The Acorn People

The Acorn People is the name of a nonfiction book for middle grade readers, written by author, educator and storyteller Ron Jones and first published in 1976. It is was adapted for television in 1981.

Summary

Jones looks forward to his summer at Camp Wiggin, where he will work as a camp counselor. Although he knows the children who attend Camp Wiggin are disabled, he assumes he will still be able to have fun enjoying the outdoors, hiking, swimming and boating at the camp. When he arrives and meets the children, however, he is at first appalled at how severely disabled they are. One of the children is known as "Spider." This is because he has no arms, or legs. Arid is another camper because he can not control his bladder

Then Jones meets his children--a group called "The Acorn People." They have given themselves this name because of the acorn necklaces they make at camp. Over time, they teach their counselor that despite their disabilities, they are just like everyone else on the inside and that they are capable of accomplishing much more than he previously understood. Jones comes to care for and love these children as much as the full-time staff at Camp Wiggin.

Awards

The Acorn People was honored as the Christian Book of the Year.

Main Characters

Benny B: A black child who had his legs taken by polio and is peanut in size. He is alert and perceptive, very mobile (speed freak), brave, determined and excitable.

Spider: Has no arms nor legs making Spider a funny name. Amazingly,he can swim. swims very close to how a dolphin swims.

Martin: the most able-bodied person at camp, was a blind child. Very likeable and outgoing

Aaron Gerwalski (A.K.A.) Arid: smelt awful, he had no bladder or the normal means to pull waste from the body. His skin was clammy, had a urine bag attached to his intestines.

Thomas Stewart: "has muscular sclerocis, sixteen or fifteen, hard to tell. 35 pounds, mouth always dry and hunched over in his chair, covered by a dark blanket. Unwilling to move unless moved. Pensive, patient and dying".

        This story begins at Camp Wiggens, a camp that is not suited to needy children. Ron Jones is a camp councellor and is also in charge of five of the campers along with a man named Dominic. Ron didn't expect Camp Wiggens to be such a hard job, as he took the job thinking that the kids were not disabled.

External links

• Ron Jones' website