Web viewRed Lizard gets five plates. He gets cake for his pals, too. Hip, Hip, Hooray for Red Lizard! ... 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 BLAST ... You are the smartest pet in the world!

JourneysFirst Grade

Stories

Directions: Practice reading this story at home each night with your parents.

What is a Pal?written by Nina Crews

A pal can help you.Sam and Nat can help Dan.A pal can play with you.Tad, Cam, and Nan cam play.A pal can be a pet.A pal can be Dad.A pal can be with you.A pal is fun to be with!Are you a pal?


The Stormwritten by Raul Colon

Pop has come in. Look! He is wet.

Time and Rip ran to him.Tim, Rip, and Pop have fun.Tim had to go to bed.What did Tim and Rip see?Tim hid in his bed! Rip hid,

too!Look what Pop had for Tim.

Tim had a sip.Pop had a hug for Tim. He

had a hug for Rip, too.


Curious George at Schoolwritten by Margaret & H.A. Rey

This is George. He can help a lot.George can sing. He is funny.He can see the paints.Mix, mix, mix a bit. Mix, mix, mix a lot!It is a big mess!George ran. What did he find?He got a mop. He had a big job to do.No, no! It is a big, BIG mess!

George is sad, sad, sad.


Lucia’s Neighborhoodwritten by George Ancona

Hi! I am Lucia. Can I get a goal?Yes! We win. We all get pins.What can Mom and I do? Look what we get here. I can look at pets here. It is fun.Mom let me get a plant here. It is not big yet.Who can fix the street? Here is the man who can fix it.Who can fix a car? Here is the man who can fix it.Who has on firefighter’s pants? They are too big to fit me yet!Does the librarian help me? Yes!


Jack and the Wolfwritten by Chris Sheban

Once upon a time, Jack sat on a big hill.Jack had every sheep with him. “It is not fun to sit,” said Jack.“I will yell WOLF for fun!”His friends ran up the hill to help. They did not see Wolf. Jack sat back on the hill. I will yell WOLF!His friends ran back up the hill. They did not see Wolf. Jack sat back on the hill.Wolf got up on a rock!Jack and his sheep ran away.“Did you hear me call?” said Jack. “You did not come.”


How Animals Communicatewritten by William Munoz

An animal will tug and grab.An animal can hug its baby. How do elephants hug?The dog and cat are friends. How can you tell?What is in the grass? Animals can hear it. They will run away from it. A bird will sing—here I am!A wolf will call to its pack—here I am!Why will a dog press its legs down? It will let dogs see—I can play!Some bees will buzz and dance if they find food. A mom can tell the smell of its baby. Am animal can have a bad smell. It will


A Musical Daywritten by Jerdine Nolen

Mom and Dad will go on a trip today.Our Aunt Viv will be with us. Tom and I are glad. We will get a big hug from Aunt Viv. She is lots of fun!We clap, hop, and sing.Glen and Meg get here. Now Aunt Viv has a plan. She has a big bag. A lot can fit in her bag. What is in it?“Would you kids like to play music?” Aunt Viv said.“Yes!” we yell.


Dr. Seusswritten by Helen Lester

Here is Dr. Seuss. You can call him Ted. His mom and dad did!Ted was a funny man.Ted would draw pictures. Here is a fun picture.Ted would write, too. Ted wrote The Cat in the Hat.The Cat in the Hat was a big hit!Can you find the Cat in the Hat?Ted had many big hits after The Cat in the Hat.Ted would write rhymes. Can you find some here?It was fun to hear Ted read.


A Cupcake Partywritten by David McPhail

“I miss my friends,” Fritz said. “I must have a big party!”Fritz had a list of friends to ask to his party.Fritz went to ask Kit. “I will come,” Kit said. “It will be grand!”Fritz went to ask Jack next. Jack said yes. “A party is fun!” Jack said.Fritz met Fran and Stan at a tree stump. Fran and Stan said yes, too.Fritz went to ask Glen last. “I will not miss it,” Glen said.Fritz baked cupcakes to give to his friends. He put a small picture on every one.Fritz felt glad to see his friends. “Take the cupcake with a picture of you on it,” Fritz said.


