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NameFriday, June 17

What a Day!By Kathleen W. Redman

Sammy was restless. Hewas so excited. He justcouldn't go to sleep.Tomorrow he would be sixyears old. It was going tobe a great day! Therewould be so many thingsto do.

Everyone was going to thepark. They would swim in the pool. They wouldplay tag. They would climb trees. They would . . .

Slowly Sammy drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sammy sat up in his bed. He looked out thewindow. It was sunny and warm. It was a beautifulsummer day. It wasn't too warm and it wasn't toocold. It was just right for a birthday!

Sammy got out of bed. He put on his clothes andran to the kitchen.

"Mom! Dad! Kelly! Dylan!" he shouted. "Let's goto the park right now!"

"Slow down," his father said. "We have to wait forthe others to come."

"Well, I'm going outside for a while," Sammy said."I think the sunshine will feel good."

Sammy ran out the door. The sky was clear. Hewas glad it was summer. He couldn't go to the parkin the winter. It would be too cold to swim.

Oops! What was that? Sammy saw a little, puffycloud. The cloud started getting bigger.

CRACK! BOOM!

Sammy ran for the house. That was lightning andthunder! What was going on? Just as Sammy got inthe door, the rain started. It rained and rained.Sammy watched the thunderstorm through thewindow. All of a sudden, the rain stopped. Theclouds got darker and lower.

Hey! It was getting cool in the house. No, that was

wrong. It was getting cold! Sammy was freezing!And through the window, he could see snowstarting to fall. In just a few minutes, everythingwas covered with snow. There was ice on the waterpuddles.

What was going on? Sammy couldn't figure it out.First, it had been sunny and warm. Then it wasrainy and cool. Now it was snowing and cold. Was

it summer or winter? This just couldn't happen.

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NameFriday, June 17

While Sammy was thinking about the weather, thesnow stopped. It was very quiet for a bit. Then

something started rattling on the roof. Sammylooked out the window. Now hail was falling. Someof it was as big as a golf ball!

The hail stopped and the rain started again. Thehouse began to float. A flood was washingeverything away. Sammy got up on a table. Hereached down to get his cat out of the water. Hishand was getting wet!

* * *

Sammy woke up with a start! His cat was lickinghis hand. Sammy sat up in his bed. He looked outthe window. It was sunny and warm. It was abeautiful summer day. It wasn't too warm and itwasn't too cold. It was just right for a birthday!

What a Day!

Questions

1. Who was having a birthday in this story?

A. Tim

B. DylanC. Sammy's fatherD. Sammy

2. Where were they going for Sammy's birthday?

A. the moviesB. the fairC. the mallD. the park

3. Why was Sammy having a hard time going tosleep?

A. He didn't feel good.B. He had a headache.C. It was too early to go to sleep.D. He was excited.

4. When Sammy saw the lightning he was(awake, asleep).

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5. What happened in Sammy's dream after therain stopped?

A. The wind started to blow.B. It got warm and sunny again.C. It got cold and started to snow.D. There was a flood.

6. What made the noise on the roof?

A. hailB. lightningC. sleet

D. rain

7. What happened after the hail stopped?

A. more snowB. a hurricaneC. a tornadoD. more rain and a flood

8. Why did Sammy's hand feel wet?A. His cat was licking his hand.B. He was washing his hands in his dream.C. There really was a flood.D. He stuck it outside in the rain.

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NameMonday, June 20

Keith Interviews Jimmy, the LoggerheadTurtleBy Kathleen W. Redman

"Good morningboys and girls. I'mKeith Trace, hostofAmazingAnimals. Today,we've got a realtreat for you. He is

one of the wettestguests we've hadhere. He's left lotsof sand all over the place here. His name is Jimmy,and he's a loggerhead turtle. Hello, Jimmy."

"Hi, Keith. Sorry about the sand."

"No problem, Jimmy. We have a vacuumcleaner."

"I took a walk along the beach. I've beenleaving sand everywhere."

"A walk along the beach sounds nice."

"Not really, Keith. It was a lot of work."

"How so?"

"It's a long story. Being born as a loggerheadturtle is a lot of work. My mom swam hundreds ofmiles to lay eggs in the same spot where she wasborn. It was on a beach in Florida."

