HAVEN by Donald L. Buchholz

Synopsis

Haven is about the far-reaching consequences of a single violent act and its effect on four main characters: Leslie Moss, an honors student who witnessed it; Nancy Jennings, the juvenile officer assigned to the case who knows there was a witness and wants her to come forward; Howard Morganfield, the school principal, who is doing his best to protect his school and his students; and Henry Leonard, a class clown who finds himself in the middle of it all. It is a story of how people respond to an act of violence, how it touches
and forever changes their lives. It also offers a glimmer of hope.

Haven allows readers to experience the same events from different points of view and to make those differing viewpoints come alive through role-playing. For scripted role-play, two pivotal chapters in the book are in a screenplay format. Other chapters give ample opportunity for role-playing because they are purposely openended. The book itself denies closure, but the teachers’ guide offers suggestions for pursuing an ending.

TO THE TEACHER
HAVEN is not a novel in the usual sense. It has character and plot development, suspense and conflict, but it doesn’t have an end. The end is up to the reader.

I have provided situation and context. The reader, in order to come up with an end, has to participate in a meaningful way by having to deal with very real problems. The reader may not be able to think up or propose any solutions, but will certainly have to consider the consequences of an act--how far it reaches, how many lives are touched, or forever changed.

HAVEN is an instructional device, a means to get kids talking about issues, conflicts and problems brought up in the book. In order to create a last chapter, one that is plausible, realistic and satisfying--no fair space aliens or deus ex machina or it was all a bad dream--everybody has to think critically, pay attention to character and motivation, face the issues and struggle with questions that face their communities today.

Any ending readers will come up with will reflect not only their interpretations of the characters in the book, but also their views of right and wrong and, in fact, a whole set of assumptions reflective of their experiences and value systems, and those of their community.

I have also written a synopsis and listed main points for each chapter. Please take the time to review these before presenting a chapter in class. I believe they will provide further interpretations of character and action, suggest additional discussion questions and topics, and offer more areas for you and your class to explore.

Chapter by Chapter Synopsis and Main Points
Some End of the Book Questions

INTRODUCTION (pp. 1-5) Monday morning before school
POV: 3rd person, through the eyes of the school secretary, Mrs. Engleberger

SYNOPSIS - Mrs. Engleberger overhears Mr. Morganfield, the school principal, in a meeting with concerned parents and school board members, discussing the growing threat of violence at the school. It is Morganfield’s intention to stop the threat by any means necessary. There is particular concern over an incident Friday where a student was attacked and remains hospitalized.

MAIN POINTS - Morganfield’s views on what a school should be (mss., pp.2,3); his attempts to reassure concerned parents and board members that he is in control, that things aren’t getting out of hand. Mrs. Lopez’ beliefs about the root causes of violence; the concerns of the board members.

CHAPTER ONE (pp. 6-11) - Monday morning before school
Pov: 1st person, Henry Leonard

SYNOPSIS - Henry is getting up and preparing to face another Monday. He is thinking about Mondays, and going to school, and what he hates about it.

MAIN POINTS - Henry is a bright, precocious boy who plays the fool to avoid hassles, to survive. He’s been doing it since the second grade and, in his words, he’s a veteran. But he hates it. It makes him nothing more than a joke. One of these days, he’s going to show all of them he’s more than that (mss., p. 9). Henry’s family situation: He lives with his older sister, Janet, who is a mother to him, and her boyfriend Billy. Henry cares about Janet but endures Billy, harasses him and stays just out of his reach.

CHAPTER TWO (pp. 12-17) - Monday morning before school
POV: 1st person, Leslie Moss

SYNOPSIS - Leslie is walking to school, ignoring other kids, thinking about what she saw on Friday and can’t get out of her mind. She doesn’t want to talk to anybody, not the kids hanging around on the street, and especially not goofy Henry Leonard with a peanut butter toast folded into his pocket. But Henry plays the fool and makes her laugh, takes her mind off things. They walk to school together.

MAIN POINTS - Leslie’s reaction to what she saw; graphic, disturbing images she can’t stop thinking about. Floppy rag dolls and blood and stretchers and ambulances. Henry at first trying to say something to Leslie, something serious, about leaving the city some day (mss., p. 15), then going back to playing the fool (p. 16) because that’s what she expects of him. And it works: It makes her laugh.

CHAPTER THREE -(pp. 18-26) - Monday morning before school
POV: 1st person, Howard Morganfield, the school principal

SYNOPSIS - Morganfield steps out of the school’s doors just before the bell, thinking about how things were when he was young: When a teacher stepped into a classroom, or a principal stepped into the school yard, it made a difference. It doesn’t seem to be like that any more. Morganfield believes school is an opportunity; and if students are in their classes, there’s still a chance to reach them. He rejects McGovern’s lock-out policy, believing that it forces kids onto the street, where they have no direction, no goals, no guidance. He deals with tardy students, checks out the school yard and the parking lot, then pauses for a little quick exercise before going back to his office.

MAIN POINTS - Morganfield is not simply an authoritarian, the impression we got in the book’s introduction (through the eyes of Mrs. Engleberger). He is complex, even contradictory. Notice his compassion and humor in dealing with the two tardy students (mss., pp. 21-23), as opposed to his reactions to Henry Leonard and that Leslie Moss is walking to school with him, or his take on the trio of latecomers. Or his ideas on how to keep a lid on things (p.34), and ways to instill a Marine Corps discipline.

SOME END OF THE BOOK QUESTIONS

Mr. Foelski, Henry Leonard, Leslie Moss, Calvin and Lonnie Purdy are gone. We know what happened to Lonnie. What do you think happened to the others?

Can you come up with scenarios for them?

Mr. Foelski - was he fired? Transferred? Did he quit? Why would he? Who would stand up for him in a disciplinary hearing? His union? Mr. Morganfield? How would Mr. Foelski’s life change as a result of what he did? Would newspapers, TV news or talk shows be interested in Mr. Foelski’s story? How do you think he would respond to being portrayed as either (a) a hero, or (b) a fool?

Do you think what Mr. Foelski did was right? Or wrong? What would you have done?

Who do you think Henry saw coming? What are the possibilities? What could have happened to Henry and Leslie? Anything good? What if they made it to the bus station? What kinds of problems and dangers are faced by runaways?

Henry and Leslie got caught up in something they couldn’t handle. What were Leslie’s choices? What could she have done? What should she have done? What about Henry? Why is he doing what he’s doing? What would you have done if you were Henry?

What would have to change for Henry and Leslie to have any kind of a future? Can you come up with a realistic, plausible ending that will give them both a chance?

What about Calvin? What are his chances? What are the best and worst case scenarios for him?

What does the future hold for Mr. Morganfield? For Officer Jennings?

[$6.00]

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