At Home in the Oceanwritten by Rozanne Lanczak Williams

The ocean is big! It is big and blue as far as you can see.It is home to many plants and animals.The biggest animals in the ocean are blue whales. They eat little animals called krill.Many animals live in cold water. Brrr!Penguins swim fast! They flap their wings to zip, zip, zip in the water.Manatees live where the water is warm. They do not swim fast. Manatees eat lots and lots of plants. Then they rest.This turtle swims far! It digs in the sand and lays its eggs. Then it swims back to its ocean home.Kelp is the biggest plant in the ocean. It can grow fast.

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How Leopard Got His Spotswritten by Gerald McDermott

Do you know how Leopard got his spots?Once upon a time, Fred Turtle was playing catch with Hal Hyena. Hal tricked Fred. Then he ran away.Fred felt very sad. He called out for help. “Help! I am stuck in the plants,” he yelled.Len Leopard ran to help.Chop! Chop! Chop! Len cut the plants off and let Fred out.Fred and Len danced in the sun. “This is such fun!” they said.“I have never been this glad,” said Fred. “I like to paint if I am glad!”Fred mixed paints from many flowers. Then he painted black stripes on Zel Zebra.Fred painted Jill Giraffe next. “Look at me!” said Jill. “I have big brown spots now.”“I like spots very much. Can I have spots, too? asked Len.


Seasonswritten by Pat Cummings

SPRINGEggs hatch open. Little chicks sing. The sun is out. It must be spring.The grass gets wet. Splish! Splash! Splish! When we step, we hear it squish.SUMMERThen summer is here and it gets hoe. We are not in school. We play a lot. Bugs buss and hum. The plants grow tall. Next to them, I look small.Summer goes fast, and when it ends, we will go back to school with all our friends. FALLIn fall the leaves are red, yellow, and brown. In a gust of wind, they will fall down. The leaves crunch as we jump and hop. It is such fun, we cannot stop!Animals get nuts and pack them away. They will have lots to eat on a cold day.


The Big Racewritten by Munoz Ryan

Today is the big race.“I like cake!” said Red Lizard. “I will run in that race.”Red Lizard gets to the race. Four animals will run with him.Cottontail is not late. She will run in lane one.Rat naps in the shade. She will run in lane two. Snake takes his spot in lane three. Roadrunner stands in lane four. He waves to his pals.Red Lizard is in lane five. The animals bend and hop. The flag is down, and the race starts! Many animals watch and clap!Cottontail does not get far. Rat falls into the hay.Snake stops and chases bugs. Roadrunner trips over a rake. Who will win?It’s Red Lizard who wins! “Watch me eat this cake,” he yells. Red Lizard looks at his big cake.


Animal Groupswritten by James Bruchac

Let’s take a look at five animal groups.How are animals in a group the same?FISHFish must live in water. Fish have gills that help the breathe in water. Fish have fins and tails. Those help them swim.Fish can be many shapes and sizes. Can you find a fish in this picture?REPTILESReptiles can live on land. Some like to be in water. Reptiles have scales on their skin. Many reptiles hatch from eggs. Snakes cannot walk. They do not have legs. This snake slides its long body on the grass.

(turn over for the rest of the story)

Animal Groups (continued)AMPHIBIANSAmphibians spend time both on land and in water. They do not have scales. Their skin is wet.Amphibians hatch from eggs. Tadpoles hatch and grow to be frogs. BIRDSA bird has feathers and wings. This bird’s eyes are on the sides of its face. Many birds can fly. Some can run or swim fast. Birds hatch from eggs. This hen made a nest for its eggs.MAMMALSMammals can be many shapes and sizes. They have hair on their skin. A mammal mom can make milk for its baby.Lots of mammals live on land, but some live in water.

