A Special Place for

As you probably know, I'm a former reading and language arts teacher myself. It's been exciting for me these past years to see my novels being read and taught across the curriculum in schools around the country. Innovative teachers and librarians have been expanding the use of these books beyond their home base in language arts and integrating them into social studies, science, and art classes as well. What I've put together here are some of my own suggestions for resource materials, most of which I used myself in writing these novels, as well as activity ideas I've picked up from schools. I hope this will be helpful to you.

But first, a few words from Jean about my travel schedule.

"WILL'S TRAVELS "

In addition to our own personal travels, Will does quite a lot of professional travel. He speaks to state, regional, and national conferences of teachers and librarians all across the country. Most often he is a luncheon (or banquet or breakfast) speaker, or he speaks to a general session where most of the attendees have an opportunity to hear him, and to see his slides. He is happy to do a second session in addition to his main presentation. Will also enjoys visiting a limited number of schools each year,
usually middle schools.  Because he does travel from Southwestern Colorado, you'll need to be able to schedule a minimum of three total days, one school per day, in order to arrange this.

If you'd like to invite Will as a speaker, you can make these arrangements by e-mailing me, Jean Hobbs, at appearances@willhobbsauthor.com. If you should have difficulty reaching me using this email, it's probably due to a very restrictive spam filter at your school or library. Please try again, emailing from your home or personal email, which should work. If your event is something Will's publishers will want to be involved in, I'll be able to provide you with current information about who to contact and how best to reach them; however, most of Will's speaking and travel arrangements are handled directly by us. Will's calendar tends to fill up well over a year in advance, so please try to get in touch as far ahead of the event as you possibly can! Thanks, and I look forward to working with you.

An AUTHOR VIDEO OR DVD is now available, filmed inside and outside Will's home in Durango, Colorado. Go to this website and click on "Authors."
http://www.goodconversations.com

Three AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES about Will have also become available recently, and are easy to find through the online bookstores. All are good. The one by Hal Marcovitz has a lot of great color photos, which really adds to its reader appeal.

Title: Will Hobbs Series: Who Wrote That? Author: Hal Marcovitz Publisher: Chelsea House, ISBN 0-7910-8657-7

Title: Will Hobbs Series: Library of Author Biographies Author: Paula Johanson Publisher: Rosen Central, ISBN 1-4042-0469-5

Title:  My Favorite Writer: Will Hobbs   Author:  Megan Lappi Publisher: Weigl Publishers, Inc     ISBN  1-59036-488-0

You might also want to find SOMETHING ABOUT THE AUTHOR Volume 127, for an autobiographical piece Will did for Gale Group. For younger studens, Megan Lappi's shorter bio is rich with photos and is very reader friendly.

RESOURCES AND IDEAS FOR TEACHING WILL'S NOVELS

Wild Man Island • Jackie's Wild Seattle
Bearstone and Beardance • Downriver and River Thunder • Leaving Protection
Kokopelli's Flute • The Big Wander • The Maze
Changes in Latitudes • Far North • Ghost Canoe
Jason's Gold and Down the Yukon • Crossing the Wire • Go Big or Go Home

About Will Hobbs

For GO BIG OR GO HOME:
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RESOURCES:

NASA Astrobiology Institute
Professor Rip Ripley referred to this in GO BIG. Its physical location is at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.
http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov

NASA:  Mars Meteorites
Location of 34 known Mars meteorites found on Earth, with several photos. Also includes links to archives of Mars meteorite news stories.
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/index.html

NASA/JPL Home Page
All sorts of news about exciting space research, including links focused on Kids and on Education.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Crazy Horse Memorial
Brady's dad works at the Crazy Horse Memorial. Here's a great link telling all about the memorial, with photos.
http://www.crazyhorse.org

Black Hills Museum of Natural History
This is where Brady and Quinn went to meet up with Professor Rip Ripley.  The museum is in downtown Hill City, and features an amazing collection of dinosaur skeletons and skulls, including the original STAN the T-rex. They also have meteorites and lots of other fossils.
http://www.bhmnh.org    

Also, check out the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, housed in the same Hill City Museum. Lots of info on fossils, minerals, and meteorites.
http://www.bhigr.com

ACTIVITIES

-- At the end of the story, the seven co-conspirators promise never to tell anyone the truth about  what became of Fred. Ask seven students to each take the part of one of this group. Try to convince the rest of the class why you think your character would or would not ever break his promise. Follow this with a discussion of what might happen if one of them did indeed let the truth get out.

-- Have students each write a newspaper article, or present a TV news feature, announcing that the missing Mars meteorite has been found, and it's not at the bottom of Pactola Lake. What happens next????

-- The medieval siege catapult built by the Carvers was an amazing creation. Encourage kids to create a model of this catapult and display their projects.

