The Egypt Game Family

Although the kids in The Egypt Game have created their own little world, they still are deeply connected to their families and the whole neighborhood. Melanie and Marshall are siblings, first of all. And April is torn between two different ideas of what family should look like: being with her mother in Los Angeles, or here with her grandmother Caroline.

In the end though, the kids come together to form their own tight-knit group and learn to rely on each others' families as if they were their own. April decides to stay with her grandmother Caroline, who has shown more motherly love than her actual mother ever has. So Egypt—and Orchard Avenue as a whole—become one great, big, history-loving family.

Questions About Family

1. Why does April's mother send her to stay with her grandmother?
2. Why does April decide to stay with Caroline for Christmas?
3. How is Melanie's relationship with her brother, Marshall? How does she decide whether to let him play with her?

Chew on This

At the beginning of the book, April tries hard to keep an emotional distance between her and Caroline, because she believes that loving her grandmother will mean letting go of her mother. But in the end, she recognizes that Caroline has always been there for her, and that's what home is really about.

Melanie is the best big sister ever and lets Marshall participate in everything she does. This is because she's so nice, not because he actually adds anything by taking part in the Egypt Game.