Directions: Practice reading this story at home each night with your parents.T

Let’s Go to the Moon!written by Stephen Swinburne

BLAST OFFWould you like to fly to the Moon? Let’s go!10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… BLAST OFF!THE FLIGHTIt can take four days to get to the Moon. A rocket helps us blast into space. We ride in the space ship at the top of the rocket.The surface of the Moon is dusty and has many craters. There are no plants or animals on the Moon. There is no water or air. The Moon has rocks, dust, and craters. A crater is a big hole.SPACE SUITSWalking on the Moon is fun. We can take big, light steps. We are very light because the Moon has less gravity than Earth.

Let’s Go to the Moon! (continued)MOON ROCKSWe find rocks and bits of dust to bring back home. We will show the rocks to people back on Earth. LUNAR ROVERWe drive around in our lunar rover. It’s even more fun than walking in our fat space suits. Look at all the dust the lunar rover kicks up!TAKING PICTURESWe take pictures of our footprints. We take a picture of our space ship, too. Our flag is up!Let’s take one last look before we go. We see rocks and dust. LET’S GO HOMEIt’s time to go back home. What is it like to


The Big Tripwritten by Valeri Gorbachev

“I am going to take a trip far away,” Pig said to Goat one day. “How will you go?” asked Goat. “Let me think for a moment,” said Pig. “Maybe I will go by bike—that will be a very nice trip.” “Oh dear,” said Goat. “You could fall off a bike.”“Ah,” said Pig. “Then I will drive a car.” “It’s not a good idea, Pig,” said Goat. “A car can break down.” “Oh,” said Pig. “Then I will go by horse on my trip.”“I’m not sure about that,” said Goat. “Horses can be very jumpy.”“Okay,” said Pig. “Then I am going to go by donkey cart—a donkey is very quiet.”“Not good, not good,” said Goat. “Donkeys can be very stubborn!”“Then I will go by train.” Said Pig. “Oh, Pig, oh, Pig,” said Goat, “a train could get stuck in a tunnel!”

.The Big Trip (continued)“True,” said Pig. “Then I will go by hot air balloon.” “The hot air balloon could have a hole!” said Goat.“Okay. I will not travel by land. I will not travel by air. I will go by sea,” said Pig. “On a ship.”“Oh, no!” exclaimed Goat. “Don’t do it! The ship could run into a reef when passing through fog.”“Or run into a heavy storm at sea, and there are sharks all around at sea, so many, you couldn’t count them!”“And you find yourself alone on a desert island in the middle of the ocean with pirates that could come on that desert island by pirate ship!”“Stop! Stop! STOP!” exclaimed Pig.“I could fall off a bike, break down in a car, get thrown by a horse, never get there with a donkey, or get stuck on a train. I might parachute from a plane or from a hot air balloon and traveling by ship could bring me many troubles!”


Where Does Food Come From?written by Shelley Rotner & Gary Goss

Cocoa beans are seeds, they grow on cocoa trees. Chocolate is made by crushing and cooking cocoa beans. Hot cocoa is made from chocolate.Apples are fruits that grow on trees. An apple is picked right off the tree. Apple juice is made by pressing the juice from apples.Potatoes are vegetables. These vegetables grow under the ground. French fries are made from potatoes. Wheat is a grain that grows in

Where Does Food Come From? (continued)Corn is grain that grows in fields. Popcorn is made from corn. First you heat it, and then it pops.Milk comes from cows—or sometimes from goats. Butter, cheese, and ice cream are made from milk. The eggs you eat are laid hens. The hens live on farms. There are many ways to cook eggs.Tomatoes grow on vines. Ketchup is made from tomatoes.Honey is made by bees. They bring the nectar of flowers to the hive.Maple syrup is made from sap. The


