One of my favorite childhood books was The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and I can vividly recall listening to the story during a family vacation via cassette tape checked out from our local library. (If cassettes sound dated, keep in mind that cars were only equipped with AM and FM radio at the time. To listen to a book-on-tape on the road, you had to bring your own tape player and extra batteries in case yours ran out.)
Rereading the story of April and Melanie’s friendship and their fun-filled days spent imagining Ancient Egypt in the back lot of an antique store gave me a new perspective on the story and I highly recommend this Newberry Honor-winning book for fans of exceptional storytelling of any age.
What makes The Egypt Game so special?
Written in 1967, the novel chronicles a friendship between an African American girl named Melanie Ross and a White girl named April Hall who meet when April moves in with a grandmother she barely knows. April’s mother, a glamourous, widowed actress named Dorothea (April always calls by her first name) is a presence only in the sadly infrequent letters she sends to her daughter. Though April has a tough exterior, it’s obvious that she’s heartbroken to be separated from her mother. As a child reader, I interpreted April’s false eyelashes and upswept hairdo as evidence of her obvious sophistication, though in rereading the story as an adult they paint a different picture.
April and Melanie bond over their love of imaginary games, and become fascinated with pharaohs and pyramids when April discovers a library book on Ancient Egypt. Without the internet, 24-hour cartoon networks, or adult supervision, the kids create their own Egypt in an empty lot behind a quiet antique store.
Rediscovering the story reminds me of how much I love these characters, particularly, Melanie’s four-year-old brother, Marshall who is designated as Egypt’s young Pharaoh and won't be separated from his stuffed octopus, Security.
News of a child killer in the vicinity gives the adults in the story obvious concerns for their kids' safety, but the trio, along with a neighbor and two classmates, remains determined to keep their game going. (Parents and offspring will differ sharply on their thoughts about the risk/reward ratio when they come to this chapter.)
Child killers aren’t normally found in juvenile fiction but it’s not the only reason the book stirred up controversy. In 1995 and 2009, schools in Texas attempted to ban the book for depictions of children in dangerous situations and its Egyptian worship rituals. Despite the objections, The Egypt Game has remained popular for over six decades! If you enjoyed it as a kid, you may have an even greater appreciation for the story as an adult. And if you haven't read The Egypt Game, then you’re in for a real treat.
Information Specialist
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