What is found Under the Egg?

Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
Genre: middle grades mystery
Pages: 256
Publisher: Dial
Source: town library

Under the Egg, the debut middle grades mystery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald, is a delightful story for any age. 13-year-old Theo, a very self-sufficient girl who has a lot on her plate now that her grandfather has died. Living in a crumbling old Greenwich Village townhouse, Theo is now responsible for her eccentric mother who lives in a world of mathematical theorem and delicious tea. When Theo accidentally discovers a hidden painting and begins researching it, she opens her lonely, burdened world to a host of people, including a librarian, a coffee shop owner, an art historian, and most importantly a girl her own age.

It may seem unbelievable for two middle school girls to research a lost work by Raphael, but these are not ordinary young ladies. Theo was raised by her artist grandfather, visiting all of the great NY museums and learning more about art than most adults. Her friend Bodhi is the daughter of celebrity entertainers, often left on her own with a household of caregivers and assistants. World-savvy and self-educated in many areas, Bodhi's grasp of the power of the Internet brings them many leads in their search for the provenance of what appears to be a Madonna and Child by Raphael.
Populated with interesting characters from grumpy to nurturing, Under the Egg is a great story of people working together and opening their hearts to others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A life long reader, Laura studied art history at Harvard and Cambridge Universities. Her favorite books as a child were Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which just happen to be two of my favorites. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two children.