The Bridge That Went Out with the Tide
A story about fair swaps, and making eight.
Read it
One story, three ways: Sprout for a new reader, Grower in short chapters, Reader as a full chapter book. Same plot, same ending.
Who is in this book
-
Poppa Pike The bridge is built by everyone laying one plank from IslePals -
Lan a child of the Green Goes first; makes a friend in a minute -
Gilly Know your spares before you swap from IslePals -
Vera Give from what you can spare from TradePals -
Rafi Ask for a spare, never someone's last from TradePals -
Barter A swap is fair when it helps both sides from TradePals -
Lucky With two dice, seven has the most ways to come up from SevenPals -
Ambo The commons — whoever has the most can give one so nobody is left short from IslePals -
Beto a child of the Green Takes things apart
Every recurring character has a short tune, so you can tell who is on stage before a word is said. The tunes play only when you tap, and the Reading Access sound switch turns them off.
The Honest Page
Which parts of this story are true, stretched, and made up?
True
- Two dice make seven six ways, more than any other total.
- A swap is fair when both sides end up better off. Source
- Three planks and two planks make five; five and two make seven; seven and one make eight.
Stretched
- The tide does not number driftwood patches or roll them like dice. What we simplified: The seven patch stands in for a dice game so the odds can be seen.
Made up
- Gullwick, its bridge and its talking islanders are made up.
- No island has a Fair-o-meter. People have to check that themselves.