A teenager discovers racism and romance on his father's farm For his fourteenth birthday, Joe Pedersen wants a motorbike that costs nearly a thousand dollars. But his mom says the usual birthday gift is fifty dollars, and his dad wants Joe to earn the rest of the money himself and 'find out what a real day's work feels like.' Angry that his father doesn't think he's up to the job, Joe joins the Mexican laborers who come to his father's farm each summer. Manuel, the crew boss, is only sixteen, yet highly regarded by the other workers and the Pedersen family.
Joe's resentment grows when his father treats Manuel as an equal. Compared with Manuel, Joe knows nothing about planting and hoeing cabbage and picking strawberries. But he toughs out the long, grueling days in the hot sun, determined not only to make money but to gain the respect of his stern, hardworking father.
Joe soon learns about the problems and fears the Mexicans live with every day, and, before long, thanks to Manuel, his beautiful cousin Luisa, and the rest of the crew, Joe comes to see the world in a whole different way. In her sensitive new novel, Cynthia DeFelice explores our dependency on migrant workers and simultaneous reluctance to let these people into our country and into our lives. Under the Same Sky is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Master List, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, Iowa Children's Choice Award Master List, New York Charlotte Award Master List, Florida Sunshine State YR Award ML. CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR. OFFICIAL SITES. Related Links.
“Will make readers think twice about their own prejudices.” — VOYA “With sensitivity and self-deprecating humor and reflection, Joe narrates a well-paced story that illuminates the need for understanding, tolerance, and discussion of the role and rights of migrant workers in the United States.” — School Library Journal “Offers much to absorb and stimulate readers. DeFelice engineers a dramatic climax that allows Joe to demonstrate real courage - and that will let readers grapple with the notion that right and wrong are not always easily identifiable.” — Publishers Weekly “Suspense and romance keep the story going, at the same time that DeFelice conveys the vital work of migrant workers in U.S. Agriculture and draws attention to problems with immigration policies.” — Kirkus Reviews Reviews from Goodreads.
First Quarter ELA ' Wild Life' by Cynthia DeFelice Prezi: By Thomas Stevens P.3 About the Author Cynthia DeFelice was born in 1951. Her mother was an English teacher and started Cynthia's interest in books. She is an American novelist who has written 16 novels and 12 picture books for young readers.
Why I Picked This Book I picked this book because my friend recommend it. Also, I saw the cover and thought it was about hunting. That is interesting to me. One of the Main Characters The Grandfather is always straight faced and silent. He has no compassion or any feelings. He was mean and never showed care or concern for Erik. I didn't like him.
Wild Life Cynthia Defelice Summary
Main Conflict Erik has to give up his dog but he doesn't want to. He runs away with the dog and lives out on the land. He hunts to survive. The weather turns bad and it starts to snow. Now he has to decide whether to go home or stay where he is. Theme The overall theme is accepting change by dealing with what you have and learning to let go of what you can't control. For example, Erik heard about his Grandparent's $5,000 dollar reward and felt bad that he caused them extra stress because he couldn't keep a dog.
He finally gave up the fight. Overall Impression I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes adventuress books with good imagery and descriptions. I would give it a. The setting is in North Dakota. The main character is Erik who used to live in New York State. His parents got sent to Iraq for military reasons and now he is living with his grandparents in North Dakota. Story Setting While Erik is in North Dakota he finds a stray dog and takes it home.
Eventually his grandparents find the owner of the dog. Erik doesn't want to give her up so he runs away into the prairie. He has to hunt to survive and hunting is a big part of the story. After spending a couple of days out in the prairie he needs to figure out what to do about the dog. Events Quote from the Book The Grandfather said, 'He'll come back when he's ready'. I chose this quote because it says a lot about the Grandfather's personality. He thinks that Erik is his own man so he won't go after Erik to find him.
North Dakota New York Iraq.