Entry #2 (end)

Henry's dad was admitted to a hospital for therapy, to help him cope with his eldest son's death. Henry missed him a lot but still had to do hi job. Mr. Hairston, on the other hand, had other plans. He takes advantage of Henry's sorrow and he wanted a monument for his brother (Eddie's grave is the only grave in the cemetery that does not have a monument). Mr. Hairston told Henry he was fired at the end of the week as well, just to add to his despair. But there was a catch, Mr. Hairston would allow him to keep his job, get Eddie a monument, and have his mother promoted at he job as well, (Mr. Hairston knew a lot of people around town) if Henry would do something for him. Henry would have to demolish Mr. Levines wooden replica of his hometown, and if he didn't follow through with it, Mr. Hairston would basically make Henry's life miserable. What made this even worse was that Mr. Levine's village had won first place in the City's Best Art contest. There was going to be a huge ceremony at City Hall, with the Mayor there as well. So Henry went to the arts and crafts center and was greeted by George Graham. But Henry hid in the back until the place closed. He found a suitable hammer for the job and swung it above Mr. Levine's village. He stood there for a while and realized how much he didn't want to do this, Mr. Levine was one of his best friends and he never wanted to do this in the first place. Suddenly, a rat jumped on the village instead and started wrecking it, but Henry was deathly afraid of rats and jumped back. The hammer flew out of his hands and crashed down on Mr. Levine's hard work and the bench underneath it; the whole thing collapsed. After he explained to Mr. Hairston what happened, and how the village was completely ruined, Henry would not accept the rewards Mr. Hariston promised he would give him. He went back to the arts and crafts place and is greeted by George Graham, he tells Henry that some wise guys broke in and wrecked Mr. Levine's village, and that the ceremony will be postponed until Christmas time. He sees Mr. Levine working painstakingly like nothing happened, Henry tells them that he's moving and Mr. Levine gives him a tiny wooden boy which he recognizes as himself, he is immensely thankful for having them as friends even if it was for such a short time. After Henry's dad gets discharged from the hospital, they moved back to Frenchtown and the first day he gets out a baseball and bat and runst to the cemetery. He sticks them upon Eddie's grave and "he did not know how long they would remain before being snatched away, but for this one moment, this one evening, Eddie's had his monument.

"Tunes for Bears to Dance to" - Robert Cormier

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Entry #1

Henry Covassant is an 11 year old boy who works for a bitter old man, Mr. Hairston. Henry's older brother Eddie has just died, and the whole family is trying to cope. The father is having the hardest time with it. They had to move from their hometown of Frechtown, to Wickburg just because there was too many sad memories. So, with his mom usually working double shifts since his father still can't accept Eddies's death, all Henry has to lisen to now is just mean, old Mr. Hairston. But soon Henry meets another elderly old man who lives in the "crazy house" across the the street from their appartmen complex. Mr. Levine is not crazy though, he's actually a Holocaust survivor who's family was killed. Henry follows to him to this arts and crafts center, where Mr. Levine goes everyday and is watched over by George Graham a giant of a man. Mr. Levine is a skilled wood carver and he spends many hours re-creating the village where he grew up, which was turned into a concentration camp. Henry is amazed at how real it looks, and how patient Mr. Levine is to create such tiny replicas. Inaddtion, Mr. Levine doesn't speak any English but, Henry has a connection with him far greater than anyoneelse in Wickburg.