"Florida's nice. I hear the beaches there are

very pretty."

"They are, Keith. But there are also lots ofpeople there."

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes. Loggerhead eggs are tiny and are easily

destroyed by humans and pets. On many beaches,there are protected areas just for turtle eggs. Sixtydays after my egg was laid, I hatched and had tomake a pretty long trip."

"Trip? To where?"

"To the water, Keith. Even though mybirthplace was a few feet from the ocean, it's a

very long walk for a baby turtle."

"How did you know where the water was?"

"Since we're usually born at night, we look forstars or the moon reflecting off the water. Wewalk toward the light. On many beaches though,there are lots of houses. Some of my brothers andsisters got lost. They walked toward the lights on

the houses. Sadly, they never made it to the

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NameMonday, June 20

water."

"That's too bad. What do you do once you

make it to the ocean?"

"Swim, swim, and swim. We swim way out inthe middle of the Atlantic Ocean between NorthAmerica and Africa. At sea, we grow to be up to alittle over five hundred pounds and about threefeet long. We can live to be two hundred yearsold."

"So you're a good swimmer, Jimmy?"

"Very good. Although we breathe air, we canstay underwater for up to seven hours."

"That's absolutely amazing. What do you guyseat down there?"

"Lots of shellfish. We've got unusually largeheads. That's because we have really strong jawsto crush shells."

"Wow! I noticed that you have an interestingcolor."

"Very nice, huh? I like the way I look. Myshell is a nice reddish-brown color. My skin is

brownish-yellow."

"So is swimming out in the ocean pretty easyfor you loggerheads?"

"Usually, yes. But there are lots of dangersdown there, Keith. We're most afraid of fishingnets. Lots of us get caught in fishing nets and

drown. Motorboat propellers aren't very healthyfor us, either. Because of these threats, we'reendangered."

"But your eggs are protected, right?"

"Yes. There are lots of things being done tohelp us. Fishing nets are now being made with

turtle escape holes."

"Well, Jimmy, I hope things get better for you.And don't worry about the sand. We'll get itcleaned up."

"Thanks, Keith."

"That was Jimmy, the loggerhead turtle, truly

an amazing animal. I hope you enjoyed thisepisode, boys and girls! See you next time!"

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NameMonday, June 20

Keith Interviews Jimmy, the Loggerhead Turtle

Questions

1. How much can an adult loggerhead turtleweigh?

A. one tonB. one thousand poundsC. a little over five hundred poundsD. a little over one thousand pounds

2. Loggerhead turtles hatch how many days afterbeing laid?

A. fifty daysB. sixty daysC. seventy daysD. eighty days

3. The first thing loggerhead turtles do after beingborn is walk to the ocean.

A. FalseB. True

4. Loggerhead turtles are born where?

A. in a hospitalB. on the beachC. on a riverbankD. at sea

5. Loggerhead turtles are usually born where theirmothers were born.

A. TrueB. False

6. What do loggerhead turtles like to eat?

A. shellfishB. leavesC. ice creamD. sand

7. Loggerhead turtles can swim underwater forhow long?

A. up to a dayB. up to seven hoursC. up to thirty minutesD. up to two hours

8. Adult loggerhead turtles stay close to thebeach.

A. TrueB. False

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NameMonday, June 20

School Is EndingBy Joyce Furstenau

A.M.

School is ending.The school bus arrives atschool. It is the last day.Seven children get offthe bus. Some of themare in Mikey's room.

Each of them carries asack with rags forcleaning desks.

School is ending. Mrs. Brown's class says theflag salute together for the last time this year. Theclass says today's date for the last time. They saythe class motto together for the last time.

School is ending. Children are cleaning outtheir desks. The teacher is cleaning out hercupboards. The boards have all been washed clean.

School is ending. It is time to take down all theartwork. Mikey takes his caterpillar picture.Benny takes down his butterfly picture. Mrs.Brown takes down her bulletin board.

School is ending. Mikey takes his nametag off

his desk. Mikey puts all his school supplies in apaper bag. He uses a wet rag to wash off his desk.

School is ending. The clean desks are stackedin a corner of the classroom. The chairs arestacked neatly beside them.

School is ending. Mrs. Brown's class sits in acircle on the floor. Mrs. Brown asks everyone toshare their summer plans.

