Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody mystery #1)

by Elizabeth Peters  262 p.

             I do not really read genre books much, but I rather enjoyed this mystery. The mystery itself was not my favorite part. What I really liked were the characters, especially Amelia Peabody. She's a headstrong spinster who is smart, pragmatic, and intellectually curious. I also like the setting of Victorian period England, Italy, and Egypt, right when archaeology was taking off with the pyramids.  I definitely am going to read the second book.

                                                                     Kel

The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux

by Emily Arnold McCully. 32 pages

McCully tells the fascinating story of the 1940 discovery of the cave paintings of Lascaux. Village boys looking for adventure and treasure in World War II France venture into a tunnel that leads them to cave walls covered with hundreds of paintings and engravings sealed for about 17,000 years in the cave. McCully narrates her fictionalized recreation of this piece of archaeological history simply and eloquently, using her signature paintings to support the drama and excitement of the story. Her renditions of the cave art lend mystery and a sense of awe to the discovery these boys made. The author's note completes the story and aids readers in understanding a bit more about cave art. A bibliography is included and end papers illustrate the scope and breadth of the Lascaux Caves.