Tomas Riverawritten by Jane Medina

Tomas Rivera was born in Texas. Tomas and his family went from place to place picking crops.Tomas helped pick crops all day. It was a lot of work. When the work was done, Tomas would talk with his Grandpa.“Come quick!” Grandpa called. “It’s time for stories!”“You tell the best stories!” Tomas said. “I wish I could tell great stories, too.”The next day, Grandpa said, “We can gets lots of stories for you, Tomas.” “When?” asked Tomas.“Quick, hop in!” Grandpa said with a wink. “I will show you!”Grandpa drove the truck up the road. “This is a library,” said

Tomas Rivera (continued) “Read all you can, Tomas. It will help you think of lots of stories,” said Grandpa. There were lots of books for Tomas to read. Some were funny and made him laugh. He read about boats, trains, and cars. He dreamed of space. Soon Tomas was thinking of his own stories. Tomas began telling his stories. Then he wrote them on paper. When he was a grown-up, Tomas got a job as a teacher. He still wrote stories. Tomas Rivera’s stories tell about people picking crops, just as his family did. Lots of people read his


Little Rabbit’s Talewritten by Wong Herbert Yee

Little Rabbit sleeps under an old apple tree. Just then, the wind starts to blow. The branches shift in the wind. THUMP! Something hits Little Rabbit. “Oh, no! The sky is falling!” yells Little Rabbit. “I’ve got to try to tell everyone!” Little Rabbit hops off to find goose. Goose sits in his rowboat. The tip of his rod starts to twitch. “There’s no time to fish!” yells Little Rabbit. “The sky is falling!”“Let’s go, Little Rabbit! We need to go tell Beaver!” Goose and Little Rabbit use the rowboat. They go up yjr stream. Goose peeks inside. Beaver is eating a snack. “There’s no time to eat, “ says Goose. “Let’s go! The sky is falling!”“Oh my!” says Beaver. “We need to go tell Turtle.” Beaver, Goose, and Little Rabbit dash up the hill.

Little Rabbit’s Tale (continued) “Let’s run back home,” says Little Rabbit. “I want to tell my mother!”Turtle, Beaver, goose, and Little Rabbit run fast. They hop over the log, dash down the hill,… and jump into Goose’s rowboat. Then they go as fast as they can down the stream. Little Rabbit hops in the door. “Mother, the sky is falling!”“Who told such a thing?” asks Mother Rabbit.“Beaver told me!” says Turtle. “Goose told me!” says Beaver. “Little Rabbit told me!” says Goose. “Well let’s just go outside and look at the sky,” says Mother Rabbit. Just then, the wind starts to blow. The branches shift in the wind. THUMP! Something hits Little Rabbit. “Oh, no! The sky is not falling,” laughs Mother Rabbit. “An apple just fell from the apple tree!” “I didn’t get to catch a fish,” says Goose. “I didn’t get to eat my snack,” says Beaver. “I


The Gardenwritten by Arnold Lobel

Frog was in his garden. Toad came walking by. “What a fine garden you have, Frog,” he said. “Yes,” said Frog. “It is very nice, but was hard work.”“I wish I had a garden,” said Toad. “Here are some flower seeds. Plant them in the ground,” said Frog, “and soon you will have a garden.”“How soon?” asked Toad. “Quite soon,” said Frog. Toad ran home. He planted the flower seeds. “Now seeds,” said Toad, “start growing.” Toad walked up and down a few times. The seeds did not start to grow. Toad put his head close to the ground and said loudly, “Now seeds, start growing!” Toad looked at the ground again. The seeds did not start to grow. Toad put his head very close to the ground and shouted, “NOW, SEEDS, START GROWING!” Frog

The Garden (continued)“You are shouting too much,” said Frog. “These seeds are afraid to grow.”“My seeds are afraid to grow?” asked Toad.“Of course,” said Frog. “Leave them for a few days. Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. Soon your seeds will start to grow.”That night Toad looked out of his window. “Drat!” said Toad. “My seeds have not started to grow. They must be afraid of the dark.” Toad went out to his garden with some candles. “I will read the seeds a story,” said Toad. “Then they will not be afraid.” Toad read a long story to his seeds. All the next day Toad sang songs to his seeds. And all the next day Toad read poems to his seeds. And all the next day Toad played music for his seeds. Toad looked at the ground. The seeds still did not start to grow. “What shall I do?” cried Toad. “These must be the most frightened seeds in the whole world!” Then Toad felt very tired, and he fell asleep.


