Egg & Spoon

Egg & Spoon, written by Gregory Maguire (yes, of the Wicked series) was a promising fantasy with interesting characters - yet disappointing in the end. The second half of the book rambles, including a fantastical sequence where the protagonists visit the North Pole and speak to a mystical dragon. After returning from the journey, the book suddenly ends and the magic is forgotten.

Baba Yaga and her magical cat Mewster were amusing characters that hinted at some depth, but never felt thoroughly developed. The fantasy was mixed in at odd points, making me unsure what the author's point was. There were some good quotes and the imprisoned monk turned narrator was likeable enough, but overall the story lacked direction and organization as it developed.


Quotes of Note


Your life story is really about how the hands of history caught you up, played with you, and you with them.

“Can you see what I have been through?” she asked.
“No one can see that,” he replied. “Evidence of life, yes, but not the life itself. That is private until it is shared.”

Yes, freedom is magnificent. But freedom is hard work.

Freedom Mural - 5th Grade

The 5th grade class at my school recently completed a unit of study on civil rights and freedom. The culminating project including creating and designing a freedom school based on what they learned in class. Students were on various committees: administration, architecture, art and design, curriculum, gardening and nutrition, and publishing. These committees were cross-curricular and built on knowledge learned in all classes this year. Students were able to choose a committee based on their personal interest and strengths.

As inspiration, the entire class worked with mural artist Andee Rudloff the week before the project launched. The mural answered the question "What does freedom mean to you?" All students participated by contributing a personal sketch and then painting and detailing the mural itself. Below is a video that documented the process including a time lapse of much of the painting. I enjoyed the opportunity and it was a wonderful experience for the girls.

May Books

I checked out about 50 books from the school library in anticipation of summer reading.

So far I have read 4 books in the month of May and I am about halfway through number 5. As we are finishing up the school year this week, I think it is an appropriate time to write some brief reviews.

Counting by 7s, Holly Sloan
One-Sentence Review: Middle school girl with high IQ loses both of her adopted parents and ends up staying with her new Vietnamese friend while looking for a permanent home.

Swamplandia!, Karen Russell
Short Review: The Bigtree family alligator wrestling farm is left in chaos after the star of the show, Hilola Bigtree, dies of cancer. Chief Bigtree disappears, Kiwi the big brother escapes to the mainland, Osceola the big sister starts dating ghosts, and 13-year old Ava Bigtree is left to fend for herself - until she meets a mysterous stranger called the Bird Man.

Will Bird Man help Ava save her sister from the land of the dead? Will Kiwi and Chief Bigtree ever return? Is Osceola really dating a ghost?

Read this book if... you like adventure, alligators, Florida, and mysteries

Devil on My Heels, Joyce McDonald

• Who: Dove Alderman, teen
• What: Benevolence seems like an ordinary small town in Florida, until rumors of KKK meetings and orange grove pickers going on strike begin to surface. Dove learns there is more to people than meets the eye as she attempts to save her friends and restore the town to normal.
• When: 1959
• Where: Benevolence, Florida
• Why: Good book for upper elementary and middle grades to teach about migrant workers, the KKK, racism, and poverty in the South

Jellicoe Road, Melina Marchetta
Won the Printz Award in 2009

The territory wars over the Jellicoe Road are in full force, but Taylor Markham has other things on her mind. Why did her mother leave her at the 7/11 on Jellicoe Road? Why did the hermit whisper in her ear before committing suicide? Why did Jonah Griggs betray her on their escape from Jellicoe? Who are the five teenagers in Hannah's story - were they real or just a figment of her imagination?

It took me some time before I got into the story, but once I became involved I was deep into the mystery. Many, many questions are asked and all will be answered, the reader just needs patience for the full story to be revealed.

Currently reading...
Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire

(I didn't like Wicked, and I'm so-so on Egg & Spoon, but I'm waiting to give a final verdict until the end.)