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Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Summary

When 13 year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother left on a trip to Idaho she told Sal that she'd be back by the time the tulips bloomed. When she doesn't return, Sal and her grandparents take off on a car trip from Ohio to Idaho in search of her. To pass the time while riding in the rickety car, Sal tells the story of her friend Pheobe and soon we learn that there are many ways to "lose" your mother.

280 pages, 5th grade and up

Discussion questions

Spoiler alert! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Why do Phoebe and Sal become friends? How are they alike or different?
  2. Sal's grandparents believe she is afraid to see her mother. What is Sal afraid of?
  3. Have you ever taken a long trip with your grandparents or older relatives? What was it like? Did you tell stories to pass the way?
  4. Why do you think Sal's mother left?
  5. Throughout the car trip, Sal keeps hearing words in the wind - hurry, hurry, hurry, then slow down, slow down. Finally, she again hears the wind telling her to hurry, hurry, hurry, again. What do these wind messages tell you about Sal's feeling about the journey towards her mother?
  6. "Don't judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins." What do you think this saying means? Do you believe in it?
  7. If you were to gather up two items that remind you of your mother, what would they be?
  8. Did you like the construct of the novel - two stories intertwining?
  9. What do you think of the ending? Were you sad? Did you feel surprised or cheated by the author?
  10. What sort of understanding did you gain about Sal by the end of the book?

Activities

On a map, trace the journey that Sal and her grandparents make. Plot out a trip that you would like to take some day.

Snack ideas: blackberries

Portions of this discussion guide are credited to 100 Books for Girls to Grow On by Shireen Dodson (HarperCollins, 1998).

Created in part with funds granted by the Oregon State Library under the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library. Send feedback to Katie O'Dell, Reading Promotions Coordinator