By: Grace Book By: Avi Illustrated By: Brian Floca Poppy By: Grace Book By: Avi Illustrated By: Brian Floca

Chapter 1 Mr. Ocax One day, two mice named Poppy and Ragweed, go on Bannock hill to dance. They don’t notice Mr. Ocax (the owl). Mr. Ocax was looking nervously over at new house. At that moment, Mr. Ocax turns around and sees them. Mr. Ocax swoops down to get both of them and eat them. He grabs Ragweed, earring and all, and kills him instantly. He tries to get Poppy too but she jumps out of the way and he only scrapes the tip of her nose. Then he flies back, off to his tree. Poppy keels over in pain. Then she faints. Poppy's dad did warn them before they left but Ragweed wasn’t careful. Ragweed! Come back! Mr. Ocax is behind you! Girl, you just want my hazelnut!

Chapter 2 Poppy Remembers Poppy remembered exactly when her dad had reminded them to be careful and to watch out for all kinds of animals including porcupines. Ragweed had been very curious about the animals. He had asked many Questions. She remembered when Lungwort (her dad) had told them to ask permission. She remembered when Ragweed had denied it when Lungwort could not hear them. She remembered everything there on Bannock hill.

Chapter 3 Poppy Alone Poppy, still in the safety of the log, looked around for a place to hide. She saw a rock. At that moment, Mr. Ocax was flying around the log way up high. She ran for the rock. Mr. Ocax dived for her. She reached the rock just in time. Mr. Ocax flew back to his tree and puked up an owl pellet followed by Ragweed's earring. Just then Poppy reached the hole she wanted to get to and jumped in. She checked farmer Lamouts old house where her family lived and saw the red flag up. That meant there was an Emergency meeting.

Chapter 4 The Emergency Meeting Poppy ran inside the house to see what was going on. Everyone started asking Poppy where Ragweed was. Poppy told them she would tell them afterward. Lungwort begins again. He started talking about how the mice family was to big and they needed more food. Just then Basil (one of her friends) comes and stands beside her. Lungwort tells everyone they will have to ask permission to move. Lungwort decides to bring Poppy to ask permission from Mr. Ocax. Lungwort ends his speech. Lungwort takes Poppy to somewhere private and Poppy releases the truth about Ragweed. Poppy starts to cry. Lungwort gets very mad and they start fighting. Lungwort tells Poppy to tell all the other family members as a lesson.

Chapter 5 Leaving Gray House As Poppy tells her family members, she realizes some of her them are actually happy about what happened to Ragweed. Everyone is exited and gets ready for when Lungwort and Poppy leave to ask permission. Poppy is very nervous. They leave and it starts to rain. Poppy and Lungwort are frightened. They finally reach Mr. Ocax’s watching tree and he is perched on it.

Chapter 6 Standing Before Mr. Ocax Mr. Ocax notices Poppy standing beside Lungwort and is very surprised. Lungwort starts his speech and Poppy looks around. She spies Ragweed's earring in a pellet pile. Lungwort finally finishes his speech. Mr. Ocax thinks about it and then says no. Lungwort is very confused. They start leaving and Lungwort starts crying. Poppy peeks in her hands and there is Ragweed’s earring.

Chapter 7 Home Again Lungwort and Poppy finally reach home. A cheer starts. A second later everyone notices there sad faces. Poppy tells them what happened. Basil taps her on the back and takes her somewhere private. Poppy tells Basil exactly what happened. Poppy cant fall asleep. Then she realizes that he didn’t let them go because maybe he had something hidden there. Poppy finally falls asleep.

Chapter 8 Poppy and Papa Poppy wakes up early the next day. She decides to tell Lungwort about her idea. She walks toward his bed. Then she tells about it. Lungwort thinks about it for a very long time. Then he says “Poppy? Watch out for porcupines!”

Chapter 9 On Her Way The next day, Poppy starts on her way but Mr. Ocax is still awake. Poppy has to cross a stream but she has a plan to jump from rock to rock. She has to change plans because the turtle moved. She slips and fall in the water. She yells for help but Mr. Ocax is the only one who hears her. Mr. Ocax dives for her but she gets washed away in the current. A few minutes later she is thrown up onto the ground and landed right next to Mr. Ocax’s watching tree.

