Winner of the Scholastic Montegrappa Prize for New Children`s Writing = Poppy Pym has grown up in the circus, taming lions before lunch and learning acrobatics in the afternoon. But when she turns eleven, her circus family decides she needs a more traditional education, and she is sent to boarding school. At first Poppy doesn`t fit in at St Smithen`s, a school that is very different from the circus. Then, an ancient Egyptian ruby arrives at school and dangerous accidents start occurring. Suddenly it`s up to Poppy to save her new school and solve the mystery of the Pharaoh`s curse!