50 pages • 1 hour read
On My Honor
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer is a middle grade and young adult novel published in 1986. It was a Newberry Honor winner in 1987 and was also named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Bauer is a prolific writer who has written more than 80 books for young readers. In this novel, written in third-person omniscient point of view, she uses sparse language to deliver a profound message about honor, life, death, and friendship.
Plot Summary
Tony Zabrinsky and Joel Bates have been friends their whole lives. Tony’s mother has babysat Joel and his little brother, Bobby, for years. As they are growing up, Joel wonders why he stays friends with Tony because they are so different, but Joel enjoys that Tony is so adventurous and full of life. Mr. Bates, Joel’s father, is protective, constantly warning his children of potential dangers, and Joel is similar to his father in his worrisome nature. Tony, on the other hand, is brash and reckless, but he has a hidden vulnerability: He is terrified of the water and cannot swim.
When Tony suggests that they climb the park bluffs at Starved Rock State Park, Joel is scared, but rather than admit this, he asks his father if he can ride his bike to the park, predicting that his father will not grant him permission.
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