Author: Sharon Creech
Summary: Walk Two Moons juggles two stories simultaneously. Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's is taking a car trip across the US with her grandparents in order to see her mother in Idaho. Sal believes that if she can see her mother before Sal's birthday, her mother will come back home. On the way to Idaho, Sal's grandparents retrace her mother's trip to Idaho. To pass the time, Sal tells her grandparents about her unusual friend, Phoebe Winterbottom, whose mother vanished and who received secret messages after her disappearance. As Sal describes how she and Pheobe discovered the truth about Pheobe's family, Sal slowly reveals the truth about her own.
Reading Level: 5.4
Rating: 10 stars
Kids: This is my all-time favorite book! It is one of the few I have actually given 10 stars. The characters are funny and the story is surprising. The ending blew me away. However, not every student to whom I have recommended this book have enjoyed it as much as I did. It's more of a girl book than a boy book, but I know plenty of boys who have enjoyed it. I hope you try it!
Parents: There are few books so full of loving characters and honest messages about life and coming of age. The book does contain a little bit of mature subject matter. Nothing terribly inappropriate, just mature. This would be a great book to read together with your child or as a family. It will undoubtedly affect you as much as them.
Teachers: Walk Two Moons is one of the few books I think truly deserves a Newbery Medal. I have done this book as a read aloud, but the ending is so difficult for me to read that I have to take a break half-way through the last few chapters. It makes a great lit circle book, but your guidance will be needed along the way. Students who have already read the book once would enjoy a second read as they explore the foreshadowing that occurs about the ending. I can't recommend it enough.
Accelerated Reading Test: Available (check your school)
Awards:
Newbery Medal
School Library Journal Best Book
Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Bulletin Blue Ribbon (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)
Sequoyah Young Adult Book Award (Oklahoma)
Virginia Young Readers Award
Parents' Choice Gold Award
School Library Journal Best Book
If you liked Walk Two Moons, I’d recommend:
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
Holes by Jerry Spinelli
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
ISBN13: 9780060560133
3 comments:
Amanda told me about this blog & I love the idea! I did an anotated bibliography project once about children's books that dealt with diversity or various cultures. It was one of my favorite projects to do & I learned a lot about what authors I prefer. I also have built up quite a collection of kids books even though I don't have kids yet. I'll be reading your posts a lot, and probably making quite a few trips to read your suggestions.
Thanks! I'd would love, love to hear your comments about kids books that you liked or didn't like. I am always looking for something new to read!
Oh my gosh! I loved this book. I read most of it in one night. I loved how nicely it was written and how I really felt like I know Sal and understood what she was going through. I made some predictions about the ending within the first couple of chapters, and they ended up being true, but there were still plenty of other events that happened in the end that I didn't see coming. I am so glad that I read this story.
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