Eckert’s story is a fictionalized account of an actual event in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1870. Six-year-old Ben MacDonald gets lost in a prairie storm and is cared for by a female badger whose pups have died. Eventually Ben is returned to his family, and all of the MacDonalds emerge from their ordeal as stronger and more loving people. The novel surfaces concerns of compelling interest to young people: dealing with society’s judgments; satisfying parental expectations; growing in self-reliance; learning to love and be loved; developing individual talents; and appreciating the world as it is.
Students analyze key literary devices, including plot development, conflict, flashbacks, characterization, point of view, setting, symbols, and themes. They also examine critical evaluations of the novel and discuss its literary merit. Activities integrate reading, thinking, writing, and speaking skills; procedures suggest opportunities for individual, small group, and large group work.
Supplementary materials include vocabulary study; suggestions for research projects, creative writing assignments, and art projects; and an objective and short answer test with answer key.
