2021-22 Finalist for Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award, MYRCA Sundogs and, Red Cedar Book Awards Sesha must race to find a priceless scroll before time runs out. After a brutal fire takes their parents’ lives, Sesha and Ky, children of the pharaoh’s royal physician, are left charming snakes and stealing food to survive. Unsure of who to trust, the pair are found and brought back to the palace, where the pharaoh tasks Sesha with finding a rare medical document her father was transcribing. But are the royals hiding something? Befriended by a fellow scribe and a young princess, Sesha navigates palace intrigue and temple treachery while urgently seeking the valuable papyrus. For the scroll doesn’t just have the power to keep the pharaoh’s army alive and reveal the secrets around her parents’ death ― it may be the only thing that can save Ky’s life. A satisfying adventure for ancient Egypt’s many fans. ― Kirkus Reviews A thrilling story from start to finish. Sesha is a great character in a thrilling mystery. A mix of magic, science and with a great central character, this was a blast! ― Kevin Sylvester, author of the Neil Flambé series Snake-charmer Sesha and her younger brother Ky find themselves in a nest of vipers in this suspenseful story. Readers will love this impossible-to-put-down adventure! ― Alice Kuipers, author of Me and Me Sesha reminds me of Katniss Everdeen in her bravery and keen mind ― she's a protagonist kids will be talking about long after they finish The Lost Scroll of the Physician . ― Angela Misri, author of the Portia Adams Adventure series This action-packed series brings the vibrant ancient kingdom to life in wonderful, shimmering detail. ― Kate Blair, author of The Magpie’s Library A thrilling mystery adventure with a smart and fearless girl at its centre, The Lost Scroll of the Physician is an exhilarating tale. ― Meaghan McIsaac, author of Boil Line Woven with mystery and intrigue, this middle grade tale will create a new generation of Egyptology fans! ― Melanie McFarlane, author of There Once Were Stars The lure of ancient Egypt, a plucky heroine and an exciting quest combine in an irresistible, fast-paced adventure that will draw readers in and keep them entranced until the very last page. ― Joyce Grant, author of Sliding Home The Lost Scroll of the Physician will delight middle grade readers with its history, its setting and, most of all, its gripping adventure and mystery. ― CanLit for Little Canadians There is a lot crammed into this book! A good story, strong characters, and plenty of action. Highly recommended. ― Mary Thomas, CM: Canadian Review of Materials Alisha Sevigny is the author of The Lost Scroll of the Physician and The Desert Prince , the first books in the Secrets of the Sands series, as well as the acclaimed young adult novels Summer Constellations and Kissing Frogs . She splits her time between Canada and the Cayman Islands. ONE THE COBRA HISSES IN STRIKE POSITION, forked tongue flickering, hood flared wide. Its icy, flat stare remains unbroken except for the vertical blink of its eyes. My fingers move up and down the long wooden reed, covering some holes and releasing others, as the notes float up and up. Gaze locked with mine, the snake slowly undulates from side to side and my body relaxes a fraction as our spirits entwine. A crowd has formed. This is what I want. Vendors walk toward the spectacle, attention drawn. People point and laugh, momentarily distracted from the oppressive heat of midday as they move in closer for the show. My eyes don’t leave the snake’s, but I know Ky is weaving through the carts, lifting a plum here, palming a fig there, taking whatever is most easily on offer. Hopefully he’ll find some bread, maybe some nuts and fruits, though there hasn’t been much variety of late. My ears strain for shouts, an exclamation of “thief!” over a rumbling stomach, but the crowd is as mesmerized as the serpent. Snake charming is not common knowledge here. My father taught me the art, just as he taught me to read and write, also not so common ― especially for a girl. But he believed that learning and knowledge bestow power on their possessor. Unfortunately, all his knowledge and power were not enough to keep him and my mother from being killed. Pain blooms raw and fresh, as if the cobra has struck my heart. Has it only been one moon since they were stolen from us? Focus. I need to focus or the snake’s Ka will break with mine. Then I will not be so safe. Though safety is mostly an illusion, I think. Higher and higher, the snake rises in the air, out of the basket woven with grasses picked from the banks of the Nile by my own hands. Ky’s and mine. His are much faster. I pray to Amun they are fast now and try not to think what will happen if they are not. A fruit vendor, bald and fat, clothes stained with the juices of his wares, thrusts a finger in my direction and jeers. “The