Earthquake Terror

Abby Palmer is six years old and demonstrates the immaturity and somewhat annoying nature one would expect from a person so young. Her emotions change frequently based on the circumstances. For example, she cries easily but also calms quickly when Jonathan suggests games or songs to distract her. She also fails to understand the gravity of their emergency circumstances because of her youth and inexperience. Abby is more concerned with whose turn it is to be the teacher when pretending to play school than with the need to avoid drowning in the rising floodwaters.

Despite her youth and immaturity, however, Abby is no stranger to adversity. She had an accident at age two in which she fell from a playground slide and damaged her spinal cord. Because of her accident, she has partial paralysis and walks slowly with the assistance of a walker. Abby’s parents refuse to let her use a wheelchair, so mobility takes constant effort. She prefers crawling to walking, but her parents encourage her to walk with her walker as much as possible. Abby’s disability adds an extra layer of complication to the novel as tasks like walking or climbing over trees are difficult for Abby. Furthermore, Abby is afraid of water and can’t swim, so the flooding of Magpie Island is particularly dangerous for her. Despite the challenges she faces during the emergency, however, Abby listens to Jonathan and does what he asks even when she loses her walker.

Additionally, Abby’s character also undergoes a transformation in the novel. When she is separated from Jonathan and can no longer rely on him, she learns to make decisions for herself. For instance, she decides to leave her log in the water and crawl to the cabin on shore. In doing so, she faces her fear of the water and finds that she is capable of more than she realized. Abby also learns to keep herself calm. She learns that crying does not improve her situation, and she is able to control her emotions. Abby’s character illustrates how difficult circumstances force a person to grow and mature. Even a young child like Abby can demonstrate resilience and grit when put to the test. 

Moose is the Palmer family dog, although he mostly belongs to Jonathan, who chose him at the animal shelter six years ago. Moose is a golden retriever and was a comfort and friend to Jonathan when Abby had her accident and Jonathan’s parents were focused on her. Moose is an obedient and helpful dog, and he is the first one to sense the earthquake coming, as evidenced by his barks of warning. Moose offers comfort to Jonathan in the midst of the responsibility of looking after Abby, and in the latter part of the novel, he directly saves Jonathan’s life.

When Jonathan is knocked unconscious in the river, the point of view shifts to explain what Moose can see and feel, and what the dog does to save Jonathan. Kehret highlights the bond between Jonathan and Moose as Moose risks his life to save the helpless boy. Once Jonathan regains consciousness, Moose’s efforts to save him help motivate Jonathan to keep swimming even when he feels ready to quit. Additionally, Moose lies on top of Jonathan to keep him warm during the night until the rescuers arrive by helicopter the next morning. By the end of the novel, Moose is praised as a hero, and both the Palmers and the rescuers reward him with food and attention. 

Mr. Palmer is Jonathan and Abby’s father. His experience after the earthquake is somewhat similar to Jonathan’s. Both of them face uncertainty and have many questions that they cannot answer. Similarly, he and Jonathan must both make important decisions without knowing key information. Also, Mr. Palmer feels afraid at times, as does Jonathan. Even though he is an adult, he is not exempt from fear. Furthermore, at similar points in the evening after the earthquake hits, Mr. Palmer and Jonathan both feel physically and mentally drained from the heavy responsibility of taking care of their loved ones during an emergency.

Mr. Palmer clearly loves his family and would do anything for them. He keeps his cool in the high-stress situation of speaking to the National Guard and learning that they cannot send rescuers until the next morning. Even though many people tell him that Magpie Island has been engulfed in the flooding, Mr. Palmer does not lose hope that Abby and Jonathan may still be alive.