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8th out of 97 books
—
7 voters
Lights on the Nile
by
Donna Jo Napoli (Goodreads Author)
Kepi is a young girl in ancient Egypt, content to stay home with her family, helping her father, who was wounded in the construction of a pyramid for the cruel pharaoh Khufu. But that was before she and her pet baboon, Babu, were kidnapped and held captive on a boat bound for the capital city, Ineb Hedj. And when Kepi and Babu are separated, she knows she has only one choi...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
September 20th 2011
by HarperCollins
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A story set in the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, beginning quite strongly with the story of Kepi and her family, struggling since the accident that befell her father while working for the Pharaoh ferrying the granite blocks up the river for a new great pyramid. He cannot work, and decides that he will become a bread baker and experiment with new kinds of breads. He sends Kepi and her pet baby baboon out to gather herbs for the dough, but they are kidnapped because Babu is a valuable animal who w...more
Kepi is a young Egyptian girl whose father was injured in the construction of the pyramids. Her father has plans to get their family back on track and she and her pet baboon Babu have a part in these plans. Unfortunately Babu is stolen and when Kepi goes after him, she too is kidnapped. When her and Babu are separated, she knows that she must go to the capital city to retrieve him and find a way to speak with the pharaoh about the injustice of what happens to those who get injured or killed work...more
Ancient Egypt continues to hold great appeal for young and old, and even makes the best-seller lists (see Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra: A Life, for example). Award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli's newest book, suitable for elementary school readers, is set during that fascinating period, and tells the story of Kepi, a young girl living around 2530 BCE. Kepi's father, a laborer, has been wounded during the construction of a pyramid for Pharaoh Khufu. Kepi's life changes dramatically when she, along w...more
When Kepi rescues an orphaned baboon who is subsequently stolen, she sets off a chain of events that ends with a journey along the ecologically and culturally rich Nile. While parts of the story sound like a historical travelogue, the plot stays focused on Kepi, a sympathetic character who just wants to save her baboon and get justice for her crippled father. Kepi, whose name appropriately means “Tempest,” reveres her Egyptian gods despite her trials, and is rewarded for her faith at the end of...more
Kepi's name means tempest. She does everything passionately and with the best intentions from rescuing Babu, the baby baboon to her journey up the river on a mission to help Babu and speak to the pharaoh on behalf of her father wounded working on the pyramids. At first her only friends are animals, but then it begins to seem that her prayers are being answered just not necessarily as she expected. She will make friends but this journey will end far from how she expected.
About the cover: Kepi loo...more
About the cover: Kepi loo...more
The author writes 240+ pages of realistic fiction concerning a young Egyptian girl's adventures during the era of the Pharaoh Khufu and the building of the Great Pyramid, some it gory, most of it immersed in the details of life over 4,500 years ago. Kepi rescues an orphaned baby baboon, loses him to thieves, sets out to retrieve him, is kidnapped to be sold into slavery, journeys to the greatest city in Egypt and protests the injustice of the Pharaoh's policies to his face. Then, out of the blue...more
Want to know what it might have been like to live in Egypt circa 2550 BCE, when the greatest pyramid was being built? Seen through the eyes of a young girl, Egypt is a place of alternating delights and despair. Fortunately, she has the strength of will to survive despite challenges, and there's a hugely satisfying twist at the end. Also nice to know that Rick Riordan is not the only writer who can make Egyptian gods and goddesses come alive!
Lights on the Nile takes place in ancient Egypt and it's about a girl named Kepi who lives her life as a farmer.After her father loses his foot in a under a huge slab of limestone while helping to build a pyramid she vows to tell the pharaoh to treat his workers better. One day she gets kidnapped by a guy named Menes who takes her far away from her village to sell her and her baboon to a temple she sees her chance to talk to the pharaoh but during the trip there they abandon her in a village. No...more
Kepi's father was maimed working on the pyramid, and now must somehow support their family without a leg. She is determined to talk to the Pharoah himself and see that justice is done. When her pet baby baboon is stolen, and the chase leads her far from home, her wish just may come true. She gets Babu (the baboon) back, but it doesn't help much, because then they are kidnapped together. Kepi journies to the capital city and ultimately to her destiny, as the Egyptian gods she has been praying to...more
I really had to push through this book. It lost steam for me, but I did care about the character and wanted to see her safely home. I agree with other reviewers that the feri-element kind of comes out of nowhere. Parts were enjoyable though and it was well-researched.
This book is a very full of suspense . Kepi and her three friends end up as fairies for the Egyptian goddess Hathor . While in the mean time her parents and sister are becoming wealthier by selling and trading herb bread for items , or in exchange for the trader working their land for them.
Very interesting tale of kidnapping in early Egypt. This historical books turn fantasy at the very end to describe the existence of fairies. To say this is a tale of fairies is very misleading.
Not my favorite of Donna Jo Napoli's books, but then, it seemed to be aimed at a younger audience than the others. I still marvel at the depth and believability of her worlds.
This was different from other books I've read from Donna Jo Napoli. There was too much build up to the end which I was totally thrown off by. Read the author's note at the end.
Read Mecheles review here:
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...
This book is full of Saddness,Trust,Bravery and Betrayal. It has a very good plot and I love it.
It read like 5 (give or take) different books all rolled into one. Very hard for me to follow.
Interesting concept...some of the book required trudging through, though.
Great adventure story with a girl heroine. Good for a 5-6th grader.
It was a pretty good book it was boring in some parts though
Love ancient Egypt mythology its a fun read
A wonderful story about a wonderful country.
I really liked this book until the end. I was very disappointed in the ending.
Ancient Egypt
Really more of a 2.5. Napoli is one of my favorite YA authors, and I usually love her "retellings" of legends and fairytales, but this one reaaaally didn't do it for me. The "fantasy" part didn't come in until the last five pages or so, and everything before that was, honestly, kind of boring.
Napoli's strength is depicting life in other cultures in a historical setting and bringing fairy tales to life in new stories. Here she tells a story of early Egypt and the creating of fairies. It is a good talke of friendship for the middle grades. Gr. 3-5.
Review here: http://kidsreads.com/reviews/97800616...
Oct 21, 2012
Carolyn
marked it as browse-to-read-someday
Recommended by Gabby.
Jun 02, 2012
Marie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who love cute baby animals, such as baboons, and people who like egypt
I read the first few chapters... IT HAS A BABY BABOON, OKAY? You should read it because it has a baby baboon.
May 20, 2013
Andie
marked it as to-read
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From her website:
Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction.
Donna Jo has five children. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden and bake bread.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to...more
More about Donna Jo Napoli...
Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction.
Donna Jo has five children. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden and bake bread.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to...more
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