Miss Hickory
Bailey, Carolyn Sherwin
Readability: 8 and 9
Newbery Award Winner
Setting: New England Countryside
Main Character: A little old country lady whose body is an applewood twig and whose head is a hickory nut.

Whatever caused it, Miss Hickory began to cry. The tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks. There were so many tears that she had to use the ties that held her hat on to stop their flow. By this time, it was dark so no one saw her break down. All she could do was sob, "It isn't true! I won't move! Mr. Willard-Brown will tell me tomorrow that I only had a bad dream. "

This is a fanciful tale of an old lady made from an apple twig and a hickory nut. Her name is Miss Hickory. She has friends among the birds and animals of the woods, but often she is over- critical of their actions and makes some enemies. However, she finally learns to accept help from others just as she offers help and guidance to them.

Miss Hickory loses two of her homes, one to the chipmunk and the other to the robin. She finally locates her last home in the crotch of an old apple tree and there, becoming part of the old tree, offers new life and strength to it.

Questions:

1. What message could you learn from this story?


2. What did Miss Hickory want to be a bad dream?


3. Why did Miss Hickory miss much beauty in her surroundings and association with other people?


4. What did Miss Hickory do to the Apple tree?


5. How does Miss Hickory give strength and new life to the apple tree? How may you apply this idea to your life?