racing a tornado! - wikispaces · then a blue car pulled alongside our bikes. ... monster had...
TRANSCRIPT
The Saturday Maria and I had picked for our50-mile bike ride seemed perfect. We setout at 7 a.m. in beautiful spring weather.
The air smelled fresh and clean. The sun shonebrightly. Birds sang in the trees along theroadside. Wildflowers looked like flames of colorwaving in the fields. At 10:30 when we stoppedfor a break, we both felt terrific. As we rested,though, a brisk wind sprang up. That was whenour perfect day began to change.
By noon, we knew a serious thunderstorm wasblowing our way. A towering bank of dark cloudshad rolled up out of the southwest. A stingingwind burned our faces. Stopping under a big oaktree, we frowned at each other with worry. Therewas no way to stay out of the storm. We wouldhave to wait it out, but where?
Then things went from bad to worse. Thetemperature dropped suddenly. I looked up andsaw that the sky now had a dark-greenish cast.Trees and crops were bent over by the wind. Noanimals were in sight.
Then a blue car pulled alongside our bikes.The driver ordered, “Get in!” She lookedfrightened and we must have too. We did as shesaid. That was when the hail started. Chunks of
ice the size of golfballs pounded thewindshield anddented the hood.Our tree wouldnever haveprotected us, Ithought, and silentlythanked our rescuer.
She spednorthward with adetermined look onher face. Could sheoutrun this storm?Maria and I lookedbackward at theblack sky. That’swhen we saw it.Maria screamed. Iyelled, “Tornado!”
Racing a Tornado!
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The funnel didn’t look real, yet I knew it had tobe. It was so close that I could see tree limbs,doors, and all sorts of other stuff that thismonster had swallowed and was spinningaround.
My heart had moved up to my throat and wasbeating so hard I thought it would leap from mybody. I had never been so terrified. We wouldnever outrun the tornado! It seemed to bemoving closer. The driver turned to us and saidcalmly, “We’ll get through this. There’s anoverpass ahead. We’ll pull in there forprotection.” She explained that we must lie flat inthe lowest protected area.
Once we parked, we leapt from the car andlay pressed up against the concrete wall of theoverpass. Not a minute too soon. Before I couldcount to twenty, a roaring surrounded us. Itsounded like a freight train passing overhead.Then, suddenly, it was over. We had made it bythe skin of our teeth.
Some trees were uprooted. Tree branches andflowers were scattered all over. Yet everythingwas calm and quiet.
We got to a phone and called home. Ourparents had been worried sick. But soon we wereall laughing with relief. We were shaken butexcited. What a story I would have to tell atschool!
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
The author includes questionsin the second and fifthparagraphs. Why?
Why might the writer havecompared the tornado to amonster?
Why does the author comparethe tornado’s noise to a freighttrain’s?
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What are some weatherchanges that come before atornado?
How would you describe thepower of a tornado?
Why did the driver talk calmly tothe bikers?
✏ Pretend you are anewspaper reporter. Write a newsstory describing the effects of thestorm.
✏ Write a poem in which youdescribe a change in nature orweather you have observed.
✏ Imagine you are the driver of the blue car. Writea letter to a friend describing your experience with thetornado. Be sure to include what you thought of thebike riders.
To live throughthe powerful,destructive
winds of a tornado is aterrifying experience.To make thisexperience come to life,I made the weather
seem like it is a person—the enemy. In the first paragraph, the wind springs up, as
though it wants to surprise the riders. In the secondparagraph, it stings them and they must battle it.The clouds look tall and threatening. Next,treacherous hail pounds the car in which they ride,as though an enemy were throwing rocks. All thesedetails build up to the moment when the three inthe car spy the tornado itself. Here was theultimate enemy. Making things seem likepeople is called personification.
PERSONIFICATION
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A12-foot high bronzestatue stands outside theUnited Center
basketball stadium inChicago, Illinois. It is a statuteof Michael Jordan soaring infor a dunk. Beneath the statueare these words: THE BESTTHERE EVER WAS. THEBEST THERE EVER WILLBE.
Basketball’s best has saidgoodbye to the game he hasplayed with skill and strengthfor so long. “This is theperfect time for me to walkaway,” he told heartbrokenfans. “I’m at peace with that.”
HIS AIRNESS
Anyone who has ever seenMichael Jordan playbasketball understands howhe got his nickname, “AirJordan.” Without wings andwithout wires, Jordanmanaged to fly. Powered onlyby lean muscle, his feet wouldsuddenly lift off the ground.Then, suspended in air, hewould extend his arm in agraceful line toward thebasket. Swoosh! Nothing butnet.
During 13 seasons with theChicago Bulls, Jordan becamethe world’s most famousathlete. He led the Bulls to sixworld championships.
Jordan has turned his fameinto successful business. Hestarred in a movie, Space Jam,and commercials. He has alsoused his fame to be a positiverole model for kids.
Jordan’s own kids are themain reason he retired. Hewanted to spend more timewith them. Says his wifeJuanita: “I see Michael doinga lot more carpooling.”
A SAD FAREWELL
Although he retired for oneseason in 1993, this time itseems his mind is made up.“I’m very secure with mydecision,” he says.
It is a decision thatsaddens fans. “It hurts me,”says Anthony Williams, 10, ofChicago. “We’re gonna missJordan.”
Air Jordan Flies No More
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Jordan after announcing hisretirement: “At peace” withhis decision.
His last jump shot won the ’98championship.
23 • Record number ofpoints scored in a row byone player in a singlegame.
10 • Seasons he washigh scorer in the NBA:1986–87 to 1992–93;1995–6 to 1997–98.
5 • Times he was namedMost Valuable Player inthe regular season:1987–88, 1990–91,
1991–92, 1995–96,1997–98.
2 • Olympic gold medalsin men’s basketball:1984, 1992.
.202 • Batting averageduring his season withminor league baseball’sBirmingham Barons.(Even Air can’t win ‘emall.)
29,277 • Total pointsJordan scored in hiscareer. He’s the thirdhighest scorer in NBAhistory.
69 • Points scored in asingle game to set therecord, in 1990.
31.5 • Average pointsper game, another NBArecord.
MICHAEL JORDAN • BY THE NUMBERS
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Why does the author begin thisarticle by describing the statueof Jordan?
The words beneath the statueare printed in capital letters.Why does the writer use allcapitals?
Why did the writer use so muchdetail to describe Jordanmaking a shot? What kinds ofwords did the writer use?
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Why do you think the statue ofJordan is so large?
Jordan retired from basketball.He did not leave Chicago. Whyare fans heartbroken?
How do you know Jordan was agreat team player?
✏ Imagine you are watchingJordan take the last shot of the lastgame in the ’98 championship.Write a description of thismoment. Include details aboutJordan, the teams, and thecoaches. Also describe how thecrowd reacts.
✏ Write a song to honorJordan. Include some details about his career. Youmight use “the best there ever was” as a refrain, orrepeating line.
✏ Imagine you run a club to help inner-city kids.Write a letter to Jordan. Ask him to speak to the kids.Choose your words carefully so that Michael Jordanunderstands how he can help.
How do you describe “thegreatest basketball talentever” in words? Using theright words helps. Forexample, the writer usesthe word soaring todescribe an airborneJordan. Soaring makes youpicture a bird flyingthrough the air. What if thewriter had used jumping or
leaping? The description would have been truthful, butordinary. And Michael Jordan is anything but ordinary.
A writer can also use the sound of words to make animpression. Important words can be repeated. The words onthe statue read
THE BEST THERE EVER WAS.THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE.Repeating the words makes it clear how people feel about
Jordan. Now say the words yourself. Don’t they have a catchybeat? You are likely to remember them, as the author wantsyou to remember Jordan.
What about the word swoosh? It sounds like what itmeans—a ball going through a net cleanly. With a few carefulword choices, the author adds star power to the description.
WORDCHOICE
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It was just pumpkins we were looking for thatOctober Saturday. We were searching forordinary pumpkins that we could carve into
fantastic jack-o’-lanterns. We wanted to laugh attheir silly faces. We wanted lots of them todecorate our front porch.
My brother Tim and I went to thesupermarket, where we usually get pumpkinsevery year. They said they only had some babyones that were too small to carve.
Now what would we do? We slouched home,wondering whether Mom or Dad would have anyideas. Dad said he would take us for a ride to seeif a roadside vegetable stand had somepumpkins. “I can’t believe they won’t,” he said.“It is October, after all.”