-- Ask students which part of this story they thought was the funniest. Then ask them to illustrate the incident they chose.

--What does that word mean, astrobiology? This would make an excellent "expanded vocabulary" activity, trying to explain and define this relatively young science.

-- Divide students into small groups to pursue information about meteorites. Where have they been found? What kinds? What are they made of? Where did they come from? Work on different ways each group share their knowledge with the other kids. Perhaps you could bring in a local expert on meteorites, to talk to the class.

-- Ask students to discuss and debate the Crazy Horse Memorial. Include reasons in favor of this amazing project and also points some people have raised against altering the mountain itself.   What about Mt. Rushmore?  Compare the two monuments.

-- Quinn wears a GO BIG OR GO HOME t-shirt in the story. Have your students design and actually make their own original Go Big or Go Home t-shirts.

-- This story features titles for all the chapters. Ask kids to write about why they think the author chose the title he did for each of the chapters.

For WILD MAN ISLAND:
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National Geographic magazine, December, 2000, has an excellent article entitled "Hunt for the First Americans," about new discoveries in American archeology regarding when and how the earliest people arrived in the Americas. It specifically mentions fossil finds on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska on which I based the fictionalized cave discoveries in my story. Follow this up with a discussion about the possibility of humans entering the Americas by boat, along the coastlines, prior to people migrating across the Land Bridge from Asia.

Much more detailed information about these archeological discoveries on Prince of Wales Island can be found on the website of Dr. Timothy H. Heaton: http://www.usd.edu/esci/alaska/oykc.html This site describes many caves, including On Your Knees Cave, where researchers found ancient bear bones dating back over 40,000 years, predating the last Glacial Age. They also discovered human remains close to 10,000 years old in this cave, the oldest ever found in Alaska or Canada. What does all this mean?

— Point of view activity: At the moment in the story when Andy first sees the Wild Man, what does he think? What is the Wild Man thinking? Write a couple of paragraphs in the voice of each of these two characters as they wonder, "Who could this possibly be? What is he doing here? How did he get here? Is he dangerous to me? What should I do next?"

— Have kids write and record an original news broadcast in which Andy and his mom are being interviewed on local TV or radio back home in Colorado, after this story has ended.

— Create a story map, illustrating Andy's journey from the beginning to the end of the story. (You can refer to the map at the front of the book.) Highlight the most important locations, and write a brief description of the significance of each stage of Andy's adventure.

— Sea kayaking: Inquire if anyone at your school (staff, parents, kids) might have experience sea kayaking. Perhaps they could come to class, show pictures, bring in equipment, etc.

— Caves would be a fascinating subject to pursue, learning more about how they are formed, human and animal uses of caves, where major cave formations might be found in the U.S. Are there caves in your area?

— Have a few students research Newfoundland dogs and the ways in which they are used to help rescue people at sea. They actually have webbing between their toes that enables them to swim better! You might point out that the dog on the Lewis and Clark expedition was a Newfoundland. I chose a Newfoundland for my story with this hardy dog from history in mind. There are a number of recent books out about him, including one by Roland Smith entitled Captain's Dog: My Journey With the Lewis and Clark Tribe.

— Have kids write a letter from Andy to his Mom, from inside the cave on the Fortress of the Bears. He doesn't know if he'll ever see her again. What would he tell her about his experiences?

— The Wild Man had consciously decided to become a hermit, living by prehistoric means. Ask students to write about (or discuss) whether they think they could ever be a hermit, would ever want to be one. What things would they miss the most about modern life?

— Admiralty Island, the Fortress of the Bears, was designated by President Carter as a National Monument. What does this designation mean and why would it be important for a place like Admiralty Island? Are there any National Monuments near you?

— Wildlife posters: Have students list all the wildlife mentioned in this story (humpback whales, sea otters, Steller's sea lions, orca whales, ravens, sea gulls, Sitka black-tailed deer, bald eagles, wolves, brown bears, which are coastal grizzlies, and more), then choose one to make a poster or collage about, featuring pictures and information about their selection.

For JACKIE'S WILD SEATTLE
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The wildlife rescue center in this story was inspired by a real-life center near Seattle, Washington, called Sarvey. Visit their website at www.SarveyWildlife.org. Be sure to click on the Gallery where you'll find lots of photos. Look into whether there might be similar wildlife rescue and rehab places near you. This might make an excellent field trip, or have someone from the center visit your class. Often they'll bring wildlife with them!

Shannon and Cody's parents, both doctors, are volunteering in refugee camps through an organization called Doctors Without Borders. This is an amazing and inspiring group of people, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in l999. Learn more about them on their website at www.DoctorsWithoutBorders.org.

— Story quilt: Make a class story quilt, allowing each student to select a chapter and create an illustration to represent the main idea of that chapter. At the bottom of their square, ask them to quote one line from the chapter supporting their illustration. You can do this with large squares of paper, make holes with a paper punch and stitch together with yarn.

