Dear Daughter,
It is quite long time since I wrote you a letter. This is daddy’s first letter in English to you, surprise?
As you requested and I promised long ago, today I have finished the reading of «Walk Two Moons»!
As you know, daddy likes to read and write something about what I read. As you know, this is an English fiction. As a result, I come out with this English letter to you! I want to talk about how I read and how I feel about this book.
Is this a good book that I think? Well, of course, all books that my daughter reads are good books! However, the way I read could be a little different from yours.
Firstly, this is a book winning Newbery Medal award, so I searched internet to learn what Newbery Medal is. Shihhh, I keep it a secret here--- Do you want to search?
Secondly, the author is Ms Sharon Creech. Do you know when she wrote this book? In 1994! And one year later, the award came to her. By then, she was 50 years old! So you see, it takes time and ages to write something good enough winning award.
Sharon started writing since 1990, and it is really fast for a new writer like her to win something with just 4 years’ experience. Before all, she was a teacher in England – well –accurately speaking, she was born and grew up in US, and living as a teacher in UK during her writing of this book. So you see, she has a good language skill, which is what she taught in UK. And she has a good background of US life, which should be related to her childhood or teenage hood. With both, no wonder she can write out so beautiful story.
Thirdly, as you know, daddy’s English is not good. Learning language is a main part for my English reading, including this book. I circled or underlined a lot of words which is new to me along the process. I tried to demarcate them with pronunciation as well as brief explanation. As you know, daddy likes to take notes, and I recently completed an English vocabulary notebook regarding the series book “Who was xxx”. I planned to do the same way for this book. However, the new words are too many to copy into a notebook. If so, it will look like copying the whole book! However, I will print out some interesting words with their pictures. It is easy and fun to learn words by pictures, isn’t it? Here they are:
Phew! Are they a lot? Yes, it took me A LOT of time to put down. You can cut them out and paste into your favorite small book that you are making, sound good idea?
Fourthly, let’s take a look at the story itself. There are 2 clues through the book. One is Sal’s travel with her Gramp and Gram, the other is Sal’s story about Phoebe and her friends.
It is a long travel for her, right? But it give us a chance to learn US’s geography! Let me list down where they passed:
Bybanks Kentucky (Sal’s family) >>Euclid Ohio (Sal & Her father) >> Chicago, Illinois(Sal & Gramp & Gram onwards) >> Madison, Wisconsin >> Lower rim of Minnesota >> Sioux Falls, South Dakota >> Badland, South Dakota >> Wall, South Dakota >> Black Hill/Mount Rushmore, South Dakota >> through Wyoming >> Yellowstone >> Montana >> Coeurd’·Alene>> Lewiston, Idaho (Sal)
Looks lengthy? Here is the map showing the route:
This map is found from internet. How convenient! Otherwise I will take A LOT of time again to draw one.
That is not all. The places they passed actually recall other stories about other historical persons. For example, Sioux Falls, what do you remember about? Bingo! It is Sitting Bull, the great leader of American native Indians!
Another is Mount Rushmore, what do you remember about? Bingo! It is the giant carvation of four persons. Do you know who they are? Well, I leave this to you to find out.
Last but not least, as this is a good book. It is not only about story, not only about language, not only about geography and historical knowledge. As the title says, there is something we shall think of: What or how to “Walk Two Moons in his or her moccasins”? Why?
To help your thinking, I pick out some good adages or sentences for your conceiving about:
That is all. Do you like? So read more, and daddy will follow up! With letters!
Regards
Daddy
2021.10.19