It started with eggs—nine-year-old David on his way to an Easter egg hunt with his grandmother, 13-year-old Primrose living in an old Dodge van egged by local teenagers. And it ends, almost, with a sunrise “beautiful and smooth as a painted egg.” In between, it’s the story of a boy who has lost his mother and wants her back, and a girl who has a mother and moves out to get away from her. Together, they build a friendship watching late shows on TV, picking through trash, dining at Dunkin’ Donuts, hanging out with Refrigerator John and running away to Philadelphia. With strong characterization of major and minor characters and a light, poetic touch, Spinelli deftly handles themes of friendship, family, loss and resilience in a story that will long linger in the hearts of readers. Elegant and memorable. (Fiction. 8-12)