So we piled into the car and drove out oftown. The vegetable stand Dad rememberedwasn’t there! And we didn’t see any others, either.Dad grumbled that he couldn’t figure out wherethe farmers were selling their vegetables thesedays. By that time, you can imagine how Tim and
I felt. Maybe we wouldn’t have any jack-o’-lanterns this year.
I guess Mom knew the minute she saw us thatwe had been unsuccessful. But she said weshould all just come with her. This time shedrove. Where was she taking us? A secretpumpkin store? She seemed to know exactlywhere she was going.
As she turned the car into the parking lot ofCity Hall, we saw a Farmers’ Market. Wow! Thisis where all the farmers brought their vegetables!There were hundreds—no, thousands—ofpumpkins. Huge ones, tiny ones, medium-sizedones. We’d never seen so many pumpkins tochoose from!
We splurged some allowance money on thebiggest one we’d ever had. We got someordinary-sized ones, too. Even Dad and Momhelped carve them. We had a blast. And ourporch is not just fantastic for Halloween—it’ssupercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
The Great Pumpkin Hunt
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s ResponseHow does the writer buildsuspense about the “missing”pumpkins?
What was the mood in the carwhen Dad and the boys werelooking for vegetable stands?How does the writer make youunderstand this?
The writer told the events in theorder they happened. Was this agood way to tell this story? Whyor why not?
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Do you think the author lives ina city? Why or why not?
Why were the boys and theirfather so puzzled that theycouldn’t find any pumpkins?
If you had never heard of a jack-o’-lantern before, what pictureof one would you have in yourmind from reading this story?
✏ Your class is going to publisha book about holidays and how youcelebrate them. Write a story aboutyou and your family getting readyfor one of your favorite holidays.
✏ Suppose the author wrotea postcard about this experienceinstead of a story. What wouldthe postcard say? Write a description that will fit onthe back of a postcard.
✏ The Farmers’ Market mentioned in “The GreatPumpkin Hunt” needs some good publicity. Write atelevision or newspaper ad for it. What can you say thatwill make people want to come to this Farmers’ Market?Include illustrations if you wish.
The experience Ihad when we weresearching for
pumpkins has alwaysstuck in my mind. When Idecided to write about itfor Time for Kids, I wrotea quick first draft. Iusually let a first draft ofsomething ‘get cold’ for aday or two by just settingit aside. Then when I go
back to it I see things that I didn’t see the first time. One thing I usually see is some ordinary words that
need to be ‘jazzed up’ a bit. I also see ways to make thepiece more interesting or just more specific. In the firstparagraph, for example, I had a long, boring sentenceabout what we wanted to do with the pumpkins. I editedit to two sentences, both starting exactly the same way:‘We wanted.’ That gave it a nice sound, I thought, andemphasized the importance of those pumpkins to us.
In the third paragraph, I had written just that ‘we wenthome.’ But I wanted to get across our disappointed andworried mood. So I changed went to slouched. Aperfect word, I figured, to give you a picture ofhow we moved and felt.
REVISING
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Who’s News: Successful Kids
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Lots of kids were out collecting pennies for charity onHalloween, but MATTHEW NONNEMACHER, 10,had a head start. A few months ago, Matthew began
putting collection jars in school and stores around hishometown of Hazleton,Pennsylvania. By late October, hehad raised $18,196.91 for theUnited Way charities. That’s almost2 million pennies! The money willbe used to help the needy. SaysMatthew: “It feels good tohelp people.”
For a school fair, 11-year old CASEYSMITH invented a game calledPetworld. “The object is to go around
the board and adopt as many pets aspossible,” says Casey. A teacher persuadedCasey (shown here with her dog Misha) toask game companies if they wanted to sellPetworld. Cadaco said yes! Her gamereaches toy stores in May.
After a string of explosive Taekwondochops and board-breaking kicks,JERRY BIVONA, 7, became the
youngest second-degree black belt in theworld. Not bad for a first-grader!Competing in martial arts “teaches younever to give up,” says Jerry. This karate kid,who lives inStaten Island,New York,works on hismoves six to10 hours aweek. Jerryhas big plansfor thefuture. “Mygoal is toreach thetop,” he says,“a ninth-degree blackbelt.”
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Who do you think would begood subjects for a “Who’sNews” feature?
Why did the writers of thesearticles include the photos thatyou see?
The writer says that Matthew’scollection was “almost 2 millionpennies.” Why does the writerinclude this number?
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Do you think Jerry Bivona willreach his goal of ninth-degreeblack belt? Why or why not?
What words would you use todescribe Jerry to a friend?Explain why you chose eachone.
If you were Casey Smith, whatwould you do with the moneyyou earn from sales of yourgame? What do you think shewill do with it?
✏ Pretend you just sent an ideafor a game to a game company.Write a diary entry about what it islike to wait for an answer. Thenimagine your game idea isaccepted. Write another entrytelling how you feel and whatquestions you have.
✏ Write a “Who’s News”feature about someone you know. Be sure to include abeginning, middle, and end.
✏ Pretend you are the United Way chairman inHazleton, Pennsylvania. You have just received themoney Matthew Nonnemacher collected. Write a letterto the editor of a local newspaper telling aboutMatthew’s unselfish act.
There is only a little space inthe “Who’s News” feature.Each story is like a sketch. A sketch shows the broadoutlines of a scene, withoutdetails. “Who’s News” tells amini-story. In oneparagraph, the writer has totell the beginning, middle,and ending. What happenedearlier? What is happeningnow? What will happennext?
The story about Casey Smith tells what has alreadyhappened, in order: 1. Casey invented the game. 2. Herteacher persuaded her. 3. She sent a model to gamecompanies. 4. Cadaco said yes. It tells what will soon happen:The game will be sold in stores.
Notice how the story about Mathew moves back and forthin time. The first sentence sets the scene at Halloween. Butthat isn’t the story’s beginning. The second sentence explainsMatthew began collecting several months before. The thirdsentence returns to late October, when Matthew finishedcollecting. Then the author looks to what will happen in thefuture: the money will be used to help the needy.
In each of these mini-stories, you have to imagine thedetails, but the basic parts of the story are there!
PARTSOF A
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Ty Murray takes on theroughest, toughestopponents in sports. Each
opponent is an explosive bundle of energy thatcould flatten an NFL defensive line withoutbreaking a sweat.
Who are these awesome athletes? They’re gut-busting, bucking horses and whirling, snortingbulls with bad attitudes.
WILD RIDE
Ty is the best rodeo cowboy on the planet. Hemakes a ride on a wild animal look like a spin ona merry-go-round. He must stay on for eightseconds. He can earn up to 50 points a ride. Theanimal’s performance can add as many as 50points to Ty’s score. The rider with the highesttotal score wins.
Ty is strong, flexible, and graceful. Bullridingis his specialty. He rides a bull as if he were gluedto its back. When a ride is over, he lands on theground as softly as a cat landing on a pillow.
Ty can pull his hat down low and look as meanas any bull. He can also break into a friendly grin.
Ty doesn’t brag, and he doesn’t celebrate aftera ride. He lets his performance do the shouting.
RODEO KING
Ty roared at the 1998 National Finals Rodeo(NFR) world championships in Las Vegas,Nevada. He became the first cowboy to win aseventh world All-Around championship. He alsowon his second world bullriding title.
“Winning my seventh All-Around title wassomething I had dreamed about since I was inthird grade,” says Ty.
BANGED UP
Ty won six All-Around titles in a row(1989–94) and the 1993 bullriding title. Theninjuries forced him to miss the NFR in 1995,1996, and 1997. Some folks thought he waswashed up. Not hardly!
Joe Montana has four Super Bowl rings. RogerClemens has five Cy Young Awards. MichaelJordan has six NBA rings.
Ty has nine world championship goldbuckles—and he’s not finished yet.
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ALL ABOUT TYAge: 29
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hometown: Stephenville,Texas
Cool Fact: As a kid, Tyjuggled while riding a unicycle to develop hisbalance, timing, andcoordination.
Ty Murray makes a ride on a bull looklike a spin on a merry-go-round.
King of the Cowboys
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Why does the writer introduceTy’s opponents first?
Why does the author usecolorful words like roughest,toughest, awesome athletes,and gut-busting, bucking todescribe the horses and bulls?What effect do these wordshave?
Why does the writer compareTy’s ride on one of these animalsto riding on a merry-go-round?
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Do you think it is moreimportant for a rodeo rider to bebig and strong or to have greatbalance, timing, andcoordination? Explain why.
When he competes, do youthink Ty hopes for a bull that istough to ride? Why?
How dangerous do you think itis to be a rodeo cowboy? Why?
✏ Pretend you work for the LasVegas Times. You are covering the1998 National Finals Rodeo.Write a column about Ty’sperformance in the event.