Amazing Animalswritten by Gwendolyn Hooks

Animals get a lot of help as the grow up. Let’s find out about eight amazing animals.POLA BEARA polar bear has thick fur. Each hair is like a tube. The hair has no color, like glass. The sun makes it look white. How does thick, white fur help?Thick fur helps polar bears stay warm. The color of their fur looks the same as snow. This helps them hide. Where does this cute young polar bear like to hide?ELEPHANTAn elephant has a long nose. The nose is called a trunk. It takes many years for an elephant to grow tow big teeth. These teeth are called tusks. How do tusks and a trunk help?Elephants use their tusks to scrape bark off

Amazing Animals (continued)CAMELSome camels have one hump. Some have two. All camels have two rows of eyelashes. How do humps and thick eyelashes help?A camel’s hump has fat inside. On long trips, a camel’s body uses the fat for food. A camel’s eyelashes keep out the desert sand. This baby camel will follow his mother when the herd goes from place to place. DUCKA duck is a bird. It has two feet and each foot has three toes. A duck has a beak, too. How do feet and a beak help?Ducks use their feet to swim in the

Amazing Animals (continued)GIRAFFEA giraffe has spots. A giraffe has a long neck. How do spots and a long neck help?A giraffe’s spots help it hide. A giraffe’s long neck helps it reach the leaves of trees. This giraffe’s long neck helps her reach her baby. She give s him a big kiss!PORCUPINEA porcupine has soft quills when it is born. The quills get sharp in a day or two. How do quills help?Quills help keep a porcupine safe. If an animal begins to come too close, the porcupine backs into it. The sharp quills hurt! Quills tell this cub to stay away!

Amazing Animals (continued)TURTLEA turtle has a shell that is very hard. How does a hard shell help?A turtle can hide inside its shell from an animal that may hurt it. The turtle waits until the animal goes away. Then the turtle comes back out. You’re safe now, turtle!DOLPHINA dolphin’s tail has two parts called flukes. A dolphin has two flippers. How do tail flukes and flippers help?A dolphin flips its tail flukes up and down to swim fast. It uses its flippers to turn to the left or right. These two dolphins swim away fast. Who will be first? Have fun, dolphins!


Whistle for Williewritten by Ezra Jack Keats

Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle!He saw a boy playing with his dog. Whenever the boy whistled, the dog ran straight to him.Peter tried and tried to whistle, but he couldn’t. So instead he began to turn himself around—around and around he whirled… faster and faster… When he stopped everything turned down… and up… and up… and down… and around and around.Peter saw his dog, Willie, coming. Quick as a wink, he hid in an empty carton lying on the sidewalk. “Wouldn’t it be funny if I whistled?” Peter thought. “Willie would stop and look all around to see who it was.” Peter tried again to whistle—but still he couldn’t. So Willie just walked on.Peter got out of the carton and started home. On the way he took some colored chalks out of his pocket and drew a long, long line right up to his door.

Whistle for Willie (continued)He stood there and tried to whistle again. He blew till his cheeks were tired. But nothing happened. He went into his house and put on his father’s old hat to make himself feel more grown-up. He looked into the mirror to practice whistling. Still no whistle!When his mother saw what he was doing, Peter pretended that he was his father. He said, “I’ve come home early today, dear. Is Peter here?” his mother answered, “Why no, he’s outside with Willie.” “Well, I’ll go out and look for them,” said Peter.First he walked along a crack in the sidewalk. Then he tried to run away from his shadow. He jumped off his shadow. But when he landed they were together again. He came to the corner where the carton was, and who should he see but Willie?Peter scrambled under the carton. He blew and blew. Suddenly—out came a real whistle! Willie stopped and looked around to see who it was.