— Shannon mentions e-mailing her friends back home. Ask students to write a series of e-mail messages from Shannon to her best friend in New Jersey, describing what her life is like at the wildlife center, and what she thinks about her Uncle Neal, Jackie and Tyler. They could do this with the friend e-mailing back too, if you like.

— Animal card game: Have kids create a card game with clues on each card describing an animal involved in one of the rescues in the story. Matching cards would have a drawing or picture of that animal.

— Bumper stickers: Cody and Uncle Neal were always on the lookout for funny and unique bumper stickers. Ask students to list all the bumper stickers from the story and talk about what makes them good. Some are funny, some ironic, some thought-provoking, etc. Then invite them to make their own bumper stickers, either with original sayings or using sayings they've seen on other stickers

— Dealing with our fears: Both Cody and Shannon are struggling with their memories of September 11 and the attack on the World Trade Center. Cody thinks a lot about dramatic, natural disasters (volcanoes, earthquakes, etc) and both Shannon and Cody are experiencing nightmares. Ask students to share, either through writing or discussion, fears they might have and how they try to handle them.

— Circle of Healing: In one of the e-mails Shannon and Cody receive from their mother, she says, "We're proud that you are helping your uncle and the wildlife center this summer. You are helping to heal the world. Each of us can only make a small difference, but together we can make a big difference." Brainstorm with the class ways in which they can make a difference. Discuss the ideas and choose one project to complete and make a difference in the lives of the people in the school, the community, or the world.

— Skits: Have students form groups and select one of the animal rescues described in the story to dramatize. You could extend this activity by having them also make a poster illustrating and telling about the animal in their rescue.

— Rock climbing: Ask around if there's anyone in your school or community that does rock climbing. Chances are good you might even have students who climb, either outdoors or at indoor climbing walls. Arrange a visit to a climbing wall, or have someone demonstrate equipment and techniques to your class.

— Character placemats: Ask students to choose a character from the story, create a color drawing or painting of their character, and then describe that character and why they choose him or her, alongside the illustration.

For CROSSING THE WIRE:
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On the Web: Rather than suggest specific websites, it's probably more helpful to know some of the keywords to use in a web search. These words should lead to a variety of sites that will provide a wealth of information related to this story.
--El Cristo Rey Guanajuato Mexico (find photos)
--Guanajuato Mexico tourism
--deforestation Guanajuato Mexico
--Silao Mexico automotive industry
--Camino de Guanajuato Jose Alfredo Jimenez
--ranchera music
--tunnel kids Nogales Mexico
--maquiladoras
--Tohono O’odham Nation
--Baboquivari Peak
--Baboquivari jaguar
--jaguar
--Border Patrol
--border vigilantes
--La Perra Flaca
--Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
--Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
--Amigos de las Americas
--World Trade Organization Cancun Mexico September 2003
--United States Corn Dumping Mexico
--Corn Dumping Family Farms Mexico
--Oxfam International Mexico
--NAFTA
--asparagus harvest Dayton Washington
--asparagus harvest Peru
--Zapatista Rebellion Chiapas Mexico

Video/DVD Documentaries on the Border and Illegal Immigration: many can be found through PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, cable

Arizona newspaper websites:
www.azstarnet.com (online service of the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson; search recent and archival material, topics such as border, immigration, etc.) Sample articles of interest:
--24 Hours on the Border (9-14-2003)
--”In the Vast Desert, There’s No Escape” (9-14-2003)
--Why You Need ‘La Perra Flaca” (7-14-2002)
--Clues from the Dead Help Provide Identities (6-20-2003)
-- Marvin’s Journey—One Migrant’s Tale (from El Salvador to U.S., Three-part story, Oct. 29-30-31, 2000)
--Jaguar Caught on Film May Be Same One As in ’01 (10-24-2003)

www.azcentral.com (online service of the Arizona Republic, Tucson) Sample article of interest:
--Deadliest Trail in U.S. (4-7-2003)

Magazine Articles, a few examples:

-- Welcome to Amexica, Time special issue 6-11-2001
-- Who Left the Door Open? Time special investigation 9-20-2004)
-- Chiapas, Rough Road to Reality (from Emerging Mexico, special issue of National Geographic, August 1996. Article provides photos of Chiapas, background on Zapatista rebellion of 1994)

Recommended Books: see Author’s Note at the back of Crossing the Wire

Reading/Writing Activities:

-- Crossing the Wire would be an excellent book for a class read-aloud, or for use in literature circles. And if you team-teach, consider including teachers of social studies, natural science, art, music, Spanish language, math, health, computer science, etc. in your reading and study of the novel.

-- Have your students keep a reader’s log as they read Crossing the Wire.

