Sylvia's Violin: The Amber Eye

Book excerpt: Sylvia Solo is a seventh-grade student at an ultra-expensive private school that she attends by virtue of a violin scholarship. As part of a class assignment, Sylvia visits the Metropolitan Museum's ancient Egyptian collection. While there in Perneb's tomb, the lights go out. As she begins playing her violin, a guard investigates, and his flashlight reveals ancient symbols carved into the stone walls that look to Sylvia like musical notes. She plays the notes and finds herself transported back to the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt. There, she meets Da'av and his cat Teekay, who guide her on a brief romp into the underworld. Da'av is a protege of Imhapknum, a priest trying to save the spiritual soul of the kingdom from the ambitious Niphut, right-hand lady to the aging Pharaoh. A young adult fantasy, the book can be enjoyed by adults of any age with active imaginations.