Be sure to talk about where the book takes place and the time period too. What is the Woodlawn’s life on the Wisconsin prairie like? As a family, talk about how the setting relates to the plot.

The setting plays an important role throughout Caddie Woodlawn. What can you learn from Caddie and Indian John’s friendships? What do the white settlers think of Indian John and his people? What about Caddie and Johnny Woodlawn? What do they think of Indian John? As you talk about this, ask your child to find words and phrases that describe how Caddie interacts with Indian John and his people. Ask your child what he or she thinks about this relationship. One important theme in the book is the relationship between white settlers and the Native Americans. What is it like? How do they get along? How do you know? As you talk about this, ask, “How does the author help you to know that each is important to the other?” Encourage your child to use examples throughout the story. Talk about Caddie’s relationship with her father. Respond? Do you think they “used their heads?” Why or why not? As a family, talk about some of the mishaps the Woodlawn children experienced. On page 74 it says, “Pioneer children were always having mishaps, but they were expected to know how to use their heads in emergencies.” What are “mishaps” anyway? Ask your child to use another word they know to replace mishaps. Follow up with questions like “What do other characters think of Caddie? How do you know?” As you talk about this, ask your child to point to the places in the book that talk about what Caddie is like.

What kind of person is Caddie? Encourage him or her to pay attention to what the character says, does, and thinks. Here are some examples to get you started:

Caddie woodlawn caddie woodlawn