Walk Two Moons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Walk Two Moons

First edition
Author	Sharon Creech
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Young adult fiction
Publication date	June 12, 1994
Media type	Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages	185 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	0-06-023334-6
LC Class	PZ7.C8615 Wal 1994

Walk Two Moons is a popular book written by Sharon Creech. It was published in 1994 and won the important Newbery Medal award in 1995. Sharon Creech first planned this book to be a sequel to her earlier novel, Absolutely Normal Chaos. But she changed her mind once she started writing it.

Story Summary

The story is told by a 13-year-old girl named Salamanca, or Sal for short. Sal's mother has recently left her father. Because of this, Sal's grandparents are taking her on a long road trip. They are traveling across the country to Lewiston, Idaho to see her mother.

Sal really loves nature. She was very close to her mother before her mother left. During the trip, Sal tells her grandparents a story. It is about her friend, Phoebe Winterbottom, who lives in Euclid, Ohio. Phoebe's mother also suddenly disappeared, leaving her family. Sal also talks about Ben Finney, a boy she starts to like a lot.

As Sal tells Phoebe's story, she shares more details about Phoebe's life. She also starts to understand more about her own feelings. The more she talks about Phoebe, the more Sal realizes how different their situations are. This helps Sal understand her own family's situation better.

Main Ideas in the Book

Walk Two Moons explores many important ideas, also called themes. These themes include forming new friendships and dealing with sadness. The book also talks about love, loss, and understanding who you are. It looks at the roles of mothers and wives. It also shows how people deal with life's challenges. The story teaches us about misunderstandings and accepting what is real.

Sharon Creech used her own life experiences for many parts of the book. For example, Sal's love for nature comes from Creech's own background. The special bond Sal has with her mother is also a key part. The road trip to Idaho that frames the story is another idea from Creech's life.

Creech once said that the book's title came from a fortune cookie. The saying is: "Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins." This means you should try to understand someone else's life before you judge them.

Awards and Recognition

Walk Two Moons has won several awards. In 1995, it received the famous Newbery Medal. It also won the United Kingdom Reading Association Award that year. And it won the United Kingdom's Children's Book Award.

In 1996, the book was given the WH Smith Mind-Boggling Book Award. Then, in 1997, it won the Literaturhaus Award in Austria. It also received the Young Adult Sequoyah Award in the same year.