The Magnificent Mummy Maker Book

Has a mummy’s spirit really moved into Andy’s body?!

What do you do when it seems like everyone in your family has done something magnificent—everyone, that is, except you? That’s Andy’s problem. He just wants to do something special.

When his class visits an Egyptian exhibit, he figures it’ll be just another field trip. But he’s wrong, because somehow a mummy’s spirit seems to have given him a weird magic power. Suddenly, Andy’s magnificent—all he has to do is wish for whatever he wants! But being extraordinary has its drawbacks. And Andy soon learns to be very, very careful of what he wishes for….

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Woodruff's obvious enjoyment of mixing historical information with a modern adventure, seen in George Washington's Socks (Scholastic, 1993) and Dear Napoleon, I Know You're Dead, But (Holiday, 1992), is again evident in this work. Andy Manetti's life is filled with angst. He is constantly overshadowed at school and home by his stepbrother, also 10, who he has nicknamed ``Mr. Gifted.'' Andy feels average and almost unloved until his fifth-grade class takes a field trip to the museum. As he stares into the mystical face of an Egyptian mummy, an odd feeling overtakes him, and he soon finds that he has been imbued with magical powers. He is suddenly a gifted artist, is given five wishes, and is ultimately able to reconcile himself to his mother's death and to his stepbrother's existence. The book has a strong narrative voice, believable and likable characters, and an involving plot. The factual information is interesting, and Andy's fantastical adventure is fun and well paced.- Elizabeth Hanson, Chicago Public Library