A Tree Is a Plantwritten by Clyde Robert Bulla

A tree is a plant. A tree is the biggest plant that grows. Most kinds of trees grow from seeds the way most small plants do. There are many kinds of trees. Here are a few of them. How many do you know? This tree grows in the country. It might grow in your yard, too. Do you know what kind of tree it is? This is an apple tree. This apple tree came from a seed. The seed was small. It grew inside an apple. Have you ever seen an apple seed? Ask an adult to help you cut an apple in two. The seeds are in the center. They look like this. Most apple trees come from seeds that are planted. Sometimes an apple tree grows from a seed that falls to the ground. The wind blows leaves over the seed. The wind blows soil over the seed. All winter the seed lies under the leaves and the soil. All winter the seed lies under the ice and

A Tree Is a Plant (continued)In seven years it is so tall that you can stand under its branches. In the spring there are blossoms on the tree. Spring is apple-blossom time.The blossoms last only a few days. Then they fall to the ground. Now there are green leaves on the tree. Among the leaves there are small apples. The apples are where the blossoms were before. The apples are green, and they are almost too small for you to see. The apples grow slowly. They grow all during the spring and the summer. In the fall they are large and ripe. They are ready to eat. We can see the apples and the leaves on the branches. We can see the branches growing out of the trunk. We can see the truck growing out of the ground. We can see the bark of the tree. The bark covers the branches and the trunk like a coat. But there is a part of the tree that we cannot see.

A Tree Is a Plant (continued)Roots do something more. They take water from the ground. They carry the water into the trunk of the tree. The trunk carries the water to the branches. The branches carry the water to the leaves. Hundreds and hundreds of leaves grow on the branches. The leaves make food from water and air. They make food when the sun shines. The food goes into the branches. It goes into the trunk and roots. It goes to every part of the tree. Fall comes and winter is near. The work of the leaves is over. The leaves turn yellow and brown. The leaves die and fall to the ground. Now the tree is bare. All winter it looks dead. But the tree is not dead. Under its coat of bark, the tree is alive. Spring comes again. Rain falls. The sun warms the earth. The tree blossoms, and new leaves grow. As long as it lives, the apple tree grows. As long as it lives, the apple tree blossoms in the spring, and apples grow on it.


The New Friendwritten by Maria Puncel

Martin¸ Luis, and I lived in the city. Next door was an old house. No one had lived there for a long time. One day a work crew came with pails and brushes. They started to wash and paint the house. After they were done, and the paint had dried, the house looked pretty and new. The next day a big truck pulled up. It was full of crates and boxes. A crew unloaded the boxes off the truck. A new family would soon live there. Today Luis went over to the house next door. He met a boy called Makoto. Then we met Makoto. Makoto was seven years old—just like us. Before long, we found out that Makoto played soccer. He could keep running and running. He was good at learning things, too. He learned all of our names by the end of the game.

The New Friend (continued)When Makoto’s mother and father rejoined us, Martin, Makoto, and I helped them carry the bags into the house. Makoto said he would show us around his house. Then we went up to look at Makoto’s room. Makoto still had a lot of boxes to unpack. He had some nice toys and kites. He said that on the next windy day, we could bring his kites outside and fly them. He said I could fly a kite by myself. Then we went outside to look at Makoto’s pictures from Japan. He had them in a green book. On the first page, we saw Makoto’s old house in Japan. On the next page, we saw Makoto’s family in Japan. The last page had pictures of Makoto’s seventh birthday party. Makoto said he wishes we could meet his old friends. At the end of the day, Makoto’s mother and father repaid us for helping – with cookies!


The Dotwritten by Peter Reynolds

Art class was over, but Vashti sat glued to her chair. Her paper was empty. Vashti’s teacher leaned over the blank paper. “Ah! A polar bear in a snowstorm,” she said. “Very funny!” said Vashti. “I just CAN’T draw!” Her teacher smiled. “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.” Vashti grabbed a marker and gave the paper a good, strong jab. “There!” Her teacher picked up the paper and studied it carefully. “Hmmmmm.” She pushed the paper toward Vashti and quietly said, “Now sign it.” Vashti thought for a moment. “Well, maybe I can’t draw, but I CAN sign my name.”The next week, when Vashti walked into art class, she was surprised to see what was hanging above her teacher’s desk. It was the little dot she had drawn—HER

The Dot (continued)She opened her never-before-used set of watercolors and set to work. Vashti painted and painted. A red dot. A purple dot. A yellow dot. A blue dot. The blue mixed with the yellow. She discovered that she could make a GREEN dot. Vashti kept experimenting. Lots of little dots in many colors. “If I can make little dots, I can make BIG dots too.” Vashti splashed her colors with a bigger brush on bigger paper to make bigger dots. Vashti even made a dot by NOT painting a dot. At the school art show a few weeks later, Vashti’s many dots made quite a splash. Vashti noticed a little boy gazing up at her. “You’re a really great artist. I wish I could draw.” he said. I bet you can,” said Vashti. “ME? No, not me. I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.”


What Can You Do?written by Shelley Rotner & Shelia Kelly, ED.D.

“I know a boy who can draw very well and a girl who can climb very high.”“We are all food at doing something. We’re always learning new things as we get older.”“I like to swim and learned how to float. I had to practice. Once I learned, I felt like I could float for hours.”“My little brother is better on skis. He can ski much faster than I can.”We’re happy when we do something well, whatever that might be.“Reading is easy for me, but math is much harder. I’d like to be better at math, though.”“I can’t read very well at math, though.”“I can’t read very well yet. I wish I could.” It can take a long time to be good at something. If we practice, things get easier and easier to do. Marie knows how to spell, and Jill prints well. Gene is really good at anything that

What Can You Do? (continued)Beth likes to build. The biggest tower she has ever built was taller than she is!“I made the soccer team this year. I hope I play well enough to score a goal.” “I see lots of things in the park. I look near and far. Things look much closer through my binoculars!”We all like to do what we do best. When things are hard, we need help to learn. We might say, “I don’t get it.” We’re good at different things. “I feed he baby myself now. When she gets bigger, she will not need help.”“I can fix my brother’s wagon. I’m younger than my brother, but I’m good at fixing things.”“I got my training wheels off earlier than I thought I would. I felt very proud!”“The kids made me captain of our team. That


The Kite written by Arnold Lobel

Frog and Toad went out to fly a kite. They went to a large meadowwhere the wind was strong. “Our kite will fly up and up,”said Frog. “It will fly all the way up to the top of the sky.”“Toad,” said Frog, “I will hold the ball of string. You hold the kite and run.” Toad ran across the meadow. He ran as fast as his short legscould carry him. The kite went up in the air. It fell to the ground with a bump. Toad heard laughter. Three robins were sitting in a bush.“That kite will not fly,” said the robins. “You may as well give up.” Toad ran back to Frog. “Frog,” said Toad, “this kite will not fly.I give up.” “We must make a second try,” said Frog. “Wave the kite over your head. Perhaps that will make it fly.” Toad ran back across

The Kite (continued)“We have to make a third try,” said Frog. “Wave the kite over your head and jump up and down. Perhaps that will make it fly.” Toad ran across the meadow again. He waved the kite over his head. He jumped up and down. The kite went up in the air and crashed down into the grass. “That kite is junk,” said the robins. “Throw it away and go home.” Toad ran back to Frog. “This kite is junk,” he said. “I think we should throw it away and go home.”“Toad,” said Frog, “we need one more try. Wave the kite over yourhead. Jump up and down and shout UP KITE UP.” Toad ran across the meadow. He waved the kite over his head. He jumped up and down. He shouted, “UP KITE UP!” The kite flew into the air. It climbed higher and higher. “We did it!” cried Toad. “Yes,” said Frog. “If a running try did not work, and a running and waving try did not work, and a running, waving, and jumping try did not work, I knew that a running, waving, jumping, and shouting try just had to work.”


