Directions in the following lesson on writing persuasive or evaluative essays encourage teachers to gather newspapers to supplement students’ research on environmental issues. After identifying stories about environmental issues in the print version of their local or regional newspaper, students should search for additional information in the archives of Web or electronic editions of their newspapers.

<http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=268>

Students may also evaluate opinions about the environmental issues offered in editorials, letters to the editor, columns and cartoons. Students should use the news and commentary to form their own opinions and craft effective persuasive or evaluative essays.

North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study includes argumentation (problem-solution and evaluation) as a goal in the English/Language Arts curriculum.

Of Taffy’s continuing stories, one judge wrote, “These were all very interesting endings. The students did a good job!” Reprinted below are four of the chapters, chosen for their overall high quality. Three of the stories take place just after Taffy is released from the hospital, and the other describes Taffy’s future family. Also published below are excerpts and ideas from other chapters written by students. Thanks to students from Greenville’s Eastern Elementary and Hope Middle School and their teachers, Ms. Broyles and Ms. Roth for sharing their work and encouraging other readers to think beyond the story.

Recovery

Taffy had never been so happy to see the little old shack in her entire life. After two long days in the DF’s sick house, Taffy was anxious to get home. As Big Jen’s jeep pulled closer, Gramp started up. “Now Taffy, just because it’s late and you’re in recovery, doesn’t mean that we shall not honor the Sabbath day and listen to the sermon.�

Taffy smiled in spite of herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to listen to the radio sermon. She was so tired that all she wanted to do was sleep.

After what seemed like an eternity, Big Jens pulled up into the sand surrounding Gramp’s and Taffy’s home. Big Jens shot Gramp a look, and Gramp said, “Taffy, why don’t you head on inside and start up a pot of coffee. Me and Big Jen here are just going to discuss your condition.â€? Taffy nodded obediently and slid down from the jeep, with Brandy on her tail. The way Gramp and Big Jen waited for her to go before they started to talk, Taffy suspected that it wasn’t just her health they were talking about, but she was just too tired to do any snooping today, so she opened the door to the shack and walked in.

It looked the same as always. Homey, but messy, with fishing nets thrown about and papers strewn on the floor and on the few tables they had. It was good to be home. After a momentary search for the coffee pot, Taffy set it gently on the burner and poured in the brew. Once she saw that it was beginning to boil, she sat down on the nearest stool and sighed. Something just seemed odd to her. Like something more than Sailor throwing her off had happened, but, as Brandy laid his head on her lap and Taffy relaxed, she soon forgot about her worries.

Soon, Taffy heard Big Jen’s jeep riding away and Gramp’s approaching footsteps. He opened the door, peered around at the mess and sat down next to Taffy. “Taffy, how about going and getting me some coffee?�

“Of course, Gramp.� Taffy reluctantly rose from her stool and poured Gramp a cup of coffee. “Here you go.� Taffy handed Gramp the coffee with a shaky hand.

“Taffy girl, you can’t go around getting all sick on me now.â€? Gramp said. “Come on and have a sit and listen to the sermon.” After a few seconds of fumbling with the dial, Gramp tuned into the sermon station. As the preacher began to talk, Gramp stared thoughtfully at Taffy. The bump on her head had gone down considerably in the two short days since the incident at the Snyders. She was so young, yet so strong. It was just about killing him, keeping the secret from Taffy, but it was for her own good. Shaking his head and waking up from his daze Gramp put his hand on Taffy’s knee and said “Taffy, I love you. I just want you to know that.â€?

Taffy looked back at him with a smile as big as Cape Hatteras and as bright as the midday sun itself. “I love you too Gramp. I really do.� And with that Taffy Willis’ world was set right. (Catherine C., 6^th grade)

The End of the Road

Taffy sat by the fireplace, her boys sitting in front of her. On the rug lay Brandy, young Harley beside her. Only a few days ago had Gramp told her the whole story, that she hadn’t just fallen off her horse that night long ago. Taffy had nearly fainted.

“Captured by Nazis?!� she cried, her eyes big.

“Well, spies,� said Big Jens with a smile.

“Luckily the war is over, and all have been set free from those concentration camps,� said Gramp, sighing.

“Yes,� answered Taffy, dazed. “Well, I need to get home to Justin and Nick. There’s no telling what Kenny’s been doing with ‘em.�

“Well, knowing my son, it’s probably somethin’ crazy,� replied Big Jens.

“Oi’ll see ya soon, Taffy Jens!� called Gramp as she got into her car.

“G’ bye, Gramp!� Taffy called back, and drove off.