-- Write postcards and letters home from Victor (care of Rico in Silao) once Victor is working and traveling in the States

-- Imagine the moment when Rico knocks on his parents’ door. Have students write it, act it out. Roles for four, including a narrator.

-- Victor’s family travels to Silao for an arranged telephone call with him. Have students write it, act it out. Roles for Victor, his four sisters, little brother, mother, narrator. Where is Victor at this time? What’s new with him and at home?

-- What became of Julio? Do he and Victor meet again? Have students write (and illustrate) their own short story about this, then share their stories aloud with the class.

-- What about Miguel? Do he and Victor meet again? Same as with Julio, write and share stories about Miguel.

--Victor on the road. Have your students imagine Victor has come to their town or city to find work and live for a time. It needn’t be agricultural work. Imagine meeting Victor yourself. Write a short story or a play that will explore the lives of illegal immigrants in your own area.

--Your class could make a book of poems, all in Victor’s voice, one for each chapter, each written by a different student.

Art, Graphics, Geography

--Have your students illustrate a scene from Crossing the Wire, perhaps to accompany the book of poems described above.

--Draw portraits of Victor or the other characters: how do you picture them?

--Find maps that will enable readers to follow Rico’s journey from his home below El Cubilete outside of Silao all the way north until he reaches the border area where the map in Crossing the Wire takes over. Enlarge and post maps including the one in the book. Move a symbol of Victor along every day as the class is following his journey.

Music

--Find “Camino de Guanajuato” by Jose Alfredo Jimenez and play it for your students. Can some of your students translate it more fluently than the automatic computer translation? Discuss the sentiment that this song evokes in Victor as he’s leaving on the bus. Play some more ranchera/mariachi music, perhaps more songs from a CD by Jose Alfredo Jimenez.

Natural Science

--Southern Arizona is ideal for teaching vertical climate. Look at the flora, fauna, weather, etc. of the various climate zones Victor travels and climbs through.

Math

--Currency fluctuation, pesos to dollars

--Metric and non-metric (e.g. kilometers/miles)

In-depth study and discussion

--Explore what has changed since 2004, when Crossing the Wire was taking place. How heavily dependent are we still on illegal labor? Have the laws changed? Would Victor be able to register as a guest worker and travel back and forth legally to visit his family in Mexico? Have conditions at the border changed? Are family farms continuing to collapse in Mexico? Are the maquiladoras still losing jobs to Asia?

--(Middle school through high school) Have a team of your students find the references in Chapter 3 of Crossing the Wire to Victor’s family fleeing Chiapas ten years earlier. Have your students learn about the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, which began on January 1, 1994. The Zapatistas were demanding that the Mexican government make good on the promise of land pledged to Mexico’s poor by the constitution of 1917. Your students might well begin with the National Geographic article cited in magazine resources above. It has great photos of Chiapas and references the Zapatistas. Have the team learn more from other sources about the Zapatista uprising and what became of it. Study also how political unrest and violence in Central American countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador has produced refugees and added to illegal immigration to the U.S.

--(Middle school through high school) Have a team of your students research what’s behind the falling corn prices that force Victor to go north. In Chapter Four, Rico’s father tells him about a “big meeting of the countries.” This was the Cancun, Mexico meeting of the World Trade Organization, September, 2003. Learn why the talks stalled, then collapsed when the delegations from the less developed countries walked out. Learn why the U.S. is protecting certain sectors of its agricultural economy, e.g. corn and cotton, and what effect that has had specifically on family farms in Mexico. Discuss NAFTA--free trade and the exceptions to free trade. Discuss globalism. Try web searches suggested above. (Middle school and high school?)

For BEARSTONE and BEARDANCE:
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Topographic map of the Weminuche Wilderness, the setting of both novels: Trails Illustrated Maps. Order map #140, Colorado Weminuche Wilderness. Phone 1-800-962-1643. Follow Cloyd and Walter up the Pine River (Los Pinos on the map), Snowslide Canyon, Rincon La Osa, the Rio Grande Pyramid and the Window. Work on reading distances, contour lines, etc.

AAA road map called "Indian Country," which includes most locations from the stories, as well as locations for DOWNRIVER, RIVER THUNDER, THE MAZE, and THE BIG WANDER. Ask your local AAA or order from: AAA, 1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746-5063. Look for White Mesa, Utah, where Cloyd is from, Durango, CO, etc.

— I've written a picture book called BEARDREAM, exploring through a young boy's experience how the ancient Utes learned the beardance from the bears. It's illustrated with stunning oil paintings by Jill Kastner, and is an excellent companion to the novels.

— About the Ute people: Visit the website of the Southern Utes (www.southern-ute.nsn.us) and the Two books you might order: People of the Shining Mountains by Charles Marsh, or Utes, The Mountain People by Jan Pettit.

