Set in an urban university community in California, The Egypt Game features ethnically diverse characters. While neither age nor race seem to enter the children's minds, the adults maintain some prejudices about anyone who seems "different." Snyder clearly espouses the children's attitude when they turn out to be right about the innocence of the Professor. Indeed, the adults learn from the children and take measures to make amends with the Professor, whom they unjustly accuse of murder.

Parents and teachers might want to reinforce with younger readers the risks of being too trusting of adults, particularly strangers, but the inclusion of the murders in the plot makes this point as well. Snyder uses the murders to bring an element of realism to her depiction of urban childhood in the 1960s and uses the violence to make a thematic point. The narrative gives no details about the...