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Walk Two MoonsNovel by Sharon Creech

Flashcards for Walk Two Moons

54 cards · 14 characters · 9 key quotes · 6 symbols · 10 literary devices · 15 vocabulary. Nothing is saved and nothing is asked for — close the tab and the deck resets.

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Characters · 14

  1. Ben Finney

    Ben Finney is a warm and perceptive classmate of Sal and Phoebe at Euclid's Bybanks school, providing a gentle romantic counterpoint to the novel's heavy emotional themes.

    character

  2. Chanhassen (Sugar) Hiddle

    Chanhassen "Sugar" Hiddle is Salamanca's mother and one of the most emotionally significant characters in the novel, even though she never appears alive in the story's present timeline.

    character

  3. Gram (Grandma Hiddle)

    Gram (Grandma Hiddle) is Sal's paternal grandmother and one of the two narrators of the road-trip frame story in Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.

    character

  4. Gramps (Grandpa Hiddle)

    Gramps (Grandpa Hiddle) is Sal's paternal grandfather and one of the two narrators framing the road trip in Walk Two Moons.

    character

  5. John Hiddle (Sal's Father)

    John Hiddle is Sal's father, who is quietly grieving and whose choices shape the novel's core displacement and emotional journey.

    character

  6. Margaret Cadaver

    Margaret Cadaver is a red-haired widow and nurse living across the street from the Winterbottoms in Euclid, Ohio.

    character

  7. Mary Lou Finney

    Mary Lou Finney is a secondary yet relatable character in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, primarily serving as Phoebe Winterbottom's best friend and, by extension, a familiar figure in Sal's social circle in Euclid.

    character

  8. Mike Bickle (the Lunatic)

    Mike Bickle, known as "the Lunatic" by Phoebe Winterbottom, shows up unexpectedly at the Winterbottom home early in the novel, asking for Mrs. Winterbottom and unsettling everyone inside.

    character

  9. Mr. Birkway

    Mr. Birkway is Sal and Phoebe's dynamic and unconventional English teacher at Euclid's Latham Junior High, playing a key role in their intellectual and emotional growth throughout the novel.

    character

  10. Mrs. Winterbottom

    Mrs. Winterbottom is Phoebe's mother and plays a secondary yet thematically important role in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons.

    character

  11. Mr. Winterbottom

    Mr. Winterbottom is Phoebe's father and a minor yet symbolically important character in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons.

    character

  12. Phoebe Winterbottom

    Phoebe Winterbottom is Salamanca Hiddle's best friend in Euclid, Ohio, and plays a dual role as both a comic foil and a narrative mirror throughout Walk Two Moons.

    character

  13. Prudence Winterbottom

    Prudence Winterbottom is Phoebe's older teenage sister in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons.

    character

  14. Salamanca Tree Hiddle

    Salamanca Tree Hiddle, or Sal, is the thirteen-year-old narrator and main character of Walk Two Moons.

    character

Key quotes · 9

  1. “You can't keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.”

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons (1994), this proverb is shared by Gram (Gram Hiddle), Salamanca Tree Hiddle's warm and whimsical grandmother, during the cross-country road trip she and Gramps take with Sal to trace the route of Sal's missing mother.

    Gram (Gram Hiddle)

  2. “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, this proverb is one of many "messages" that thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle encounters during her cross-country road trip with her grandparents.

    Salamanca Tree Hiddle (quoting her mother Sugar's written messages)

  3. “Everywhere I go, I am looking out the window. I am looking for my mother.”

    This line is spoken by Salamanca Tree Hiddle, the thirteen-year-old narrator and protagonist of Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons (1994).

    Salamanca Tree Hiddle (Sal)

  4. “I am not afraid of dying. I am afraid of not living.”

    This powerful line is spoken by Chanhassen "Sugar" Hiddle, Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother, in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons.

    Chanhassen 'Sugar' Hiddle (Sal's mother)

  5. “Huzza, huzza.”

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, "Huzza, huzza" is a cheerful exclamation used by Gram and Gramps—especially by the kind-hearted Gram—expressing joy and wonder during their road trip with granddaughter Salamanca Tree Hiddle.

    Gram (Gram Hiddle)

  6. “A person isn't a bird. You can't cage a person.”

    This line is delivered by Salamanca Tree Hiddle (Sal) in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons.

    Salamanca Tree Hiddle (Sal)

  7. “Everyone has his own agenda.”

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, Phoebe Winterbottom's father, Mr. Winterbottom, expresses this line as the family grapples with the mysterious notes appearing on their doorstep and the unusual behavior of those around them.

    Mr. Winterbottom

  8. “In the course of a lifetime, what does it matter?”

    This quietly profound line appears in Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons (1994) and is spoken by Gram (Gram Hiddle), Sal's warm and adventurous grandmother, during the cross-country road trip she and Gramps take with thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle.

    Gram (Gram Hiddle)

  9. “Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins.”

    This saying, reminiscent of a proverb, is the thematic core of Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons (1994), a Newbery Medal-winning young adult novel.