— Clay fetishes: Kids can make their own clay fetishes, like Cloyd's bearstone. Have them select an animal they feel kinship with, then discuss those choices. These can be painted or made into necklaces. I've seen fetishes carved from blue soap too.

— Double entry diary: A great activity for studying point of view. Using side-by-side diaries written from two characters' points of view, describe key incidents in the story. Each entry is written first person, showing how two different people (Cloyd and Walter) are seeing the same incidents.

— Name the chapters: This is a painless way to get at "main idea." Give a title to each chapter in the story. This is great to work on in small groups, for the discussion.

— Grizzly bears: A wealth of material exists about grizzlies and their loss of habitat. Use both of these novels in connection with your study of endangered species.

For DOWNRIVER and RIVER THUNDER:
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Belknap's Waterproof Grand Canyon River Guide. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is the actual river guide from the stories, and is filled with fascinating canyon history, geology, names and ratings of each rapid, camps, and more. It's called The Colorado River in Grand Canyon by Larry Stevens. Have your bookstore order it for you, or you can order from Grand Canyon Association's web site (www.grandcanyon.org) Or call 1-800-858-2808 to phone order.

DVD/Video: Narrated by Richard Chamberlain, this is the most splendid video about the Grand Canyon. Ride the rapids and learn about natural history, geology and human history of the Grand Canyon. It's called River Song and is distributed by the Grand Canyon Association (web address: www.grandcanyon.org) Or call 520-638-2481 to phone order. The website now has this available as part of a three film collection called "The Grand Canyon Collection DVD." You can search by title or navigate into Bookstore, then River Running. Or call 1-800-858-2808, extension 7030 to order by phone.

The Trails Illustrated topographic map of the Weminuche Wilderness mentioned in connection with BEARSTONE and BEARDANCE would be great with these books. Look for Storm King Peak in the Needles section of the topo map of the wilderness area. It's close to the confluence of Trinity Creek and Vallecito Creek. Also, the AAA map "Indian Country," mentioned earlier, would help in following the characters' progress from Silverton, Colorado, through Bluff, Utah, to their Grand Canyon launch at Lee's Ferry, Arizona, fifteen miles below Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell.)

If you're looking for a few great reference books about Grand Canyon, I'd suggest Down the Colorado by John Wesley Powell, (Powell's diary of the first trip through the Grand Canyon, in l869) and River Runners of the Grand Canyon by David Lavender, published by Grand Canyon Natural History Association. Tales and photos of early river runners. Or visit the website mentioned above (www.grandcanyon.org), click on Bookstore, then River Running.

— Visit the Grand Canyon National Park website at www.nps.gov/grca.

— River log: Ask students to choose one character in the story (besides Jessie) and keep a diary from that character's point of view. Compare how different characters are seeing the same major events and relationships.

— Map study: Get the waterproof mile-by-mile river map mentioned earlier, photocopy each page and mount the pages along the wall of the classroom, connecting them in order. They show the actual path and shape of the river this way, and you can have kids make rafts to move along the map to track the progress of the kids in the story.

— Lake Powell is a huge reservoir near Page, Arizona, created by Glen Canyon Dam. Below the dam, water is released back into the Colorado River and Grand Canyon. Study why this dam was built, and what its effects have been on the Grand Canyon environment. RIVER THUNDER was inspired by the l983 high water threat to the dam, and the resulting flood in Grand Canyon below.

— Design big murals as art projects, showing the Grand Canyon, plants, animals, river rapids, side canyons, etc. Combine with study of John Wesley Powell's first exploration of the canyon in l869, and with geology study.

— First aid: What should you know in a wilderness situation to handle various injuries, for example, cuts, broken bones, bee sting, hypothermia, etc.

— Wilderness math: Plan food quantities, menus, grocery lists, estimate costs for a ten-day camping trip for eight people. Maybe start out planning a shorter trip!

— Visit an outdoor education program in your area. See if they offer a day program that would work for a field trip.

For KOKOPELLI'S FLUTE:
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Information about Seed Farms: Both of these places have catalogs with lots and lots of interesting information about endangered native seeds and related conservation subjects. And, you can order our own tepary beans, either to grow or to use in cooking! 1) Native Seeds SEARCH, 526 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705-8450. 2) Seeds of Change, P.O. Box 15700, Santa Fe, NM 87506-5700.

There are a lot of books about the Ancestral Puebloan peoples. Look under Anasazi, cliff dwellers, Mesa Verde. The term Anasazi is slowly being replaced by the preferred term, Ancestral Puebloans, indicating the relationship between these earlier people and the modern day people of the Rio Grande Pueblos, Hopi, Zuni, Taos, etc. A good web site on this topic would be www.crowcanyon.org

Other topics to research would be Ancient Rock Art, Petroglyphs, Pictographs, Archeology and Kokopelli. (Kokopelli is a fertility symbol, so be forewarned!)