…

Whoa!� said Justin, so amazed he could’ve fainted. “Real enemy soldiers? Did’cha fight ‘em, Ma?�

“Well, no. I was the victim,� answered Taffy.

“What’s a victim, Mommy?� asked little Nick.

“Wow!� exclaimed the boys, fascinated.

“Well, I would’ve been dead if Grandpa Jens hadn’t’ve come and saved me,� said Taffy. “I only thought that I’d fallen off my horse and gotten a nasty bump,� Taffy told the boys, showing them the bump behind her ear.

“That’s awesome, Mom!� said the boys. Taffy turned to her husband and smiled. “I remember when we went crabbing that very day,� said Taffy.

“It’s true, boys,� Kenny turned to them. “Your mother was on her way home when Sailor got startled and threw her. The men picked her up and carried her away in a blanket!�

“You had to go into the details, didn’t you?� Taffy giggled. She ran after Kenny. Soon after, the boys had joined her.

In the end, Taffy and Kenny ended up lying on the couch, Justin and Nick tickling them.

The parents laughed, then yawned. “I think it’s time for bed,� said Kenny, getting up to stretch. The boys went into their war of ‘aww’ and ‘do we have to?’ Then again, Kenny won, picking them up under his arms and taking them down the hall to their bedroom.

Soon after, Kenny came down the hall and into the kitchen, where he opened the freezer and grabbed the ice cream. He sat at the table, gazing at all the family photos on the wall. Kenny smiled at the pictures. “Pure luck.�

He took his last spoonfuls before putting his glass in the sink.

“All right, time for bed,� Kenny said as he walked out of the kitchen, only to find a sleeping Taffy. Kenny laughed. “Just like an angel,� he said.

With that, Kenny picked up his sleeping wife with a small kiss, then carried her down the hall into their bedroom, leaving Brandy and Harper snoozing silently on the rug. (Emily M. 6^th grade)

Honoring Taffy

“All ready to go!” said Dr. Dolittle, Taffy’s doctor for the day. “Your head has healed and your grandfather is waiting downstairs to take you home!”

“Thank you, Dr. Dolittle,” said Taffy. “I know the way out.” So Taffy sped down the stairs and went outside and curiously, Gramp wasn’t there.

Suddenly, a taxi drove up and the driver asked, “Are you Taffy Willis?”

“Yes, and may I know why you ask?”

“Your grandfather asked me to pick you up.” said the taxi driver. So Taffy got in and the taxi driver drove her home. Once Taffy got home, she gathered her stuff and went inside.

“Hello!” she called, seeing that the lights were off, and nobody was there. “Is anybo—”

“Surprise!” Gathered around the living room was Gramp who was holding Brandy, Malene, Big Jens, two of the FBI agents and the Greek guy.

“Wow!” said Taffy. “I can’t believe it! You guys threw a party just because I got out of the hospital? I’m not that important!”

“Well, you are to us, and we just wanted to show you some gratitude,” said Gramp.

“As you can see, we’ve got the whole party with us, so we will, before listening to music, listen to something else,” said Malene. As she turned it on, it blurred, and then focused on…

“Taffy Willis, right?” said the man on the radio. “Yeah she’s the reason all the bombing off the coast of North Carolina has stopped. So how about we give her a moment of our lives to thank her for what she’s done.” Then there was silence.

Taffy was stunned. Her, a hero? And that, to Taffy Willis, was the best time of World War II. (Alex L., 4^th grade)

The Awakening

The next morning Taffy work up wondering what had happened to her. “Hey Gramp.” said Taffy.

“Yes, Taffy, what is it?” said Gramp.

“I just had one of the weirdest dreams I’ve had in a while,” said Taffy.

“Oh, really? What was your dream about?” asked Gramp.

Taffy told him the whole story little by little, still not knowing what had really happened. “I had a dream that I had fallen off of Sailor, and then I got thrown into a bush and landed on my head.”

“That sounds like an interesting dream, Taffy,” said Gramp.

She kept telling Gramp about her dream. “And then the next thing I knew, I was being captured in a blanket and gagged and blindfolded.”

There was a short pause between the two of them, but then Taffy kept on explaining her dream. “And then they put me in a corner. They had put choloroform on me. Big Jens came to the rescue and saved me from the house.”

Gramp was still in shock to think that his granddaughter had a “dream,” for he knew better.

“I remember I had been taken away from that scary house, and I was safe,” Taffy included.

Taffy looked around and realized where she was—the DF Station in a bed, resting.

“Hey Gramp,” Taffy asked.

“Yes, Taffy, what is it? Gramp asked.

“Why am I in the DF Station?” said Taffy.

Knowing he needed to protect her, he said to himself, “What a person don’t know won’t hurt them.” (John H., 6^th grade)

Quotes and ideas from the last chapters that students wrote for Taffy of Torpedo Junction:

A humorous ending:

“People were smiling and huggin’ me for weeks to come after I saved Cape Hatteras. The people of the town awarded me with a medal.� Taffy said to her grandchild.

“Grandma Taffy, we’ve heard that story a million times!� (Rachel F.)

A tragic ending:

“The next morning Taffy was out and about. She went outside on the beach and built a raft out of all the driftwood to get out most of her energy. When she put the raft in the water, the tide started to pull her out… it pulled her out so far, she was never seen again.” (Matt D.)

Other tragic endings:

“(Taffy) looked up to see Gramp but she could not find him… (Big Jens) sadly said “Taffy I am sorry to say that your grandpa has suffered a fatal heart attack.â€? … Big Jens told Taffy that they tried to revive him, but they were not successful…. Then Big Jens decided to speak up and say that Taffy could live with him.” (Sean S.)

“Grandpa was having troubles. He had been warring with himself whether to tell Taffy about that night. Grandpa was the only one left who knew the truth. He knew there wasn’t much time left. … however his body would not be ignored and he forced himself to lie down. The wind began to howl outside but something strange happened. As suddenly as it came, the wind ceased, leaving a gentle zephyr of warm air. Grandpa was washed over with a feeling of great peace. As he fell asleep for the last time, his secret drifted across the breakers and was lost to time.” (Aakash G.)

Surprise endings:

Big Jens turned against his friends: “When Taffy tried to stretch her arms, she was tied to a chair… a figure stepped from the shadows in the corner. ‘Big Jens! But why?’ she asked. ‘Because the Germans pay more!’ he yelled.” (Britton P.)

Gramp and Taffy move away from the Outer Banks: Gramp said, “Taffy, I have some news for ya. We’re going to move to Engelhard� in England. (Addie V.S.)

Taffy’s captured and taken away on U-boat as Gramp tries to reach and rescue her (Stacie H.)

About the Naziis (historical references)

“(The Nazis) were sentenced to a lifetime in jail…. Silently, they all snuck out of the jail without being noticed. (Holstein) planned to burn Taffy’s house to the ground. He began to cover the house in gasoline and lit the match to set the fire. Just as this happened, Big Jens turned the corner of the house. Big Jens got him! Holstein was back in the same jail as the last time, only this time he was alone.” (Tyler V.)

“The chilly cell was dim as Lieberstein looked out longingly, like a bird longing to be free from his cage… Being in jail gave him plenty of time to think, and he realized something. He realized that Taffy saved so many friends and family. Now he was thankful that Taffy came on that dark night. She saved him as well, saved him from doing something so cruel, so evil, that he shuddered each time that he thought of the task he nearly completed. He felt like he owed Taffy his life.”(Anja B.)

Someone working for Nazis kills Sailor. (Jaisa L.)

Thoughtful endings:

When Taffy’s well past 70, her grandson finds a note in a bottle from Gramp and gives it to his grandmother. “Dear Taffy, Just in case I never see you again, this is for you. I’ll always love you for I know just how truly special you are. The cape has a way of getting things to you so I know it’ll get to you someday. Love ya, Taffy, forever. Grampâ€? (Caroline O.)

Taffy spent two weeks at the hospital and never asked any questions as to what had happened. When she was finally released, she asked Gramp – “This may be a little odd, but has anything odd happened recently?�

Gramps eyes got very wide. “I’m afraid that was a dream you must have had while at the sickbay.� (Caleb P.)

Two expressions of gratitude:

“Taffy, you may or may not realize it, but because Gramp let you keep that helpless little pup that washed up on the beach, you saved this island and a lot of men at sea,� said Big Jens. “Taffy, I just want you and your friends to forget about what happened these last nights. I’m sure this war will be over soon.� (Kenneth B.)

Taffy grabbed her coat and went outside with Brandy to see the ocean. When outside, a patrolman stopped her. He said, “Thanks for everything Taffy. I couldn’t of done what you did. But I pray thanksgiving every night that you’re still here.” (Miles W.)

Family life:

Several students wrote about Taffy’s future family and predicted romance for Taffy and Kenny (Kate B., Mark S. and Ashwinee P.). Two writers described her sons as soldiers, a Navy Seal and Vietnam veteran. (Pancho D., Alyssa H.)

One writer thinks Taffy remains single, becomes a successful artist and exhibits her paintings in museums. (Kaelyn Q.)

Other accomplishments for Taffy:

Taffy wins honors and medals. (Lucas D., Pancho D.)

