FernFolio

Martha Snapdragon has problems. She and her father, Luther, live in the hot and noisy boiler room of the Horace E. Bloggins, the school she attends and where her father is caretaker, and, because her father’s job pays very little, they never quite have enough to eat.
Although Martha works hard at her lessons, and is generally at the head of her class, she is the favourite target of Rufus, the school bully. Since the school principal, Dr. Klunk, is a twisted opportunist himself, he eggs on Rufus and his gang rather than putting an end to bullying at Bloggins.
Martha’s father, a gentle, dreamy man, has taught his daughter the importance of looking at the positive, and encourages her to hold fast to her dreams. Martha has two dreams. The first concerns eating large plates of sizzling hot bacon, her favourite food. The second is to become a teacher. When she finally works up enough courage to share her dream with her science teacher, Mrs. Ferlin (rhymes with Merlin) offers to teach her to be a teacher.
Martha should be over the moon with joy, but Rufus proves, once again, to be the fly in the ointment. He hits upon the idea of calling her Marthur (rhymes with Arthur) and the new nickname quickly catches on, even among Martha’s friends and teachers. Then he learns of Ferlin’s magical dancing eggs, and threatens to have Martha’s father fired unless she steals the eggs for him.
What is Martha to do? She cannot bear the idea of stealing, especially from someone as wonderful as Ferlin, but she must safeguard her father’s job. When a mysterious new sign appears in a school hallway, announcing that The King is Coming, Martha hopes that he will arrive in time to put a stop to the bullying at Bloggins.
FernFolio Editor