STAGE

The Year of Sharing

2 Harry Gilbert

Introduction

This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only

and should not be given to students.

The story
A twelve-year-old boy called Richard is telling the
story. He is about to leave the village where he and
his family live, to do his Year of Sharing. This is a duty
that all young people of his age have to do. They are
sent to live among wild animals, to learn more about
non-human ways of life and to develop their own
Background to the story
characters. It can be a dangerous time, and half of
The story is set in an environment-friendly future
the young people never return. We learn that Richard
world, five hundred years from now, where there
is dissatisfied with his family and his present life, and
are no cars, only bicycles, no large towns, only quiet
with the safe, clean living conditions of his world. He
villages, and no dirty factories, only green forests.
is fascinated by the past – its dirty factories, its fast
Normally people are not allowed to leave their walled
cars, its unhealthy lifestyle. He is also proud of being
villages, but for one year of their lives they are sent
the best at school, and wants to show that he can be
out to learn more about the outside world. There are
the best among the animals as well. However, he is
many things that wild animals, living freely in the great
disappointed to discover that he has been sent to a
forests, can teach people, and so every twelve-year-
family of deer, and he has some difficulty in adapting
old is sent to live in a family of wild animals for a year.
to their way of life. He learns to drink the mother deer’s
This is called the Year of Sharing. A suitable animal is
milk, play with the baby deer, find roots in the ground
chosen, and a doctor gives the child the correct animal
to eat, and make clothes out of leaves to keep himself
smell, so that the animals accept him or her as part
warm in the forest. All the time the deer are teaching
of their family. A recorder is implanted in the child’s
him to listen, smell, and look out for danger. When a
nose, to record everything he or she says, as well as
wolf appears, Richard makes a serious mistake. He
any sounds nearby. If the child returns, this account
thinks he can fight it with a stick and some stones,
will be transcribed and put into book form, as a record
but he nearly dies, and can only save himself by
of the year’s experiences. The Year of Sharing is an
staying up in a tree all night. When he finds the deer
educational experience, which aims to teach young
family again after this, he realizes he loves them more
people that humans have to share the world with
than his human family. He makes weapons to protect
other animals.
himself and the deer from the wolves, who are now
a constant threat. When the baby deer is injured, he Before reading
cares for her and protects her from the wolves. He
Here are some ways to help your students approach
manages to kill a wolf, but that makes life even more
the story:
dangerous, because the other wolves want to find the
1 Give students the title of the book and show them
killer. In the end he decides to save the deer family by
the picture on the cover. Ask them to try and guess
leading the wolves away from them. He runs as fast
what kind of story it is.
as he can, only just ahead of the wolves, and climbs a
2 Ask the students to read the text on the back cover
high rock. There he sits high up, looking down at the
of the book, and the story introduction on the first
hungry, howling animals. Soon it will be dark, and he
page. Then ask them a few questions about the
feels very tired.
story, or use the Before Reading Activities in the
Richard’s parents finish the story. The recorder he
back of each Bookworm.
was wearing was found at the bottom of the rock, but
3 Use the pre-reading activity in this worksheet.
there was no sign of Richard. No one knows what
4 If there is a recording of this title, play the first few
happened to him.
pages and stop at an interesting point.

168
 STAGE
The Year of Sharing
2 Pre-reading activity
Match the words with the pictures
1 4
3 a My legs couldn’t hold me up.
6 villages, and we can’t go out.
To the teacher
Aim: To familiarize students with the setting
Time: 15–20 minutes
Organization: Give one copy of the worksheet to
each student or each pair or group of students. Ask
the students to match the picture with the correct
caption. When they have done this, ask them:
169
7
b All three wolves ran straight at
me.
c I’ve put the stones on long
sticks to make spears.
d Now there are walls around our
e I’m lying with Baby next to
Mother.
f I was wet, cold, tired and
hungry all the time.
g There’s only Brother, me and the
wolf now.
h Half the village is at this party!
1 Do you think this story is in the past or the
future?
2 How does the boy feel about the deer?
3 What seems to be the greatest danger?
Key: 1e, 2a, 3c, 4h, 5b, 6f, 7g, 8d
© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE
 STAGE
The Year of Sharing
2 After reading activity

Snap! or Pelmanism

SET ONE

Year of Sharing They jump The recorder

A wolf His bicycle Nearly died

The doctor His antlers Dad

A spear Deer A stick

A wall Swam across a lake Cats and dogs

Soft ground Leaves Blood

Climbing trees A wild cat Swimming

At the bottom of a rock In spring How to share things

50% Very, very hungry

To the teacher

Aim: To revise events and key facts of the narrative
Time: 30–40 minutes
Organization: Make a pack of 52 cards by cutting
out and sticking each of the following words and
sentences on a piece of card. The pack consists of
two sets of 26 cards. The first set has characters,
actions or objects on the cards, and the second set
has complete sentences with information from the
story. The aim is for students to match up the two
sets of cards. The games are best played in groups of
three or four students; each group needs a complete
pack of 52 cards.
For SNAP! give the players equal numbers of
cards, face down. Each player in turn lays one of their
cards, face up, on a pile in the centre of the table. If
two corresponding cards are put down, one after the
other, the player who realizes it first shouts ‘Snap!’
and can pick up the whole pile of cards in the centre.
Play continues until one player holds all the cards and
is therefore the winner.
For PELMANISM, put all the cards face down on
the table, either in parallel rows (this makes it much
easier!) or at different angles to each other. Each
player turns over two cards at a time. If the cards are
a matching pair, that player keeps both cards, and has
another turn. If they do not match, they are turned
over again, and the next person has a turn. Players
try to remember where cards are, and the winner is
the one with the most pairs of cards at the end of
the game.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 170

STAGE
The Year of Sharing
2 After reading activity

Snap! or Pelmanism

SET TWO

People can’t leave their villages Deer DO THIS when

Deer are very good at THIS.
because of THIS. they are afraid.

Father sometimes hits the Richard did not take THIS to Richard made THIS
other deer with THESE. the goodbye party. to use as a weapon.

Richard and Baby DID THIS Richard climbed up the rocks

Richard.
to escape from the wolves. faster than THIS.

The recorder was Richard has to live with

THIS is in Richard’s nose.
found HERE. THESE animals for a year.

THIS is dangerous because

The wolves were following THIS is what all young people
wolves can see where the
THIS strong smell. have to do in the story.
deer have gone.

HE checks that Richard’s Richard’s mother thinks that THIS is what went deep
nose is all right. he learnt THIS in the end. inside Baby’s leg.

THESE are animals people

HE came to say goodbye THIS is when the Year of
used to keep in their houses,
at the party. Sharing usually begins.
as pets.

Deer don’t DO THIS, THIS animal is what the deer

Deer eat THESE.
but people do. are most afraid of.

Richard DID THIS when he Richard feels like THIS in his THIS number of young people
decided to fight the first wolf. first few days with the deer. die in their Year of Sharing.

171 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE