Preteens with a fondness for Indiana Jones will be entertained and educated by Andreas Oertel’s The Archaeolojesters, which brings Ancient Egypt to small-town Manitoba. Twelve-year-old Cody’s summer prospects are literally drying up before his eyes: because of a recent drought, his hometown’s tourist industry has gone belly up, and his best friend Eric will have to move if his mother can’t find work. With the help of Eric’s sister, the boys fabricate an Egyptian tablet and embed it in the local landscape, hoping its discovery will revitalize Sultana’s economy. Cody wonders what they’ve gotten themselves into when a CNN truck pulls up at the town diner, and a shady man starts following the trio. Oertel keeps the action moving while sprinkling the text with fascinating details about hieroglyphs and their ancient scribes. The book ends with a teaser that promises further adventures for the young pranksters. mRb