1. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Chapter Summaries
By Ms. Wilson’s
6th Grade Book Club

2. Chapter 1
Tony and Joel are best friends. They are trying to agree on something to do together. Joel wants to go swimming in the town’s pool. Tony wants to climb the dangerous bluffs at Starved Rock.
Joel asks his dad if they can ride their bikes out to the bluffs, and he says yes.
Joel is nervous about the trip and is upset that his dad says they can go.

3. Chapter 2
Tony and Joel ride their bikes out of town towards Starved Rock.
They ride on a bridge that goes over the Vermillion River. Joel keeps riding, but Tony stops to look at the river.
Tony has an idea: they shouldn’t ride to Starved Rock; they should swim in the Vermillion River instead.
Joel tries to convince Tony that swimming in the dirty river is a bad idea, but Tony doesn’t listen.

4. Chapter 3 Tony gets into the river first, and Joel slowly follows him.
Joel realizes the river’s current is strong, and tries to warn Tony, but Tony doesn’t seem worried.
Tony teases Joel about sounding too much like his dad, and Joel makes an angry comment about Tony’s dad.
Tony almost leaves the river to go to Starved Rock alone, but Joel challenges Tony to swim out to a sandbar in the river.
Tony accepts the challenge.

5. Chapter 4
Joel and Tony both start swimming toward the sandbar. Joel realizes that Tony is not a good swimmer.
Joel swims ahead and soon can not see Tony behind him anymore. He hears Tony’s loud splashing and breathing.
Joel reaches the sandbar first, and looks around for Tony. He calls out Tony’s name, but doesn’t see or hear Tony anywhere.
He hopes Tony is joking, but finally realizes that Tony definitely isn’t joking and must have gotten pulled under the water.