Product Description

Eggs is a quirky and moving novel about two very complicated, damaged children. David has recently lost his mother to a freak accident, his salesman father is constantly on the road, and he is letting his anger out on his grandmother. Primrose lives with her unstable, childlike, fortuneteller mother, and the only evidence of the father she never knew is a framed picture. Despite their age difference (David is 9, Primrose is 13), they forge a tight yet tumultuous friendship, eventually helping each other deal with what is missing in their lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35012 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780316166478
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
Nine-year-old David has been living with his grandmother since his mother's accidental death. Still in pain, he's determined not to make friends in his new town and not to make nice with his grandmother. Slowly, though, he forms a close albeit abrasive relationship with 13-year-old Primrose, whose single parent barely seems to notice when she moves into a nearby abandoned van. More kinship than friendship, the kids' bond draws them together and thrusts timid David into adventures from late-night treasure hunts in the neighbors' trash, to a highly competitive search for night crawlers, to an overnight hike to (or at least toward) Philadelphia. Funny, startling, and touching in turn, Spinelli's novel portrays two children, bereft and secretive, hurt and angry, who manage to give each other things that they need and cannot get--or won't accept--from the adults in their lives. The occasional reflections of adult characters seem out of place, but readers will find some of the scenes between David and Primrose vivid and memorable. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Unfortunately, the story, though filled with quirky exploits, doesn't ever lift off. Morris, who voices both children, is not as convincing in the male role. The two-person-cast approach is clunky and not very effective here, and David and Primrose's frequent bickering and teasing, as well as David's excessive coldness toward his grandmother, grow tiresome.

Nine-year-old David is transplanted from Minnesota to his grandmother's home in Pennsylvania after his mother dies in a freak accident. Thirteen-year-old Primrose moves into an abandoned van because she needs space she can't find in the one-room apartment she shares with her mother. A tumultuous, extraordinarily healing friendship develops when these two damaged children find each other. Spinelli has once again created a satisfying story filled with offbeat yet realistic kids. Suzanne Toren is the perfect narrator, who, with the help of carefully employed sound effects, brings this little world to life in the narrative. Cassandra Morris becomes both David and Primrose, delivering dialogue with superb vocal agility. She moves smoothly from one voice to the other, even through the emotionally charged, fast-paced scenes. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]

Still, this isn't a sentimental sob story, but rather the tale of two quirky, convincing characters for whom readers will come to feel great affection. Beatifully narrated by Toren (the adults and the narrative) and Morris (David and Primrose), this is Spinalli at his best- in -sightful, fnny, and daring, Moris's narration of both kis is perfectly pitched, giving the story a fresh energy and vibrancy. (KLIATT )

About the Author
Jerry Spinelli is the author of the Newbery Award-winning Maniac Magee, the Newbery Honor winner Wringer, and the best-selling Stargirl. He lives with his wife, Eileen, in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

An egg is quiet?
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 showing the true unattractiveness of desperation. David's grandmother would do anything for her grandson. If only he'd just throw her a bone. Some kind of thoughtful gesture and all would be well. But the lines are drawn very clearly here. He has decided to hate her because she's not his mother and she, for her part, doesn't know how to break through to him. It's the rare children's novel, actually, where the main character says that he out-and-out HATES the innocent family member taking care of him. Spinelli sets it up so that you dislike David for what he's doing to his grandma and, at the same time, you understand where he's coming from. The woman is a suffocating presence. Her neediness just serves to repel the people she's trying to befriend. And that you don't end up detesting David from start to finish is a kind of accomplishment of writing in and of itself.

I also thought that the sheer absurdity of the narrative has a way of sucking you in. Spinelli reveals his characters in fits and starts. Primrose is the kind of person who'd wave at an imaginary car, then not like the imaginary driver's response and start yelling and spitting. David's the kind of kid who can weigh down the carrot that his grandmother gives him to eat every day with a kind of heady symbolism, entirely of his own.

There are unanswered questions by the story's end, I'm afraid. The one that comes to my mind in particular concerns Primrose. The van outside her house where she stays is egged on a regular basis. We never get any specifics about this except when Primrose mentions that the kids who did it "followed" her and that they get their older siblings to drive them over to her van. It's a mighty odd element to leave unexplained. Otherwise the ending is a strong one. It doesn't cheat. You don't get flowers and sunshine and a sudden smattering of scales falling from various characters' eyes just in time to wrap up the narrative. None of that. It's a good ending. A strong ending. An earned ending.

The best section in this book comes from the character of Refrigerator John. Night after night the kids take refuge in his home. Looking at them he sums up their relationship nicely: "What brought them together? Sometimes they acting their own ages, sometimes they switched. Sometimes both seemed to be nine, other times thirteen. Both were touchy, ready to squawk over nothing. They constantly crabbed at each other - yet at the same time he might be braiding her hair, or she might be making him lunch. Half the time they left his place snarling, yet the next day there they were, together, knocking on his door." Good children's books with complex characters and motives are sometimes a little difficult to locate. "Eggs" at times feels like a bookclub's dream. You could parse many an action taken and word said in this story without ever quite running out of topics for discussion. A book that is worth reading, at the very least.

