Character Spotlight: Emma

by Kayla Aldrich, Read to Them staff

Hello, all! On this fine Monday, we’ll be kicking off our read of Cynthia Lord’s Because of the Rabbit. We can’t wait to dive into this book and hope you’re just as excited as we are! Now, for what you’ve been waiting for - let’s take a minute to meet our protagonist:

Emma

Name: Emma

Home: Emma lives in Maine, quite close to the United States and Canada border.

Family: Emma is the youngest of two children - she has an older brother named Owen that she loves very much. They live with their Mom and Dad, who is a game warden. Emma’s father is often tasked with rescuing animals or even fining people who disobey hunting laws.

Pets: Emma and her family have two golden retrievers, Molly and Maggie.

School: Tomorrow is a big day for Emma, as she’ll be starting the fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary School. She’s already nervous, but Emma’s always been homeschooled and she’s anxious that she won’t find her place among Lakeview’s other students.

Likes: Given that Emma’s father is a game warden, she sometimes accompanies him when animals are released back into the wild. Her favorite part of the process is the brief moment when an animal takes flight or their paws pound against the earth with nothing to contain them. When Emma was little, she loved to listen to her grandfather, Pépère, tell her stories about Monsieur Lapin aka Mister Rabbit. These stories were fun and unpredictable, and they left quite the impression on Emma’s heart, especially in the wake of her grandparents passing away. She has quite the fond memories of spending the summer in Quebec with them.

Dislikes: For a long time, Emma and Owen were both homeschooled, but Owen made the decision to go to public school the year previous. Emma feels that they are drifting apart and that they aren’t spending as much time together since Owen has filled his schedule with new friends and after-school activities. She misses him… even though he’s in the same house as her.

Notable Quote: “Anything is possible with rabbits.”

Ah, Emma! Keep your head up, friend - you have quite the journey ahead of you. In the meantime, we invite you to share photos with us of you and your family during the reading event on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking for a community to talk about all things Because of the Rabbit? Don’t forget to join Flipgrid to share your thoughts with your peers. Be well, all, and happy reading!