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Maroo wakes hungry and anticipates the arrival of the hunters. When the hunters come back with little food, the family decides to migrate to the sea. The family must overcome the harsh environment and may not make it to the winter caves in time.

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The setting in the book was the last ice age.  The story takes place in the South of France.

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Maroo: Maroo is the main character of the story.  She is in her teens.  Her traits are that she is brave and will do anything to help her family.

Otak: Otak's place in the story is that he is Maroo’s younger brother.  He is about 10 years old.  His traits are that he is stubborn, will go out of his way to prove someone wrong, and dreams about becoming a hunter.

Old Mother (aka Irimgadu):  Old Mother is the oldest and the wisest person in the story.  She is about 60-70 years old.  Her real name is Irimgadu, named after the brightest star in the sky.  Her traits are that she is always giving away good advice, and always puts tribe in front of herself.

Rivo: Rivo is one of the most important characters in the book.  He was found an injured, lonely puppy next to his dead mother when Maroo and Otak found him.  He turns into a domesticated dog when Maroo and Otak adopt him.

Tikek:  Tikek is Maroo’s, Otak’s, and Namai’s mother.  She gave birth to baby Arag at the sea.

Areg: Areg is Maroo’s, Otak’s, Namai’s, and baby Areg’s father.  He is the best hunter in the group. He is also the best drummer in the group.  And then dies later in the book by falling off a cliff while hunting an ibex with his brother, Vorka

Vorka:  Vorka is Arag’s brother, Maroo’s, Otak’s, Namai’s, and baby Arag’s uncle.  He is constantly outshined by his older brother, Areg.  And then falls into a    crevasse and breaks his arm while hunting an ibex with his brother, Areg.

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Their main problem is getting trapped in a blizzard in the Great Plains with little food and water.  They might not make it to the Winter Caves in time.  Old Mother decides to send Maroo, and Otak and Rivo pass the White Mountains to go find help.

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1. Maroo and Otak find a stray puppy, Rivo, with an injured paw beside his dead mother.  Maroo and Otak decide to bring the puppy with them back to the camp.

2. Maroo's family decides to go to the sea.  That is where Tikek has her baby and Areg

3. Areg and Vorka go and try to kill the ibex they saw.  Areg sadly falls off the cliff and dies while hunting the ibex.  Vorka falls into a crevasse and breaks his arm while hunting the ibex.

4. Maroo’s family makes their way to the Winter Caves.  But gets stuck in a blizzard in the Great Plains

5.  Maroo’s family decides to build a snowhouse.  Then Old Mother decides to send  Maroo, Otak, and Rivo past the White Mountains to go find help.

6. After Maroo steals Otak’s spear, Maroo finds Otak and Rivo missing in the morning.  Maroo decides to leave without Otak.

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Maroo made her way up the mountain and she saw in utter terror.  A lion.  Maroo knew this was the mountain spirit.  As she reached inside her backpack, she grasped a torch.  As the lion looked at her with hunting eyes, she carefully started blowing at the torch until the fire was awake.  The lion was preparing to launch, and Maroo braced her torch.  She stood her ground as the lion came running up to her.  Maroo whips the torch in the lion’s face!  The lion snarled, tossing its head and showing its long, wicked teeth.  Maroo came closer, she swung the torch again.

The lion whipped its paw at Maroo.  She jumped away just in time.  One swipe from those paws, she would never get up again.  The lion took its chance again, seeing her hesitation, and leaped at her.  Maroo pushed the blazing torch into its face.  The lion, howling in pain and rage, backed away.  Maroo showed no weakness or the mountain would defeat her.  Slowly the lion started backing away.  It crawled backward until it reached where the path opened out into a rock-scattered mountainside, and before long, disappeared among the high rocks.  Maroo, with her legs weak, dropped to the ground.  Putting out the torch, she sobbed with relief.  She had won.  She had defeated the mountain spirit.

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1. Maroo fell asleep and woke to the sound of a bird song.  She stood up and shouted for joy.

2. She started to walk down the mountain, she saw more of the camp.  The flint workshops, the smoke rooms, where the deer carcasses hung, the people moving between the tents.

3. Although Maroo was exhausted she ran eagerly down the mountain into the heart of the gathering.

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In the end, young men tried searching for Otak on the lower slopes but were unsuccessful.  Maroo wanted to go higher but the elders forbade it.  The mountain spirits had taken Otak they said.  One life was enough, but Maroo still had hope.  Several young men from all the tribes went off to find the snow house in the plains.  Maroo was way too tired to walk, so she had been pulled on a sledge so she could show them where the family was.  It took them 2 days to get to the snow house.  Fortunately, they have found the family hungry, but alive.  After they were good to travel, they were pulled on sledges back to the camp.  They got to the camp after 4 days.  People were coming up to them, drums started playing, and Keriatek and Sovi made an offering to the Earth Mother for their delivery.  Sadly, Otak wasn’t there, but his spirit was.  People were celebrating.  Women began cooking meat, dripping with fat.  But Maroo was still thinking about Rivo and Otak.  The idea of Otak and Rivo freezing on the mountain frightened her deeply.  The guilt and her idea of never seeing them again made her start crying and she couldn’t eat.  The feast went on all night.  Maroo was way too hungry to eat just a little, she soon became aware the songs were being sung in her honor.  She was now known in all 4 tribes: the girl who crossed the White Mountain and survived.

Soon, the Blue Lake hunter’s dog was barking frantically at something in the dark.  The man returns with 2 dogs.  Maroo recognized the dog and shouted, “Rivo!”  Maroo, patting the rough fur, said “Where is Otak?”  Then she saw him.  Maroo came running up to him and hugged him tight.  Otak said quietly, “I’m cold” before passing out.  People were crowded around him.  After Otak woke, he told everyone how he got lost in the blizzard, fell, and sprained his ankle.  Not being able to use his leg he took shelter in a small cave with only Rivo there to keep him warm, occasionally shouting for help and hoping Maroo would hear him.  Maroo chimed in that he should have sent Rivo after her. Otak replied he did, but Rivo perhaps didn’t understand or Maroo had already gone.  Rivo came back with lemming and we shared the food.  Rivo hunted all the food until Otak could walk again.  He also helped me find the camp.  Otak shared that Rivo is a good dog and would have died without him.  Maroo saw that the old men, Keriatek and Sovi, were listening in.  Two men murmured together.  They had decided the Rivo was coming with them to the Winter Caves.  Maroo and Otak were ecstatic. Most of the camp was leaving.  The tents were rolled up, the last fires stamped out, and the tent poles and deer carcasses piled onto sledges, they were ready to go.  And while Maroo and Otak were on the trail, heading to the Winter Caves, Rivo trotted beside them.

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I think the theme of this book is about being grateful for what you have.   In the story, Maroo’s family has to walk everywhere, but for me, I have a car or even a bike to take me anywhere I like.  I couldn’t even imagine how tiring and hurtful that would be.  Next is not knowing when your meal is.  Maroo's family has to hunt and gather their food and sometimes, they are unsuccessful.  That means they have no more food for a long time until they have something else to eat.  I can just drive to the grocery for my food.  Another thing is not having a roof over your head.  In the book, Maroo’s family is semi-nomadic which means they are never in one place for a very long time.  Some things their in a small cave or a snow house in a blizzard.  I'm just chilling in a house in a neighborhood.