Eggs

A sudden tragic loss, like that of a deeply loved family member, is often hard to deal with and difficult to overcome, even as adults. How is a nine-year old boy supposed to cope with such a loss? Jerry Spinelli attempts to explain in his newest novel, Eggs. David wasn't scared when he uncovered the dead girl under a pile of leaves during an Easter egg hunt. In fact, he was relieved. To this dead girl, he told all his deepest secrets, he told her how he lost his mother, he even showed her his "memento". But when the dead girl appeared at story hour two months later, alive, David let out the scream of his life. I think I first read Maniac Magee when I was in fifth grade, the grade I now teach. I reread the book when I was in sixth grade, and a few times even after that. I loved it. And because I loved it Jerry Spinelli became a name I would remember, a name I would return to, and a name I would always recognize and respect. Even now as an adult, there's something refreshing about returning to a Jerry Spinelli book, and I only mention this early on, in part, as a warning. I'm a Jerry Spinelli fan. Parts of this book that others may find odd or boring, I probably loved. And while it may be naive of me to say, I'm going to say it anyway, I think Eggs is a masterpiece. There's not a lot of sunshine and rainbows in this book. Instead, think thunderstorms and lightning. These pages are filled with so much anger, you'll find it hard to believe that children can say and do such things, but trust me, I've seen it first hand. There is so much anger boiling up inside David and Primrose. They see it in each other and are drawn to each other because of this anger. David hates his grandmother because "she's not his mother" and goes out of his way to make her life as difficult as possible. She's passive and loving and he walks all over her and at first this makes David difficult to like. Primrose hates her mother because she's weird and doesn't love Primrose the way Primrose wants to be loved. It would be easy to call these children selfish and turn the other way without a thought. But Spinelli doesn't let us. It doesn't take long for David and Primrose to begin directing this anger at each other. They know each other well and know where to sink their teeth in. They know each other's weaknesses and aren't afraid to attack. There's a scene where the two are competing against each other collecting night crawlers. They bicker back and forth and David ends up dumping Primrose's collection to the ground. What Primrose does in retaliation . . . let's just say she aims to kill. It's a horrible scene, one that might be difficult for many children to swallow, but what follows this scene proves that while neither Primrose or David quite understand their relationship, the bond between them has grown thick and they know that they need each other. This is writing at its best. There is some difficult, potentially scary subject matter on display here though as well. I'm n

Some have claimed this book is a bookclub's dream. I'd go a step further and say that Eggs is a book that would serve as a great teaching tool for children to talk and learn about symbolism. Although the eggs, the painting of the van, and the stuffed animal are a little on the obvious side when it comes to symbols, they're just right for children and young adults. The only problem? I don't remember the books I *had* to read in school being so good. This is a book I enjoyed as an adult, and as a teacher, I would bet many children would enjoy reading this book just for fun, and many would find a kindred spirit in Primrose and/or David. You know how they talk about "feel-good" movies? Well, this is a feel-good book. I loved it reading as an adult, and I've no doubt it's a feel-good book for children, too.

Okay, so I used to like happy books. Books where two people meet and everything is perfect and it's all daisies and sunshine. I used to think that was great. But now that I've got my nose in a Jerry Spinelli novel very often these days I see books and the world in a whole new light. One part of "Eggs" is dreamlike, whimsical (like "Stargirl" and "Love, Stargirl" which I loved for that very reason) and part of it is angry and real and hard. Another part is touchy, bruised, grieving and confused. And yet another part is just plain weird. And it was AWESOME. It's odd and zany and just kind of off the wall, overall. The chapters are not very long (which I like generally) and some of the descriptions are so real I feel as if I'm living it. Some sentences, even some chapters feel like memories. Despite the gap between their ages (thirteen and nine), Primrose and David are exactly what each other need. They need someone to talk to. Someone to vent to. Someone to yell at. Someone to say goodnight to them. All of the characters are memorable and eccentric. I loved the nearly endless, plainspoken talks between David and Primrose. I loved Primrose's 'house' outside the garage-sized house. I loved her screaming and her outrageousness. I also loved Refrigerator John. The partly whimsical, partly angry, partly confused and partly odd "Eggs" is the perfect summer read (it's still August! Not too late for a summer read!). I am twelve years old and I loved this book. I think anyone from ten to fourteen would enjoy this book.

David and Primrose are from broken homes, and fragile and lonely when they meet. Despite their differences and fears they form an uncertain friendship - and face a quest for the truth that will change them both. EGGS is a delicate tale which will appeal to both preteen and teen leisure readers interested in tales of evolving friendships.

You read enough of an author and you begin to get ideas about them. And if that author in question cuts a wide swath about them, the urge to slot them in a specific space grows strong. Jerry Spinelli cuts such a swath, yet all I'd read of him until now was a little Maniac Magee here and a touch of Stargirl there. Books that are nice enough in their own way but that don't really make my pulse pound any faster. There is a blessing one should bestow upon all authors: May your reviewers have low expectations. Cause honestly, I got a kick out of "Eggs". I mean, it's basically Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for kids. Edward Albee would love this book, I'm sure. And while some people may see that as a deficiency, I'm all for it. You can find plenty of books where a boy and a girl meet and become bestest buddy buddies and skip happily off into a relationship that hasn't so much as a thimbleful of oomph or excitement to it. Far rarer is the title where the words leap off the page and begin to gnaw on the reader's anklebone. There's a true streak of anger at the core of "Eggs" which will make it equal parts adored and reviled by its potential readership. Want a book that sparks discussion and red hot emotions? Spinelli delivers. David found the dead body hidden under a pile of leaves in the woods during an Easter egg hunt. The girl was about thirteen and beautiful, and he told her all his secrets, knowing she'd never tell. So imagine his shock and horror when a couple months later that same girl is sitting in the local storytime, asleep. She is not dead. She is Primrose and once it is made clear that she was never dead in the first place (the gal has a seriously twisted sense of humor) she and David are inseparable. They've their own family problems, of course. David's mom is dead, his father is always away, and he loathes his kindly grandmother for everything she isn't. Primrose, on the other hand, lives in an abandoned van outside her house. Her mother is an embarrassment to her, believing herself to be a fortune teller who (at this moment in time) will read feet like some people read palms. But with two such violent personalities, it's only a matter of time before David and Primrose are on the outs. They'll either fix what's broken in the other, or be worse off because of their friendship in the end. First off, I can't think of better booktalk material. Seriously. Boy sees dead girl in a storyhour? Did someone just spill a whole cup of awesome all over this book? Some books grab you by the throat from page one and don't let go until you've read them cover to cover. This is such a book. It's not, however, an easy read. You're constantly on your guard as you go through it. With two such unpredictable characters, Primrose and David are just as likely to slap you as kiss you. Their little pre-adolescent nerves are all ah-jangled and it's this herky jerky clash of personalities that keeps the book consistently interesting. The title is also very good at