The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant)

Avi

Apr 2008 · Sold by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

About this ebook

Small steps lead to big adventures for a pair of unlikely friends in this “charming modern fable” by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Crispin (Booklist).
 
Avon the snail has never had an adventure. And adventure, he has heard, is the key to a happy life. So he sets out on an exciting journey with his new pal, Edward, a thoughtful but misinformed ant. Together they meet all manner of wise, weird, and intriguing creatures—including a dragon!—and discover that even tiny adventures can broaden your view of the world.
    
“This finely-spun fantasy…features ingenious wordplay and heartfelt proof of friendship’s rewards.”—Parenting magazine

Ratings and reviews

Avi wrote an amazing short book, The End of the Beginning. This book is about Avon the snail and Edward the ant’s adventures to explore the outside world. They want to find a happy life just like the other creatures did in books that Avon has read. Avi created two interesting characters Avon the snail and Edward the ant. She makes Avon very interested in reading and curious about things that even his friend doesn’t know the right answers. She makes Edward a nice and sweet creature but he sometimes can be a little pushy. Avon is curious about the outside world and wants to know the answers to all his questions. You’ll need lots of questions answered. Might you have the answers. well said the ant if I don’t have the right answers, at least I’ll have a wrong one. As long as it’s an answer said Avon, I can use it. It shows that Avon is a curious creature and ask questions when he isn’t sure about something. Throughout this book, Edward can be nice and pushy. Sometimes he pushes Avon to do something that Avon doesn’t want to do. For instance, when Avon was trying to get across branches, there was another snail coming from the opposite direction. No matter how Avon tried to explain that snails were not pushy creatures. Edward urged him on. So with much reluctance, Avon set off down the branches. From the far end, the other snail kept coming. Edward scrambled back to watch from a safe distance. Edward thinks that advantures are battles: if you win the battle, you will be the most famous one in your world. When I first read this book, I couldn’t put the book down. It was like I was addicted to it. At dinner times my mom told me to put the book down but I just wouldn’t do it because it felt like I was in love with the book. Sometimes I thought out loud about it to myfelf before I went to sleep. It surprised me that Edward was pushy like me when I first saw that I couldn’t believe it because he was so nice at first but I guess creatures get pushy too. For example, When I want something, I go after it. If my parents don’t let me, I just keep begging them till they say yes. The End of The Beginning is the most amazing book you could even read. If you are the person that loves adventures, I would recommend this book to you. I will promise once you read you will love it. I would rate this book solid 10.

I checked this book out many times while in Elementary School. I enjoyed reading it every time.

Super good used to read all the time in first and second grade still good to this day.

About the author

AVI has written many acclaimed novels for middle grade and teen readers, including his Newbery Medal–winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead and his two Newbery Honor books, Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

TRICIA TUSA has illustrated several picture books, including The Magic Hat by Mem Fox, Mrs. Spitzer's Garden by Edith Pattou, and her own Maebelle's Suitcase, Camilla's New Hairdo, and Bunnies in My Head. She lives in Galisteo, New Mexico.