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McMummy
While taking care of the greenhouse during Professor Orloff's absence, Mozie encounters a humming, mummy-shaped, human-sized pod among the creepy oversized vegetables. By the author of Summer of the Swans. Reprint.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
6 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Betsy Byars
140 books161 followersBetsy Byars was an American author of children's books. She wrote over sixty books for young people. Her first novel was published in 1962. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal. She also received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Night Swimmers and an Edgar Award for Wanted ... Mud Blossom!!
Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.
Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 7, 2017
"Be not what you are, but what you are capable of being."
—McMummy, P. 13
You'd think that after reading so many Betsy Byars books, somewhere along the way I'd have stopped being surprised by how good they are, but her exceptional stories keep on coming, and I am continually surprised by their quality.
On the surface, McMummy looks very similar to all of the many juvenile "horror" stories that saw their advent in the 1990s, when R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series set a new standard for the sub-genre and spawned seemingly dozens of spinoffs, knockoffs and parodies. One would be very wrong to categorize McMummy in this same way, however. Mozie and Batty are two of the most wonderfully lifelike, realistic, hilarious and honestly deeply resonant characters that Betsy Byars has ever created. In such a relatively short book she has taken unusual time and effort to search their personalities, especially Mozie's, and reveal to us a surprising intricacy of deep-seeded pain, loss, fear and hope. I really was very impressed by this quality of writing, and by the fact that Mozie really had not much of a tangible reason to feel responsible for McMummy; it was just that something in his life, whether it was the never knowing his father who had died or something else, that spurred him on and gave him, improbably, a meaningful connection to this McMummy being that was still an entirely shrouded figure even to himself.
So, what (or who) is McMummy? I'm not sure that is as important to the story as is the way that Mozie saw McMummy. This shift in paradigm of writing makes McMummy unique, and to me, at least, something quite special. The emotional elements to the story are simple and quiet, but resonate much more deeply than I would have anticipated, or than most would expect from the cover illustration. Add to that a steady stream of excellent, fresh, relevant humor that permeates the narrative and made me laugh out loud many times, and McMummy finds itself among among the best books of its year that I have read.
I would proudly recommend this Betsy Byars book, to which I would likely give two and a half stars, though the full three is certainly possible.
—McMummy, P. 13
You'd think that after reading so many Betsy Byars books, somewhere along the way I'd have stopped being surprised by how good they are, but her exceptional stories keep on coming, and I am continually surprised by their quality.
On the surface, McMummy looks very similar to all of the many juvenile "horror" stories that saw their advent in the 1990s, when R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series set a new standard for the sub-genre and spawned seemingly dozens of spinoffs, knockoffs and parodies. One would be very wrong to categorize McMummy in this same way, however. Mozie and Batty are two of the most wonderfully lifelike, realistic, hilarious and honestly deeply resonant characters that Betsy Byars has ever created. In such a relatively short book she has taken unusual time and effort to search their personalities, especially Mozie's, and reveal to us a surprising intricacy of deep-seeded pain, loss, fear and hope. I really was very impressed by this quality of writing, and by the fact that Mozie really had not much of a tangible reason to feel responsible for McMummy; it was just that something in his life, whether it was the never knowing his father who had died or something else, that spurred him on and gave him, improbably, a meaningful connection to this McMummy being that was still an entirely shrouded figure even to himself.
So, what (or who) is McMummy? I'm not sure that is as important to the story as is the way that Mozie saw McMummy. This shift in paradigm of writing makes McMummy unique, and to me, at least, something quite special. The emotional elements to the story are simple and quiet, but resonate much more deeply than I would have anticipated, or than most would expect from the cover illustration. Add to that a steady stream of excellent, fresh, relevant humor that permeates the narrative and made me laugh out loud many times, and McMummy finds itself among among the best books of its year that I have read.
I would proudly recommend this Betsy Byars book, to which I would likely give two and a half stars, though the full three is certainly possible.
May 7, 2019
McMummy is the title and the author is Betsy Byars and the book is about Mozie a kid who has a job at a greenhouse where he sees a plant he is not supposed to. The plant is what Mozie describes as a mummy pod it is taller than him. Eventually the greenhouse there gets destroyed and the plant had nothing in it after it was cut open but later it was revealed that it was living and outside of the pod and it is a joke on the news.
Some parts of the book that affect the reader is how when Mozie sees the plant how he is just drawn towards it against his will but not his curiosity. Another part would be how he doesn’t want to go back to the greenhouse without someone else there because it is something that you would not expect I thought he would be intrigued by how he was drawn to the plant against his will and I assumed he would want to learn more about it but I was mistaken. Another thing would be about Richie the kid Mozie was babysitting how he just was a brat then was really scared when the storm hit.
