The Golden Goblet

Ranofer dreams of becoming a goldsmith in Ancient Egypt.  He was well on his way to becoming one too, until his father died.

Now Ranofer lives with his truly awful half brother, and instead being apprenticed to a goldsmith, works as a laborer in a goldsmith’s shop.

He dreams of changing his destiny, but cannot fathom how he, a poor boy in Thebes, can even begin to do that.

Until one day, he discovers a beautiful golden goblet in his half brother’s room.  He knows it’s the key to changing his future – but it also means defying his evil half brother, facing his fears and standing up for what he knows is right.

I have read Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s The Golden Goblet several times – and each time I’m drawn into Ranofer’s plight, his struggle to trust others, and his determination to stop his much older, very evil, half brother.   This book is not only full of emotion, it’s also full of action, suspense and even terror as Ranofer confronts what he believes are ghosts of the dead (each incident does have a rational explanation).

Highly recommended for ages 10 (as a read-aloud) and up.