George Washington's Socks

“I’d rather face a bloodthirsty vampire, or a wild cat […].”

Matt’s father, Mr. Carlton, has just told Matt to finish his peas before leaving for the campout. In this reaction, Matt would much rather focus on a real adventure that offers risk, danger, and thrill. His word choice and conviction depict Matt as adventure-loving and full of imagination. By the end of the novel, his opinion on adventure has changed, and he wants nothing more than the normalcy of home.

“‘Cold,’ Q replied. ‘Really, really cold. They crossed the river at night, in the middle of rain and ice and snow. They must have been freezing.’”

Q answers Matt at the campout meeting about conditions faced by the Continental Army on the night they crossed the Delaware River. His description serves to remind readers of historical details. It also foreshadows the misery Q, Matt, and the others will soon experience when they find themselves in 1775.

“And not just any hike, but a night hike along the lake. To get there all they had to do was follow the path through Tony’s woods.”

Matt talks his friends into a real adventure—one that none of their parents permitted. The ease of the short path through familiar territory should have ensured that nothing would go wrong, or so Matt thought. In the woods, the sense of ease is gone, replaced with suspense.