P.M.

Because it is the last day of school, everyonegets to eat lunch outside. School is ending.

After recess, Mrs. Brown has everyone standtogether in front of the class for a group photo.They take a silly picture, too. School is endin..

It is warm outside. Mrs. Brown takes the classoutside for one last game of color tag. Everyoneis excited about the last day of school. School isendi...

Mikey said goodbye to everyone in his class.Mrs. Brown said goodbye to each student andgave them a hug. School is end....

Mikey said goodbye to Ben and his otherfriends. He put his paper sack with his papers andsupplies in his backpack. School is en....

Mikey got on the school bus to go home. He

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NameMonday, June 20

sat next to Juan on the bus. Juan and Mikey talkedabout the last day of school on the way home.School is e....

Mikey got off the school bus. He wavedgoodbye to his bus driver, Mrs. James. Mikey isexcited about summer vacation. School is out!

School Is Ending

Questions

1. The story starts with the abbreviation A.M.What does this mean?

A. A.M. means after meals.B. A.M. means in the morning.C. A.M. means after Monday.D. A.M. means after Mikey.

2. What is important about this day in the story?A. School is on vacation.B. School is over.C. School is starting.D. School is fun.

3. Who is Mikey's teacher?

A. Mikey's teacher is Mrs. Brown.B. Mikey's teacher is Mrs. Gray.C. Mikey's teacher is Mrs. Green.D. Mikey's teacher is Mrs. Black.

4. What is everyone doing to their desks?A. arranging their desksB. making a fort with their desksC. cleaning desksD. decorating the desks

5. Why does everyone eat lunch outside today?

A. It is the last day of school.B. The lunchroom is closed.C. It is too hot inside.D. The school has ants.

6. The word "ending" slowly disappears at theend of the story. Why do you think the authordid this?

A. to show the reader how to spell the wordB. to show the reader it was time for recess

C. to show the reader it was time for lunchD. to show the reader school was slowly

coming to an end

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NameTuesday, June 21

Let's Clean Up!By Phyllis Naegeli

Andy and Jan sat on the parkbench to have a snack. Andypulled an apple out of his bag.Jan took a candy bar out ofher pocket. She peeled off thewrapper and tossed it on theground.

"Why did you do that?"asked Andy in a surprisedtone.

"Why did I do what?" asked Jan.

"Throw your wrapper on the ground," said Andy.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't think about it," said

Jan.

Andy leaned over and picked up the wrapper. Hewalked over to a trashcan and dropped the wrapperinto the can. Then he came back to the bench andsat down.

"Did I upset you?" asked Jan.

"A little," said Andy. "I know you just moved here.

Maybe where you used to live, people don't puttheir litter where it should go. It bothers me whenpeople leave their trash on the ground. Look overthere," said Andy, pointing to a small grove oftrees. "Do you see the trash along the edge of thetrees?"

"Yes," said Jan, humbly.

"That's what happens when people don't put theirtrash where it belongs," said Andy.

"I'm sorry," said Jan, hanging her head. "I neverthought about it before. I guess I should put mylitter in a trashcan."

"It's O.K. I have an idea though. I saw a sign overthere about 'Pick up Some Litter Day'. Maybe weshould sign up for it. It will be good to help cleanup the park."

"I'll have to check with my mom, but it sounds likea great idea," said Jan.

"Come on, let's go home," said Andy. "I need toask my parents, too."

Andy and Jan got the O.K from their parents andsigned up for "Pick up Some Litter Day." When theday came, it was a warm, sunny afternoon. Arrivingat the park, Jan was amazed at how many peoplehad come to help.

"Look at all the people," she said, gazing around.

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"This is great! Let's get started."

Jan and Andy put on work gloves to protect their

hands. Then Jan grabbed two bags and handed oneto Andy. They spent the next hour picking up litterall over the park. When their bags were full, theybrought the bag to the disposal area.

"Look at all the bags full of trash!" Jan said, sadly."Do you think this is just from people throwingtheir trash on the ground?"

Andy put his trash bag with the others. "No, itcomes from a lot of places. When people put theirtrash out to be picked up, it can blow around. Thereare a lot of houses around here, which means lots oftrashcans. It also comes from people throwing trashout of the window of their cars. Then there arepeople who just drop their candy wrappers on theground," Andy teased.

