McMUMMY [Paperback]

Betsy Byars (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

While looking after an eccentric scientist's greenhouse, Mozie discovers ""McMummy,"" a huge plant pod with a human shape and strangely human habits. By the author of Summer of the Swans. Jr Lib Guild.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having agreed to tend Professor Orloff's greenhouse in his absence, Mozie finds more than he'd bargained for: a human-size, mummy-shaped pod that hums with energy and seems to call to him with a silent but compelling force. His dread of the creature--if that is indeed what it is--gradually tilts toward a profound sympathy, which in turn helps to put Mozie in touch with his sorrow about his father's death and to embrace the possibility of new life. Byars, who received the Newbery Medal for The Summer of the Swans , leavens her shivery tale with ample measures of comedy, evident especially in the antics of Mozie and irrepressible best friend, Batty, and in Mozie's and Batty's sparkling dialogue. Her touch for the memorably incongruous detail is in full flourish as well. The cast of supporting characters ranges from a dizzy but surprisingly intuitive beauty queen named Valvoline to a guardedly affectionate cat named Pine Cone who has literally fallen into Mozie's life--from a passing airplane--and deigned to stay. And beneath the heady brew of mystery and humor lie poignant insights about attachment and loss. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Mozie has a problem--he looks too innocent to be believed, so no one takes him seriously. His part-time job watering plants in a brilliant, eccentric professor's greenhouse takes a somewhat sinister turn when he is mysteriously attracted to a giant, humming pea pod. Although he jokingly christens the pod McMummy, Mozie quickly stops laughing when he can't get anyone to believe that he may be in real danger. With the help of a beauty queen named Valvoline and the support of his best friend, Batty, Mozie follows his instincts and his heart through a wild chase, a sad end, and finally a hopeful beginning. If you booktalk this as the "Invasion of the Human Bean," you won't be able to keep it on the shelves. Janice Del Negro

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; 2nd ptg edition (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670849952
• ISBN-13: 978-0670849956
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,397,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Betsy Byars began her writing career rather late in life First, she married and started a family. The writing career didn't emerge until she was 28, a mother of two children, and living in a small place she called the barracks apartment, in Urbana, Illinois. She and her husband, Ed, had moved there in 1956 so he could attend graduate school at the University of Illinois. She was bored, had no friends, and so turned to writing to fill her time. Byars started writing articles for The Saturday Evening Post, Look,and other magazines. As her family grew and her children started to read, she began to write books for young people and, fortunately for her readers, discovered that there was more to being a writer than sitting in front of a typewriter. "Once a wanderer came by my house and showed me how to brush my teeth with a cherry twig; that went in The House of WingsThe Summer of the Swans." Since that time, Byars has written more than 45 books for young readers and has won numerous awards, including The American Book Award, which she received in 1981 for The Night Swimmers. The humor, compassion, and insight Byars brings to each of her books won her a large audience of admirers both in the United States and abroad. Six of her novels were presented on national television, and her books are translated into nine languages. Six of Byars' novels have been named ALA Notable Books, and in 1971, The Summer of the Swans -- a story about a 14-year-old girl and her mentally retarded brother -- won the Newbery Award as the most distinguished contribution to literature for children in the year of its publication. Byars was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 7, 1928. Unlike many of the characters in her books, Byars grew up in a normal, loving family. Her father was an engineer and worked as a bookkeeper in a cotton mill. He was stern and hardworking and had a strong sense of humor. Her mother was a lively woman who loved acting and music. Byars's sister, Nancy, two years older, was sometimes an inspiration and sometimes an evil nemesis. Byars has always been adventurous and never allows a few setbacks to prevent her from doing things she wants to experience, like petting a blacksnake and flying planes. The snake was named Moon and became the subject of her 1991 autobiography, The Moon and I. Betsy Byars and her husband live on an air strip in South Carolina, and have traveled widely throughout the United States in pursuit of their interest in gliding and antique airplanes. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "McMummy" is a Charming Read, January 3, 2002

By 

Lee DeWald (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: McMUMMY (Paperback)

I discovered this book while browsing around our local library one day. I had never read any books by Betsy Byars (I haven't yet read her award-winning book, "Summer of the Swans," but I plan on it), so I figured I'd give it a whirl. Not expecting much, I plunged head-first into the thing. The only problem with that was that once I got started, I couldn't pull myself away.

"McMummy" is a delightfully charming read. All the characters in the book -- from the zany Battie Batson, to the deadpan funny Mozie Mozer, and the has-her-head-in-the-clouds-but-is-still-a-sweet-gal Valvoline (yes, that's REALLY her name) -- are a joy to interact with. Even Professor Orloff, who only makes a couple of minor appearances in the book, is interesting: "Vat is vrong vit da wegetables?"

Mozie Mozer is in charge of looking over Professor Orloff's super-large vegetables greenhouse while the professor is away. Only Mozie is afraid to go there alone. One day he comes across a human-sized pod, which he swears turns toward him as if to acknowledge him! And now the pod is beginning to open up; what could be inside?

The storyline is off the wall, but the character interaction and quick pace of the plot keep the reader well-engaged. I just can't say enough about the characters in this book; maybe the reason I like them so much is because they are all goofy like me. I can relate, you know?

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to spend a couple of hours reading a plain fun book. It doesn't take itself seriously at all, and that's part of the appeal.

I look forward to reading "Summer of the Swans" from Betsy Byars, as well as other books she has written.

3.0 out of 5 stars Mcmummy, January 9, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: McMummy (Paperback)

I liked this book but I had to stop alot and re-read. it was kind of hard to understand. The book is mainly about a green house. The thing I didn't like about it was it was a little hard to understand and that it was a little hard for me. Other than that I really liked it.

1.0 out of 5 stars Close to good author, anti-climactic book., January 13, 2005

By 

greened - See all my reviews

This review is from: McMUMMY (Paperback)

This books just doesn't have a lot to offer. It is clearly written by a lady who knows how to set a stage, really get you into the story, you can feel and smell the world that the characters inhabit, but once she has you there, I'm not sure that she knows what to do with you. The overall story itself is a bit stereotypical, at this point, but even that could be forgiven if the work had included some good action, which it unforgivably fails to offer up. Not wanting to give any of the plot away, I'll simply say that the entire book seems to build to something that never happens. The work is extremely anti-climactic; It feels more like this book is a prequel to a better, more interesting work. I get the feeling that Betsy never really plotted out all that she wanted to have happen in the work, I wouldn't be surprised if she just sat down and wrote, letting the story go wherever it "wanted" to go, then when she got closer to her deadline, she wrapped things up without remembering to throw in any of what a reader would like to have included.

Unfortunately, I have to say that I do not recommend this book.

If you want to read some genuinely fun scary stories, I'd direct you to anything early from R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series.