Dan Gutman - My Weird School Fast Facts: Mummies, Myths, and Mysteries

To Nina

Contents

Howdy, fellow weirdos! This is your old pal, Professor A.J. Did you know the ancient Egyptians invented toothpaste? Its true! Im in the gifted and talented program at school, so I know lots of stuff that normal kids dont know. So nah-nah-nah boo-boo on you!

Okay, you want to know a secret? Ancient history is a super snooze. Who cares about stuff that happened thousands of years ago? Not me. I dont even care what happened last week.

Now wait one gosh-darned minute there, Arlo!

Oh no! Its Andrea Young, that annoying girl in my class with curly brown hair. She calls me by my real name because she knows I dont like it. Who invited Little Miss Know-It-All?

You know perfectly well that were supposed to work on this project together, Arlo. And ancient history is fascinating. I bet most kids dont know that the ancient Egyptians liked bowling. I bet most kids dont know that the ancient Greeks figured out the size of the earth, and that the sun is the center of the solar system. I bet most kids dont know that people in ancient Rome ate stork, roast parrot, flamingo, and peacock tongues.

And I bet most kids dont know that the ancient Egyptians used to pull the brains out of mummies through their noses.

Were not going to talk about gross stuff here, Arlo! Remember we talked about that? No disgusting things. And no toilet stuff.

Okay, okay! Youre no fun at all.

Writing this book is going to be lots of fun, Arlo! Were going to tell the readers all kinds of cool stuff, like how ancient people lived, what they wore, what they ate, what they believed, and what they did for fun.

I can tell the readers one thing right now. Ancient people were weird.

Yours truly,

Professor A.J.

(the professor of awesomeness)

Andrea Young (future Harvard graduate)

Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest and most powerful civilizations in history. It was rich in culture, government, religion, and the arts. It lasted for over three thousand years. The United States of America isnt even three hundred years old.

ZZZZZ. Oh, sorry, I must have dozed off there for a minute. Were you talking about how the Egyptians pulled the brains of mummies out through their noses?

No! Nobody cares about that stuff, Arlo. If were going to talk about ancient Egypt, we should start by talking about important things, like...

The Pyramids

I think the coolest thing about ancient Egypt was the pyramids. Just look at them! They were built thousands of years ago, and theyre still there! My grandpas house was built less than a hundred years ago, and last year they tore it down and replaced it with a parking lot.

Arlo and I had lots of questions about the pyramids. We had to do a lot of research to answer them....

How big are the pyramids?

The largest one is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Its over 480 feet tall. Thats taller than the Statue of Liberty. It weighs as much as sixteen Empire State Buildings. For almost four thousand years, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world.

Are all pyramids the same?

No. There are around eighty pyramids that are still in Egypt, and theyre different sizes and shapes. The first pyramids were called step pyramids, because they have ledges that look like big steps. The earliest one that still exists today was built in 2630 BCE. As their technology advanced, the Egyptians built bigger pyramids with smoother, sloping sides.

Why were the pyramids built?

They were built as burial places for the pharaohsthe leaders of the Egyptian empire. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built for King Khufu.

Whats inside the pyramids?

There was the burial chamber for the pharaoh, of course. There were also burial chambers for his family and his servants. The walls are often covered with carvings and paintings. Some of the pyramids have lots of rooms and passageways. Some rooms were filled with the pharaohs treasures and personal belongings.