"I said I was sorry," said Jan. "But, now Iunderstand why you were so upset. I'll never litteragain!"

Mr. Jones, one of the organizers for "Pick up SomeLitter Day" came over to the children. "Thank youfor helping today," he said, shaking each child'shand.

"You're welcome," said Andy.

Jan tilted her head. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure, go ahead," said Mr. Jones.

"Why do people litter?"

Mr. Jones looked thoughtful. "Most people litterbecause they don't understand. It's really the biggestproblem. When people see trash on the ground,they think it's O.K. to drop their own. Or they feelthat someone else will pick up after them," he said.

"Like we did today," said Andy.

"Yes. But, we wouldn't have to do it if everyonedid their part," said Mr. Jones.

"I'm going to do my part!" said Jan.

"Me, too," said Andy.

Mr. Jones smiled. "That's a good place to start!"

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Let's Clean Up!

Questions

1. Why did Andy get upset with Jan?

A. She moved away.B. She threw her candy wrapper on the

ground.C. She ate his apple.D. She was late coming to the park.

2. Jan was sorry for upsetting Andy.A. trueB. false

3. Where were Jan and Andy?

A. at the parkB. at the mallC. on a farm

D. at school

4. When "Pick up Some Litter Day" came, itrained.

A. falseB. true

5. What are some reasons that people litter?

A. They don't understand.B. They think someone else will clean up after

them.C. They see trash on the ground and think it is

O.K. to drop theirs.D. all of the above

6. How long did Jan and Andy work picking uptrash at the park?

A. all dayB. two hoursC. ten minutesD. one hour

7. What was the most important lesson Janlearned?

8. Whom did Jan ask if she could sign up for"Pick up Some Litter Day"?

A. her momB. Mr. JonesC. her dadD. Andy

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Being a CatBy Kathleen W. Redman

Sue has four cats.Two of the cats areblack and white.Two of the cats areblack and brown.

"Please come fromunder the stairs and eat," Sue said. "Please, please,

please! I want you to eat all your food."

One of the cats ran to the dish of food. It ate almosthalf the food. It meowed. Sue thought it said, "Thisfood is good."

Now the other cats came out. They rubbed Sue'sarm. One went to the water dish. Another went tothe food.

"That's it," Sue said. "That is what they want."

One of the black and white cats saw a pretty ball.The ball was new. Sue rolled the ball. Suewondered if the cat would play with it.

The cat came near the ball. It hit the ball with itspaws. The ball went under the piano. Then itstopped.

One black and brown cat ran under the piano. Itjumped on the pretty ball. It rolled across the rug.The cats like to play with the ball, Sue thought toherself.

Soon all four cats were having so much fun. Sue

laughed. She wanted to be a cat. She wonderedwhat it would be like to be a cat. Would she be ablack cat, a brown cat, or a white cat?

Sue meowed! She got on her hands and knees. Shetried to be a cat. Sue went under the piano. Sue ranlike a cat to play with the ball. She went over totheir food.

But Sue wasn't by herself. She looked to her left.She looked to her right. She saw four cats besideher. There's not enough food for five cats, shethought.

And then she smelled it.

"Yuck!" Sue said to the cats. "I don't like this. It

smells like fish! No, this is not for me!" Sue said tothe four cats. "You can have all of it."

Sue decided to ride her little tricycle. Her tricyclewas white. Maybe she could paint it with someblack and brown paint like the cats. "Yes, that'll be

just like you guys," she said.

Sue rode her tricycle for a while. Then she got off

her tricycle. She went to the food dish where the

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cats were eating and purring.

She patted each one on its head. "I love cats," Sue

said, "but I don't want to be one."

Being a Cat

Questions

1. Who is the main character of the story?

A. SarahB. SueC. SelenaD. Sandi

2. How many cat(s) does Sue have?

A. fourB. twoC. threeD. one

3. What color are her cats?

A. One is white, one is black, and two areblack and brown.

B. One is black, one is brown, and two arebrown and white.

C. The story does not tell what color they are.D. Two are black and white and two are

brown and black.

