Be a Scribe! : Working for a Better Life in Ancient Egypt

AN IMMERSIVE STORY OF DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT

This is an extraordinary translation of a papyrus dating from ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom era by Michael Hoffen, the 16-year-old author of Be a Scribe! with the help of co-authors Dr. Christian Casey and Dr. Jen Thum.
Michael Hoffen became fascinated by the text, known as The Instruction of Khety, when he learned that it tells the tale of a teenage boy living almost 4,000 years ago—Pepi.
Pepi wonders what career path he should choose, an important matter still contemplated today by millions of teenagers forty centuries later. His father Khety takes him on a long journey up the Nile to enroll him in a school far away from home, where Pepi will learn to read and write. Along the way, Khety explains 18 other terrible jobs Pepi could end up having to work at if he is not hired as a scribe.
This tale of a teenage boy in ancient Egypt shows readers that working for a living has never been easy!
Sail up the Nile with an ancient Egyptian father and son and discover what daily life was like along the way. Experience the wonderful world of ancient Egypt with the help of countless artifacts and paintings. Delight in four-thousand-year-old humor and immerse yourself in the choices facing a teenage boy in Egypt then.

An immersive story of daily life in ancient Egypt. This extraordinary translation of a tale by Michael Hoffen, a 16-year-old young author, will acquaint readers with the life of a teenage boy in ancient Egypt and show readers that working for a living has never been easy! Sail up the Nile with an ancient Egyptian father and son and discover what daily life was like along the way. Experience the wonderful world of ancient Egypt with the help of countless artificats and paintings. Delight in four-thousand-year-old humor and immerse yourself in the choices facing a teenage boy in Egypt then. 'Few visitors to the British Museum can actually read the ancient words on the artefacts — but one teenager has turned an object’s script into a book. . . Michael, who comes from New York, is the recipient of the Emerson prize for outstanding promise in history. His passion for the subject was fired as a young boy by Usborne and Dorling Kindersley books—and he now has his own title, Be A Scribe.' - The Times 'Prepare to be amazed and amused by the history and wit in this wonderful new translation of Khety’s advice to his son Pepi. Michael Hoffen is an astonishing talent and in this outstanding debut brings a fresh perspective to the fascinating world of ancient Egypt. Beautifully illustrated, brilliantly conceived, and brimming with joy, Be a Scribe is destined to become a classic.' - Dr. Amanda Foreman Dr. Amanda Foreman is the author of the prize-winning best sellers, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and A World on Fire: An Epic History of Two Nations Divided. Dr Foreman has served as a judge on almost every major literary prize, including the Booker Prize and the National Book Award. In 2016, she was asked to serve for a second time on the Booker Prize, this time as the chair.