Under the Egg Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Marx Fitzgerald Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0803740018 | Format: PDF
Under the Egg Description
From School Library Journal
Gr 4–7—Before dying, Jack, Theodora's grandfather, whispers, "There's a letter… And a treasure" hidden "under the egg." After his passing, Theo could certainly use a treasure; her absentminded mother hides herself away on the top floor of their dilapidated Greenwich Village townhouse while the 13-year-old struggles to make ends meet with the $463 that Jack left. Hanging above the mantelpiece is one of her late grandfather's paintings which depicts a large egg. Could a treasure be hiding underneath? An accident with a bottle of rubbing alcohol reveals an unusual image that sets the teen off on an art history adventure taking her from New York Public Library's Jefferson Market branch to a fancy Upper East Side auction house and to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Along the way, she befriends Bodhi, the jet-setting, paparazzi-hounded daughter of two celebrities; Reverend Cecily from Grace Church; and a punk-rock librarian named Eddie. Fitzgerald gets the Manhattan setting pitch-perfect; from the rich aroma of a roasted nut stand to the hushed hallways of the Met. While the mystery unwinds at an even pace through most of the book, the last few chapters conclude too quickly and readers may be disappointed in the all-too-convenient ending. Still, fans of Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic, 2004) and Elise Broach's Masterpiece (Holt, 2008) will enjoy this art caper.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Following her grandfather’s death, 13-year-old Theo shoulders the responsibility of looking after her mentally unfocused mother and keeping their Greenwich Village household running with no income. When Theo uncovers an old painting, possibly an original Raphael, she hopes to save their home. But is it a Raphael? Why was it hidden under a layer of paint? Was it stolen? By her beloved grandfather?! Theo and her friend Bodhi begin investigations that lead them to a church, an auction house, the public library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Center for Jewish History, and two Holocaust survivors. Theo’s household is vividly portrayed, from her grandfather’s creative ingenuity to her mother’s tenuous hold on reality. Smart and determined, down-to-earth and insightful, Theo makes an engaging narrator as she follows a winding trail of discovery. Along the way, Fitzgerald includes a good bit of art history, which becomes as interesting as the interplay between the two friends. In the end, the mystery’s solution depends a bit too much on adult intervention, coincidence, and even amnesia to be wholly satisfying. Still, it’s a riveting narrative. Readers who loved E. L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1967) and Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer (2004) won’t want to put this one down. Grades 4-7. --Carolyn Phelan
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- Age Range: 8 - 12 years
- Grade Level: 3 - 7
- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Dial (March 18, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0803740018
- ISBN-13: 978-0803740013
- Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Difficult Discussions > Homelessness & Poverty - #10
in Books > Children's Books > Geography & Cultures > Where We Live > City Life - #17
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Multigenerational
- #3
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Difficult Discussions > Homelessness & Poverty - #10
in Books > Children's Books > Geography & Cultures > Where We Live > City Life - #17
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Multigenerational
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