The House on Hackman's Hill, Part One: The Mummy's Curse

by Joan Lowery Nixon

Paperback

Published January 1, 1985

About the author

Author of more than one hundred books, Joan Lowery Nixon is the only writer to have won four Edgar Allan Poe Awards for Juvenile Mysteries (and been nominated several other times) from the Mystery Writers of America. Creating contemporary teenage characters who have both a personal problem and a mystery to solve, Nixon captured the attention of legions of teenage readers since the publication of her first YA novel more than twenty years ago. In addition to mystery/suspense novels, she wrote nonfiction and fiction for children and middle graders, as well as several short stories. Nixon was the first person to write novels for teens about the orphan trains of the nineteenth century. She followed those with historical novels about Ellis Island and, more recently for younger readers, Colonial Williamsburg. Joan Lowery Nixon died on June 28, 2003—a great loss for all of us.

Reviews

[Stephanie]

Owen: it was awesome! I liked the Anubis guy because that was really cool. In Paul’s story, where Dr. Hackman disappeared, while my mom was reading me the book I was wondering when the police were searching for Dr. Hackman when he disappeared, if the floor was cracked up like it was when Jeff and Debbie saw it. If it was then they outsmarted the police! The ending was awesome! It was just totally awesome! I don’t know why I’m saying awesome a lot.

Mom: My 6th grade teacher had us read this as a class, in the dark, with flashlights, and she would do sound effects. It was so fun! I really wanted to read it with Owen, and it was a lot of fun this time, too. I think the floor cracks he was talking about were a discreet sort-of trap door. We both thought Dr. Hackman was the worst, and his house was definitely scary. We both thought the ending was kind of a let down, but I guess he’s changed his mind. It was still good and gave a definite amount of closure, which children probably need in a scary story. I just wanted things to go a different way.

[Kristine Roggentien]

Fun, easy kids horror book if you want some nostalgia—feels like a scary story you’d be told around a campfire when you’re a kid. Glad I didn’t read it when I was 10 or I’d have had nightmares for sure, lol.

[Kari]

Still as creepy fifteen years later. It’s a fast read and a kids horror book. Atmospheric though, and really puts you in the creepy house with ancient Egypt. A memorable book if not a favorite.