Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

Close Reading Organizer - Story: Part 1 (Chapter 3)

Directions: Read each summary entry and think about which themes listed in the Themes Key apply to it, then
color in those themes in the Theme Tracker. Next, write a few sentences of Analysis to explain how the themes
you chose apply to each summary section.

Themes Key
1 Cyclical Histories, Language, and Indigenous Oppression
2 Family and Coming of Age
3 Humans and Nature
4 Trauma, Identity, and Pride

Summary Theme Tracker Your Analysis

Returning to Story, Miig says that after

ten years of wars over water, world
leaders came to new agreements. The
Anishnaabe were spread out, alone, and
their home was gone. Because of the
earthquakes, rising sea levels, and
constant rain, half of the population died
1 2 3 4
—and the corpses made others sick.
Those who survived were unable to
reproduce naturally, families were torn
apart, and people stopped dreaming.
Miig stops before getting to the darkest
parts of Story and sends the children to
bed.

Frenchie is quiet for a moment and then 1 2 3 4

agrees to tell RiRi something about why
they're running. He says that years ago,
the world got sick with disease and
sadness. People stopped being able to
dream and saw their psychiatrists for
pills to help them sleep. Frenchie hears a
low whistle outside—the alarm—and
leaps up. Everyone else but Slopper is
around the fire. Miig motions to the east,
and Frenchie knows that they'll have to
fight if the intruder is dangerous. He
grabs a burning stick and steps back into
the bushes. Miig moves into the open,
and then Chi-Boy emerges holding a girl

1
Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

(Rose) by her forearm. She shouts and

glares at everyone, and Frenchie hopes
that she's not a cousin.

Close Reading Organizer - Magic Words (Chapter 4)

Directions: Read each summary entry and think about which themes listed in the Themes Key apply to it, then
color in those themes in the Theme Tracker. Next, write a few sentences of Analysis to explain how the themes
you chose apply to each summary section.

Themes Key
1 Cyclical Histories, Language, and Indigenous Oppression
2 Family and Coming of Age
3 Humans and Nature
4 Trauma, Identity, and Pride

Summary Theme Tracker Your Analysis

At the campsite, Miig gives the rabbits

to Wab to skin and cook. Rose sits down
next to Frenchie, and Frenchie says that
she feels bad for those that have to stay
in the campsite with Minerva, doing
"useless" things. Rose casually says that
being with Minerva is "nishin," which
she says is part of the language. Frenchie
is distraught: he feels somehow more
deserving of learning language than 1 2 3 4
Rose and pulls his braid out of his shirt
as though it proves this. Rose snaps that
Minerva knows the language, and those
who spend the day with her learn it.
Frenchie walks into the trees, feeling
ready to cry or scream. Miig calls him
back and before Frenchie falls asleep, he
repeats the word in his mind like a
prayer.

Frenchie dreams that he's in the pine 1 2 3 4

tree, unable to shout at Mitch down
below as six Recruiters surround him. As
Frenchie points at the Recruiters, Mitch
yells angrily for Frenchie to hang on.

2
Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

Frenchie wakes up drenched in sweat

when Zheegwon pokes him. Miig says
they need to leave and move quickly, so
others carry Minerva and RiRi's packs.
After an hour, Rose catches up to
Frenchie, says that nishin means "good,"
and says that she'll share Minerva's
lessons with him.