This Newbery Honor book has a lot going for it—gorgeous celebration of imagination, diverse friendships, and Egyptian mythology woven into an elaborate game. The problem? It pulls a bait-and-switch that genuinely upsets parents and kids.
It starts as this lovely story about neighborhood kids creating their own Egypt in a junkyard, then gradually becomes a suspense thriller about a child murderer. One main character is nearly kidnapped. The fear is real and sustained, and multiple parents on Common Sense Media say their kids were blindsided by how dark it gets.
Add to that the fact that this is a 1967 book that honestly reads like a 1967 book—slow pacing, dated language, and a style that makes modern kids check out. Some will love the mystery elements, but many will find it boring until it suddenly gets scary.
If your kid loves vintage mysteries and can handle genuine suspense, this might work around age 10+. But if you're looking for a pure imaginative play story, this isn't it. The Egypt Game has teeth.






