Sunday, May 5, 2013

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Wild Things-Summary of Ending


Ending of the “Wild Things” Summary:

                        We left off at Harlan making a huge confession to Zoe. He tells her that he really cared about Zoe and wanted to help her. He even looked into having her taken from her mother so she would be in a better living condition. After this conversation, Zoe see’s that there is a lot of good in Harlan and she tells him that he should stay in town.

            When Harlan leaves Zoe from their conversation, the wild boy and his deer approach. Zoe engages in conversation with him and we find out that he had been watching over Zoe since she first came to live with Henry. The boy tells Zoe that she didn’t notice that the day she was lost and fell asleep in the woods, he had carried her home. Then once when she was sick, he had sneaked into her house and checked on her. The time her cabin was broken into and two boys were looking for her, the wild boy was there and shot an arrow at one of the boys. Zoe feeds the wild boy and the deer with the food she brought with her on her way to the cabin and reads them the story of the boy who liked to draw. However, once the boy hears Henry coming, he leaves suddenly and swiftly.

            After this, Zoe has a terrible encounter with a blast from her past, Ray. Ray shows up one day at her home and asks to talk to her and Henry. What he wants to tell her is that he has her mother’s old possesions for sale if she wants to buy it. However, Zoe knows that it is probably not her mother’s belongings and tells him to leave. After no offer is made for the things and the Sheriff comes to Henry’s house and tells Ray he has to go, he leaves the belongings behind and leaves unsatisfied. When he finally leaves, Zoe starts to become sad and remembers how her mother died. We learn that she died of an overdose of an unknown substance. She confesses this to Henry and he listens to her as she unwinds her story. Together, he and Zoe make a sculpture and Zoe seems to work out some of her sadness.

            It is now the Christmas season and Zoe has the wild boy visit her unexpectedly at home and she learns his name is Wil, like it says on his bag that he carries with him. He wanted Zoe to finish reading him the story but Zoe wanted to warn him of the price that was on his head for shooting the Mayor’s son in the arm with an arrow. Then, Zoe hears Henry coming to her room and Wil hides in the closet. When Henry saw that Zoe was ok, he offered her to read a story and she accepted. Henry read on but Wil was still in the room hiding in the closet. When Henry finally leaves, Zoe goes to open the closet and finds Wil asleep on the floor of the closet. When she goes back to sleep, Wil slips out without saying goodbye.

            The next day, the phone rings and Zoe finds out that Bessie went missing. Bessie had stepped out in the middle of the night to look for the wild boy and the deer. A search crew is formed and they go out to look for her. While out on the search, Zoe finds Hargrove and his father out too and they had captured Sister. The poor deer was trapped and Zoe was about to jump in and help. Then, Curtis, a hunter, comes walking up holding a bow and arrow and Wil with him. Zoe makes out that there is a heavy load in Wil’s arms through the darkness. She finally see’s it is Bessie’s body. However, Hargrove sets sister free and Zoe literally jumps in to the rescue as well and lands on the mayor knocking him down and his shotgun to fire.

            Luckily, Zoe only ended up with a broken arm but Bessie went into intensive care. However, Bessie does wake up and talks with Zoe about what happens. Zoe fills her in on their exciting night and how Wil was the hero of the night for finding Bessie. Later, when Zoe goes home, she finds a big surprise. Zoe finds Wil and all of his prized possessions in her room. They talked and Zoe warned him that he was now in greater danger but that maybe Henry, Fred and the Sheriff could help. Wil refuses the help and he and Zoe fall asleep after they are done talking. When Henry walks in the next morning, Wil is gone but she is surprised to find the amazing carvings Wil had left behind; most importantly, a mysterious picture with a man and woman on their wedding day. He and Zoe look at the picture and recognize the man as Zoe’s father, Own, and his bride on their wedding day. We now know that Wil and Zoe are half siblings, sharing the same father.

            Our novel ends with Zoe and Henry at the art sale opening in New York with Lillian and Sid. Henry’s art sold successfully and Zoe tells us of the wonderful Christmas she had. She received an original piece by Henry, a quilt from Bessie, and a laptop from Helen and Franklin. Sadly, Bessie passed away when Zoe and Henry were away but made it in time to attend her service. They make it back for the funeral and Zoe reads from her journal to the community and shares her entries about Bessie. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the entire town seemed to be gathered at Henry’s place to remember Bessie. To our surprise, Hargrove shows up as well, although he was too shy to come inside the house. He apologizes to Zoe for taking her journal and returns it to her, and he also apologizes for the cabin she loved being wrecked even though he did not do it himself. Hargrove also tells Zoe that he is being sent away to another school. Zoe sees it as a positive turn out because he might have the chance to practice art and love animals if he is away from his father.

            Everyone finally leaves Henry’s home except Fred, Maud, Franklin and Helen. They pass around the carvings will gave Zoe and admire the crafty work. Then Zoe starts to miss Wil and wishes he was there with them. Zoe falls asleep and wakes up to everyone gone except Henry. She wakes up to him drawing Mr. C’mere on her cast and remembers the book about the boy who drew cats. Zoe finally understands why Wil took the book. He took the book because he knows he is part of their family like the boy in the story who was also an artist.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

A Long Walk to Water- Character List

A Long Walk To Water 
by Linda Sue Park


Character List:

  • Nya: An adolescent aged girl who lives in Southern Sudan during 2008. We learn that her daily routine is to go down to the pond and fetch water for her and her family. She would make the tiring journey multiple times a day. Nya lives with her mother and father in their village and has a younger sister, Akeer, who is 5 and a baby brother. Her older brother, Depp hunts with her father frequently. She is also part of the Nuer tribe. 
  • Salva (Salva Mawien Dut Ariik): A boy living in Southern Sudan in 1985. He is 11 years old and lived at home with his mother, father and siblings until his village was raided while he was at school. Salva had three brothers and two sisters. His two sisters Akit and Agnath. Then his younger brother is Kuol. The civil war outbreak separated him from his family. He is now on his own trying to survive and find his family. Salva also lives in the village of Loun-Ariik. 
  • Buksa: A young man from the Jur-chol tribe that walks with Salva in the beginning of his journey. He finds the honey comb with Salva and they enjoy a sweet meal for an evening. 
  • Marial: A boy the same age as Salva and whom he becomes friends with. They both had separated from their familes because of the war and walked with the group. However, Marial does not survive and gets eaten by a lion one night when they are in lion territory. 
  • Uncle Jewiir: Salva's uncle who he finds on in the group and stays with him for some of the journey. He looks after Salva and keeps him safe while he can. Uncle Jewiir seems like the leader of the group and is respected because he had fought in the war already and had a riffle. 
  • Mawien Dut: Father of Salva. He has stomach problems and is treated at a hospital where Salva reconnects with him. 
  • Michael: The young aid worker from Ireland at the IFO Refugee camp in Kenya who taught Salva English and how to play volleyball.
  • Chris and Louise: Salva's new parents in America. They take him in and help him in his journey to locate his father and start a public water program. 





Discussion Question -
What would you do if you were Nya or Salva and had to survive in these tough conditions?