Kids' Activities
Jane Lind presents ...
Cedar Glen Secret
Written by Sandra Margaret Maitland
Illustrated by Linda Leon
Theme: The Ecosystem, Ages 7 to 10
Cedar Glen Secret
Cathy's favourite place at her Aunt Amy's farm was the forest. Each July
when she went to visit, Cathy went for long walks and had picnic lunches in
the cedar glen.
One day she discovered that her oatmeal cookie was missing from her lunch,
and she thought a squirrel took it. But when she tried to find the squirrel,
she discovered something else instead: a whole community of tiny people
living in a stump.
To be sure of what she saw, she came back after dark with a flashlight, and
she had her first conversation with Wiley, one of the Snippets. The Snippets
were afraid of her and Wiley was not sure if he could trust her, so he gave
her a riddle. She found the answer, so Wiley felt she was trust worthy and
Cathy kept secret her discovery of the Snippets. But more than that, when
the cedar glen and the Snippets were threatened, Cathy managed to save them.
This is a story that capitalizes on the common childhood fantasy of a
diminutive people. At the same time, without being heavy handed, the author
has created a situation that can be read as a parable in which the
characters, with some thought, can avoid harm to the environment.
Questions
1. Why do you think Wiley felt he could trust Cathy, even before he gave her
the riddle?
2. Are there any other answers to the riddle?
3. Why did Cathy work so hard to find honey for Wiley?
4. Why do large parts of our forests become destroyed?
5. Would we cut down as much of our forests if we used only what we need to
survive instead of trying to make lots of money?
Projects
Go for a walk around where you live and look for ways people are helping or
hurting the environment. Write up a class report of what you found out, and
send it to your local newspaper. The children can make pictures of what they
saw to include with the article.
from the
Theme Catalogue and Teaching Guide for Children's Books
written for Penumbra Press by Jane Lind
© Jane Lind
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