Finalist for the 2014 Silver Birch Express Award
Danny finds himself stranded at the bottom of a giant construction hole, armed with nothing but his school backpack, his wits — and the company of a poetry-spouting mole…
Danny’s parents have always been a bit flaky, but this time they have gone too far. Now his mother wants to bake cheesecakes in the mountains, and his father wants to be an opera singer. That means Danny and his older brother will spend half the year in Banff (wherever that is) and half the year in New York City. Worst of all, in preparation for the big move, his parents have given away the family dog, Thwack.
Furious with his family, Danny runs out of the house and keeps running — straight onto a construction site, where he ends up at the bottom of a very, very large hole. When it appears that help is not immediately forthcoming, he settles in for the short haul, like a subterranean Robinson Crusoe. Drawing on his ingenuity, he provides himself with shelter (garbage bag and paper clips), cereal (coffee creamer, rainwater, granola bars and a few rogue raisins found at the bottom of his backpack) and a washroom (a hole in a hole). He even does his homework!
The only thing missing is a Man Friday. Who turns out to have a long, earth-covered snout, a taste for beetles, and no eyes to speak of. Oh, and he also talks. His name is Mole, and he is excellent company — until a snake appears, and Danny must be not only ingenious, but also brave, if he is going to save his new friend.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
Finalist for the 2014 Silver Birch Express Award
Danny finds himself stranded at the bottom of a giant construction hole, armed with nothing but his school backpack, his wits — and the company of a poetry-spouting mole…
Danny’s parents have always been a bit flaky, but this time they have gone too far. Now his mother wants to bake cheesecakes in the mountains, and his father wants to be an opera singer. That means Danny and his older brother will spend half the year in Banff (wherever that is) and half the year in New York City. Worst of all, in preparation for the big move, his parents have given away the family dog, Thwack.
Furious with his family, Danny runs out of the house and keeps running — straight onto a construction site, where he ends up at the bottom of a very, very large hole. When it appears that help is not immediately forthcoming, he settles in for the short haul, like a subterranean Robinson Crusoe. Drawing on his ingenuity, he provides himself with shelter (garbage bag and paper clips), cereal (coffee creamer, rainwater, granola bars and a few rogue raisins found at the bottom of his backpack) and a washroom (a hole in a hole). He even does his homework!
The only thing missing is a Man Friday. Who turns out to have a long, earth-covered snout, a taste for beetles, and no eyes to speak of. Oh, and he also talks. His name is Mole, and he is excellent company — until a snake appears, and Danny must be not only ingenious, but also brave, if he is going to save his new friend.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Mar 18, 2013 |
| Specifications | 120 pages | 5 in x 7.5 in |
| Keywords | adventure; families; coming of age; relationships; animals; separation; magical realism; survival; identity; adaptability; dedication; forgiveness; responsibility; courage; third person narration; figurative language; simile; metaphors; imagery; novel studies; junior grades; summarizing; inferring; predicting; Common Core aligned; CC Literature Key Ideas and Details; CC Literature Craft and Structure; grade 2; grade 3; grade 4; OLA Forest of Reading; Sakura Medal; middle grade; illustrations; |
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Supporting Resources
(select item to download) |
Excerpt Teacher's Guide |
| Written By |
CARY FAGAN writes books for children and adults. He has won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, the Jewish Book Award, the IODE Jean Throop Book Award and the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, among others. His picture books include A Cage Went in Search of a Bird, illustrated by Banafsheh Erfanian, and Son of Happy, illustrated by Milan Pavlović, which was named one of the Best Canadian Picture Books of 2020 by CBC Books. Cary lives with his family in Toronto. |
| Written By |
|
CARY FAGAN writes books for children and adults. He has won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature, the Jewish Book Award, the IODE Jean Throop Book Award and the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, among others. His picture books include A Cage Went in Search of a Bird, illustrated by Banafsheh Erfanian, and Son of Happy, illustrated by Milan Pavlović, which was named one of the Best Canadian Picture Books of 2020 by CBC Books. Cary lives with his family in Toronto. |
| Audience | ages 8 to 12 / grades 3 to 6 |
| Reading Levels | Lexile 550L |
| Key Text Features | illustrations; chapters |
| Common Core |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3 |
Long-listed, Sakura Medal for English Chapter Books, 2014
Short-listed, OLA Silver Birch Express Award, 2014
“A quirky existential adventure for thoughtful readers.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A thoroughly engrossing short tale, this book is typical Fagan: fantastical yet familiar, timeless, and with just the right touch of sentiment and seriousness... a great read-aloud tale.” —CM Magazine
“Pavlovic’s cartoon spot illustrations are a good fit for this funny and sweet tale.” —Publishers Weekly
“In classic Fagan fashion, the author turns a potentially tragic situation on its head with a good dose of humour and whimsy. Fagan uses a gentle touch to explore several weighty issues - identity, being "different," accepting change, bravery, friendship, and family - all while delivering comedy and adventure.” —Quill & Quire