Greenwich, London, 1894.
Luna, Konstantin and Aidan are time-travelling thieves, stealing artifacts from the future to bring progress forward. And they are about to venture on their most treacherous mission, for The Butterfly Club have their eyes on a shiny new prize.
In Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, a man named Howard Carter will stumble upon an unimaginable treasure – Tutankhamun’s mummy: the greatest archaeological discovery of all time.
The three children are given an impossible task: travel to 1922 and uncover the mummy first.
But when the time-thieves disturb Tutankhamun’s long sleep, they wake something else too – a deadly and ancient curse. And now they must face the terrifying consequences of their actions…
The second adventure of the time-travelling Butterfly Club, The Mummy’s Curse is a fantastic blend of history and imagination, and a treasure trove in itself. A historian by background, author M.A. Bennett seamlessly weaves familiar historical figures and events into this compelling adventure so naturally that kids won’t even realise they’re getting a history lesson.
The premise is ingenious: the members of The Butterfly Club, living in 1894, can only time-travel forward, not backward, making the 20th-century history they’re exploring feel exciting and fresh to today’s readers. Well-placed illustrations throughout add to the immersive experience, depicting curiosities – like hieroglyphics and Rorschach blots – that inquisitive kids will pore over.
The Mummy’s Curse is, dare I say, the kind of book that makes learning fun. While it’s filled with historical facts, it’s also a book that teaches kids about ethics. With the story set amongst the controversy that is the British Museum, the young time-travelling thieves are confronted with some pretty serious questions about ownership and the treatment of artifacts. The author’s notes at the end will be particularly useful in opening up further discussions for parents and children who are interested in delving deeper into the issues.
The Mummy’s Curse is the follow-up to The Ship of Doom, which saw the time-travelling trio board the RMS Titanic. The next in The Butterfly Club series, book #3, will be out soon, and is set to involve escapades with the Mona Lisa… I can’t wait to see what layers of fun and invention Bennett brings to this already colourfully storied slice of history.
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