Hi! Fly Guywritten by Tedd Arnold

Chapter 1A fly went flying. He was looking for something to eat—something tasty, something slimy. A boy went walking. He was looking for something the catch—something smart, something for The Amazing pet Show. They met. The boy caught the fly in a jar. “A pet!” he said.They fly was mad. He wanted to be free. He stomped his foot and said, “BUZZ!”The boy was surprised. He said, “You know my name! You are the smartest pet in the world!”

Chapter 2Buzz took the fly home. “This is my pet,” Buzz said to his Mom and Dad. “He is smart. He can say my name. Listen!” Buzz opened the jar. The fly flew out. “Flies can’t be pets!” said Dad. “They are

Hi! Fly Guy (continued)“He needs a name,” said Mom. Buzz thought for a minute. “Fly Guy,” said Buzz. And Fly guy said—“BUZZ!” It was time for lunch. Buzz gave Fly Guy something to eat. Fly Guy was happy. Chapter 3Buzz took Fly Guy to The Amazing Pet Show. The judges laughed. “Flies can’t be pets, they said. “Flies are pests!”Buzz was sad. He opened the jar. “Shoo, Fly Guy,” he said. “Flies can’t be pets.”But Fly Guy liked Buzz. He had an idea. He did some fancy flying. The judges were amazed. “The fly can do tricks,” they said. “But flies can’t be pets.” Then Fly Guy said—“BUZZ!”The judges were more amazed. “The fly knows the boy’s name.” they said. “But flies can’t be pet.” Fly Guy flew high, high, high into the sky.


Winners Never Quit!written by Mia Hamm

Mia loved basketball. Mia loved baseball. But most of all, Mia loved soccer. She played every day with her brothers and sisters. Tap, tap, tap. Her toes kept the ball right where she wanted it. Then, smack! She’d kick the ball straight into the net. GOAL! Everyone on her team would cheer.But sometimes it didn’t work that way. One day, no matter how hard she tried, Mia couldn’t score a goal. The ball sailed to the left of the net. Or to the right. Or her

Winners never Quit! (continued)“Too bad, Mia,” her brother Garrett said. “Better luck next time!” But Mia didn’t want better luck next time. She wanted better luck now. “I QUIT!” Mia said. “You can’t quit!” Lovdy said. “Then we’ll only have two people on our team.” “Come on, Mia,” her sister Caroline pleaded. “You always quit when you start losing.”“Just keep playing, Mia,” Garrett said. “It’ll be fun.”By losing wasn’t fun. Mia stomped

Winners Never Quit! (continued)The next day, Mia ran outside, ready to play soccer. When she got there, the game had already started. “Hey!” she yelled. “Why didn’t you wait for me?” Garrett stopped playing. “Sorry, Mia,” he said. “But quitters can’t play on my team.” “Yeah,” said Lovdy. “If you can’t learn to lose, you can’t play.”Garrett passed the ball to Tiffany. Martin ran to steal it. Tiffany dashed around him and took a shot at the goal. Lovdy blocked it. Mia just stood by the side and watched. The next day, Garrett picked Mia first for his team. Mia got the ball. She dribbled down the field. Smack! She

Winners Never Quit! (continued)“Too bad, Mia,” Garrett said. “Better luck next time.” Mia felt tears in her eyes. “She’s going to quit,” whispered Lovdy. “I knew it.” Mia still hated losing. But she didn’t hate losing as much as she loved soccer.“Ready to play?” asked Garrett. Mia nodded. Garrett grinned at her. He passed her the ball. Mia ran down the field. Tap, tap, tap with her toes. The ball stayed right with her, like a friend. She got ready to kick it into the goal. Mia kicked the ball as hard as she could. Maybe she’d score the goal.

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Web viewRed Lizard gets five plates. He gets cake for his pals, too. Hip, Hip, Hooray for Red Lizard! ... 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 BLAST ... You are the smartest pet in the world!