I would recommend this book because it is a interesting story and this book would not be the same if it was from the point of view of another character. Some things that made it more unpredictable was how he was drawn against his will to the plant and how he wasn’t intrigued about how it did that. This book has many good and some bad parts that are not that useful to the story and could easily be picked up just by hearing what some people say later on like about the mummy pod when it was referenced first by Batty a side character that is best friends with Mozie when he was talking with his mother and got grounded that whole conversation could have not happened and it would still get the point across when Mozie went to fetch him to go to the greenhouse with him. I liked the mystery with the pod probably the best I think that it was the best especially when it turned out empty close to the end but the creature in the pod got out instead of the pod being empty was a great part of the book.
Some parts of the book that affect the reader is how when Mozie sees the plant how he is just drawn towards it against his will but not his curiosity. Another part would be how he doesn’t want to go back to the greenhouse without someone else there because it is something that you would not expect I thought he would be intrigued by how he was drawn to the plant against his will and I assumed he would want to learn more about it but I was mistaken. Another thing would be about Richie the kid Mozie was babysitting how he just was a brat then was really scared when the storm hit.
I would recommend this book because it is a interesting story and this book would not be the same if it was from the point of view of another character. Some things that made it more unpredictable was how he was drawn against his will to the plant and how he wasn’t intrigued about how it did that. This book has many good and some bad parts that are not that useful to the story and could easily be picked up just by hearing what some people say later on like about the mummy pod when it was referenced first by Batty a side character that is best friends with Mozie when he was talking with his mother and got grounded that whole conversation could have not happened and it would still get the point across when Mozie went to fetch him to go to the greenhouse with him. I liked the mystery with the pod probably the best I think that it was the best especially when it turned out empty close to the end but the creature in the pod got out instead of the pod being empty was a great part of the book.
March 28, 2022
Well, this book is certainly unique. I picked it up because my eight-year-old daughter has enjoyed a couple of other Betsy Byars books, and she has an obsession with plants. I think she’ll really enjoy it.
The story follows Mozie, a boy who is tending a greenhouse while the professor who owns it is away. Mozie finds a strange mummy-shaped pod at the back of the greenhouse, and he is strangely drawn to it despite his fear. Eventually he and his friend Batty start calling the pod “McMummy.” Mozie becomes convinced that whatever is in the pod is alive and conscious. After a monster storm destroys the greenhouse, Mozie and Batty find the pod, and it’s empty. What happened to the being inside? I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out.
There’s an interesting exploration of loss and grieving, as Mozie thinks about his dead father. There’s also some quirky humor and sly references to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Content-wise: The book is free of bad language. Mozie thinks a girl is attractive, but it’s pretty understated and not sexual at all. Batty argues with his parents a lot and is disobedient (he puts socks on his hands before calling Mozie on the phone, because his mom said not to touch the phone). Mozie babysits a kid who is bratty and kicks him and calls him a dum-dum.
I’m not giving it my highest recommendation or anything, but I’ll let my daughter read it. She’ll think it’s fun.
The story follows Mozie, a boy who is tending a greenhouse while the professor who owns it is away. Mozie finds a strange mummy-shaped pod at the back of the greenhouse, and he is strangely drawn to it despite his fear. Eventually he and his friend Batty start calling the pod “McMummy.” Mozie becomes convinced that whatever is in the pod is alive and conscious. After a monster storm destroys the greenhouse, Mozie and Batty find the pod, and it’s empty. What happened to the being inside? I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out.
There’s an interesting exploration of loss and grieving, as Mozie thinks about his dead father. There’s also some quirky humor and sly references to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Content-wise: The book is free of bad language. Mozie thinks a girl is attractive, but it’s pretty understated and not sexual at all. Batty argues with his parents a lot and is disobedient (he puts socks on his hands before calling Mozie on the phone, because his mom said not to touch the phone). Mozie babysits a kid who is bratty and kicks him and calls him a dum-dum.
I’m not giving it my highest recommendation or anything, but I’ll let my daughter read it. She’ll think it’s fun.
July 23, 2022
This book was read to my class when I was in 4th grade. 21 years later I could still remember reading about a pod in a huge greenhouse. It took me lots of searching to find the book and enjoyed reading the book again. Obviously a book that stuck with me.
February 6, 2023
Found this at the flea market and decided to buy it for giggles. Jk, it has plants and it's horror, so yea. Mozie, I feel you. Also our name sounds similar. It's a good book to teach children about the importance of letting go I think.
January 12, 2025
I picked this up because it looked like a goosebump book. It was funny & clever. I found myself rooting for our main character.
December 17, 2009
The book that I am reading is called McMUMMY by Betsy Byars. I did not like the book because I did not get it.first Betty had a job watering
Orloff,s greenhouse every night. One night he went father into the greenhouse and he found a green pod that part was stuped.
Orloff,s greenhouse every night. One night he went father into the greenhouse and he found a green pod that part was stuped.
October 15, 2009
book make you want to know what is going to happen next
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2009
I started out thinking that this was a lot like the Goosebumps books, but this book has a deeper investment in the characters, and it has "heart".
July 17, 2011
Read it 4 years ago! It was DUMB!!!! :P
April 20, 2012
I THINK McMummy is ok nit the best book in the world kind of confuzing.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews