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Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
Last updated Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Author: Dusti Bowling
Date of Publication: 2017
ISBN: 1454923458
Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Aug. 2026
Synopsis:
Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she'll have to answer the question over and over again at her new school.
Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability (Tourette's Syndrome), and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It's hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven's about to discover she can do it all. . . even without arms.
| Note to readers: |
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This story has major themes of accepting differences, friendship and overcoming your fears. It is the first of a trilogy of novels; 2 and 3 are Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus and The Beat I Drum. The book is more than 270 pages. Chapters 1 and 2 are 15 pages. The reflective description of the 200 year old saguaro cactus that inspires the book's title occurs in Chapter 8. (Aven realizes that her daily middle school struggles are just a tiny, "insignificant event" in the 200 year life of that cactus). You might want to skip ahead: pages 44-47. Another theme is using humor as a tool. E.g., When Aven first meets Connor in Chapter 9, he points out that she doesn’t have arms. She says, “Oh my gosh! I knew I was forgetting something today.” Pages 47-58. E.g., Humor is also the “alligator wrestling match” story. (Aven’s family doesn’t arrive at the Stagecoach Pass theme park until Chapter 3-pages 16-22). Use your discretion to skip ahead.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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What kind of problems would you face if you didn’t have arms? How would you solve them?
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Aven is nervous about starting a new school in a new state? What would you be nervous about if that happened?
Vocabulary
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Aven: In the Irish language it means Beautiful. In Iceland, it is the national flower.
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Insignificant: Something unimportant, not meaningful, or too small to be noticed or to make a difference.
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Cumbersome: Something that is hard to handle, carry, or deal with because it is too big, heavy, or complicated. It is used to
describe physical things that slow you down, and rules, things or tasks that take too much time or are too complicated.
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Flail: to wave, swing, or thrash your legs or arms around wildly in an uncontrolled way.
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Savor: to taste, smell, or experience something slowly so you can enjoy and appreciate it as much as possible.
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Desolate: Describes a place that is empty, lonely, and without people or living things. It can also describe the feeling of being extremely sad or abandoned.
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Agile: Being agile can be physical or mental. It means being able to move or think quickly, easily, smoothly, and adapt to changes.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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After reading Chapter 1: The book is titled Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus. What do you think Aven
considers insignificant versus significant in her life?
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Moving away from her home is a cumbersome process for Aven, both physically and emotionally. How do you think you would feel if you had to leave everything familiar behind to live in a run-down theme park?
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What do you think are the reasons that Aven tells wild stories or makes jokes about not having arms?
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Aven describes herself as “agile,” someone who can do more than people with arms can do and a “problem solving ninja.” How do you think that happened to make her view herself that way?
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| Craft ideas: |
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(1) Make a paper roll or construction paper cactus.
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(2) An Aven is a flower. Make a pipe cleaner flower. You need 5 pipe cleaners (3 for petals, 2 for stem/leaf). No cutting needed. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDWhsZXjDT4
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(3) Aven is the national flower of Iceland. Make a weird, wild and colorful flower for Iceland.
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(4)Cactus: This YouTube video uses paint: Use construction paper instead. See https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oXP2NskmGf0
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| Special activities: |
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Do the Word Search.
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Cut out the bookmarks and decorate the back sides with a desert scene (cacti, tortoises, roadrunners)
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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