✏ Suppose you work for theLas Vegas Department of Tourism.Write a brochure describing rodeo events in your city.Give exciting details. Make travelers want to come andwatch!
✏ Imagine that you are Ty’s doctor and it is 1997.He has asked for permission to ride in the NFR. Writehim a letter explaining why he should not compete.
When I watchedTy Murray ride, Ithought, ‘He’s
awesome!’ I wantedreaders to feel admirationand excitement. I wantedthem to see how hard it isto ride a bull or a buckingbronco.
One way I chose tohelp readers understand
my feelings was by making comparisons to familiar things.For example, I compared riding a bull to riding on amerry-go-round. Most people have ridden on a merry-go-round. It’s easy and gentle. If Ty makes a bull ride looklike a merry-go-round ride, he has to be very skilledindeed!
I also wanted the comparisons to set Ty apart from theanimals he rides. They have brute strength, but he hassomething better. The comparisons suggest the kind ofskill that beats power and size. Ty stays on as long as hewants, then lets go and lands gracefully. He makesit look easy. And he can ‘look as mean as any bull.’Now, are you impressed by Ty Murray?
USINGCOMPARISONS1
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Barefoot and wearing bluejeans, the world’s newNumber One peacemaker,
Jody Williams, greeted reportersat her home in Vermont. She hadjust received a special birthdaypresent. On October 1, 1997, oneday after her 47th birthday,Williams was awarded one of theworld’s greatest honors. She wona Nobel Peace Prize. She received
the $1 million award for her efforts to rid theworld of deadly underground explosives calledland mines.
The prize is named after Alfred Nobel, aSwede who invented dynamite in the 1800s.Nobel did not want to be remembered only forcreating something destructive. So he left hisfortune to reward people who work for the “goodof humanity.” The awards are given for thesciences, literature, economics, and peace.
THE U.S. WON’T SIGN THE TREATY
Williams shares the prize with her organization,the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines.In just six years, Williams has helped persuadesome 100 countries to stop using the deadlyweapons. Experts think that more than 26,000people are killed or hurt by land mines each year.
Many of the victims arechildren.
In December, a treatycalling for a ban on landmines will be signed in Ottawa, Canada. Morethan 100 nations plan to sign the treaty. But somebig nations, including the U.S., refuse to sign!
President Bill Clinton says he cannot accept acomplete ban on land mines. He wants the U.S.to be able to use mines in dangerous areas whereU.S. soldiers are stationed.
Williams vows to continue her fight to get ridof all land mines. The Nobel Prize, says Williams,“will make all the people who have worked onthe treaty work with renewed effort.”
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Soldiers look at land mines uncovered in China.
Jody Williams
ANGOLA
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INDIAN OCEAN
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A War Against Land MinesDanger Zones:Land Mines! Experts estimatethat there are 100million deadly landmines buried in60 countriesaround the world.The countries inred have the mostland mines.
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
The lead of the article beginswith the author describing whatWilliams is wearing? Why doesthe author do this?
Why did the author include aparagraph about Alfred Nobeland the prizes he started?
In the fourth and fifthparagraphs, the author talksabout nations that will or won’tsign the treaty. How does thisinformation add to the mainidea given in the title?
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Land mines are planted duringwar. Why do they remain athreat after the war ends?
Why are children so often thevictims of land mines?
How do you think the $1 millionprize should be spent?
✏ Pretend you are JodyWilliams receiving your NobelPeace Prize in Sweden. Write thespeech you will give when youaccept the award.
✏ Check in an encyclopediaor almanac to find out who haswon the Nobel Peace Prize for the past tenyears. Make a table listing these people and what theydid to win.
✏ Imagine you are a soldier ordered to remove landmines from a field. In a journal that you are keeping,describe your moves and feelings as you search for thedeadly mines.
Writers know thata surprise wakesreaders up. Itmakes themthink. When awriter seessurprisingcontrasts in a
subject, he or she calls them to yourattention with details.
Suppose you were going to meet thewinner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Howwould you expect this person to dress?Jody Williams meets the press “barefootand wearing blue jeans.” What a surprise!The author has given us a peek at ahumble person who doesn’t think ofherself as grand. She is not what weexpected at all.
USING SURPRISE
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Ihad to see the Green Monster one more time.I had seen it many times before, of course, butit might not be around much longer. I wanted
a last look.Like many monsters, this green one lives in a
place that is not very clean or comfortable. First Iwalked into a huge cavern with a concrete floor.It was dimly lit and smelled of hot dogs, pretzels,and sweat. There were thousands of other peoplethere, crunching over peanut shells and fightingtheir way up the narrow ramps to see themonster.
Then I saw it—a towering green wall in theleft field of Fenway Park, where the Boston RedSox have played baseball since 1912. No otherbaseball stadium has anything like Boston’sMonster. Balls bounce off it in ways that sendvisiting left fielders running in all directions. TheMonster has a sense of humor.
My seat was not great. I knew it wouldn’t be.
It was so narrow that my elbows were in myneighbor’s Coke, and my knees hit the seat infront of me. I was more comfortable standing up.There was also the little problem of seeing thegame. Right in front of me was a support column,so that I had to lean sideways to follow theaction.
All the same, I had a great time. Everyone’s socrowded together in Fenway Park that the noiseand excitement get hold of you. The fans sit closeto the playing field too. There’s so little foulterritory that you can almost reach out and touchthe players. And then there’s the Monster, whichmakes the whole place feel like a big green box.It didn’t matter that the Red Sox lost the game.
All this is going to change in a year or two.The team owners want a new ball park, one that’sclean and comfortable and that holds morepeople.
I wonder if they’ll keep the Green Monster.
A Visit to the Green Monster
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
In which paragraph does thewriter tell you what the GreenMonster really is? Why do yousuppose he waits so long?
Find a sentence that makes theGreen Monster seem reallyalive. Why would the writerdescribe it in this way?
The writer says good things andbad things about Fenway Park.In what order does he give thisinformation? What effect doesthis order have?
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How did Fenway Park’s left fieldwall get its name?
From what you’ve read, wouldyou like to visit Fenway Park?Why or why not?
Why didn’t the writer care thatthe Red Sox lost the game?
✏ Write a narrative about avisit to a sports stadium or a bigbuilding that you remember well.Use details that will make theexperience exciting for the reader.
✏ Write a letter to the ownersof the Boston Red Sox suggestingeither that they save FenwayPark or that they tear it down and build a new ball park.Give reasons for your opinions based on the narrative.
✏ In describing Fenway Park, the author mentionsboth its good and its bad sides. Write a description of aplace that you really like. Make sure to describe some ofthe things that aren’t so good about it, as well as sayingwhy it is so special.
Just about everyoneknows the oldsaying, ‘Honesty is
the best policy.’ That’s thecase with writing too. You’renot going to convince peoplethat your writing is truthfuland reliable if you leave outimportant details. In otherwords, you may have toinclude some of the bad
news as well as the good. You might be writing about howmuch you love your dog, for example. Don’t forget to say thatsometimes the way she tugs on the leash drives you crazy, butyou always forgive her when she licks your face!
I was trying to be truthful when I wrote about Fenway Park.In fact, it is not a very comfortable place to watch a ball game. Iam over six feet tall, and my knees really do scrape the seat infront of me. And it is kind of like a monster’s cave when youfirst go through the gates—noisy, smelly, and dim! But these aresmall matters compared to the excitement and coziness of theplace. By describing its bad points, I was trying to make itsgood points seem all the more special. I can forgiveFenway Park, just the way you forgive your dog!
WRITINGTRUTHFULLY
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Minister of Technology Phillip Paulwell isJamaica’s highest authority on high tech.But last year the Caribbean nation’s official
website needed major changing, and no one inhis entire office could do it.
Whom did he turn to? Makonnen David BlakeHannah, age 13. Makonnen (Mah-cone-en)happened to be visiting the office with hismother. Makonnen quickly uploaded newinformation for the website. Paulwell was soimpressed that he gave Makonnen a job asadviser. Makonnen helps find ways to bring high-tech education and jobs to Jamaica.
Every Monday morning he reports to Paulwell
on the latest high-tech news. He also offers hisown ideas for teaching Jamaicans to be morecomputer-smart.
Makonnen began using his mother’s computerwhen he was very young. “I’d press a button tosee what would happen,” he says. “Then when I’dmess something up on the computer, I had tolearn to fix it,” he says.
Jamaica’s youngest government adviser takeshis job seriously, but he still likes to playcomputer games. When he is older, he hopes todesign computer games. “I have many goals,”says the computer whiz. “I would like to changethe world—especially Jamaica.”
