CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
PART 1: I AM ENSLAVED. THIS IS MY STORY.
1461–1460 BCE
Diary of Zosar Zuberi, a boy in Aswan, Egypt, where Cleopatra’s Needle was carved (Translated from Egyptian)
PART 2: I AM AN ARTIST. THIS IS MY STORY.
1459 BCE
Diary of Lateef Jabari, a boy in Heliopolis, Egypt, where Cleopatra’s Needle was raised for the first time (Translated from Egyptian)
PART 3: I AM A SPY. THIS IS MY STORY.
1879–1880
Diary of Panya Hassan, a girl in Alexandria, Egypt, who witnessed Cleopatra’s Needle being taken away from Egypt (Translated from Arabic)
PART 4: I AM A STOWAWAY. THIS IS MY STORY.
1880
Diary of Thomas Brighton, a boy on the ship that brought Cleopatra’s Needle to America
PART 5: I AM AN INVENTOR. THIS IS MY STORY.
1879–1881
Diary of Rebecca Watson, a girl in New York City who witnessed Cleopatra’s Needle being brought to Central Park
FACTS AND FICTIONS
Everything in this book is true, except for the stuff I made up. It’s only fair to tell you which is which.
About the Author
Text copyright © 2024 by Dan Gutman
Maps copyright © 2024 by Nina Wallace
Illustrations copyright © 2024 by Kelley McMorris
All Rights Reserved
HOLIDAY HOUSE is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Printed and bound in April 2024 at Sheridan Books, Chelsea, MI, USA.
First Edition
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Credits: Vintage photos and artwork were found through the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other sources. The contemporary photos are by Dan Gutman.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Gutman, Dan, author.
Title: The (mostly) true story of Cleopatra’s needle / by Dan Gutman.
Description: First edition. | New York : Holiday House, 2024. | Audience: Ages 8-12. | Audience: Grades 4-6. | Summary: “Five kids across centuries recount the history of Cleopatra’s Needle, from its construction in ancient Egypt to moving it across the ocean to New York city in the 19th century”— Provided by publisher.
