Marshall K. Hall, Sharon Creech
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 723
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Walk Two Moons 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Never judge a book solely on its cover. Wait until you read it. When the guy in ratty clothes drives by in a junk pile on wheels, don't assume he's poor. He may be the richest man in town. When it takes that socially awkward student in your class extra time to coherently put words together or complete an assignment, don't assume he's "learning disabled." He may have the most creative mind in your room. And when the single, redheaded woman who lives next door and keeps to herself, begins acting friendly and goes out of her way to be kind to you, don't assume she's an ax wielding murderer with something to hide. She may just care about you. This is a lesson that Salamanca Tree Hiddle learns all too well, in Sharon Creech's amazing Newbery Medal Winner, Walk Two Moons.
Sugar Hiddle left her home, husband, and daughter in Bybanks, Kentucky and set out by bus to Lewiston, Idaho without any real explanation and never returned. So Sal, Sugar's 13 year-old daughter, embarks on a cross-country trip with her grandparents to track her mother down and bring her home. Along the journey, Sal entertains her grandparents by telling them the story of her friend, Phoebe Winterbottom, whose story begins to weave itself around Sal's own tale. Like Sal, Phoebe has a mother with plenty of questions on her mind and like Sal, there are some hard truths to life that Phoebe will need to learn how to face.
The first time I finished this book, I was at a loss for words. I wondered how Sharon Creech managed to tackle such adult themes in such a kid-friendly book, because there are plenty of them scattered throughout these pages. The whole idea of writing a story for children about a woman who packs up her things and leaves her loving husband and caring daughter for no apparent reason, could be a dangerous path to tread along for a children's author. Think of the fear you could instill in your young readers. "What if MY mother left me without explaining why?" Add to this the possibility of infidelity (because I do believe that Creech KNOWS her readers are going to go there) and you have the ingredients for an extremely heavy, thought-provoking, and scary novel. However, Creech pulls this off impeccably by trusting that her children readers are able to handle the assumptions they will make through the course of reading this book. And parents remember, don't judge a book by its cover, or at least until you've read it. That's the point Creech is trying to hammer home. There's more to this story than what first meets the eye. Much more.
Creech takes the Native American proverb, "Never judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins" and lets it resonate throughout her novel. To truly understand and appreciate the intricate layers to Walk Two Moons, you need to be aware of this. It's this proverb that I feel, drives every decision Creech made when telling Sal and Phoebe's stories. It's this lesson that carries the plot. Which brings me to something I have to discuss but wish to do so carefully . . . the "surprise" ending.
My intention is not to give away too much of the story, (although by discussing it, I hope to entice you enough to pick up a copy for yourself) but to address a very popular critique of this novel and defend Creech's work. Many negative reviews of this novel claim that Creech "tricks" her readers with her ending and in doing so, loses some credibility in the unique "story within a story" method she's chosen to write with. I could not find this to be any farther from the truth. It is absolutely necessary that Creech "trick" the reader the way she does in order to really give her true message it's meaning. Without this ending, the book would fail to live up to it's own title.
In my opinion, Walk Two Moons is nearly flawless. It is one of the most engaging books I have ever read, and is a story that can affect so many people on so many different levels. It sounds cliché to say, but there really is something for everyone. There's mystery, (who is leaving the Winterbottom secret notes), there's suspense, (who is the Stranger), there's love, (will Sal and Ben become "more than" friends), and there's drama, (why did Sal's mom really leave Bybanks). Even reluctant readers in my 5th grade classroom poured over its pages, asking questions and searching for answers. It doesn't matter the grade, it doesn't matter your age, Sharon Creech's message will speak to anyone. Open your mind, open your heart, and let Salamanca Tree Hiddle settle inside to tell you the story of her mother, her friend, and her journey.
Editorial Review:
Gramps says that I am a country girl at heart, and that is true. Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the "Indian-ness in her blood," travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells them of the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a "potential lunatic," and whose mother disappeared.
Beneath Phoebe's stories Salamanca's own story and that of her mother, who left on April morning for Idaho, promising to return before the tulips bloomed. Sal's mother has not, however, returned, and the trip to Idaho takes on a growing urgency as Salamanca hopes to get to Idaho in time for her mother's birthday and bring her back, despite her father's warning that she is fishing in the air.
This richly layered novel is in turn funny, mysterious, and touching. Sharon Creech's original voice tells a story like no other, one that readers will not soon forget.
