Month: June 2012

The Absolute Value of Mike

Mrs. Eaves by Mrs. Eaves

The Absolute Value of Mikeby Kathryn Erskine

245 pages to thoughtful calculations for intermediate and middle school wonderers

Dad’s an engineer.  His head is always in his work, noticing very little of what Mike does or who he really is.  Mike claims he has dyscalculia.  His father seems unaware and remains certain that he will get into Newton High if he completes a special project – building an artesian screw with his great uncle.  Dad is spending the summer in Romania and Mike is going to live with those unknown relatives, Poppy and Moo.

The great engineering project turns into a much larger and more complicated adventure.  The town, “Do Over” (the N has fallen off the sign) is working together to raise $40,000 in three weeks to support the adoption of Misha.  The town is committed to this goal, but unable to get it done.  That’s where the “true value” of Mike come into play.   Mike energizes, masterminds and organizes a massive campaign that brings the town to life.  He helps them realize that it will take everyone moving forward in the present to achieve a goal.

Mike overcomes incredible obstacles.  He determinedly moves through each challenge he encounters.  From porch pals to herb vinegar to songs and hand-crafted boxes, Mike organizes and orchestrates it all, in the end coming to understand that numbers are not the only things with value.

You will fall in love with the characters in this book.  There are some laugh-out-loud parts and some sobering serious parts too.  It is amazing how crazy real-life can be, especially when it takes everyone present to get something done.  This book makes you stop to wonder about possibilities.  Can the true value of a person ever be known?

Ray Bradbury 1920-2012

Mrs. Eaves Uncategorized ,

Ray Bradbury was a very accomplished short story and novel writer. Born on August 22, 1920, Mr. Bradbury started writing when he was eighteen and has been writing science fiction, fantasy and mystery stories ever since. His stories very very different and fascinating, as a lot of them take place on planets with no known life on them. For  my 6th grade language arts class I had to read his short story “All Summer in a Day” and when I first read it, I was ambivalent because of the story’s mixed messages. But upon reflection in the book report, I realized the message of Bradbury’s story. It is because of this moment, the AHA moment that made me appreciate the story even more.  A funny thing is that when I was telling my mom about the reading, she said, “Wait! Is that the story with Margot and the rain? I had to read that for my English class in elementary school.” His stories were old and so was he when he died at age 91, having accomplished so much in his life. RIP Ray Bradbury.