Walk Two Moons- Realistic Fiction

Walk Two Moons
By: Sharon Creech

Salamanca Tree Hiddle, an adolescent girl who prefers to go by Sal, and her father had recently moved to Idaho, after her mother's passing from a train accident. Hoping to see her mother's grave before her birthday, Sal and her grandparents take a road trip. To pass the time, Sal begins to tell a story about her friend Phoebe. The story begins by introducing Phoebe, then as the trip continues, it delves deeper into her life. Phoebe is certain that their is a connection between Ms. Cadaver (the neighbor), strange notes that appear on her doorstep daily, and a boy she calls a lunatic who shows up at her house one day. After Phoebe's mother goes missing, the girls begin to investigate for clues. During the investigation, they discover two stories that will change their lives forever. When Phoebe's mother returns home, she informs the family that she has an illegitimate son, the lunatic. The girls also discover that Ms. Cadaver and her mother had been friends on the wrecked train, and she was the lone survivor. Ms. Cadaver tells Sal about the last minutes of her mother's life. Along the journey, Sal's grandmother is bitten by a snake, rushed to the hospital, and soon dies. Sal continues the journey to her mother's grave, stopping to see the wrecked train, which had been abandoned. After nearing arrest for trespassing, the officer drives Sal to see her mother's final resting place. When she returns home, her grandmother is buried, and Sal finally has closure and acceptance of her mother's death.

Throughout the novel, there were five messages left at the Winterbottom's house. After reading the novel with my class, I would split them into five groups. Each group would be responsible for interpreting, representing, and presenting one message. They could do this however they wished (a skit, mural or painting, 3-D model, etc.). Along with the representation, the group must submit a written report detailing their interpretation of the message, explaining the impact that the message had on the theme of the novel, connecting the message with their lives, and discussing why their project was an appropriate representation of the message. Each would also be responsible for presenting their project with the class.