Chapter 10 Dimwood Forest She gets up and runs to the nearest rock. Mr. Ocax is flying back to his watching tree. Mr. Ocax falls asleep at his tree. Poppy starts on her way again. She spots a fox and dashes off to the nearest hiding place, a log. She dives into the log. Then she realizes that she is in an animals home. She is trapped.

Chapter 11 Erethizon Dorsatum The animals finally spots her. They talk but Poppy is still terrified. “By the way, the names Erethizon Dorsatum but everyone calls me Ereth.” the porcupine finally says. Then Ereth goes to shoo the fox away. Taking her chance, Poppy runs the other way, it gets to dark and stinky to move any farther. Eventually, Ereth catches up with Poppy. When he gets there he asks, “Poppy, why the devil are you hiding in my toilet?”

Chapter 12 What Poppy Learns Poppy, still terrified, thinks Ereth is going to kill her. It turns out, Ereth is a vegetarian. Ereth says Mr. Ocax is the one who is scared of porcupines. Later, Poppy tells Ereth what has happened and why she set off and in return Ereth tells Poppy that he once had a family and that he loves salt and he has been trying to get this salt lick at new house but he can’t climb up the pole to get it.

Chapter 13 Early Morning That morning, Poppy wakes up and is wondering were Ereth is. Then she notices she is hungry. Poppy walks outside the log looking for food. Then she notices Mr. Ocax and runs back inside. Ereth finally returns. Poppy tells him if he goes with her to new house she will get the salt lick for him. Ereth already agreeing starts on his way.

Chapter 14 On The Way To New House Poppy runs to catch up with Ereth. They don’t realize, but Mr. Ocax is following them. Ereth threatens him with his quills and Mr. Ocax flies off. They finally reach New House. Ereth points out the salt lick. Then Ereth leaves. Poppy spots an owl twice the size of Mr. Ocax.

Chapter 15 Alone Again Ereth starts to walk away. Then Poppy trips over one of his quills. When she looks back up, Ereth is gone. She makes a belt and tuck the quill in. Then she settles for the night and falls asleep quickly.

Chapter 16 The Truth At Last Poppy wakes up and to see a cat coming outside. Then she sees a boy come out of the door. The owl is motionless. Poppy is hit by a thought. What if the owl is a fake? She decides to talk to the cat. She asks about the owl. The cat tells her the owl is a fake. She goes back and falls asleep again.

Chapter 17 A Surprising Conversation Poppy wakes up. She spies Mr. Ocax on a tree. Poppy, so tempted to tease him, calls out his name. She starts talking to him but he can’t see her. Mr. Ocax convinced her she had to come out into the open so eh could see her. She walks out. Mr. Ocax is gone. What? Who are you? Where are you? Who’s talking? Mr. Ocax!...... Mr. Ocax!!..... Mr. Ocax!!!....

Sometimes I wonder why I bother to protect you….. Chapter 18 The Battle Ragweed's earring saves her. She feels it move and whirls around just in time to see Mr. Ocax diving toward her and jump out of the way. Then she tells him what she found out from Ereth. He is so surprised but then he gets mad. Poppy and Mr. Ocax start fighting. Poppy finally sticks Ereth’s quill in his foot. She holds on tight. Mr. Ocax lifts off the ground. She finally lets go of the quill. Mr. Ocax flies toward the salt lick and finally smashes into it. He lays still on the ground and she creeps her way toward him calling his name. His head finally turns slightly. “Sometimes I wonder why I bother to protect you” he says. Poppy then knew he was no longer alive. Sometimes I wonder why I bother to protect you….. Mr. Ocax?.... Mr. Ocax?

Chapter 19 The Return Poppy starts on her way back to Ereth’s log. She tells Ereth what happened but when she reached the part when the salt lick flies everywhere he starts running to New House. She walks inside the log and takes a nap. Ereth returns and she starts back home. When she gets there she raises one of Mr. Ocax’s feathers that she picked up earlier and says “Mr. Ocax is dead and there is plenty of food at new house.”

Chapter 20 A New Beginning A few years later, Poppy, Rye (her husband), and there litter of eleven went to Bannock hill. Poppy hung Ragweed's earring on the top branch of the hazelnut tree and told her kids, “Now you can dance how ever you want, as long as you dance.” So, using the moonlight as there light, The whole family started dancing.

Conclusion I thought this book was very good. My favorite part was when she meets Ereth and I think the saddest part is when Ragweed dies in the beginning. I loved this book and I give it 5 stars.