— Ask students to bring objects or pictures to class which would identify for future archeologists who they are today by evidence of something in their culture.

— Explore American folklore and myth, stories about coyote and raven, etc. How do these stories reflect the geographical regions from which they arose?

— Try creative writing assignments about turning into an animal, the way Tep did.

For THE BIG WANDER:
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Videos: The old John Ford westerns filmed in Monument Valley right around Goulding's Trading Post were much of what inspired Clay's "big wander" trip. You might want to show a few brief clips of one or more of those, to set the scene. My first choice would be Fort Apache, with Henry Fonda and John Wayne. Others: Stagecoach, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.

Learn about the Navajo people: Visit www.navajo.org on the Web. The Book of the Navajo by Raymond Friday Locke is a valuable reference on the Navajos, as is Masked Gods: Navajo and Pueblo Ceremonialism, by Frank Waters.

The letters of a young artist and adventurer, Everett Ruess, were an inspiration to me as I wrote this story. Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for Beauty, by W.L.. Rusho, tells his story and contains many of his letters.

— Navajo code talkers: This is a fascinating and important study area for social studies. The code talkers were Navajo soldiers who made a tremendous and unique contribution to the war effort in World War II. The Japanese were unable to break U.S. codes which had been developed using the Navajo language.

— Have kids look for pictures and books showing the dramatic redrock canyon country of southeast Utah, recently designated as the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Discuss the merits of preserving these kinds of places.

— Lake Powell is a huge reservoir near Page, Arizona, created by Glen Canyon Dam. Its construction drowned a hundred unique side canyons upstream of the dam, when the lake filled. Discuss pros and cons, environmental and economic issues, etc. One of the reason I set this story in l962 was that it was the last summer the Colorado River was running free through Glen Canyon, before it was buried underwater by the rising waters behind the dam. There is a beautiful book on this, The Place No One Knew, with stunning photographs by Eliot Porter of Glen Canyon.

— Look into wild horses and burros, and what's happening with them in the West today.

— Traditional foods of the Navajo and other Southwestern peoples. If you do decide to try making fry bread, be really careful with the hot oil that you drop the dough into. I met a teacher who had burned himself on this project.

— Heroes: Clay definitely had heroes—President Kennedy, John Wayne, the astronauts. Who are kids' heroes today? What do they think about having heroes?

For CHANGES IN LATITUDES:
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Video: The Audubon video series has a good one, narrated by Jane Alexander, called Sea Turtles--Ancient Nomads, available at video rental stores. It includes an overview of endangered species in general, footage of all species of sea turtles including the Pacific ridley featured in the novel, even secret camera footage from the slaughterhouse I fictionalized in the story. You could tell your students that as a result of the efforts of conservationists inside and outside of Mexico, these slaughterhouses have since been shut down. However, black market activity in sea turtle products, development along nesting beaches, and deaths caused by commercial fishing continue to pose big threats to the turtles.

— Investigate TEDS, the turtle excluder devices now required of U.S. shrimpers. Do they work? Are the affected sea turtles recovering?

For FAR NORTH:
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Gather information about the Canadian Northwest Territories, recently divided into two provinces. One is called Nunavut, governed by native peoples, and the other is the western NWT. You can have kids write to Northwest Territories Tourism, Box 1320, Yellowknife, NWT, CANADA X1A, 2L9, and request tourist information and maps. The Internet will also have lots of information. (www.gov.nt.ca)

— Have kids search for books and resources on outdoor survival skills and wilderness survival. The book I mentioned in my author's note, Dangerous River by R.M. Patterson, makes fascinating reading, especially the parts about winter in Deadmen Valley.

— I've written a picture book, illustrated by Jill Kastner, which is set on the Nahanni River and is a companion to FAR NORTH. It's about a wolf pup who gets separated from her family and has to survive and find her way home on her own. It's called HOWLING HILL, and includes several episodes which parallel events in the novel.

— Using the map at the front of the story, make a huge enlargement map of the Nahanni Country that can be displayed in your classroom while the class is reading the book. Follow Gabe and Raymond as they move along, using colored pins or models that can be moved around on the map.

— Art projects: Try drawing or painting the great falls of the Nahanni. Or draw the winter bear, all covered with ice. Perhaps you could make a hand drum, like the one of Johnny's that Raymond rebuilt. Or make a model of the raft the boys built, or a model of a log house like the one Gabe made toward the end of the story.

— Johnny Raven's letter (Chapter 14) is very important in this story. Write a letter from Raymond to Johnny, written after Johnny's death, in which Raymond responds to Johnny's concerns and tells Johnny his own hopes and plans for the future.

— Raymond didn't speak the Slavey language, and Johnny knew almost no English. Learn more about the languages of native people who live or have lived in your own area. Are there still people who speak or understand them? Are there efforts underway to preserve these languages? Did your own ancestors speak different languages? Does anyone in your family still speak or understand your family's traditional languages? Can a language go "extinct" if no one speaks it anymore? What might be lost if this were to happen?

