Marcy’s father is a famous adventurer who isn’t afraid of anything, but she’s scared of the dark. When her dad is trapped in the belly of a Sphinx, Marcy must brave her fears and go on an adventure of her own to rescue him. She travels into the realm of the ancient Egyptian gods and sails through the night on Ra’s sun barge to bring him home. Along the way, she learns just how brave she can be. 

This is the second of the Brownstone’s Mythical Collection, but it can be read as a stand-alone. (The first book, Arthur and the Golden Rope, is also good. It’s about Norse myth, so it’s a little outside our area.) Most of the story is told through Joe Todd Stanton’s rich illustrations. Every page is crammed with dozens of fascinating details: hieroglyphics, ancient Egyptian art, and references to a multitude of Egyptian myths. You could look at it for hours and still notice new things. The night sky and the constellations are a major part of Marcy’s journey to overcome her fears, and there is a beautiful star map at the beginning of the book, as well as an illustration explaining the ancient Egyptian conception of the night sky. – Krishni Burns