4. Which cat played with the ball first?

A. one of the brown and black catsB. one of the black and white catsC. one of the brown catsD. one of the black cats

5. Sue wondered what it would be like to be a______.

A. fairyB. tricycleC. catD. white ball

6. What sound did Sue make?

A. purrB. meowC. arfD. woof

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7. What did Sue NOT like about being a cat?

A. playing with the ballB. eating the cat foodC. running under the pianoD. purring

8. What did Sue do after she played at being acat?

A. went for a walk.B. rode her tricycle.C. went to sleep.

D. watched TV.

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Why Did I Do That?By Kathleen W. Redman

Dale walked slowly home. He kept hishead down. He was not smiling. Helooked very sad. He was thinkingabout Jen. Jen was his best friend. Atleast, Jen used to be his best friend.Dale did not know if she even likedhim now.

Dale just kept thinking about whathappened in P.E. class today. Coachtold Dale and John to choose their teams. The classwas going to play baseball. Dale was excited to becaptain. And he had the first choice, too.

Dale looked at all the other students. Jen was avery good baseball player. Dale wanted to chooseher, but he knew the boys would make fun of him.

They would call him a sissy. They would say thatonly sissies want girls on their team.

"Come on, Dale," Coach had said. "Make your firstchoice."

Dale looked down. "Mark," he said. "Mark will beon my team."

Dale looked at Jen. She looked surprised. She

looked a little bit hurt.

John chose Al. Then it was Dale's turn again.

"Luke," Dale said. He looked at Jen. This time shelooked very hurt.

So John and Dale took turns choosing. When theyran out of boys, John had to choose the first girl.

"I choose Jen," he said. "She's not too bad for agirl."

After all the girls were chosen for a team, the gamebegan. Everyone played his or her best. Dale battedlast. He hit a double and one run scored. His teamwon.

"Okay," Coach said. "Everyone played a greatgame. Congratulations to Dale's team for the win.Dale, that double really helped your team."

Dale should have felt very proud. Instead, all hefelt was shame. He had let the other boys keep him

from choosing Jen for his team. Why had he donethat? Dale just couldn't keep thinking about what hehad done. He couldn't look at Jen, either.

When Dale got home he went into the living room.His mother was watering her plants.

"Did you have a good day?" she asked.

"I hit a double in P.E. class today. Our team won

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the game," Dale answered.

"Then why do you look so upset?" his mother

asked.

Dale told her all about what he had done. He toldher about wanting to choose Jen. He told her aboutbeing afraid he would be called Sissy. He told herabout how Jen looked when he didn't choose her.

"But Jen is my best friend," Dale said. "I mean, sheused to be my best friend. Maybe she doesn't likeme at all now. Why did I do that, Mom? I feel soashamed!"

His mom sat down. "Come sit by me," she said. "Ithink we need to talk."

Why Did I Do That?

Questions

1. Who was Dale's best friend?

2. Jen was good at baseball.

A. falseB. true

3. Coach chose two captains. Who were they?

4. Who was Dale's first choice?

A. JenB. Amy

C. LukeD. Mark

5. Who chose Luke?

A. DaleB. AlC. JohnD. Mark

6. Who chose Jen?

A. LukeB. JohnC. MarkD. Dale

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7. Which boy's team won the game?

8. What emotion did Dale feel after the game?

A. excitementB. happinessC. prideD. shame

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NameWednesday, June 22

Painting a RainbowBy KATHLEEN W. REDMAN

"Once upon atime," Caitlyn'smother said,"babies did nothave names likeCaitlyn, Gabriel, orHaley. They hadcolor names like Indigo, Violet, or Yellow.

"When a baby was born, its mother looked at itsfeet. The color on the bottoms of the baby's feetbecame its name. We still use some of those namesfor babies now. I have an aunt named Violet.

"This story is about a beautiful spring day. The sunwas shining. The sky was blue. There were a fewpuffy white clouds in the sky. Pretty flowers grew

in the soft meadow grass. It was a great day to beoutside.

"Many of the mothers had brought their babiesoutside. Indigo was playing with Red and Blue on ablanket. Brown and Orange, the twins, were in aplaypen. Green, Yellow, and Violet were rolling inthe grass. All the babies were happy. They werehaving fun.