— What do you think was the most difficult decision each boy had to make in this story? What about tough choices? What have been some of your own most difficult decisions? Did Gabe and Raymond make the best choices? Did you?

— Back to the Internet: See if you can find anything under Dene, Athabaskan, Slavey, Canadian First Nations, Nunavut, Canadian Northwest Territories. Gabe's dad was up there around Yellowknife working on diamond exploration. Can you find anything about this new diamond boom in the Northwest Territories?

For GHOST CANOE:
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National Geographic magazine, Vol. 180, No. 4, October 1991, has an excellent article about the way of life of the Makahs before Columbus. (begins on p. 38) It has drawings of whale hunting and even of people pulling planks from living cedar trees, as in my story. You'll want to follow this up with research into the modern Makah today.

Two great reference books would be: Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Indians, by Hilary Stewart, and The Great Canoes, by David Neel. Both are published by the University of Washington Press. The Great Canoes is filled with color photos of the contemporary canoe culture revival in the Northwest, and I think kids would love it.

— You can find more information about the Makahs by visiting: www.makah.com.

— Topics to explore: lighthouses, clipper ships, the old trading language called Chinook, or Chinook jargon, and of course, anything you can find on Native peoples of the Northwest Coast, both historical and information about the people today.

— Fishing: Compare early fishing techniques with modern ones. Are some species of fish being fished to extinction? What's happening with the salmon today?

— Whales: Research whales, especially the gray whales the Makahs were hunting in this story. How did they become endangered, what is their current status?

— The big trees: What uses did native people make of the giant cedars and other trees of the coastal forests? Has the modern timber industry damaged the coastal environment of the Northwest? Can timber harvesting harm the salmon? How?

— Clues: List all the clues Nathan found throughout the story that helped him solve the mystery of the missing survivor and what the man was looking for.

For THE MAZE:
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Condor reintroduction in Arizona has been coordinated by The Peregrine Fund, an organization working for conservation of various birds of prey around the world. Their Web site at www.peregrinefund.org has a wealth of information about the condors and regular notes about the progress of the newly released young condors. It would be a terrific connection for kids. Look for the field notes from Vermilion Cliffs on condors.

Map: AAA road map called "Indian Country." Ask your local AAA or oder from: AAA, 1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746-5063. Look for Hanksville, The Maze Overlook, Chimney Rock, Lizard Rock, the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers.

— The Icarus myth: this ancient story comes up many times in THE MAZE. Find and read the Icarus story. How does it relate to Rick? to Lon? to Maverick?

— The Maze is a district of Canyonlands National Park. Visit the website for Canyonlands at www.nps.gov/cany to learn more about the area.

— Find out if there's anyone in your area who flies hang gliders, or who has experience with hang gliding or parasailing and invite them in to speak to the class.

— There's quite a discussion in Chapter 11 about the issue of public land and how different people feel about it. Explore the concept of public land, of land set aside for all of the people of the United States, whether it's in your home state, in the West, or in Alaska. This can refer to National Forest, National Parks and Monuments, Bureau of Land Management, Division of Wildlife, state parks and preserves, and other designations. Is there any public land near where you live? Who uses it? What are the benefits of having places like this?

— Career possibilities: Research careers in wildlife conservation, and in working for agencies like the National Parks or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. What sort of preparation would be needed? What would be the pros and cons of this sort of a career?

For JASON'S GOLD and DOWN THE YUKON:
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In addition to reference books about the Klondike Gold Rush mentioned in my Author's Notes, there's a fine non-fiction picture book about the Klondike by Peter Lourie called Yukon River (Boyds Mills Press), which includes many photographs and a first hand account of Lourie's modern day canoe journey down the Yukon River. Another title written for younger readers I'd recommend would be Daniel Dyer's recent biography of Jack London (Jack London, Scholastic l997).

One of the most fascinating things for me about writing JASON'S GOLD was learning about Jack London's experiences heading for the Klondike at exactly the time my story takes place. I know many of you teach Call of the Wild or To Build a Fire by Jack London. Pairing these books with my novel opens up study and discussion possibilities about how London's own personal experiences in the north led to the writing of his famous stories.

Jamie's father, Homer Dunavant, is loosely based on the famous poet, Robert W. Service. Head for the library and find copies of some of Service's most famous poems about the North: "The Cremation of Sam McGee," "The Shooting of Dangerous Dan McGrew," and "The Spell of the Yukon." These poems are fascinating, accessible, and provide a lot of insight into the spirit and emotions of this time and place. They are also a lot of fun to memorize and recite around campfires!

— Writing: Have kids try their hand at writing a poem in the style of Robert W. Service, perhaps celebrating a place dear to them, or telling the tale of some eccentric character they know about.