Several writers predict that Taffy graduates from college. In one chapter, a university representative visits Taffy: “East Carolina University would proudly like to accept you as one of our students. Term starts in September. New hope lingered in the air. â€? (Mayee Z.)

Taffy’s careers:

Two students predicted that Taffy becomes an FBI agent (Naseer A. and Aaron H.)

Taffy and Gramp open a seafood restaurant. (Bennett L.)

To better understand any book, readers will often learn about the author. The NC NIE Web site links to sites with information about the author, Nell Wise Wechter. Marcia Wechter Kass, the author’s daughter, adds to that information in the following interview. Teachers (and parents), if you or your students have additional questions for Marcia Wechter Kass, pass those along.

AN INTERVIEW with MARCIA WECHTER KASS

1. What motivated your mom, Nell Wise Wechter, to write Taffy of Torpedo Junction?

Thank you very much for the opportunity to reminisce about my mom and her writing.

Nell Wise was a born storyteller, and, as soon as she could put pen to paper, her imagination appeared in print. She observed and absorbed everything around her in the early days of the 20th century. She saw her father, Enoch Wise, go out in his shad boat everyday to make a living and her mother, Edith Best Wise, work the garden and tend the chickens (and kill snakes!) to turn that “living” into meals.

Nell, my mom, was the first person from her village of Stumpy Point, NC to attend college. She obtained a two-year-normal teaching certificate from what was then East Carolina Teachers College. Her favorite professor, Emma L. Hooper, taught English literature. Mom later dedicated a book to Miss Hooper.

I believe my mom’s motivation grew from a sense that values and history need to be preserved. She was prescient in that regard. And, truth be told, she loved to see others reading her words! As to Taffy of Torpedo Junction, that was a story she felt HAD to be told…before the censors and plutocrats “cleansed” it of its truth. My mom and dad lived that story every day of World War II. She left a lot of the blood and gore out of the book, but Daddy, a pharmacist’s mate sent to the Outer Banks by the Coast Guard, used to tell me that she would help him at the Coast Guard Station, when he was overwhelmed with shipwreck victims.

2. Who inspired the characters in the book?

Real people inspired my mom, despite her apologies to the contrary. Carol White (now Carol Dillon) became Taffy. Carol was my mother’s student at the school in Buxton. She had a horse and a dog, and she rode the back Banks just as Taffy did.

My father inspired Big Jens. My dad was the only medical person on the Outer Banks throughout most of the war and took care of all the military people and most of the civilians and their pets. I have met many people on the Banks named “Bob” or “Doc” who owe their lives to my father.

Sal Oden, the postmistress, was loosely based on Carol White Dillon’s mother, Mrs. Maud White. My mother boarded at Mrs. White’s house before she married my dad. Mrs. White was a stern but wonderful woman (just ask Carol!)

The school teacher, Miss White, is my mom.

Brandy was actually named after a neighbor’s dog when my family lived in Greensboro, NC, the place where mom wrote the book.

3. What was life like on the Outer Banks during your childhood?

Life was hard on the Outer Banks during and after World War II. “Nice” things were scarce, and I remember being excited about tangerines at Christmas. I lived in Stumpy Point, NC until I was 6 years old and can remember our family’s having the first telephone in the village. I have a photo of me, barefooted, talking to Governor Kerr Scott on the day the phone was installed. The Outer Banks had no paved roads and no bridges. All travel was by ferry. The nearest doctor was 35 miles, and the nearest pharmacy was 60 miles away. But I had a great childhood! I fished for soft crabs and crawfish, went shoeless most of the time and enjoyed listening to my maternal grandmother talk about the “old days” while she crocheted and dipped snuff.

4. How would you describe the tone and content of your mother’s writing?

The tone of the writing is both immediate and nostalgic. The content is as pure as Elsie the Cow’s milk!

5. Who illustrated Taffy of Torpedo Junction?

Mary Walker Sparks illustrated Taffy. Ms. Sparks, a talented artist, caught the flavor of the story. She was also my 6th grade teacher and the person who taught me how to write in “cursive”. I had made it that far in school by printing neatly.

6. Did your mother write other books?

Nell Wise Wechter’s book credits include:

Taffy of Torpedo Junction
Teach’s Light
Swamp Girl
Betsy Dowdy’s Ride
Some Whisper of Our Name
The Mighty Midgetts of Chicamacomico
Windrift

Her first story, written when she was 18 years old, was serialized in a local newspaper, The Coastland Times, and titled “The Romance of Juniper River“.

7. What else would you like to say about your mom and her work?

Above all, I wish for my mother to be remembered as someone who loved and devoted her life to children. When she died, I got a letter from the first class she ever taught in 1932, saying she was the best teacher they ever had. My sentiments, exactly!