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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
A great book for upper elementary to middle school. Themes of friendship, families, and diversity, are all set against a backdrop of a game created by kids featuring Egypt.
I picked this up again on a recent trawl through the children's books at my local library. I was looking for something else and got engrossed and suddenly remembered this book. I loved this book when I was a kid. I read it many times because it so captured the kind of kid I was - one whose play depended on books and imagination. I just wish I could have found friends as cool as the ones in this book.
Re-reading this as an adult I remember all the reasons I loved it. It's smart and doesn't assume that kids are idiots. It deals with serious themes, but doesn't pound you over the head with them nor does it trivialize them - they are part of the world we all live in.
There are so many subtleties in this book - the relationship between April and her Grandmother, the latchkey kid phenomena, the loneliness of the shopkeeper who watches the kids play through his window, the frightening events in the neighborhood. All of these bits of the story are interwoven with the day-to-day lives of the children and their playing at being Egyptian. This book is also effortlessly multicultural and that's pretty wonderful, too.
It was so great to revisit this old friend and nice to see how much I still love it after all these years. If you have a kid with imagination this is a wonderful read (good for adults with imagination, too)!
Re-reading this as an adult I remember all the reasons I loved it. It's smart and doesn't assume that kids are idiots. It deals with serious themes, but doesn't pound you over the head with them nor does it trivialize them - they are part of the world we all live in.
There are so many subtleties in this book - the relationship between April and her Grandmother, the latchkey kid phenomena, the loneliness of the shopkeeper who watches the kids play through his window, the frightening events in the neighborhood. All of these bits of the story are interwoven with the day-to-day lives of the children and their playing at being Egyptian. This book is also effortlessly multicultural and that's pretty wonderful, too.
It was so great to revisit this old friend and nice to see how much I still love it after all these years. If you have a kid with imagination this is a wonderful read (good for adults with imagination, too)!
This book is incredibly special to me because it was the first book I remember picking out myself at the library and enjoying. It was my first favorite book, and the book that made me realize how much I loved reading and why people wanted to read all the time. It is THE book for me.
Read this book for the 1st time when I was in 6th grade coming it was definitely a fun book along with some interesting tidbits from real history. Definitely a great book to read
Reading this book as someone a little bit older than the intended age range, I still thought it was super cute. It was a nice, quick read.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another greatly enjoyed book from school. However, it's been so long since I've read it that I barely remember anything. If I come across a copy, I'll certainly reread it.