Poppy

Avi

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1995

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapters 17-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Background

Series Context: Dimwood Forest

Poppy is the third book in the narrative sequence of the larger Dimwood Forest series, which chronicles Poppy’s life and those of her family and friends. Although Poppy was the first story published in the series, it is preceded in narrative sequence by Ragweed (1999) and Ragweed and Poppy (2020). Both titles feature the character of Ragweed, a city mouse who joins Poppy’s family and becomes her boyfriend. The first novel in the series depicts Ragweed’s departure from home to chase adventure in the big city, a journey which complements Poppy’s in this novel as she finds the courage to push back against established social norms and enters unfamiliar surroundings to save her family from an oppressive social structure.

Poppy is the primary recurring character throughout the series. Later novels feature her husband, Rye, and their son, Ragweed Junior, and explore how Poppy approaches the trials of motherhood and the pain of loss. Ereth is another important recurring character: He is the titular character of Book 5, Ereth’s Birthday (2000), and Book 7, Poppy and Ereth (2009). Ereth’s stories emphasize themes of friendship and the importance of caring for others as the grouchy porcupine learns how to accept important bonds into his life. Family and heroism are major themes developed throughout the series, in addition to coming-of-age themes and themes on accepting others.

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Poppy shares the themes of The Power of Love and The Nature of Tyranny and Heroism with the overall series’ arcs. Each novel in the series centralizes characters learning important lessons about standing up for others and finding their own courage or independence, and often focuses on the importance of family and friends. In this novel, Poppy is motivated by her love for her family and for her lost boyfriend Ragweed to break the rules governing the mouse society and investigate a situation which could result in liberation for her family. She leaves her familiar surroundings and the comfort of loved ones to challenge herself in the frightening Dimwood Forest, where she ultimately overcomes cowardice and develops the fortitude she needs to confront the owl preying on her family.

Authorial Context: Edward Irving Wortis (Avi)

Avi is the pen name of beloved children’s author Edward Irving Wortis. His pen name comes from a nickname his twin sister gave him when they were children. Avi has been a prolific writer since 1970, with the publication of his first novel Things That Sometimes Happen. Since then, he has published over 80 works. In addition to the Dimwood Forest series, he is most well-known for his Crispin series and the standalone novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1990). He was awarded a Newbery Honor Medal for Charlotte Doyle in 1991 and again in 1992 for the novel Nothing but the Truth (1991). The first book in the Crispin series, The Cross of Lead (2002), received the Newberry Medal in 2003.

Avi is notable for his versatility, having published in many different genres across a range of audiences, from children to young adult and adult. His most renowned work has been in the genres of fantasy and historical fiction. His writing often addresses themes of courage, heroism, and coming of age, and frequently features characters with differences or who are scorned by society. This likely reflects Avi’s experience as a young student with undiagnosed dyslexia and the challenges he faced because of it. Avi’s persistence in his love of reading and writing despite his challenges can inspire young readers with challenges of their own, and the characters in his novel teach young readers that with perseverance and courage, they can achieve their goals and be heroes too.

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In Poppy, Poppy clashes with the social assumptions among the mice when she challenges Mr. Ocax’s absolute rule. Although she is disadvantaged as a small mouse and ashamed of the cowardice she senses within herself, she presses onward to save her family from Mr. Ocax’s tyranny. She finds her courage and takes up the mantle as a hero in her own right as she learns to overcome fear, transforming from a timid creature into one who stands up for herself and protects others.

Literary Context: Animal Fantasy in Children’s Literature

Fantasy featuring animal characters who speak and think like humans has been a common feature in children’s literature for many years; classics such as Watership Down by Richard Adams and Brian Jacques’s Redwall are some such examples. In the animal fantasy genre, anthropomorphized characters are used to communicate complex themes through allegory. Stories such as these often address topics about human nature; the animal characters offer young readers a safe distance from which to process complex themes while developing empathy and identification with the characters.

All the creatures in Poppy speak like humans, with some of the mice even mimicking certain human behaviors, such as dancing or using objects that mirror human structures like buildings or beds. Avi uses a distinct diction for different animal species in the novel to reflect different traits and backgrounds for the creatures, with these dictions largely based in American English dialects. Ragweed’s speech mimics 1960s slang, while the speech of Poppy and her family of country mice is more conventional. This reflects Ragweed’s role as the rebellious “maverick” of the community. Similarly, the diction in porcupine Ereth’s dialogue mimics a Southern dialect and utilizes humorous expressions and turns of phrase, evoking a connection to the stereotypical American Southerner, an image which complements Ereth’s character as grouchy yet secretly kind-hearted. Through the interplay between linguistic patterns in human speech and the animals’ dialogue in the novel, Avi communicates themes about prejudice, challenging assumptions, and tyranny.