Greenglass House by Kate MilfordGratitude
Thank you to Montgomery County Public Libraries for making Greenglass House by Kate Milford free and readily available to the public.Description
Milo and his parents live in Greenglass House, an island inn which caters to smugglers. Winter vacation has just started, and Milo is looking forward to some time off. His family is on most of the time, taking care of the inn and the guests–except for Christmas, when the inn is always empty, which leaves Milo with no responsibilities and his parents all to himself. The moment Milo finishes his winter break homework, the bell rings, signaling that a guest must be brought up. Then the bell rings again, and again. Soon, they have five guests when they generally have none, and his parents call in their usual help and her daughter to come up before the snow render the roads impossible to navigate, and with them, they bring Meddy, who introduces Milo to a role playing game. While reluctant at first, he settles into the idea of using his character to investigate a real mystery in his house.
Each guest seems to be harboring a secret, and their secrets seem to be attached to Milo’s house. With Meddy as his partner, he is determined to solve the mysteries.
Each guest seems to be harboring a secret, and their secrets seem to be attached to Milo’s house. With Meddy as his partner, he is determined to solve the mysteries.
Would I Teach This Book?
Would I teach Greenglass House? Greenglass House is artfully written. Where it could easily have turned into a cheesy kiddie mystery, Milford makes Milo into a likable character with likable problems. As Milo is endeared to Meddy, we become endeared to Meddy.
Identity is a major theme of the book, which is also the theme of my sixth grade English classes. We discuss a lot about mirrors and windows, or the concept of recognizing your own experiences in a book as well as exposing yourself to lives that are quite different from yours. Milo is adopted, which, he tells us, anyone can tell simply by looking at his family–his parents are white, and he is of Chinese descent. He discusses both his love for his parents and his curiosity about his birth parents. Imagination is another big theme of the book, and middle school is a time of life where many start leaving imaginative play behind, which makes another element for middle school students to consider.
So, yes, I would consider teaching Greenglass House, or at least adding it to the classroom library.
Identity is a major theme of the book, which is also the theme of my sixth grade English classes. We discuss a lot about mirrors and windows, or the concept of recognizing your own experiences in a book as well as exposing yourself to lives that are quite different from yours. Milo is adopted, which, he tells us, anyone can tell simply by looking at his family–his parents are white, and he is of Chinese descent. He discusses both his love for his parents and his curiosity about his birth parents. Imagination is another big theme of the book, and middle school is a time of life where many start leaving imaginative play behind, which makes another element for middle school students to consider.
So, yes, I would consider teaching Greenglass House, or at least adding it to the classroom library.
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