The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall [Paperback]

Tony Johnston (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The Bloggins School boiler room isn't glamorous, but it's home-steamy-home for Martha Snapdragon, the janitor's daughter. This school is anything but normal: There are misbehaving dragons, dastardly dealings between the principal and the school bully, and a giant bejeweled spoon stuck in the bathroom wall! Martha thinks it's time for some big changes, but a mere fourth grader has no chance of budging the school hierarchy--or a giant spoon for that matter. Or does she?

    

Tony Johnston's funny, magical spoof of the legend of The Sword in the Stone is full of big laughs and conveys some poignant truths about teaching, leadership, and the responsibilities we have to one another.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4–A magical teacher, baby dragons, a vengeful school principal, and a jeweled spoon stuck in a bathroom wall are featured in this fun take on the Arthurian legend. Fourth-grader Martha Snapdragon and her janitor father live in the boiler room of Horace E. Bloggins School, where he is at the beck and call of megalomaniacal Principal Klunk. Martha has her own nemesis: Rufus, the school bully who christens her Marthur and makes her life miserable. One bright spot is Mrs. Ferlin's fascinating science class (the teacher even has a griffin), and it is there that Martha reveals her secret wish–to be a teacher–and begins to receive lessons from Mrs. Ferlin. She also is privy to one of her teacher's secrets: she has a carton of dancing eggs that will eventually hatch baby dragons. One afternoon, while on the run from Rufus, Martha mistakenly stumbles into the boys' bathroom and discovers a jeweled spoon wedged in the wall. No ordinary spoon, it has a prophecy declaring that whosoever can pull it out is acknowledged king of all Bloggins. Of course, Principal Klunk is convinced it will be him, but readers know that Martha is the true king of the school. This entertaining story will be enjoyed by fans of Kate McMullan's "Dragon Slayers Academy" series (Grosset & Dunlap) or Will and Mary Pope Osborne's "Magic Tree House" books (Random), with the added bonus of Mrs. Ferlin's rules for teaching, which can apply to life as well.– Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"With duly preposterous pomp, this comically written caper builds to a crowning scene of glory."—Publishers Weekly

"The mingled fantasy and realism elements and Martha's underdog triumph

create an emotionally satisfying story."—The Horn Book Guide

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152056254
• ISBN-13: 978-0152056254
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Arthurian
  • #13 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Arthurian
  • #46 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Bullies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable pageturner with a character everyone can relate to, June 8, 2005

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall (Hardcover)

Martha Snapdragon has no idea that she is destined for greatness one day. THE SPOON IN THE BATHROOM WALL by Tony Johnston tells the story of Martha and her experiences at Horace E. Bloggins Elementary School after a mysterious message appears on the wall. When she reads, "The King is Coming - And It's About Time," she doesn't really believe it.

Martha is a student at Horace E. Bloggins Elementary School. Her father, Luther Snapdragon, works as the school's janitor. Martha and her father are poor --- too poor to buy a house --- so they live in the boiler room at the school. Martha doesn't have much, but she and her father are happy most of the time. What Martha wants more than anything is to be a teacher one day like her magical teacher, Ferlin. She also wants her principal, Dr. Klunk, and his bratty son, Rufus, to quit bossing around her father.

When a mysterious gold spoon suddenly appears in the bathroom wall, Martha is curious. Then an even more unusual message appears declaring that whoever pulls the spoon out of the wall will be King of Bloggins. This causes all sorts of strange behavior among the students and faculty at Horace E. Bloggins Elementary. Will evil Dr. Klunk be able to pull the spoon out of the wall? Or worse, will his son Rufus be named King? Young readers will keep turning pages to find out.

Tony Johnston, a former fourth-grade teacher, has written many books for children. With her latest novel, A SPOON IN THE BATHROOM WALL, she has created a very likeable character. Young readers will identify with Martha Snapdragon if they have ever been picked on or made to feel small. Children will root for Martha to find a way out of her miserable existence.
[...]

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book. It's GREAT!, September 13, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall (Hardcover)

This book is my favorite so far. It leaves you thinking. This book has some funny parts in it. One of them is when Martha goes into the boys bathroom.