46 pages • 1 hour read
Peg KehretEarthquake Terror
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1996A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 8-10Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 8 Summary
Jonathan knows that trees float, so he decides to make a raft. He finds four young tree trunks and lines them up to make a platform large enough for Abby but realizes that there is no good way to tie the logs together. As he tries to think of a new idea, Abby wants to play school, and starts singing “the itsy-bitsy spider” (62) as she pretends to teach music class. Jonathan joins in to pacify Abby, but his mind is on their predicament, and he soon realizes that the floodwaters are already approaching.
Jonathan thinks quickly, telling Abby they need to sit on top of the giant redwood trunk. He tells Abby that they need to climb the tree roots “like rungs on a ladder” (65) and encourages Abby that he will be there to help her. He also patiently answers Abby’s questions about the floodwater while maintaining his sense of urgency that they climb the roots. While Abby holds onto the roots, Jonathan helps her place her feet and boosts her upward. The climbing process is slow for Abby, and Jonathan has a difficult time holding on while helping her. When Abby finally reaches the top of the roots, she gasps when she sees the flattened camper and reality hits her. She starts to cry for her doll, Raggedy, and moments later, an aftershock hits. The tree roots shift and then settle sharply, and Abby and Jonathan are both tossed to the ground. Both are uninjured but find themselves in an inch of water on the forest floor.
Chapter 9 Summary
Jonathan decides to use the same alder trees from the shelter and steps as “boats.” He makes it part of Abby’s pretend school game, saying that he will teach Abby to ride a tree. When Abby complains, Jonathan tries to explain that the island is flooding, and she will need a tree to stay afloat. He invites Abby to choose her tree and demonstrates how to hold on. Abby is somewhat distracted and decides to name her tree Charlotte and Jonathan’s tree Wilbur. She eventually complies with Jonathan’s instructions to lie down on the tree and hold on. When Abby asks for their mom and dad, Jonathan is honest with her, explaining that the bridge fell. She starts to sing “London bridge is falling down” (73), and Jonathan realizes how young she is and how little she understands the seriousness of their situation.
As the water continues to rise and their trees begin to float, Jonathan wonders how rescuers will find them if they start to float away from Magpie Island. Fear and uncertainty flood his mind as he wonders whether Abby will be able to hold on by herself or whether he should tie her with Moose’s leash. He finally decides to leave the leash on Moose just in case they float near enough to the shore for Abby to pull herself to safety. Jonathan calls Moose up to his tree and holds onto the dog and the leash with one hand, while holding onto Abby’s tree with his other hand. Abby is content on her tree at first, but as the sun sets, she gets scared, and Jonathan reminds her to cling to Charlotte (her tree) no matter what.
Chapter 10 Summary
As the water deepens, Jonathan realizes that they are floating west and guesses that the Tuscan River is carrying them toward the Pacific Ocean. If he’s right, then they will pass the towns of Beaverville and Kendra, and Jonathan hopes that someone will see them from shore as they pass by. When Abby tells him she has to go to the bathroom, Jonathan tells her to go in her pants and smiles at her shocked response. Jonathan sings to keep Abby calm as the water starts to flow faster.
Suddenly, a large tree hits Jonathan’s tree, and he loses his grip on Abby’s. Thinking quickly, he tosses Moose’s leash to Abby, and on the second try, she grabs it and they both hold onto the leash to stay together.
Once settled again, he teaches Abby a new song: “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the shelf” but changes the lyrics to “Ninety-nine Raggedy Anns on the shelf” (82). The moon rises, and shortly after, Jonathan realizes that they are passing Beaverville. He sees five fires burning and realizes that the town is on fire. He and Abby call for help together, but no one responds, and Jonathan considers trying to swim for shore with Moose. However, he can’t leave Abby floating alone; she might panic and fall off her log before he could get rescuers to come and find her. They try shouting again, but no one answers, and the town is soon behind them. When Abby complains of the cold, Jonathan fights his annoyance but soon has compassion for her, realizing that at her age, Abby cannot truly understand their situation. Jonathan hopes that when they eventually pass the town of Kendra, they will be closer enough to shore that someone will hear their calls for help.
Chapters 8-10 Analysis
Kehret creates a mood of urgency when the water starts to fill the forest floor much sooner than Jonathan anticipated. As the water pushes the tree trunks against one another, she uses the repetition of the onomatopoetic word “thud” to create an ominous mood, signaling that trouble is coming before revealing the nature of the new emergency. The pressing issue of the steadily rising floodwaters leaves Jonathan no time to think; he must take action immediately to save himself and his sister. Additional events such as nightfall and the close call of almost separating from Abby intensify the novel’s rising action and maintain a sense of urgency and excitement as the story progresses. In this way, Kehret shows that in any survival situation, fear and panic are the primary enemies of achieving safety and success. Jonathan recognizes this, especially for his young sister, and does all he can to keep her calm. He sings to Abby to take her mind off the water, knowing that she might let go of the log if she panics. He also works to keep himself calm, especially as darkness falls, because he knows he needs a clear mind to make good decisions for them both.
As Jonathan makes split-second decisions in response to the evolving emergency situation, Kehret captures the stress he feels and the many unanswered questions he has. In doing so, she develops the theme of Overcoming Fear and Uncertainty in Survival Situations. By telling the story from the third person limited point of view, she allows the reader to see Jonathan’s thoughts and gain an in-depth understanding of the uncertainty he feels as he weighs the pros and cons of his predicament. For instance, he is unsure of whether to use Moose’s leash to strap Abby to her tree or to keep Moose from floating away if he falls off the log. The many questions Jonathan asks himself in his mind show the difficulty of split-second decision-making and the immense responsibility that has been thrust upon him. Even though these decisions are difficult and are more than a boy of 12 should ever have to face alone, Kehret demonstrates that Jonathan is mature enough to tackle the challenge. He thinks quickly and reasonably and does his best to carefully consider several possibilities before committing to a single option.
Finally, Kehret subtly demonstrates The Power of Nature by showing Jonathan’s recognition that his and Abby’s circumstances are ultimately beyond their control. While his determination and action-oriented nature have gotten them this far, those traits can only accomplish so much when pitted against the implacable forces of nature—earthquakes and water and darkness—that dominate their current situation. No matter what the children prefer, the swiftly flowing water will carry them wherever it wants to, and Jonathan has no control over how far they drift or how quickly they move. In this way, Kehret emphasizes the sheer power that the forces of nature hold over human efforts.
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