He’s Young and WiredA teen helps a country get computer-smart.
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Makonnen and momBarbara in his room,where he works on hiscomputer.
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Ten-year-old Jake Lloyd breathed a sigh ofrelief on May 19, 1999. Fans would finallysee him as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. But even better,Jake would be able to talk about the movie’sstory. Kids had been trying to get him to tell thesecret story for more than a year. Jake had topromise the film’s producers that he wouldn’t tell.
“Sometimes, if kids kept asking me over andover, I’d just make up the fakest story I could,”Jake told TFK. “I’d tell them the plot of adifferent movie, like a science-fiction movie I sawon the Sci-Fi Channel.”
To try out for the part, Jake had to cancel hisown birthday party. “Everyone thought my momwas horrible for making me work on my birthday,”says the fourth-grader. “But they didn’t know thatI was doing something that I loved.”
Dogs, owls, lions—filming Disney’snew version of Dr. Doolittle was likea day at the zoo for Kyla Pratt, 11.
In the film, Kyla plays the daughter of awacky doctor (Eddie Murphy) who talks toanimals. Kyla gets to share the spotlightwith a talking guinea pig! But some ofKyla’s critter co-stars couldn’t stop talking.Things got reallywild when Kylatried to doschoolwork onthe movie set.“We’d be in ourschool trailer,then suddenlythe tiger wouldroar,” she says.“We’d alljump!” Dr.Doolittle arrivedin theaters inJune, 1998.
When Hallie Eisenberg, 5, grows up,she wants to be an actress. She alsowants “to have a parrot and take it
everywhere!” Hallie’s love of acting comesnaturally—her brother and sister are actors.She learned to love parrots while making themovie Paulie, which opened in theaters inApril, 1998. In it, Hallie plays Marie, a littlegirl with a stutter. Paulie is her verytalkative, feathered friend.Hallie spent lots of time withparrots. “I liked workingwith them because they’renice and do all sorts oftricks,” says Hallie.But can they crackjokes like Paulie?“No,” she says,“an actorsuppliedthe voice.”
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
The author tells how hard it wasfor Jake Lloyd to keep the moviesecret from friends and how hehad to cancel his birthday party.Why was this informationincluded?
Why does the author mentionthe school trailer on the set ofDr. Doolittle?
The story about Hallie includesa lot of information aboutparrots. Why did the author dothat?
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Why did the producers want tokeep the story of The PhantomMenace a secret?
What are some ways the dailylife of a child film star differsfrom your life?
Which of these three actorsspent the most time in makingthe movie described? Why doyou think his or her part tooklonger?
✏ What famous kid do youthink belongs in a “Who’s News”narrative? Find out moreinformation about the kid. Thenwrite a narrative that shows thereality of his or her life.
✏ Pretend you are a reporterfor Ranger Rick. Find informationabout animal actors in the library or on the Internet.Write a short article about how animals are handledand cared for on movie sets.
✏ Imagine you are one of the actors featured in“Who’s News.” Write a journal entry about your day onthe set. What is the most fun? What is most difficult?
Many kids daydream ofbeing a movie star. Theythink about working withfamous actors and havinglots of fans. They imaginegetting lots of attention.They think of making bigmoney and not having togo to school. It seems funand exciting. This is afantasy view of an actor’s
life. In these narratives about child actors, the authorsbring out the reality of acting—it’s hard work and notalways fun.
The author uses Jake’s own words to suggest how someattention is unwanted. Jake has a hard time keepingmovie secrets from curious friends. The author also pointsout that Jake has to give up his birthday party to work.The author mentions the tiger roaring while Kyla tries todo schoolwork. It’s a funny, exciting detail. But it alsoshows that Kyla still has to do schoolwork.
Acting in a movie means long hours of preparing andshooting. The author tells how Hallie, only 5, “spent lots oftime with parrots.” She had to understand the birds andget used to them since her co-star was a parrot!
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Today, at long last, I got toride Uncle Jim’s horse,Fancy, all by myself!
Every time I visit Aunt Zoeand Uncle Jim, I head straight tothe barn. I feed and brushFancy. I fill my pockets withcarrots and apples. When shecarefully eats the treat from myhand, it gives me goose bumps.Her muzzle is so warm, and herbig black eyes are beautiful.
Fancy is Uncle Jim’s prideand joy. She has a coal blackcoat, mane, and tail. Aunt Zoesays Fancy is “spirited.” Thatmeans she has lots of energy.And that is why she’s not a goodhorse for a beginner. I have lotsof energy, too, so I don’t see theproblem. Besides, I can tellFancy likes me.
Anyway, Uncle Jim wouldsaddle Fancy. Then he would setme up on her back as he led heraround the pasture. While wewalked, Uncle Jim would giveme riding tips. He showed me
how to hold the reins and whatto do with my legs. He had donethat three days in a row, andtomorrow I had to go home.
This morning I brushedFancy as usual. Then I carriedthe saddle blanket for UncleJim. I watched as he saddledher. He picked me up and putme in the saddle, and wewalked to the pasture. I held thereins while he gave me a look.“OK,” he said. “I guess now’s asgood a time as any.” And he letgo.
I tried to remember whatUncle Jim had taught me. I wasexcited and nervous. I pressedthe left rein across Fancy’s neck,turning her head to the right.Then I put my heels to her ribs.She turned right and headed offjust as I wanted! “This is thebest moment of my life,” Ithought. Pretty soon I decidedwe should go faster. I pressedher ribs with my knees andclicked my tongue. Before I
knew it, we were going fastalong the fence. Cool! When wereached the end of the pasture, Iturned Fancy around in a wideU. Her nose was pointed for thebarn. That must have remindedher of dinner, because at thatpoint she took off at a run. I washolding on for dear life andbouncing all over. “Whoa,Fancy!” I screeched. I pulledback the reins with all mymight.
Fancy was headed for herstall, and I couldn’t stop her.The barn door opening wascoming up FAST, and it lookedmighty small. I held my bodyclose to Fancy’s neck and buriedmy face in her mane as weraced into the barn. If she’d hadbrakes, they would havesquealed as she slid into herstall. I turned around to alaughing Uncle Jim and said“I’m ready to go again!”
Horsing Around
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Why does the author givedetails about what Fancy looksand acts like?
What detail does the authorinclude about Fancy in thesecond paragraph that gives aclue about what will happenlater?
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Do you think the narrator visitsher aunt and uncle seldom oroften? Explain.
How does Uncle Jim feel abouthis niece? How do you know?
Will Uncle Jim let his niece rideFancy alone again? Why do youthink this?
✏ Imagine that you are ridingin a stagecoach when the horsesare spooked. Write a description ofyour wild ride on the runawaystage as though you are tellingabout the experience to a friend.
✏ Have you had anexperience when you thought,“This is the best moment of my life”? Write aparagraph in which you relive the experience. Includesense details that focus on how it looked, felt, andsounded.
✏ Find out about Arabian horses. Use anencyclopedia, library book, or the Internet. Write afeature article about these horses.
When you wantto describe anexperience to a
friend, you want him orher to relive it with you.In writing about theexperience with Fancy, Iwanted readers to feelthey were right there.
For example, Iincluded details of sight, sound, and touch to describethe wild ride to the barn. The sight of the low barndoor opening creates alarm. The screeching of therider and Uncle Jim’s laughter highlight theexcitement and humor of the ride. But touch was themain way of making readers feel present at theadventure. Could you sense the foot and kneepressure of the rider on Fancy’s ribs? The roughbouncing and frantic pulling on the reins? Thescratch of the horse’s coarse mane on the face buriedin Fancy’s neck? These details were key torecreating the excitement in your mind.
SENSORYDETAILS
IN DESCRIPTION
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In 1984, Biologist Katy Payne went to a zoo inPortland, Oregon, to listen to elephants. Allshe heard was the boom of giant feet hitting
the ground and a few deep grunts. Still Paynehad a feeling that the elephants were talking toone another. Then she remembered standingnear the organ during choir practice as a kid.“When the organ played low notes,” recallsPayne, “you could feel it much better than youcould hear it.” Payne felt a similar vibration whenshe stood near the elephants. “It occurred to methat they might be making very powerful, verylow-pitched sounds.”
Payne used a tape recorder to capture theelephants’ sounds. Then she played the tapes atfast speeds so that the sounds would be highenough for humans to hear. There they were:elephants’ voices! She spent the next seven yearsin Africa listening to elephants in the wild.
