Any book with the discovery of a dead body in the first page generally loses me. This was an interesting story, but centers around the discovery of a mummy in Ireland on a family farm. Very dark. Not for the feint of heart. I'd say ages 8 and up... Pretty illustrations though. ( )

Maeve is shocked when her grandfather discovers a buried body on their land. It turns out to be a mummy. The police and archaeologists take the mummy and place it in a museum for public display. Maeve begins to wonder how the girl's life was when she was alive. Even after the body has been removed from the bog, the mummy's spirit appears. She becomes known as Ballywhinney Girl. Recommended for grades K-3 ( )

“Ballywhinney Girl” is a multicultural book. The story starts as mystery that takes place in Ireland. A young girl, Maeve is the narrator of this story. She tells how her grandfather finds a body in the bog near their home, as he cuts peat for their fire. They call the police, who conform the find and then they call archaeologists. The archaeologists tell the group that the mummy is a young girl. Maeve stars to feel compassion for the girl and makes her wonder what she was like and if she like to do the same things as Maeve.
Personal reflection
I like how the illustrations help give the feeling that you are in Ireland, they do a good job in supporting the setting of the story. The dialect also comes out through the text of the book. The mystery and excitement it carried through the book as well. I also like how the young girls starts to empathizes with the young girls who had been buried there for centuries and begins to wonder if they like the same things, she in away develops a kinship with the ancient girl and wants to visit her in the museum.
Extension ideas
I would have the kids tell me a country they would like to visit and why
I would have them look up that country and make a poster board of pictures of places they would like to see in that country. ( )

Response - I think that the plot is an interesting choice - finding a 1000 year old body in the bogs of Ireland. Yet, children and adults alike are fascinated by mummies and wonder about the people that they used to be.

Curricular connections - read aloud

Highly Recommended

Maeve and her grandfather were out collecting peat for their kitchen fireplace and they uncovered a dead body. Maeve ran home to tell her mom to call the local police. The police realized it was a mummy and called in archeologists from Dublin. They carefully took the mummy to the museum to test it and put it on display. Maeve began to question whether or not this was the right thing to do.

It was discovered that the mummy was a girl about Maeve’s age with the same blond hair. She had lupine and wild roses in her hand and some of her clothes were still intact. It was possible that she had been buried there or that she sank into the bog and died that way. Maeve thinks that maybe she was better off undisturbed in the field, than on display in a museum display case.

This book is written in free verse and includes some Irish dialect. The watercolors set the tone as reflective and sort of somber with the gray skies. There is a lot of green which makes the book just feel like Ireland. The story is a bit more for older children because it deals with death. It’s not scary because it happened so long ago and the author makes it sound peaceful. But it makes the reader think about how we treat those who have died. The picture book will appeal to young readers as a read aloud, but it will also appeal to older readers because of the subject matter. It would be a good book for a Ireland display or books with strong female characters. Overall, a powerful read. ( )