Winter Thunder by Mari Sandoz

Author backround:

Mari Sandoz was born in the Sandhills of Nebraska in 1896.  Her books are all about the settlers and the Native peoples of Nebraska.  She is best known for the biography she wrote about her father, Old Jules.  This novella is based on an incident in which her niece and pupils were stranded in a snowstorm.

Discussion questions:

1. What voice did Lecia hear in her head giving her advice about how to survive the storm?  What advice did it give her?
2. In what way was Chuck helpful?  How did he cause problems for Lecia?
3. What was the most important thing that the group had that helped them survive?
4. Could they have survived without Lecia?  How did Lecia show leadership?
5. How did the children change over the course of their ordeal?
6. How did the children's personalities and clothing determine how well they fared?
7. How would the children's experiences affect their life later?  How would you be affected by an experience like that?

Activities:

1. Using the description on page 24 and 25 draw a picture of what you think the shelter looked like.
2. Have each group member pretend that he or she was stranded in a snowstorm on a normal school day.  On a small sheet of paper have each person write what he or she would have in his or her backpack (parents can use their purse or pockets) that would help the group to survive.  Put all of the papers together and decide if your group would have enough things to survive.
3. The cover of the book is very interesting.  Have the group redesign the cover.