Talking about

HITCH

A novel of the New Deal, the CCC, and the young men who fought the Great Depression and made something good

This Cold Day Camp model was made by middle school students in St. Ignatius, MT., where HITCH was a One Book, One Community read. Other projects included cooking a Depression Era meal, setting up an army tent, learning about Civilian Conservation Corps work on farm land and in forests and parks, and hearing from people who once had New Deal jobs.

Discussion Questions

1. Moss Trawnley doesn't plan on getting fired from his job at the airport, but it gives him the freedom to join the CCC, an experience that changes his life. Have you ever had an experience where your life changed or you discovered something new about yourself because things didn't go as you had planned?

2. After Moss and his father spend the night in jail, the justice of the peace asks Moss if he wants to turn out like his dad. Why do you think Moss chooses not to follow in his father's footsteps? What might he have been thinking?

3. Some of the boys have lied about their ages so that they can get into the CCC. Do you think this is wrong? Why or why not?

4. Moss joins the CCC with no idea of what he'll find, or even where he will be going. What motivates him to make such a drastic decision?

5. In Montana, Moss discovers that he has a talent for deciphering complicated blueprints. What talents do you possess? How did you discover them?

6. When Major Garrett offers Moss the position of junior leader, Moss is flattered but also scared that he is too young for the job. What qualities do you think make a good leader?

7. After Moss goes against Compton's orders and uses the CCC bulldozers to help the townspeople get to their livestock following the big storm, Compton takes all of the credit for the idea. Why do you think Compton does this? What might he find threatening about Moss?

8. What do you think are the most important things that Moss learned during the time he spent at the Cold Day Camp? How do his experiences at the camp change his future?

HITCH by Jeanette Ingold

A NEA - ALA We the People Bookshelf Selection

The National Endowment for the Humanities in conjunction with the American Library Association annually identifies a theme important to our nation's heritage and selects books that embody that theme. This year’s, recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, is A More Perfect Union, and it includes HITCH as one of four selections for Grades 7 and 8.

http://www.neh.gov/wtp/bookshelf/MorePerfectUnion.html