The White Mountains

The White Mountains
John Christopher
Science-Fiction

3 boys, Will, Henry, and Beanpole (Jean-Paul) are trying to get to the save haven in the White Mountains. A safe haven from Tripods, 3 legged giant, metal machines. They are now in France and making their way through without interacting with other people because Will and Henry do not know the language. Luckily Beanpole does. They made up a story if anyone them were found they would know what to do. they would all be cousins and Will and Henry would be deaf-mutes. They would not be able to hear or talk and this would all be told to the people they encounter by Beanpole because he knows the language. As they were walking Will got sick. Henry and Beanpole found a shack and rested Will there as they went out to find some food. The owner of the shack came in and found Will, Henry and Beanpole. The people were very nice and they took care of Will and gave Henry ad Beanpole nice places to stay. They did not think horribly of them. After a few weeks Will have fully recovered. The three of them met to plan their eventual escape. They had heard that in a few weeks time there was going to be a week long celebration and right afterwards a capping ceremony.

Capping is when everyone at a certain age gets given to a tripod who then puts a metal cap on their head which stops them from questioning the tripods orders. They were going to give Will, Henry, and Beanpole in for the capping so the three of them needed to escape from there before the capping happened because the whole reason they were running from the tripods was because of the capping. They planned to leave during the ceremony where the capping happened right after because no on e would most likely notice the disappearance of the boys then. When it came time for the ceremony to start Henry and Beanpole left and Will stayed because he thought that he would be really missed because he had been in the best place and was closely looked after. Henry and Beanpole then left leaving behind Will. At the celebration a tripod showed up and it startled Will especially since he had not seen one so close up before. The next morning when he was leaving he took a horse that he had become accustomed to riding in his time there and set at around 4 in the morning. The Tripod moved. It went to will and picked him up off of the tripod. The next thing Will knew was that he was on the ground and was woken by the sun at around 6 in the morning. Will quickly took his hand and felt his head to see if he had been capped. Luckily Will did not feel any metal thing. Will had wondered what the tripod had done to him or if he just fell of his horse and was knocked out the last night and that the tripod did nothing. 

This book has gotten me really excited and I cannot wait to read more. And to find out what the Tripod actually did to Will? And if he will have enough time to get away from the castle and find Henry and Beanpole? I Wonder?