Now 14, Melvin is back and enrolled as an 8th grader in the same middle school where Ellie is in 7th grade. Melvin hasn't changed much - he's still hungry all the time, as curmudgeon-y as ever, and still having difficulty dealing with "the Puberty," and still having trouble dealing with the fact that he can't drive a car. He's also brought home an axolotl from his travels which becomes the basis of a science fair project with Ellie (Axolotl are amphibians that have the ability to regenerate limbs). Getting permission to work after school in the new labs there, Melvin and Ellie experiment with feeding bits of the axolotl to fruit flies. When the fruit flies grow extra legs, they begin to wonder if their findings might lead to something important for humans.
Meanwhile, Ellie and her best friend Raj decide to see if they should take their relationship to the next level, and the two go on a date to the movies. When it doesn't work out, Ellie wonders if they have ruined the wonderful friendship they have. And speaking of friendships, Ellie's old best friend, Brianna, seems to be wondering back into Ellie's life. Does she want to be friends again?
At home, Ellie and her mother are really happy now that mom is remarried to Ben, who is kind absent for the most part in the book. Ellie's beloved cat Jonas has also found a companion in the neighboring cat and the two spend their days playing and roaming around. Sadly, though, Jonas is hit by a car, and even though Ellie and Melvin try to save him with a bit of axolotl, he is beyond saving.
Melvin (as a man) had never remarried or shown any interest in another woman after Ellie's grandmother passed away. To Ellie's surprise, she discovers her grandmother's love for romance novels, and begins reading through her collection, saved by Melvin. Now though, romance seems to be in the air again for Melvin when Ellie realizes he is flirting with the school librarian, Mrs. Barrymore - but how is that going to work out?
Ellie and Melvin are such great characters in this character-driven novel. They are well-developed, they have distinct personalities, problems, and interests, yet they handle what life throws at them so well. And what life throws at them are the same kinds to things that middle grade kids have to deal with everyday (well, maybe not their grandfathers transforming into teenage boys). Middle grade is a time a so much change and Holm really depicts it well here.
Since Melvin is a scientist (with 2 Phds), it is the ideal way to introduce some real STEM information into the book. First, by showing Ellie participating in a science fair project, even though she's a good math and science student already, and second, it gives Melvin a chance to tell Ellie about some important scientific discoveries and the people who made them. This is expanded at the back of the book under "Mellie's Gallery of Scientists" (Mellie = Melvin + Ellie) as well as Recommended Resources for Continuing the Conversation.
The Third Mushroom is such a fun book to read, and a worthy sequel to The Fourteenth Goldfish. I love the way the title doesn't make sense until you've almost reached the end of the book, and then wham! it all falls into place and makes sense. And I really hope there is a third novel, despite what happens at the end of this one.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
No comments:
Post a Comment