Payne is an acoustic (uh-coo-stick) biologist, or
a scientist who studies the sounds that animalsmake. She grew up on a farm in northern NewYork. “I was surrounded by animals,” she recalls.“I just listened.”
She began studying whale communication assoon as she graduated from college. Likeelephants, whales use sounds with differentmeanings to communicate over long distances.But whales string sounds together to make apattern. Elephants use each sound separately.
What are the elephants saying? “Most of theircalls are group calls,” she says. “I think theymean, ‘We’re here.’”
But elephants can no longer say, “We’re here,”in many parts of Africa. They’ve been hunted fortheir ivory tusks and crowded out of their homes.Payne believes that if more people opened theirears to the language of elephants, more wouldwant to protect them. “Elephants will speak forthemselves, if you give them a chance,” she says.
Elephants Talk to HerKaty Payne listens to the calls of the wild.
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When working close to giant elephants, saysPayne, “you have to be careful.”
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
In the first paragraph, why doesthe author quote Katie Payne?
What is the author’s purpose forusing the exclamation in thesecond paragraph?
Why does the author wait untilthe middle of the story toexplain why Payne listens toelephants?
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Do you agree with Katy Paynethat animals can talk? Explainyour opinion.
Why is it important to learnwhat animals are saying to oneanother?
What do you think Payne likesmost about her job?
✏ Imagine you are an acousticbiologist, listening to your favoriteanimal. Write a journal entry thathas enough details to give a clearimage of what you are doing.
✏ Create a post card. On oneside of a large index card, draw apicture showing an animal talking to you during yourlast trip to the zoo. On the back tell what the animalwas saying to you.
✏ Suppose Katy Payne will be visiting your school.Write a list of interview questions.
Can elephants REALLYtalk? You may not believethat animals can talk, butin this story the authortried hard to convince youthat Katy Payne is a realperson who indeed listensto what animals have tosay. To make Payne comealive, the author gavemany details about her.
The author first described Payne’s work at an Oregon zoo.The author then described what Payne heard and thoughtabout while listening to animals. The author also gavedetails describing Payne’s job title, where she grew up,and what she did after graduating.
In addition to giving many personal details about KatyPayne, the author used punctuation to make Payne seemmore real. An exclamation mark helped the reader feelPayne’s excitement after first hearing elephants’ voices.Through quotes, the author presented Payne as a personwith her own thoughts and ideas. Finally, the storyincluded a photo of Payne at work. The details, quotes,and photo all work together to bring the character alive.
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Illustrator Lane Smith added his styleto the book.
HOORAY FOR DR. SEUSS!
Welcome to Diffendoofer School. Meet the artteacher, Mr. Beeze. He paints pictureshanging by his knees. You’ll love Miss
Bonkers:She even teaches frogs to dance,And pigs to put on underpants
Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! is a new Dr. Seussbook. Seuss had a little help from two popular kids’-book creators, poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrator LaneSmith.
Dr. Seuss died in 1991. He wrote and illustrated 48books. Important lessons are hidden in his zany stories. Tenyears ago, Seuss began a book about a school. He never finishedit. Prelutsky picked up where Seuss left off. “I pretended Seusswas sitting next to me,” says Prelutsky.
Smith mixed Seuss’s sketches with his own paintings. “Ialways was such a really huge Seuss fan,” says Smith. “I knew Icould do it right.”
Would Dr. Seuss like the book?Says Prelutsky, all excited,“I think that he would be delighted!”
TWO GUYS, LOTS OF FUNNY FABLES
Amosquito and an elephant were out late one night. Theelephant thought his parents would be worried. “I’dbetter call home,” he said. “Why bother?” asked the
mosquito. The elephant didn’t call, and when he got home,he was in big trouble. The lesson, or moral: “Don’t ever listento a talking bug.”
What kind of silly moral is that? The kind that comes fromartist Lane Smith and writer Jon Scieszka (Chess-ka). They’rethe team behind books like The Stinky Cheese Man and MathCurse. Now they have a book of fables, Squids Will Be Squids.
Fables often end with a moral. The mostfamous fable writer was Aesop (Ee-sop).
The fables in Squids Will Be Squids are muchsillier than Aesop’s fables. Scieszka says, “Thisbook is the fables that Aesop might tell today if hewere sitting in the back of class daydreaming.”
Smith and Scieszka say they go together “likebread and butter.” They have been a team for 10years. Says Smith: “John writes stuff. I paint it.And we laugh and play Ping-Pong.” Smith, left, and Scieszka dreamed up goofy
animals for their new book.
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
The author of “Two Guys, Lots ofFunny Fables” uses a questionto begin the second paragraph.How does this questionintroduce the information thatfollows?
Why did the author of “Hoorayfor Dr. Seuss!” include tworhymes in the article?
How does the writer help thereaders learn about the books
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How are the writers of SquidsWill Be Squids and Hooray forDiffendoofer Day! and theirbooks alike?
Do you think kids will like thesenew books? Why or why not?Would you like them? Why orwhy not?
If someone liked the bookSquids Will Be Squids, do youthink that person would likeAesop’s fables? Why?
✏ Imagine you are going towrite a story like a Dr. Seuss book,just as Jack Prelutsky did. Inventsome silly characters and amagical time and place for yourstory. Then tell what happens.
✏ Try doing what the authorsof these articles did. Write abouta book you have read and liked. Makesure you make it sound interesting enough so otherpeople will want to read the book, too.
✏ Suppose you could invite the authors of thesebooks to come talk to your class. Write a letter invitingthem. Explain why you would like them to come.Include some questions that you would like them toanswer.
In both ofthese articles Iwanted the
readers to find outabout the books andthe authors andillustrators. Because Iwas lucky to be able totalk to the authors and
illustrators, I put direct quotations from them inmy articles. Jack Prelutsky must have read all ofDr. Seuss’s books to make himself feel that Dr.Seuss was sitting next to him when he wrote! AndI think that Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith mustlaugh all the time when they work togetherbecause they sound so silly!
The quotations help the readers know what theauthors and illustrators are like. I hopethis makes you want to read their books.
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Mike Grier of the Edmonton Oilers probablycould have been a pro football player. Heis big (6' 1", 225 pounds), strong, and fast.
“My family was really into football,” he says.So why did Mike choose to play hockey?
“Hockey was something I could have for myself,”says Mike. “By the time I was ten years old, I washaving some success at it, and a lot of fun.”
HOCKEY HOTBED
Mike’s decision to listen to his heart and playhis favorite sport helped him make hockeyhistory. In 1996, he became the first black bornand trained in America to play in the NHL.
Mike grew up near Boston. The area is ahotbed for hockey. Mike’s friends and his olderbrother, Chris, rooted for the Boston Bruins andplayed hockey. Mike became a Bruin fan andlearned to skate.
STANDING OUT
Mike really stood out in youth hockey leagues. Hescored 100 goals in 60 games or less three timesbetween the ages of 9 and 11.
Mike also stood out for another reason: He wasthe only black kid on his team. His skin color wasn’ta problem for his teammates. But some fans andopponents called him ugly names during games.
“I would try to fight when someone saidsomething,” says Mike. “My mom told me the bestway to get them back was to put the puck in thenet. So I did.”
NHL LONG SHOT
Mike began to dream of playing in the NHL whilehe was in high school. Reaching his goal was a long shot. He didn’t know if he was good enough.And only about 20 blacks had played in the NHL.All of them were from Canada.
Mike played high school hockey at St. Sebastian’sCountry Day School, a local hockey powerhouse.He wasn’t the team’s star. But he was good enoughto be invited to train in a summer program for topplayers.
COLLEGE STAR
The St. Louis Blues scouted Mike and drafted himin the ninth round of the 1993 NHL draft.
Mike decided to keep working on his hockeyskills and get his education at Boston University. He scored 29 goals in 37 games as a sophomore.That helped the Terriers win the 1994–95 nationalhockey championship. Mike won NCAA East All-America honors.
ROARING ROOKIE
Mike signed with the Oilers in 1996, after his junior year. He scored 15 goals as a rookie in1996–97. He is now one of the NHL’s mostpromising young power forwards. He’s a rock-solidhard-hitter who has the power to charge the netand score goals.
Mike shone in the Western Conferencequarterfinal playoff series. He scored two goalsagainst the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5,sparking the Oilers to a 3–1 win. Edmonton wenton to upset the favored Avalanche in seven games.
Mike hopes that African-American kids whowant to play hockey will be inspired by hisexample. All they have to do is follow their hearts!
His Heart
Said HockeyWinger Mike Grier is the first blackAmerican to play in the NHL.
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Mike has the size, speed, and power of a linebacker onskates.
