries to prove his innocence, he becomes wrapped up in a plot that was started decades before. Can Ziad right the wrongs and find the genie before he is stuck in the past forever?

This book has been a best-seller with Arabic children and is now being translated into English. I enjoyed the plot, although because of the cultural differences I was sometimes lost. The book made up for that with adventure, puzzles, genie magic. I can’t wait for the next books to come out.