The Shed, The Cube, and The Sands of Time

It follows fourteen-year-old Simeon Carver and his sisters Beckah and Ellie, who discover a mysterious nine-sided cube buried beneath their family's old backyard shed. The cube transports them from their 1986 summer to ancient Egypt during the construction of the Great Pyramid, where they must find a way home. It is a story about family, courage, and honest work as much as it is about time travel.

Yes. It is Book One of The Cube Chronicles by Jeremy Tinder, a middle-grade historical time-travel series. The book ends with clear hints that the cube has more destinations to reveal in future installments.

Yes, reading in order is recommended. This is the first book in the series and introduces the Carver family, the shed, and the cube itself, all of which future books build on.

It is written for middle-grade readers, roughly ages 8 to 12. The vocabulary is enriched with an asterisk-marked glossary of over 150 words, making it suitable for classroom or homeschool vocabulary building as well as independent reading.

The story is framed in 1986 on Oakdale Road, the Carver family's rural home, and its central adventure takes place in ancient Egypt around 2560 BCE, during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu and the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Yes. The book is set during the actual construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Old Kingdom Egypt. Back-matter sections called 'Did You Know?' provide real historical facts, such as how pyramid workers were paid laborers rather than slaves, and details about Nile agriculture, ancient medicine, and desert windstorms called khamsins.

The story centers on the three Carver siblings: Simeon, a careful and hardworking fourteen-year-old; Beckah, a bookish problem-solver; and Ellie, an energetic and fearless younger sister. Their parents, Daniel and Elizabeth Carver, and Egyptian children named Khet and Nebet also play important roles.

Yes. The central fantastical element is a mysterious nine-sided cube that transports the Carver children through history. Aside from the cube itself, the story stays grounded in realistic historical detail about ancient Egypt and 1980s family life.

Yes. It includes a 'Talk About It' discussion guide with fifteen questions for families, classrooms, and homeschool groups, a glossary of vocabulary words, and a 'Did You Know?' section of real historical facts about ancient Egypt and the Great Pyramid.

The book explores family bonds, the value of honest work and craftsmanship, courage in unfamiliar situations, faith, responsibility, and the idea of trust between parent and child. A recurring line from the children's father, that 'a man builds things right because that's the foundation of who he is,' threads through the whole story.

There are a few tense adventure moments, including an encounter with a Nile crocodile and a desert windstorm, but there is no graphic violence or gore. The tone stays appropriate for middle-grade readers, emphasizing courage and problem-solving over danger for its own sake.

Yes. The Carver family's Christian faith is woven into their everyday life, including prayer, Sunday church, and conversations with their pastor, and it shapes how the children process their time-travel experience. The story does not depict any deity as a visible character.

The book is approximately 127,754 words and 591 pages in paperback, organized into 30 chapters across four parts: Home, The Crossing, The Sands, and The Return.

Readers learn about how the Great Pyramid was actually built by organized, paid laborers rather than slaves, what workers ate and how they lived, the importance of the Nile River, ancient games like Senet, early medicine, and surveying methods that predate Pythagoras.

Book One is the start of The Cube Chronicles. The ending shows the cube's ninth face forming a new symbol and hints that Beckah has begun decoding a message suggesting twenty or more destinations across history, setting up Book Two.