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
The writer included many smallsections in this article. Why didthe writer do that?
The writer used many statistics(numerical information) in thisarticle. Why?
The writer began by explainingthat Mike could probably havebeen a pro football player. Whydo you think the writer madethat point in the lead?
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What do you think are the mainreasons Mike Grier became asuccessful hockey player?
What questions would you liketo ask Mike Grier if you couldtalk to him?
Why is Mike Grier a good rolemodel?
✏ Think about a sports figureyou like and want to know moreabout. Research to find outinformation about this person.Write an article that you thinkwould be interesting to kids inyour class.
✏ Suppose that you are athird grader who wants to reach a new goal. Write aletter to Mike Grier asking for his advice about what youshould do to realize your dream.
✏ Mike Grier has been invited to speak to the Boysand Girls Club at your school. Suppose you are Mike.Write several paragraphs of the speech you think hewould give to the club.
I had a chanceto interviewMike Grier
and I knew peoplewould like to readabout him. But I hadto consider whichmagazines might wantto publish the story.
Would it be Sports Illustrated? Adults read thatmagazine. That would mean I would writedifferently than I would if I were writing forSports Illustrated for Kids. After the interview, Irealized that kids would be especially interestedin Mike Grier’s story because his success reallybegan when Mike was a kid himself.
I had to think about the boys and girls whowould read the story. What would they want toknow about Mike? You have to thinkabout your audience when you write. Itchanges what you say and how you say it.
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Have you ever heard of the luck of the Irish?Sarah Flannery, 16, from Blarney, Ireland,has invented a software code that can send
electronic mail (e-mail) much faster than today’ssystems can. But her invention isn’t just luck. It’spure brilliance!
Sarah’s new code sends e-mail 20 times as fastas the code currently used in more than 100,000e-mail systems.
Suddenly being called a “genius” and “mathwhiz” by grownups seems just plain weird toSarah. She’s not the type to stay locked in herroom thinking about math all weekend! Sarahloves basketball, long-distance running, andhorseback riding. She plays the piano and tinwhistle.
But as a very little girl, she became fascinatedwith solving math codes and puzzles. Her dad, amath professor, kept her busy. “When I was
about 6, my dad would leave a puzzle on theblackboard in my room each day for me to solve,”says Sarah. As she got older, her dad made thepuzzles tougher, but Sarah always rose to thechallenge.
For a project this school year, Sarah got achance to work on her e-mail code idea withexperts at a company that develops codes. Afterplaying around with the idea for months, shefinally figured out how to make it work.
Sarah does not plan to patent, or getownership of, her code. If she did, she couldcharge money for people to use it. But Sarah isn’tlooking for money. Instead, she wants to shareher idea with computer software makers so theycan work with it. “It’s good to share your ideaswith the science world,” says Sarah. “Bypatenting it, I’d be hindering that process.”
You’ve Got E-Mail
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Prizewinner Sarah Flannery says she’s nomath genius, but she loves codes.
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
In the first paragraph, whatdoes the author do to grab andkeep the reader’s attention?
Why does the author list somany details about Sarah’s lifein the third paragraph?
What colorful words did theauthor use to help us see thekind of person Sarah is?
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What would be the best andworst things about having afriend like Sarah Flannery?
What do you think Sarah likes ordislikes most about hernicknames, “genius” and “mathwhiz”?
How did Sarah’s dad encourageher to enjoy math?
✏ Perhaps you have heardabout or know of someone likeSarah who has done somethingquite unusual. Write a magazinearticle that tells what this specialperson did.
✏ You were impressed bySarah’s invention! Write a letter that could be sentto all of your online friends by e-mail. Tell them whatyou learned about Sarah Flannery.
✏ You think it is a mistake that Sarah has notapplied for a patent for her new invention. Write aspeech you would use to convince her to change hermind.
Deciding towrite aboutSarah Flannery
and her new inventionwas easy. After all, she isquite an amazing girl!The hardest part wastrying to organize thebits of information thatmake Sarah so special.
To help me get organized, I first listed each detailunder one of these headings: Who is Sarah Flannery?What did she invent? What is she like? What is herbackground? How did her invention come about?What will Sarah do next? Now I had an outline to useto help me write my story!
As I followed the outline, each heading became themain idea for a new paragraph. First, I wrote a topicsentence summarizing the main idea. Then, Ifollowed it with the details that helped explain it.This organization made the writing easier.I hope you enjoyed reading about Sarah asmuch as I enjoyed writing about her.
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Who’s News: Kids in Music
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Most little kids are happy to watchcartoons. Not Robert V.J. Gupta.When he was 3, he would switch
the TV channel to classical-music concerts.Why? “I thought they were more amusing!”he says. At 3, he also began to play theviolin. Now 10, Robert delights audienceswith concerts of his own. He plays withorchestras at such famousplaces as New YorkCity’s Carnegie Hall.Next month Robert willperform in India, hisparents’ homeland.“The violin is awonderfulinstrument,”he says. “Ithasbroughtme somanyplaces.”
Charlotte Church, 13, is in a hotel room busilyplaying Pokémon on a brand-new GameBoy—a gift from Rosie O’Donnell. Charlotte
appeared on O’Donnell’s show to sing a song fromher new CD, Voice of an Angel. She is theyoungest singer ever to have a Number 1 hit inBritain.
But Charlotte is no Spice Girl wannabe. Shesings classical music. To kids who think that’sboring, she says, “You’ve just got to give it achance.” Charlotte loves all sorts of music,especially Puff Daddy and All Saints. But whenshe wants to “sit down and chill,” she tunes toclassical: “It doesn’t have that bangin’ beat.”
Like most sisters, the members ofCleopatra argue a little. “Who’s gotmy T-shirt? Who’s been in my room?
Stuff like that,” says Yonah Higgins(middle), the youngest. But they sure getalong onstage! Their song Cleopatra’sTheme was a huge hit.Soon radio stations wereplaying a new tune by theEnglish teenagers, LifeAin’t Easy.Cleopatra (top)writes most of thesongs. All three—Cleo, 16, Yonah,14, and Zainam,17—sing. What’sthe best part ofbeing famous?Says Yonah:“Performingfor fans andtraveling,especiallytoAmerica!”
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
The subject of each of thesearticles is a kid. How did thewriter’s intended audience(you) affect his or her choice ofsubject?
These three articles are veryshort. How did the shortnessaffect what the author chose toinclude?
What details does the author ofthe Charlotte Church interviewinclude to make you feelCharlotte is a “regular kid”?
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What’s unusual about thepeople who are the subjects ofthese three brief articles?
Charlotte Church and RobertV.J. Gupta both like classicalmusic. Why do you think mostkids their age don’t chooseclassical music as a favorite?
Which of these youngperformers would you most liketo meet? Why?
✏ How do you think CharlotteChurch felt when she appeared onRosie O’Donnell’s television show?Imagine you were Charlotte. Writea journal entry telling whathappened on the show and howyou felt about it.
✏ Charlotte Church, RobertV.J. Gupta, and the group Cleopatra are allappearing in concert together. You attend the concertas the music critic for a newspaper. Write a review ofthe concert.
✏ You are a special fan of one of these threeperformers. Write a fan letter. Tell why you think theyare special and what you like most about their musicand/or performances.
Sometimes Ithink it’s bestto write a
short piece that givesonly the highlights of atopic. That’s what Ithought about thesethree. All of them wereabout interesting
young musical performers I thought kids wouldlike to read about. The performers are all sodifferent that there didn’t seem to be any reason towrite about them together in one long article.
So I began each article with a brief anecdote, orsmall story, that I thought showed somethingspecial and personal about the subject. I includedinformation explaining why each person or groupis well known and what kind of performers theyare. I quoted something each of them said, becauseI think readers always like quotes. And Ithought that was enough. Do you?
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When Shanin Leemingwas in second grade,she asked for a job. She
wanted to take care of animalsat her local Humane Societyshelter. “You’re too young,” saidthe shelter workers. But animal-loving Shanin didn’t give up.She bugged the staff membersfor a year, until they finally lether help. “I’ve worked thereever since,” says Shanin, now 13.The American HumaneAssociation appreciates herwork so much that the groupnamed her its 1997 National BeKind to Animals Kid.
“I groom and walk pets,bathe dogs, and train them to
make them adoptable,” she says.“Kids contact me if they’reinterested in adopting.”
Shanin takes her work hometoo. She has cared for manyspecies at her Merrit Island,Florida, house. Her dad helpedher build an aviary, which is agiant birdcage, for sick andinjured birds. The Leemings liveon the Indian River, whereShanin searches by boat forbirds in need of help. “I’vetaken care of peacocks, ducks,sparrows, pigeons, and even apelican,” she says.
