Chapters 1 and 2 Summary

This novel for young people is the story of a group of schoolchildren in Colorado in the 1920s who take matters into their own hands and educate themselves when their school is temporarily closed. As fourteen-year-old temporary teacher Ida and her fellow students struggle to keep their secret and continue their education, the narrative also explores issues relating to the power of perseverance and the importance of self-reliance.

Chapter 1 - "On a cool Monday morning in early April, 1925", Ida drives her family's Model T Ford to school, her little brother Felix working the various pedals on the car's floor. When she and Felix get out of the car, they meet their fellow classmates, and in particular Ida's best friend Tom, the only other eighth grader besides Ida in the one room schoolhouse. Conversation between Ida and her classmates reveals that Mr...