    Gram (Salamanca's grandmother); also appears as an anonymous note

Symbols · 6

  1. Blackberries

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, blackberries reflect Salamanca Tree Hiddle's complex, bittersweet bond with her mother, Chanhassen.

  2. Native American Heritage

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, Native American heritage reflects a sense of belonging, spiritual insight, and the fundamental human desire to connect with something greater than ourselves.

  3. The Moon

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, the moon represents the complex, bittersweet bond between Salamanca Tree Hiddle and her mother, who is not there.

  4. The Rhododendron

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, the rhododendron bush outside Sal's old farmhouse in Bybanks, Kentucky, represents her mother, Chanhassen "Sugar" Hiddle, and their lasting connection.

  5. The Road Trip

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, Sal's road trip with her grandparents from Ohio to Idaho reflects her painful yet essential journey toward acceptance and self-discovery.

  6. The Singing Tree

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, the singing tree — a tall elm whose leaves rustle and hum in the wind — symbolizes the lasting spiritual presence of those we've lost.

Literary devices · 10

  1. Unreliable Narrator

    In Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech constructs the emotional core of the story around Salamanca Tree Hiddle's unreliable narration.

  2. Flashback

    In Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech crafts the novel through a nested flashback structure: thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle tells her grandparents the story of Phoebe Winterbottom during a cross-country road trip, but this tale itself reflects events from months prior.

  3. Imagery

    In Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech uses vivid sensory imagery to connect Salamanca Tree Hiddle's emotional journey to the tangible world, making her experiences of grief and longing feel physical instead of abstract.

  4. Foreshadowing

    In Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech skillfully integrates foreshadowing into Salamanca's road-trip narrative, making the novel's heart-wrenching conclusion both surprising and inevitable upon re-reading.

  5. Irony

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, irony is most striking in the disparity between what thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle believes and what the reader slowly comes to realize.

  6. Personification

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, personification subtly shapes how thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle experiences loss and her connection to nature.

  7. Simile

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, simile is one of Salamanca Tree Hiddle's most natural ways of processing loss and longing.

  8. Motif

    In Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech intricately layers the journey motif throughout the novel.

  9. Symbolism

    In Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, the moon serves as the novel's central symbol, connecting Salamanca's sorrow regarding her mother to the natural rhythms of loss and renewal.

  10. Frame Narrative

    In Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech constructs the novel as a frame narrative: thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle recounts the story of her friend Phoebe Winterbottom to her grandparents during a road trip from Ohio to Idaho.

Vocabulary · 15

  1. chickabiddy

    A term of endearment used by grandparents or older relatives for a young child, similar to 'little one' or 'sweetheart.' In this text it is Gram's affectionate nickname for Sal.

    noun · Chapter 2

  2. huzza

    An old-fashioned exclamation of joy or triumph, like 'hurray' or 'hooray.' In this text it is used as a celebratory shout.

    Chapter 10

  3. ornery

    Stubborn, difficult, and bad-tempered by nature. Used in this text to describe a person or animal that is contrary and hard to deal with.

    adjective · Chapter 7

  4. lunatic

    A person considered wildly irrational or mentally unstable. In this text it is used informally to label someone whose behavior seems dangerously unpredictable.

    noun · Chapter 8

  5. rhododendron

    A flowering shrub with large, showy blooms that grows in clusters. In this text it carries emotional significance connected to Sal's mother and her departure.

    noun · Chapter 14

  6. Badlands

    A rugged, eroded landscape of rocky hills and gullies in the American West. In this text the term refers to the dramatic, unsettling terrain the family drives through on their road trip.

    noun · Chapter 23

  7. salamander

    A small, smooth-skinned amphibian resembling a lizard that lives near water. In this text it is connected to Sal's name and her family's rural, nature-close way of life.

    noun · Chapter 1

  8. marriage bed

    The bed shared by a married couple, used here as a symbol of the intimate bond and loss between Sal's parents. It carries emotional rather than merely literal meaning.

    phrase · Chapter 12

  9. potential

    The capacity or ability to develop, grow, or achieve something in the future. In this text it is used in a school or personal-growth context to describe what someone might become.

    noun · Chapter 22

  10. damsel

    A young woman, especially one in need of rescue or help. Used here in the old-fashioned phrase 'damsel in distress' to describe a girl or woman in a helpless or vulnerable situation.

    noun · Chapter 5

  11. in the course of a lifetime

    Over the full span of a person's life; used to suggest that certain experiences or changes happen gradually and inevitably as time passes.

    phrase · Chapter 17

  12. bybanks

    A small, rural community or settlement along a riverbank or back road. In this text it is the name of Sal's home community in Kentucky, evoking a quiet, old-fashioned country life.

    noun · Chapter 3

  13. souls

    The inner spiritual or emotional essence of a person, distinct from the body. In this text the word is used to explore deep personal identity and what makes each person who they are.

    noun · Chapter 21

  14. homecoming

    The act of returning to one's home or place of origin, often after a long or difficult absence. In this text it carries both a literal and deeply emotional meaning tied to loss and longing.

    noun · Chapter 24

  15. distress

    A state of great pain, danger, or suffering. Used in this text to describe emotional or physical hardship experienced by a character.

    noun · Chapter 5