"Then up came Gloomy Gus. Gloomy Gus was agray elf. He had a big paintbrush. He painted theclouds gray. He painted the sky gray. He paintedeverything gray. He made the babies cry. And thenthe rain started.

"All the mothers were angry. They took their

babies inside. They dried off their babies andhelped them get warm. Then they stood in theirdoorways and shouted at Gloomy Gus. 'Go away,'they shouted. 'Our babies want to play!'

"Gloomy Gus laughed and laughed. 'I won' t goaway,' he said. 'I won't go away for anything.'

"The mothers thought and thought. Then theythought of a way to chase Gloomy Gus away. 'Wewill paint him away,' they said. 'But where will wefind paintbrushes and paint?' one mother asked.

"'We can use our brooms for paintbrushes,'someone said. 'We can use the colors on thebottoms of our babies' feet for paint,' anothermother said.

"All the mothers got their brooms. Then theytickled their babies' feet with the brooms. Thecolors on the babies' feet came off on the brooms.One mother had a red broom. One mother had ayellow broom. Each mother had a different coloredbroom.

"The mothers went outside in the rain. They

painted the flowers. They painted the clouds. They

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painted the grass. They painted the sky. And therain stopped. The sun started to shine.

"Gloomy Gus did not like the colors. He sneakedbehind a tree and ran away. The mothers painted abridge from the meadow, up to the sky, and backdown again. It had all the colors in it. Now GloomyGus could not come back! The mothers had painteda rainbow.

"Now, babies don't have red, or orange, or bluefeet. Their feet are the same color as the rest oftheir skin. And they have names like Vera,Michael, or Tim."

"And Caitlyn!" Caitlyn said to her mother.

Her mother smiled at her. "And Caitlyn," she said.

Painting a Rainbow

Questions

1. Who is telling the story?

A. Gloomy GusB. CaitlynC. Caitlyn's grandmotherD. Caitlyn's mother

2. According to the story, children long ago werenamed for ______.

A. colorsB. flowersC. songs

D. birds

3. How did a mother know what to name herbaby?

A. An elf told her.B. She named the baby for her favorite color.C. She looked in a book.D. She looked at the baby's feet.

4. The story is set in what season?

A. summerB. springC. fallD. winter

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5. Where were the babies playing?

A. near a waterfallB. in the meadowC. inside their housesD. on a mountain

6. Who painted everything gray?

A. BlackB. Greg the GrumpyC. the mothersD. Gloomy Gus

7. What happened when the babies startedcrying?

A. Gloomy Gus went away.B. It started raining.C. The mothers ran inside.D. Nothing happened.

8. What did the mothers paint to keep GloomyGus away?

A. their babiesB. a rainbowC. the mountainsD. their houses

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NameThursday, June 23

The King Who Couldn't SingBy Joyce Furstenau

Long ago in a kingdombeside the Sidelong River,lived a king who could notsing. He wanted to be knownas the singing king, but hecould not even sing a simpletune. He was knownthroughout the kingdom as

The-King-Who-Could-Not-Sing.Now the king wanted to learnto sing so badly that he offered his fastest mustangto anyone who could teach him to sing.

A long line of subjects came forward in answer tothe king's offer. The first young man tried teachingthe king a simple eight-note scale, but each notesounded worse than the last. One young man tried

teaching the king to sing a tongue-twister song.When the king tried to sing it, his tongue became sotwisted that he couldn't even speak so he quicklygave up. A third man tried teaching the king a lovesong. He sang it so badly that everyone who heardit began crying.

Before long, the king had completely lost hope ofever learning to sing. Everyone along the length ofthe Sidelong River had tried; still the king could not

sing a single note.

One morning, the king looked down into hiscourtyard from the tower atop his castle. Hewatched the throng of people working outside thecastle walls. Many of them were happily singing asthey labored under the morning sun. The king was

very sad. He loved the sound of people singing.

While the king was sitting at his window, a tinybird landed on a nearby ledge. The bird began tosing the sweetest song the king's ears had everheard. Then, in the distance, another bird began tosing. The king's face grew brighter. "What abeautiful orchestra these birds make," said the kingout loud to himself.

As the king listened to the bird's song, he puckeredhis lips and began to whistle the bird's song back,as if to answer it. Back and forth, back and forth,the king and the bird whistled the bird's beautifulsong all day long.

