NEEDING A FRIEND
Tina stood looking out the window, "WHY did we have to come to
this place?" sheasked her brother Pedro."You know why as well as I
do," said Pedro. "This is a big city. It's a good place forDad to
find work.""But I don't LIKE it here," saidTina, starting to cry.
"There's no oneto play with. Theonly girl around is that stuck-up
onewho lives downstairs. She nevercomes out. All SHE everdoes is
sit at her window.""Well, WE'LL never make friends standing atTHIS
window," said Pedro. "I'mgoing out!"Pedro ran out the door, and
Tina looked out of the window again."He isn't going to make
anyfriends," she told herself as she watched him from thewindow.But
soon, two boys ran up to Pedro. The three boys talked a little.
Then, they allwalked down the street."What are you looking at?"
asked Tina's sister Carla, coming into the room."Nothing!" said
Tina."You've been looking out that window for days now," said
Carla. "Why don't yougo out and try to make friends?"
"I can't," said Tina, starting to cry again. "Things aren't the
same here."Then, still crying, Tina ran outof the house and down to
the street. "What is the matter?"someone asked.Tina looked up. A
girl ina blue dress was at awindow just above her. It was
thegirlTina'd told Pedro about."You're new here, aren't you?" asked
the girl.Tina nodded."Is that why you're crying?" asked the
girl.Tina nodded again, but she stopped crying."Why don't you come
in and talk to me?" asked the girl in the blue dress."Why don't you
come out?" asked Tina."I can't," said the girl."Come on in."So,
Tina walked back up the steps and into the girl's house. The girl
in the bluedress was still sitting at the window."What's the matter
with you?" asked Tina."Why are you just sitting there likethat?""I
can't walk," said the girl.
"That's why I have no one to play with.""I'll play with you if
youwant," said Tina, sitting down beside thegirl."But I can't go
out," said the girl."That's OK," said Tina. "We canstill be
friends. We can play inhere.""I'm glad you've come here to live,"
said the girl. "I need a friend.""Me, too," said Tina. "Me,
too."
APPLICATION OF THE BARRETT TAXONOMY"Needing a Friend"1.0 Literal
Comprehension: 1.1 Recognition1.11 Find the sentence that tells who
Pedro is: 1.12 Find the sentences on page 17 that tell what Tina
and the girl in the blue dress both need. 1.13 Number these
sentences in the order in which they happen in the story: The girl
in the blue dress talks to Tina. _____Carla asks Tina what she is
looking at out the window. _____Pedro meets two boys. _____Tina and
the girl in the blue dress decided to be friends. _____Tina runs
out of the house crying.
1.2 Recall1.21 Who are the main characters in this story? 1.22
Why are Tina and the girl in the blue dress happy they met? 1.23
How do Tina and the girl in the blue dress become
friends?1.24HowareTinaandhernewfriendalike?1.25Why doesthe girl
inthe bluedresshave noone toplay withbefore shemeets
Tina?1.26Notappropriateinthisstory.
2.0 Reorganization:2.1 Put each word under the proper heading:
PedrodressfriendsTina CitydownstairswindowCarla House
wheelchair
PeoplePlacesThings
2.2Whatwasthisstoryabout?2.3PedrosaysthatthebigcityisagoodplaceforhisDadtofindwork.
Where could we look tofind out what kind of job his father might
find if he lived in our city?
3.0InferentialComprehension:3.1WhatelsecouldtheauthorhavetoldusaboutTinaandherfamily?3.2Whatcanwelearnfromthisstory?3.3Ifthestoryhadn'tendedhere,whatdoyouthinkwouldhavehappened
to Tina and her new
friend?3.4HowdoyouthinkTina'sfeelingsaboutthecitychangefromthe time
she first comes to the city to liveto the time she meets the girl
in the blue
dress?3.5WhydoyouthinkPedromeetssomefriendsbeforeTinadoes?3.6WhatkindofgirldoyouthinkTina'snewfriendis?3.7
Whatdoyouthinkwillhappennext?3.8 What does Tina mean when she calls
the girls downstairs "stuckup?
4.0 Evaluation: 4.1Could this be a true story?4.2 What part of
the story best tells how Tina felt about the city?4.3 Should Pedro
have gone outside without Tina?
5.0 Appreciation: 5.1 What parts of the story were most
interesting to you?5.2 How did you feel when Tina was crying
because she had no friends?5.3 Why do you think the we'll and this
are in capital letters in this sentence? "Well, WE'LL never make
friends just standing at THIS window", said Pedro".5.4 How does the
author let you know that the girl in the blue dress is lonely and
wants to have a friend?
