Stories Like Me
The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle
The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle
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hardcover
Synopsis
From the author of the My Weird School books, an adventure story that spans centuries and continents.
In Central Park, New York, stands Cleopatra’s Needle. But what do you know about? Did you know that thousands of people worked in 1461 BCE to build it? Then hundreds more moved it, and erected it in Alexandria, where it stood for 3,000 years? So how did a monolith weighing over 200 tons get moved all the way to New York City—and in the 19th Century, no less?
In this historical fiction account by bestselling author Dan Gutman, five kids who watched the Needle at each phase of its history recount the daring story of how something that seemed to be impossible –and that nearly ended in disaster—finally succeeded against all odds.
Including photos, diagrams, and illustrations, this book will leave history lovers and fans of problem solving astounded at all that was accomplished. And best of all, it will leave middle grade readers feeling they’ve just watched a really good movie—they’ll hardly even realize they were reading.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Author
Dan Gutman is the author of many children’s books, mostly about sports. In nonfiction, Dan’s range extends from baseball (Baseball’s Biggest Bloopers,Baseball’s Greatest Games, World Series Classics) all the way to Gymnastics and Ice Skating (all Viking Children’s Books).
He also writes sports fiction such as Honus & Me (Avon), The Million Dollar Shot (Hyperion)and They Came From Centerfield (Scholastic). Finally, Dan enjoys writing about other subjects besides sports, as he did in The Kid Who Ran For President (Scholastic), Virtually Perfect (Hyperion), and Taking Flight (Viking Children’s Books).
When he’s not writing a book, Dan is usually visiting a school, where he uses sports to get kids excited about reading and writing. Dan Gutman lives in Haddonfield, New Jersey with his wife Nina and their children Sam and Emma. If you visit Dan’s web site, you’ll find out a lot more about Dan, his books, and his school visits.
Praise
“A long-needed introduction to the city’s oldest outdoor monument.”—Booklist
“Vividly and accessibly resuscitates an ancient monument’s forgotten history.”—Kirkus Reviews
“[A] delightfully fact-ional blend of history and adventure.”—Publishers Weekly
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