Eggs from an Educator
Eggs was my first Jerry Spinelli read, which is rather surprising considering two key points: (1) I am an avid reader and (2) I teach elementary school. Overall, I loved the characterization and detail Spinelli exercised throughout the storyline. I found pleasure and comfort in becoming familiar with the two main characters, David (age 7) and Primrose (age 13). However, at times these characters were difficult to be fond of considering their negative outlooks on life. As an educator, I read children's literature with the intent to use it in my classroom someday for a specific purpose. During most of this book I felt as if I was grasping for a reason to continue the read. With much afterthought I have compiled a list of ways Eggs would engage my students and thus reasons for teachers to use this book in their classrooms (see below). Even though I enjoyed Eggs, I am leery to recommend it for the general population. It is deep with symbolism and situations that would be hard for some students to understand and relate, such as death, psychics, children living alone, isolation of family members, children sneaking out at night, running away from home, etc. Amazon.com does not suggest the targeted grade level for this book, probably due specifically to its content. From my best estimate, the book reads at around a 3rd grade level, but deals with concepts more appropriate for 4th or 5th grade. I would not hesitate to use this book in the middle school grades, as it seems much more appropriate for their psychological development stages. Eggs does not have a "happily ever after" type conclusion, which would definitely appeal to some students. Being new to Jerry Spinelli works, Eggs has ignited my curiosity about his other books. Regretfully, I hope they are more age appropriate for my P-3 classrooms.
Reasons to Read Eggs
* The main characters ages make this book interesting for 2nd and 3rd grade students. Plus, the main characters have major attitude problems that would be funny to most elementary schoolers.
* The plot deals with life circumstances that might relate to students, specifically the death of a parent. Plus, the closure that comes after sharing your concerns with others who care.
* The main characters have exciting midnight adventures, where they often get into sticky situations.
* The younger male character befriends the older female character, yet their friendship is often on "love/hate" terms.
* The main characters work for what they want together. They are diligent about making money. Sadly, they are also diligent about spending and not saving.
* A bullying aspect is present and could be capitalized on by teachers.
* A focus on coping with life's struggles and acceptance of the way things change over time.
* An appreciation for those who are different.

eggs
from my blog:

I need to be clear - I like this book. I do. But like the crystalline fowly residue covering 13-year-old Primrose's van/bedroom windows, it's because the story just would not let go.
Primrose and nine-year-old David, the main character, form an awkward and unbalanced friendship after the freak accident death of David's mother uproots David and his only-home-on-the-weekends father. David could care less for his grandmother. Primrose is outrageously embarrassed of her fortune-telling mother. The two, er, stumble upon each other during an easter egg hunt and again at a library story time. Soon they latch themselves to each other and hang on for dear life.
It seems predictable enough - through each other they will find redemption. Right? Weeellll ... First of all, "unlikely friendship" = understatement of the year. The Amazon product description used the phrase "tight yet tumultuous". I think Booklist gets closer with "close albeit abrasive". It's this so-called friendship between David and Primrose that stayed with me after closing the book (Closing the book satisfied, remember? I promise I like it.)
These kids are mean to each other. Not Judy Moody smart-mouth mean. I am the older sister of a brother. I know what mean can look like, and yet these kids' insanely raw insecurities affected me like a Dementor. I was halfway through the novel when I thought to myself "Self? This might actually have a horrible, dramatic resolution." I could foresee a train wreck.
My emotional investment snuck up on me. I began to notice how much I ached for these two kids and how brilliantly Spinelli portrays their desolation without reverting to overused troubled-kid-gone-wrong scenarios. The more I sat with this story, the more I appreciated that it is not Spinelli's writing that is at the same time fragile and aggressive. It is David and Primrose. It is their characters, masterfully composed by Spinelli. I mean, gosh, you wonder if, realistically, there will ever be light at the end of the tunnel for these two. Given these characters' core and situation, could the predictable redemptive ending really happen? There are kids like David and Primrose in our world, in our own neighborhoods. For those of us who have only ever known reasonably comfortable Suburbia, we usually only know this side of struggling (whether economic, emotional or existential) via books like (and here is where I show my age) Dear Mr. Henshaw, Dicey's Song, The Hundred Dresses, and now David and Primrose.
Why I like this book - as heavy as I have probably made this book out to be, there are rays of sparkling sunshine through the clouds (which, by the way, are never stormy just overcast). David's grandmother, for one, reminds us that it is David who keeps himself in his mopey state; the world at large is not all bad. Refrigerator John, bless his heart, is the only adult whose advice and guidance David and Primrose heed. He allows them a safe space to be so dysfunctional. They may be mean, but they are cared for.
Lastly, I am a fan of the ending. It doesn't tie up loose ends in a pretty bow. It doesn't leave us with a cheesy benediction. In its own way it redeems the Reader, we who believe in David's innocence and sweetness and in Primrose's creativity and heart.

Coverness: Special shout-out to the cover. A close-up of an open six-pack of farm fresh eggs, no title, just "by jerry spinelli". Fabulous. In a story where words are flung so aggressively, the universally recognizable symbol works just fine. What a great discussion starter for kids about what else we understand without words - brand logos, body language, reading between the lines.