The Birchbark House

Prologue, Neebin (Summer): Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. The “Birchbark House” is Omakayas’s family’s summer home, which the women build. (Chapter 1)

2. In the Prologue, Tallow’s husband says she is both fearsome and courageous. (Prologue)

3. When Omakayas returns from the encounter with the bears, her mother promises her a special pair of shoes and Angeline uses one of her own ribbons to style Omakayas’s hair. (Chapter 3)

4. Deydey gives Omakayas her own scraping tool, which disappoints her. (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Readers may suspect Omakayas is the baby from the Prologue. (Prologue)

2. The mother bear doesn’t attack Omakayas because the bear senses no danger after smelling Omakayas. (Chapter 2)

3. Omakayas voluntarily helps to scrape the moose hide because she needs time to reflect on her encounter with the bear. (Chapter 3)

4. Based on the meeting with the mother bear and the scene babysitting Neewo, Omakayas seems to be able to communicate with those who do not speak her language, such as animals and babies. (Chapters 2-3)

Dagwaging (FALL): CHAPTERS 5–8

Reading Check

1. Andeg is a useful pet as he chases raccoons out of food storage and rids the winter house of mice.