By evening, an amazing thing had happened. The

king realized that he himself had found the answerto his lifelong dream.The-King-Who-Could-Not-Sing had learned towhistle. So from that day forth, instead ofThe-King-Who-Could-Not-Sing, he was known asThe Whistling King.

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The King Who Couldn't Sing

Questions

1. What was the king's biggest wish?

A. He wanted to be able to hear.B. He wanted to be able to fish.C. He wanted to be able to sing.D. He wanted to be able to see.

2. What did the king offer as a reward to anyone

who could teach him to sing?A. He offered his fastest cow as a reward.B. He offered his fastest car as a reward.C. He offered his fastest mustang as a reward.D. He offered his fastest servant as a reward.

3. What kind of song was the first thing he triedto sing?

A. The first song was a love song.B. The first song was a German song.C. The first song was a simple scale.D. The first song was a tongue twister.

4. What happened when the king sang a lovesong?

A. everyone began dancing.B. everyone began crying.C. everyone began singing.D. everyone began leaving.

5. Where was the king when the bird began tosing?

A. The king was in the tower.B. The king was in the dungeon.C. The king was in the courtyard.D. The king was in the keep.

6. What did the king finally learn to do?

A. The king learned to sing.B. The king learned to whistle.C. The king learned to talk.D. The king learned to yodel.

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Stories in Our HeadBy Jody Williams

"Ryan, it's time to get readyfor bed," Mom said fromdownstairs. Ryan wasupstairs playing. Ryan knewit was time for bed. He wastired. He wanted to climb inhis bed. He wanted to closehis eyes. He wanted to go to

sleep. One thing was standingin his way -- his bad dreams.

Ryan was good at a lot of things. He was a greatsoccer player. He was a fantastic artist. He wasgood at reading. In fact, he was reading harderbooks than most second graders. Ryan was evengood at sleeping. His mom said that when Ryanwas three weeks old, he slept through the night.

Most babies do not sleep through the night untilthey are a few months old.

One night Ryan and his older brothers werewatching a movie. They would often do this beforethey went to bed. Mom said that it settled themdown. Usually, that was the case. On that night,Ryan's oldest brother got to pick the movie. Hepicked one that Ryan had never seen before. Ryandid not want to watch it. Then his brother told him

it was about a robot. Ryan's newest love wasrobots. When Ryan heard about the main characterof the movie, he could not wait to watch it.

The movie started and sure enough, it was about arobot. It was not your average robot. This robot wasbigger than the tallest buildings in the city. It was

silver with red eyes. It had huge feet. When itsmouth opened, all that could be seen were sharp,shiny teeth. Whenever light hit the teeth, theywould sparkle like a sharp knife blade.

Ryan's brothers kept saying things like "cool" and"awesome." Ryan did not think the robot was coolor awesome. He thought that it was scary. Ryan didnot want to tell his brothers that he was scared. Hedid not want them to think he was a baby. Instead,he sat on the sofa with his fists clenched around hisfavorite blanket. He watched as the robot destroyedthe city. He watched as people ran away from itscreaming. Ryan sat still, barely taking a breath.

Finally, Ryan's mom turned it off because it wastime for bed. She asked the boys how the movie

was. Ryan's brothers went on and on about howawesome it was. They ran upstairs making robotsounds and trying to relive the movie. Ryan, on theother hand, did not have much to say. He slowlywalked up the stairs. He brushed his teeth. He puthis pajamas on. He climbed up the ladder on hisbunk bed to the top bunk. His mom came in hisroom to tuck him in and say goodnight. She noticedthat the look on Ryan's face was not the same. He

did not look like the same boy that pretended that

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his blankets were a cave. He would usually crawldown into the covers and lie perfectly still untilsleep would come. He would stay like that until he

woke up in the morning.

Ryan's mom asked if he was ok. He said he wasfine. He was just really tired. She kissed himgoodnight and wished him sweet dreams. She leftthe room and Ryan started to feel strange. He hadnever felt strange before when his mom left hisroom. He felt scared.