Tending to sick animals canbe hard work, Shanin says. “Itisn’t easy getting up in the
middle of the night.” For twoyears, she has also trained pupsto be guide dogs for the blind.
Sometimes she takes sickanimals to school so she canfeed them regularly. “I bringthem in a small kennel, and theyaren’t a distraction,” says Shanin.Well, there was that day theprincipal taught a social studiesclass and Shanin’s birds justwouldn’t stop screeching!
Shanin has even given up herChristmas presents so themoney can go to help animals.“It makes me feel so good,” shesays. “That’s the gift.”
Creature ComforterShe’s a friend to animals in need.
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Shanin Leeming with Freeway, one of manyabandoned animals she has taken in
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Read the title quickly. What doyou notice about how these twowords sound together?
At the end of the fifthparagraph, the author uses anexclamation point. Why doesthe author choose to do this?
What does the author do to helpthe reader understand what theword aviary means?
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What kind of help must Shaninget from her family to do thiskind of work?
What do you think is the mostdifficult part about tending tosick animals?
Would you like to be a creaturecomforter? Tell why or why not.
✏ You are on the yearbookcommittee at the school ShaninLeeming attends. Write a featurepage that expresses why theschool is so proud of her.
✏ Design a billboard that willappear along the highways inShanin’s home state of Florida. Themessage should encourage others to be kind toanimals.
✏ Prepare a brochure that can be handed out at ananimal shelter. The brochure should explain differentways that volunteers can get involved in helpinganimals.
Unfortunately,long sentencescan get confusing!
If there are too many wordsto read without a pause,the message can be unclearand the reader can getconfused. That is why I usecommas to separate partsof a sentence.
There are many rulesfor using commas, so I am careful where I put them. Acomma can be used to separate the names of a city and astate. I used this rule when I separated Merritt Islandfrom the state of Florida in the third paragraph.
I used commas to take the place of the word and in theseries, ‘peacocks, ducks, sparrows, pigeons, and even apelican.’ Also, commas can help define difficult words asthey did when I separated the word aviary from itsdefinition, ‘which is a giant birdcage.’
As you reread my article, note the commas and see ifyou can decide why I used them where I did. As a writer,you want to use commas not only where they arerequired but where they will help make yourwriting clear and easy to understand.
CLARIFYINGWITH COMMAS
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Mom always says I have a good sense ofsmell. One night last November, I smelledsmoke. Then I heard a fire engine. My
heart turned into a huge drum. Was our buildingon fire? Mom grabbed her keys and we ranoutside.
The fire engine was in front of the buildingnext door. Smoke was coming from a window infront. More and more fire engines came, but wedidn’t see any flames or fire. We just saw lots offirefighters go into the building, and lots ofpeople who lived there come out. Although it wascold out, one woman had only a blanket thrownover her jeans and shirt.
Mom and I went home because we weregetting cold. A few minutes later someoneknocked on our door. When I opened it, I founda firefighter standing there. I was speechless! Helooked huge! He had his firefighting clothes on,with that big hat and boots and a belt full of toolsthat clanked when he walked. He was smiling,though. When Mom came to the door, he wasstill smiling, but he was very firm. “Put on yourcoats, please,” he said. “Turn off anything on yourstove. You need to leave the buildingimmediately.”
Our building was not on fire, he told us. Butthe fire next door was serious. His fire engine
company from the nearby townof Skokie had come to takecharge of our building. So it washis job to make sure that we wereall safely out.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Mom and I looked at each other.“Can I gather some things?”Mom asked him. I could tell shewas a little scared. “No, ma’am,”he said, very politely. “You needto come with me NOW. Are therejust the two of you who live inthis apartment?” “Yes,” we toldhim as we got our coats. Hewalked us down the stairs. Hewouldn’t let us take the elevator.He told us to join the crowd
across the street and not come any closer to thebuilding. He went back in.
Now we could see flames coming out ot theroof next door. The Skokie fire truck was in thealley, spraying a huge fountain of water on ourroof. We later found out this was to keep ourbuilding from catching fire. Thank goodness, itworked.
Mom had grabbed her purse and portablephone. She called my older sister. Anne wasfrantic. She had heard about the fire on thetelevision news! Her husband Steve came to getus. The firefighters wouldn’t let us get our carfrom the garage.
In the morning, we all went to see what hadhappened. The building next door had burneddown. There wasn’t much left of it except acouple of back walls. Several fire trucks were stillthere. Luckily, everyone had gotten out safely. Afirefighter told us we could go back into ourapartment.
The people who lived in the building thatburned lost everything. They were never allowedto go back in. That woman who had only ablanket over her jeans when Mom and I firstwent out that night? She never even got to goback for her coat.
The first thing people in my building didwhen we went home was to put all new smokealarms in the halls and in our apartments. Wedidn’t need the firefighters to remind us, andtrust me, we’ll never forget.
Fire! Fire!
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Reread the first paragraphunder the heading “Too Closefor Comfort.” How does thisparagraph bring the story to life?
The writer says lots of peoplelived in the burning building,but she describes only one. Whydo you think she does this?
Why does the writer use capitalletters to spell the word NOW?
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Why weren’t the firefighter andhis fire truck from Skokiefighting the fire in the buildingnext door? Was theirassignment just as important?Why or why not?
Why didn’t the firefighter let thewriter and her mother take theelevator?
Why did people put in newsmoke alarms?
✏ You are a television reporterwho is sent to cover the apartmentfire described in this narrative.Imagine that you interview severalpeople for a story on the eveningnews. Write your story.
✏ Suppose you are one of thepeople who lived in the building that burned.Write a journal entry that tells about your experiencesduring the fire.
✏ Imagine that you are a firefighter. Write a speechthat you can give to a group of people to persuade themto put smoke alarms in their homes. Use the fire in thenarrative as an example.
Seeing this firetaught memore about
fires and firefightingthan I had ever knownbefore. I wanted to tellTime for Kids readerssome of the details ofwhat it was like. Forinstance, the fire wasmuch more serious than
it looked. We only saw some smoke, so we didn’tthink it was such a bad fire. But when I talked to thefirefighters the next day, they said the fire was in thewalls of the building. That meant they wouldn’t beable to save the building.
I also was shocked to see that firefighter at ourapartment door. I wanted kids to understand howpowerful he seemed with all his equipment on. Andthere was no question that he was the boss. We hadto do exactly what he told us, even though he wassmiling and nice about it.
I tried to describe some of the smells andsights and feelings to help readers feel whatit was like to be there.
YOU-ARE-THERE
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Acreepy vision in white slowly entered theclassroom. It was a mummy, bandagedfrom head to toe. The students weren’t
scared, though. They had a feeling it was reallytheir incredible teacher, Kay Toliver. She wassimply dressed for the occasion. Halloween? No—a lesson about shapes, like pyramids.
Toliver uses all sorts of unusual tactics to teachfourth- through sixth-graders to solve real-lifeproblems with math. She even had them raceTinkertoy cars to teach them how to calculatespeed. “You can learn while having fun,” saysToliver, a teacher at New York City’s East HarlemTech/Public School 72 for 33 years.
Now millions of TV viewers can learn mathwhile watching Toliver’s antics on The EddieFiles, a PBS program she hosts. A fictional maincharacter named Eddie uses Toliver’s mathlessons to solve his everyday challenges. He used
her lesson on speed, for example, to calculate thefastest route to catch a lost dog.
Unlike Eddie, an actor who’s heard but neverseen, Toliver and her students are real people.The kids don’t get a grade for the videotapedsummer sessions, but they do become mathwizards. And they get to be on TV. The show alsointroduces real workers who describe how theyuse math in their jobs.
Toliver’s wacky ways work wonders! A study ofmore than 500 students in four U.S. citiesrecently showed that their math skills multipliedafter tuning in. Toliver says her greatest gift isn’tfame or the educational awards she and the showhave won. “It’s when students get that ‘I got it’look in their eyes, then share with the class,”Toliver says. “That means learning is takingplace.” And that means she’ll have another trickup her sleeve tomorrow!
By the Numbers
The Eddie Files takes a teacher’s lively math lessons from her classroom to yourliving room.
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Her students say classroom queen Kay Toliver and her costumes rule!
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Why does the author choose todescribe “a creepy vision inwhite” in the first sentence?How does this affect the reader?
Reread this sentence: “Toliver’swacky ways work wonders!”What do you notice about theway the sentence sounds?
Why does the author mention astudy in the fifth paragraph?Why is this informationimportant to the main point ofthe article?
