WILDOAK
Grades 5 and Up
C.C. Harrington
Scholastic, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-33880-386-0
288 pp.
Summary
Maggie, who suffers from a debilitating stutter, is sent to stay with her grandfather Fred in Cornwall – though, her father warns her, if her speech doesn’t improve, she’ll next be sent to the intimidating Granville Place boarding school. Then, in nearby Wildoak Forest, Maggie finds Rumpus, a frightened and abandoned snow leopard cub. Told in the alternating voices of Maggie and Rumpus, this is a wonderful story of compassion, conservation, and ultimately, hope for the future.
Curriculum Connections
Science/conservation
Raise money to adopt a snow leopard living in the wild!
See the Snow Leopard Trust.
Plant trees! Research tree and tree-planting resources online. For example, see the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Education Hub and the National Forest Foundation’s Tree & Forest Activities for Children.
Also see Neighborhood Forest which provides free trees to kids on Earth Day.
Try the Big Tree Challenge! Identify the largest trees in your town or neighborhood. You’ll need a tape measure. Keep records of tree locations and species.
Research people who have worked to save animals. Names to investigate include Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Joy and George Adamson, Lek Chailert, and Harriet Hemenway.
You can do it too! See these stories of young people who are fighting to save wildlife.
Speech
What causes stuttering? See what you can find out.
Read some other books about speech disabilities:
Dahl, Roald. The Vicar of Nibbleswicke. Viking, 1994.
Rutter, Helen. The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh. Scholastic, 2021.
Varnes, Allison. Say It Out Loud. Random House, 2021.
Vawter, Vince. Paperboy. Yearling, 2014.
Winter, Tamsin. Being Miss Nobody. Usborne, 2017.
In spite of her stutter, Maggie was able to speak up and defend Rumpus. Public speaking can be hard – but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Pick a topic having to do with trees, animals, or saving the environment and prepare a short speech to deliver in front of a group.
Discussion Questions
Should wild animals be kept as pets? Should they be kept in zoos?
Why does Maggie form such a bond with Rumpus? How are they alike?
Why doesn’t Maggie stutter when she talks to animals?
The message that Maggie seems to sense from the ancient oak tree is “Be gentle with yourself. It is hard to be human.” What does this mean for Maggie? Grandfather Fred? Maggie’s father? What does it mean to you?
How does Maggie come to terms with her father? Or doesn’t she?
What about Lord Foy? Could he have been prevented from cutting down Wildoak Forest?
How are trees and forests important? How should we protect them from developers?
Author Online
C.C. Harrington grew up (mostly barefoot) in the English countryside where she came to love the natural world. She graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature, and has since worked for a national newspaper, studied printmaking, and taught literacy classes for kids with learning differences. She lives in Maryland with her family and a dog who loves to eat manuscripts.
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