Afraid are we to look inside. With no one and nobody do we abide. Isolated in our own darkness, we hide. Only to the shadows do we confide.
Our hatred breeds from ancient fears, From painful wounds dredged up over the years. From truths, we've hidden from our peers, The pain that no one ever hears.
To the world, we lash out in rage To anyone who rattles our cage. In lonely despair, we age. From all who would be close, we disengage.
We play and laugh with no aim. We dare not share our shame. Instead, we find others to blame. Better they burn in the fiery flame.
But it is we who are not right. We are deceived and think we're alright. Terrified to come into the light. We say hidden in the darkness of night.
Each of us pointing fingers, we raise Reflecting the mirror of our days. Lost within our hostile blinded haze, Forgetting love's redeeming rays.
Yet dawn must break upon this night, And truth needs to pierce our failing sight. If we would only choose to face what's right, Our shadows may yet transform to light.
For change begins with just one soul Who dares to make their spirit whole, Who breaks free from hatred's toll, And helps another toward this goal.
Copywork — Choose one sentence per day. Copy it slowly and carefully in your best handwriting. Think about what the sentence means as you write it.
Grammar — Each sentence is followed by grammar exercises matched to different skill levels. Choose the level that fits your student.
Sentence 1
“Normal is overrated. You’ll be extraordinary,” said Barnabas.
Copywork note: Two short sentences followed by a dialogue tag. Notice how the period between the first and second sentence creates a pause that makes “You’ll be extraordinary” land with more force. Try reading them aloud — what would change if they were joined by “and”?
Grammar — Beginner: Find the adjectives. How many can you find? Which one is being used as a noun?
Grammar — Intermediate: “Normal” is usually an adjective, but here it is used as a noun — this is called a nominalization. Write three sentences of your own using another adjective as a noun: “The unknown can be frightening.”
Grammar — Advanced: The subject of “You’ll be extraordinary” is understood from context. Why doesn’t Barnabas need to name who he is speaking to? Identify the contraction in the second sentence and write out its full form. What does the future tense tell us about Barnabas’s confidence in Strawberry?
Sentence 2
“As Strawberry drifted off to sleep, the breeze whispered through broken windows, and crickets chirped their peaceful melodies.”
Copywork note: This sentence has three parts separated by commas. The author gives human qualities to the breeze — it “whispered” — and to the crickets — they played “melodies.” This is called personification.
Grammar — Beginner: Find three verbs in this sentence. Which one is a personification — a human action given to something non-human?
Grammar — Intermediate: The first part of the sentence — “As Strawberry drifted off to sleep” — is a dependent clause. It cannot stand alone. Underline the two independent clauses that follow it. Rewrite the sentence putting the dependent clause at the end instead of the beginning. Does the meaning change?
Grammar — Advanced: Identify the subordinating conjunction that opens the sentence. Diagram all three clauses. How does the author use sound — “whispered,” “chirped,” “melodies” — to create a peaceful mood? Find two other places in the book where the author uses sound to set a mood.
Sentence 3
“Sunlight streamed through broken windows, illuminating dusty, abandoned desks and filing cabinets.”
Copywork note: “Illuminating” is a participle — a verb form used as a modifier. It tells us what the sunlight was doing as it streamed. Notice also the two adjectives before “desks” — “dusty” and “abandoned” — separated by a comma.
Grammar — Beginner: Find the two adjectives that describe the desks. What do they tell us about this place?
Grammar — Intermediate: “Illuminating dusty, abandoned desks and filing cabinets” is a participial phrase. Rewrite the sentence without it. What is lost? Write your own sentence using a participial phrase: “The dog ran down the street, barking at every car.”
Grammar — Advanced: This sentence creates a visual picture without using any form of the verb “to be.” Rewrite it using “was” or “were” and compare the effect. Why do strong writers avoid “to be” verbs when possible? Find two other sentences in the book that paint a strong picture without using “to be.”
Sentence 4
“His dark eyes were always alert, taking in everything around him.”
Copywork note: A short, precise sentence that tells us a great deal about a character without describing his personality directly. We understand that this character is cautious and watchful — but the author never uses those words.
Grammar — Beginner: Find the adjective that describes “eyes.” Find the adverb that describes “alert.” What question does the adverb answer?
Grammar — Intermediate: “Taking in everything around him” is a participial phrase. What noun does it modify? Rewrite this as two separate sentences. Which version is stronger?
Grammar — Advanced: This sentence characterizes Barnabas indirectly — through physical description rather than statements about his personality. This is called “showing” rather than “telling.” Rewrite this sentence as a “telling” sentence: “Barnabas was always cautious and observant.” Discuss why the original is more effective. Find another example of indirect characterization in the book.
Sentence 5
“She turned to face him; her small chest puffed up with pride.”
Copywork note: The semicolon connects two related independent clauses — two complete thoughts that belong together. Notice how the second clause shows us Strawberry’s emotion through her body, not through a word like “proudly.”
Grammar — Beginner: Find the semicolon. A semicolon joins two complete sentences that are closely related. Could these be two separate sentences instead? Try it. Which feels better?
Grammar — Intermediate: “Puffed up with pride” contains a prepositional phrase. Find the preposition. How does this physical detail show emotion without stating it directly? Write your own sentence that shows an emotion through a character’s body: “His hands shook as he reached for the door.”
Grammar — Advanced: Rewrite this sentence replacing the semicolon with a conjunction (“and,” “but,” “so”). How does each version change the relationship between the two clauses? When is a semicolon a better choice than a conjunction?
Sentence 6
“We’re special because we’re loved and because we love. Remember that.” — Barnabas
Copywork note: Barnabas uses “because” twice — this is called anaphora, the repetition of a word at the beginning of successive clauses. It creates rhythm and emphasis. “Remember that” is a command — just two words — but it carries enormous weight after the longer sentence.
Grammar — Beginner: Find the two contractions in the first sentence. Write out the full words each one replaces.
Grammar — Intermediate: “Because we’re loved” and “because we love” are both dependent clauses. They cannot stand alone. What independent clause do they both modify? Notice that “loved” is passive voice and “love” is active voice. What is the difference?
Grammar — Advanced: Analyze the structure of “because we’re loved and because we love.” The passive voice (“we’re loved”) places the emphasis on receiving love; the active voice (“we love”) places it on giving love. Why might the author have deliberately used both? What would be lost if the sentence read simply “because we love and are loved”?
Sentence 7
“Boulder Creek became a river of rushing water, overflowing its banks.”
Copywork note: A simple sentence that uses a metaphor — Boulder Creek “became” a river, as if it changed its identity. The participial phrase “overflowing its banks” adds movement and urgency.
Grammar — Beginner: Underline the verb. Is this sentence in past or present tense? How do you know?
Grammar — Intermediate: “Overflowing its banks” is a participial phrase. What noun does it modify? Rewrite the sentence as two sentences without the participial phrase. What is lost?
Grammar — Advanced: Technically Boulder Creek is already a creek — a form of river. So when the author writes it “became a river,” this is a deliberate exaggeration for effect, called hyperbole. How does this word choice — “became” — help the reader feel the transformation of the flood? Find one other example of hyperbole or metaphor in the flood chapters.