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Why do you think Toliver usessuch unusual ways to teachmath?
How would you feel about beinga student in Toliver’s mathclass? Explain.
What does Toliver mean whenshe says, “Students get that ‘Igot it’ look in their eyes”?
✏ You may have had anunusual teacher or group leaderlike Toliver. Write a story aboutsome of the wacky things youexperienced with this person thatmade him or her memorable.
✏ Imagine you are theprincipal of East Harlem Tech/Public School72, Toliver’s school. Write a report card for Toliver. Usedetails from the article.
✏ Pretend you were one of Toliver’s students theday she walked in dressed as a mummy. Write a journalentry for that day. Be sure to describe your thoughts,reactions, and feelings about the day’s lesson.
After I finishwriting the firstdraft of an
article, I proofread mycopy. One thing I checkwhen I proofread is mycapitalization. I check tosee whether the firstword in each sentencebegins with a capitalletter. I check to see if
there are any proper nouns, names for particularpeople, places, or things, that need to be capitalized.In this article I found the brand name Tinkertoy, theplace name New York City, and the school name EastHarlem Tech/Public School 72. I double checked TheEddie Files. It needed italic letters as well as capitalletters because it is the name of a television show.
I checked my abbreviations and found U.S. for theUnited States. This abbreviation needs capital letters.It also needs periods.
Checking for capitals is not that hard.When in doubt, I just look the word up in adictionary!
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Michele Timms streaks across the basketballcourt like a meteor across the sky. Onesecond, the speedy point guard is leading
the Phoenix Mercury to a fast-break score. Thenext second, she is zipping down the court tomake a steal.
Michele is a blur. She fires off rocket passes.She sinks 3-pointers. She talks 100 miles perhour.
Everything about Michele is fast and furious.That thrills the Phoenix Mercury. Thanks toMichele, the Mercury reached the WNBA Finalsin 1998. (They lost to the Houston Comets.)
Michele doesn’t score a lot of points. Sheaveraged just 6.9 points per game in 1998. Butshe dished out 5.3 assists per game (fourth in theleague). She also led the planet in diving for looseballs. She needs pads and a hard hat when shehits the court!
BATTLING THE BOYS
Michele grew up in Melbourne, Australia. Sheput crunch in her game playing with six brothers!She battled the boys in basketball nearly nonstopin their driveway.
“I would run inside crying,” says Michele. “Mymom would say, ‘If you can’t handle it, don’t goback out there.’ Then I’d go back out and try myhardest to beat them.”
Michele’s scrappy style made her a star on herhigh school team. In 1996, it also made her a staron Australia’s Olympic team. The Mercury likedthat exciting style and snatched her up. Shequickly became the team’s leader.
GYM RAT
Michele led the Mercury to a magical seasonin 1998. She posted a team-high 21 points andfive rebounds in Game 2 of the 1998 WNBAFinals against the Comets.
Michele’s amazing drive is what sets her apartfrom other players. Before every practice, sheshoots baskets alone in the gym.
“There were always players better than me,”says Michele. “But if you work hard, it doesn’tmatter if you’re not as talented.”
Mercury fans love Number 7 because sheplays so hard. Her ultra-cool, spikey blond hairdohas also created a buzz in Phoenix, Arizona.
Michele’s teammates like her because she isalways up for a good laugh. “She’s cracking jokesall the time,” says Mercury teammate KristiHarrower.
GOLD-MEDAL GOAL
There’s nothing Michele would enjoy morethan winning a WNBA championship—exceptmaybe winning an Olympic gold medal.
The 2000 Summer Olympics will be held inSydney, Australia. Michele is the captain of theAustralian basketball team. She would love tomake her family and her country proud.
“I think we’re going to win the gold in 2000,”says Michele.
Spikey and SpunkyMichele Timms of the Phoenix Mercuryis fast and furious on the court.
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
What words and phrases did thewriter use in the first twoparagraphs to show readerswhat kind of player Michele is?
Why does the writer think it isimportant to mention what thefans and her teammates thinkabout Michele?
The second paragraph is abouthow quick Michele is. Why doesthe writer use so many shortsentences in this paragraph?
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What childhood experiencesmade Michele a strongbasketball player?
What would you say to MicheleTimms if you could meet her?What would you ask her?
How can a basketball playerwho doesn’t score that manypoints in a game still be avaluable player?
✏ Write a fan letter to Michele.Tell her what you like about herplaying.
✏ Suppose Michele iscoming to your school to talk tokids about playing sports,especially to girls about playing professionalbasketball. What would she say? Write her speech forher.
✏ Interview a local athlete. Find out what madehim or her get interested in sports. Write your interviewas a news article.
Figurativelanguage iswhen you use
words in different andunusual ways, so theydon’t mean what theyusually do. I love to usefigurative language whenI am writing about sportsfigures. They’re usually
so dramatic that figurative language seems to fit them. When I did some research before I wrote about
Michele, the thing I noticed most of all is how fast sheis. So I thought I would emphasize that in the firstparagraph by using a simile, which is a comparison oftwo things that aren’t basically alike except in one way.In this case, Michele and a meteor are both extra fast!Then I said she “fires off rocket passes,” which is like asimile only it doesn’t have the word like. That makesthis comparison a metaphor, which is another kind offigurative language.
Figurative language is one way you canmake your writing richer and moreinteresting.
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More Author’s Desk
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A TALE OF TRAVEL THROUGH TIME
Author Dean Morrissey is a whiz atinventing magical people and places.In 1994, he wrote Ship of Dreams. Thebook tells the story of a 4-year-old boynamed Joey who takes a wildnighttime ride with the Sandman.
Now Morrissey is back with thetime-travel tale The Great Kettles. Joeyis back too with some amazing newadventures. Joey, who is now 7, buildsa time machine and takes it to a groupof fantasy islands called the GreatKettles. In that faraway land, Joeymeets powerful characters, includingMother Nature, Father Time, and theMan in the Moon.
Unlike many authors, Morrisseyboth writes and illustrates his books.This time he had some help from his 3-year-old son, Ian. Ian helped his dad create the rich oilpaintings of a dreamlike land by adding a splash of color to every page. “The imagination is a verypractical tool in the real world,” says Morrissey. “We all know that the world is round and cowsdon’t fly, but I like to turn those things around.”
LESSONS OF THE RAIN FOREST
Deep in the Amazon rain forest, a young boy learnsthe healing powers of plants from a medicine man.This tale is told in The Shaman’s Apprentice, a bookby Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin.
Cherry is the author-illustrator of The Great KapokTree, a 1990 book that introduced kids to the wondersof the Amazon rain forest. Plotkin wrote Tales of aShaman’s Apprentice, which introduced adults tothose wonders. Three years ago, the two authorsteamed up.
They traveled to Suriname, in South America, andstayed in a Tirio Indian village. The shaman, ormedicine man, showed the authors how he makesmedicines from plants. “We can learn a lot fromnative people,” says Cherry. “That’s why it’s importantto protect the rain forests.”
Take a look at the drawings in The Shaman’sApprentice, and you’ll learn a lot. “Every plant andevery animal is right where it belongs,” says Cherry.
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Reader’s Response
Writer’s Response
Why did the author includeinformation about theillustrations in both books?
Why did the writer tell aboutbooks the authors hadpreviously written?
A book review tells whatsomeone likes or dislikes abouta book. Do you think either ofthese articles is a review? Whyor why not?
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Which book would you ratherread? Why?
Why do you think most booksaren’t illustrated and written bythe same person?
Tell about a book you’ve readthat sounds similar to one ofthese books.
✏ Imagine you just entered atime machine. Write a story aboutwhere you go and who you meet.
✏ Dean Morrissey will be atyour school library to autographcopies of The Great Kettles. Youwant to tell him about another bookyou read about magical times and places. Make somenotes about what you will say.
✏ What if you could travel to Suriname as theauthors of The Shaman’s Apprentice did? Write thestory of your journey. Tell what you did and what youfound out.
When youwrite for anewspaper or a
magazine, your editortells you how manywords your story can be.The editor of Time forKids told me I couldn’twrite more than 200words. And she hoped Icould do it in fewerwords than that!
I found both of these books so interesting that Iknew I could write a lot about them. So I just wrote aquick first draft, saying everything I wanted to say. Ofcourse, that was too long! So I had to go back andchoose what to cut out and what to leave in. I decidedI wanted to tell what the authors had previouslywritten because it helps readers know what kind ofthinkers they are. And the illustrations are importantto the book, especially picture books. That left roomfor not much more than just the basic facts. Ihope I’ve still made you feel that you want toread the books!
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