Ryan crawled down into his covers as he usuallydid. He closed his eyes, but they kept poppingopen. Every time he would close his eyes, all thathe could see was that robot. Ryan tossed andturned. He flipped his pillow over and back again.He made sure that he had his favorite blankets. Heeven got out of bed and turned an extra light on inhis room.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Ryan fellasleep. The house was quiet. Everyone had gone tobed. Dreams were flowing through their heads. Allof a sudden the silence was broken. Ryan sat up inhis bed. He opened his mouth and a scream cameout. It was not an ordinary scream. It was a scaredscream. It was the kind that hits all of a sudden.Ryan could feel his heart pounding. He was

breathing fast. It was as if he just finished running a

race.

Ryan's mom and dad ran into his room. Theyfound Ryan sitting up in his bed. His mom put herarms around him. His dad rubbed his leg and askedwhat was wrong. When Ryan calmed down, he toldhis parents about his dream. They listened. He felt

better after he had told them about it.

Ryan's dad went to the hall closet. He took boxesout of the closet. Ryan and his mom wondered whyhe was picking this moment to clean out the closet.After much huffing and puffing, Ryan's dad cameinto his room. He said he had something special forRyan. It was a Curious George night light. Dadexplained that it was his when he was a boy. Heremembered that he had packed it away, hopingthat one day one of his boys would use it. Dadplugged it into the wall and George's happy faceshined.

Ryan did go back to sleep that night, but the nextnight it happened again. The same robot stompedinto his dream. Ryan's mom and dad came into his

room. They listened as he talked about his dream.Mom did everything that she could to reassureRyan that it was just a dream. She said that eventhough dreams seem real, they are not. They arestories in our heads. Ryan went back to sleep.

The next night, Ryan did not want to go to bed. Heeven told his mom so in a not so nice way. She wasa bit shocked at Ryan's behavior. She knew that he

was worried about his dreams. Ryan did get ready

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for bed. He waited for his mom to come into hisroom. She did come in, but this time she hadsomething with her. She had a box of crayons and

some paper. She also had a shoebox. It was the boxthat Dad's new running shoes came in.

Mom asked Ryan to sit at his desk. She gave himthe crayons and the paper. She told Ryan that sheknew he was worried about going to sleep. Sheexplained that maybe if Ryan drew a picture abouthis dream, it would help him sleep. Ryan loved thisidea, first, because he loved to draw and second,

because it delayed bedtime.

Ryan drew a scene from his dream. He addedevery detail, even the red eyes of the robot. Whenhe was finished, he told his mom about his picture.She listened. Then she took his drawing, folded it,and put it into the shoebox. She put the lid on theshoebox and wrote something on top. When she

showed it to Ryan, he read it and smiled. It said"Good-bye Bad Dreams, Hello Sleep."

Mom asked Ryan where he would like to keep thebox. He knew just the spot. With Mom in tow,Ryan ran down the steps and into the basement. Heopened the door to the storage room. He walked tothe back of the room, pushing aside boxes. Finally,he saw the perfect spot. He put the box on a shelf

that had boxes of toys and books that he was too

old for. Ryan hoped he put his bad robot dream torest for good.

Stories in Our Head

Questions

1. What problem did Ryan face in the story?

2. What was the cause of Ryan's bad dreams?A. His brothers jumped out of the closet and

scared him.B. He watched a scary movie before bedtime.C. He read a scary story before going to bed.D. A big barking dog chased him down the

street.

3. Why did Ryan agree to watch the movie withhis brothers?

A. They made him watch it.B. It was about robots and Ryan loved robots.C. They bribed Ryan with delicious popcorn.D. none of the above

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4. Why did Ryan not want to tell his brothers thathe was scared while watching the movie?

5. How were Ryan's actions different from hisbrothers' after their mom turned the movie off?

6. Describe how Ryan woke up from his baddream.

7. What did Ryan's dad do to help him fallasleep?

A. gave him a Curious George nightlight thatused to be his.

B. sang him a lullaby.C. suggested Ryan try counting sheep.D. made him some warm milk to drink.

8. Ryan's mom told him that dreams are not realbut just stories in his head.

A. falseB. true

9. What did Ryan do with the crayons, paper, andshoebox that his mom gave him before he went

to bed?

10. What did Ryan choose to write on the

shoebox?A. "Good-bye Bad Dreams, Hello Sleep"B. "Go Away Dreams"C. "Bad Dream Box"D. "I Don't Like Bad Dreams"

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