POV from Details

​What's the Point of View?

By Paul Strauch

​Gary the Goat Who Thought He Was a Lawn Chair

Part 1: "Firmly Seated"

Gary the goat had one goal in life: to be left alone. While other goats jumped on rocks and chased chickens, Gary stood perfectly still in the yard—right next to the lawn furniture.

“I’m not just like a lawn chair,” he’d say. “I am one.”

He refused to move. If someone tried to talk to him, he’d freeze even harder. The farmer’s wife once tried to sit on him. “That’s just Gary,” the farmer said. “He thinks he’s patio furniture.”

And Gary was proud of it. “No expectations. No talking. Just standing. It’s the dream.”

Open Ended

What is Gary's Point of View in the story?

Open Ended

What words in the text tell you how Gary is feeling?

Part 2: "Unseated by a Squirrel"

Everything was perfect—until a squirrel mistook him for an actual chair and stashed an entire collection of acorns between his horns.

Gary tried to stay still. He really did. But that squirrel would not stop poking him. When it tried to crawl up his nose, Gary lost it.

He bleated. He galloped. He spun in circles until acorns flew like popcorn.

All the animals stared. Then someone cheered.

“Look at Gary go!”

“He’s got moves!”

Gary froze.

Then… smiled. Just a little.

The next day, he joined the others on the hay bales. But only after he announced, “I’m still 50% lawn chair. Just with hobbies now.”

Open Ended

How does Gary feel at the end of the story?

Open Ended

How would you feel if a squirrel tried to stash its acorns on you?

Stanley the Squirrel Hates Sharing

Stanley the squirrel was proud of exactly two things: his massive acorn pile and the fact that none of it was shared.

He worked all fall hoarding them. Buried some under a log. Stuffed a few into a tree stump. Hid at least seven inside a garden gnome's hat. "Hands off the stash," he warned every squirrel in the forest. “I earned these. I found these. They’re mine.”

Other squirrels built slides out of leaves and played tag across tree branches. Stanley did not. He glared from his stump, whispering, “Slackers.”

Open Ended

What is Stanley's Point of View at the beginning? How do you know that is how he feels?

Poll

How will Stanley feel at the end of this story?

• Grateful

• Angry

• Sorry

One morning, Stanley climbed into his favorite hollow tree—and screamed.

His stash was gone. Not gone… moved. Someone had reorganized his perfectly chaotic pile into neat little rows and left a sign that read:

“Stanley’s Acorn Library. Borrow One, Bring One Back!”

Stanley exploded.

He launched himself out of the tree, fur bristling, tail twitching like a whip. He tracked muddy paw prints, found chewed remains of his best acorn, and even saw a chipmunk polishing one.

“They TOUCHED my acorns!” he shouted. “This is a VIOLATION of squirrel law!”

While others enjoyed his “community acorn center,” Stanley fumed. “This isn’t a library. It’s a crime scene.”

And from then on, he built a new stash—inside a bucket. With a lid. And a padlock. And a very clear sign:

"TOUCH THIS AND I BITE."

Open Ended

How does Stanley feel at the end of the story? How do you know?

​The Day My Underwear Tried to Escape

This is not a joke. This is not a drill. This is what actually happened.

It was a normal Tuesday morning. I got out of bed. I yawned. I stretched. I opened my drawer to grab some clean underwear, and that’s when I saw it.

The underwear blinked.

Then it growled.

I froze. It wiggled. I reached for it, and it LEAPT out of the drawer like a ninja pancake.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Get back here!”

But it was too late. The underwear had scurried under the bed, done a triple somersault, and slipped out the bedroom door.

Now I was chasing it down the hallway in a towel, yelling, “STOP! YOU’RE COTTON BLEND, NOT A WILDLIFE SPECIES!”

That was ten minutes ago. Now it’s in the kitchen. My dog is barking at it. My little brother is filming it. My mom thinks I’m just trying to get out of school.

Open Ended

How does this kid feel right now?

Open Ended

How would you end this story?