— Jason admired Jack London, and was grateful for his help. After Jack London had returned back home, imagine that Jason kept in touch by writing him letters. He'd want to tell Jack not only about events up in Dawson and in the race to Nome, but about his feelings about being up North, about making a life for himself in this wild country. Kids might do this as partners, one writing as Jason to Jack, the other taking the role of Jack London and answering Jason's letters.

— In DOWN THE YUKON we learn that Jamie has written a play about events in Dawson City. Form a writing team and write your own play about some facet of the Klondike Gold Rush, eg. getting over the Chilkoot Pass, life in Dawson City, women of the Klondike, heading for Nome and what it was like when they got there.

— Canoeing is important in both of these stories. Find information about canoeing opportunities in your home area. Invite someone with canoeing experience to visit your class and bring in equipment to show.

— Design and build small canoes out of heavy paper, or try paper-mache in art class. Make one more like a birchbark canoe, another like the green Peterborough. You might even be able to make wooden models. One student sent me a photo of a canoe she'd fashioned out of aluminum foil!

For LEAVING PROTECTION:
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Resources for history of the Russians in Alaska: Visit the Website of the Sitka National Historic Park www.nps.gov/sitk Mailing address is: Sitka National Historical Park, attention: Chief of Interpretation and Education, P.O. Box 738, Sitka, AK 99835 Phone: (907) 747-6281 or (907) 747-0121

To learn all about the possession plaques, ask for the reprint from Alaska State Museums Concepts, Technical Paper Number 5, November 1991: “Symbols of Russian America—Imperial Crests and Possession Plates in North America.” They have a brochure on the Bishop’s House and a general one on the Sitka Historical Park (Sitka—Official Map and Guide). It includes background on the Tlingits and Russians, with a full color photo of the double-headed eagle crest and a painting of the 1802 Tlingit rebellion.

There have been many articles in magazines and newspapers about the plight of wild salmon, threatened by the “big business” of salmon farming, habitat loss, and other factors. Research “salmon farming” or “farmed salmon” on the internet to get started. Be sure to also research “Alaskan salmon—commercial fishing.” At the time of this writing, there is no salmon farming in Alaskan waters, so all salmon labeled “Alaskan salmon” are wild, and are regulated to protect their numbers. Virtually all “Atlantic salmon” available in grocery stores today are farmed, and the labeling should indicate that.

— Create an enlarged map of the area where this story takes place and follow Robbie’s journey, using colored pins or a small replica of the Storm Petrel that you can move around.

— Imagine that Robbie had kept a journal the entire time he was fishing with Tor. As you read the story, write what you think his entries might have been.

— Robbie and Tor were fishing for king salmon, one species of Pacific salmon. Learn more about all the different species of Pacific salmon and their life cycles. Come up with some interesting ways to present this information: make a poster, create a power point presentation, make a collage with pictures, etc.

— Re-read chapters nine and ten of the story, then discuss what might have happened had Rezanov lived and returned to marry Concha. How might the history, and the map, of western America turned out differently? You might also try writing your own short stories about Rezanov and Concha, perhaps with some different endings.

— Robbie’s family lived “away from the power grid,” generating small amounts of electricity for their own use. Tor referred to them (p.24) as “a subsistence family.” What would it be like to live this way? How would it differ from students’ own lives? Discuss pros and cons of the life Robbie’s family has chosen.

— Research salmon farming and its impact on wild salmon populations. Debate pros and cons. Try to think of ways to solve existing problems.

ABOUT WILL HOBBS:
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WILL HOBBS is the author of seventeen novels for upper elementary, middle school and young adult readers, as well as two picture book stories. Seven of his novels, Bearstone, Downriver, The Big Wander, Beardance, Far North, The Maze, and Jason's Gold, were named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. ALA also named Far North and Downriver to their list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of the Twentieth Centrury. Ghost Canoe received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in l998 for Best Young Adult Mystery.

In outdoor stories that appeal to both boys and girls, Hobbs has readers discovering wild places, sharing adventures with people from varied backgrounds, and exploring how to make important choices in their own lives. A graduate of Stanford University and former reading and language arts teacher, Will has been a full-time writer since l990. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.

Will's books have won many other awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, the Colorado Book Award, and nominations to state award lists in over thirty states.

NOVELS: Changes in Latitudes (1988), Bearstone (l989), Downriver (l991), The Big Wander (l992), Beardance (l993), Kokopelli's Flute (l995), Far North (l996), Ghost Canoe (l997), River Thunder (l997), The Maze (l998), Jason's Gold (l999), Down the Yukon (2001), Wild Man Island (2002), Jackie's Wild Seattle (2003), Leaving Protection (2004), Crossing the Wire (2006), Go Big or Go Home (2008)

PICTURE BOOKS: Beardream (l997), Howling Hill (l998)