Holt Literature and Language Arts®

Introductory Course

Holt English Language

Development
Interactive Reader
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ISBN 978-0-55-401160-8
ISBN 0-55-401160-3

1 2 3 4 5 179 12 11 10 09 08
 Contents
To the Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

A Walk Through the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Setting and Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Literary Skills Focus: What Are Setting and Plot? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Reading Skills Focus: What Skills Help You Understand Setting and Plot? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Preparing To Read: All Summer in a Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Literary Skills Focus: Plot and Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Reading Skills Focus: Sequencing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Interactive Selection: All Summer in a Day
By Ray Bradbury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Preparing To Read: Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies. . 16

Informational Text Focus: Taking Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Interactive Selection: Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies
Based on the article by Nancy Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Preparing To Read: What a Character: I wao Takamoto

and His Toons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Informational Text Focus: Outlining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Interactive Selection: What a Character: I wao Takamoto and
His Toons Based on the article from the World Almanac . . . . . 20
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Skills Review: Chapter 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Literary Skills Focus: How Do Characters in Conflict Influence the Plot of a Story? . . . . . . 28
Reading Skills Focus: What Skills Help You Understand Characters? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Contents iii
 Preparing To Read: The King of Mazy May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Literary Skills Focus: Characterization and External Conflict. . . 32
Reading Skills Focus: Visualizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Interactive Selection: The King of Mazy May
Based on the story by Jack London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Skills Practice: Use a Word Web. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Preparing To Read: Blanca Flor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Literary Skills Focus: Characterization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Reading Skills Focus: Visualizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Interactive Selection: Blanca Flor
By Angel Vigil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Preparing To Read: Olympic Glory: Victories in History . . . . . . 64

Informational Text Focus: Comparison and Contrast . . . . . . . . . 64
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Interactive Selection: Olympic Glory: Victories in History
Based on the article from The World Almanac . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Skills Practice: Use a Venn Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Skills Review: Chapter 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Theme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Literary Skills Focus: What Is Theme? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Reading Skills Focus: What Skills Can Help You Find the Theme of a Story? . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Preparing To Read: Ta-Na-E-Ka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Literary Skills Focus: Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Reading Skills Focus: Identifying the Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Interactive Selection: Ta-Na-E-Ka
Based on the story by Mary Whitebird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

iv Contents
 Preparing To Read: Pet Adoption Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Informational Text Focus: Preparing an Application . . . . . . . . . 84
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Interactive Selection: Pet Adoption Application . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Skills Practice: Use a Comparison Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Preparing To Read: Where the Heart Is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Informational Text Focus: Identify main idea and Details . . . . . 88
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Interactive Selection: Where the Heart Is
By Sheri Henderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Skills Review: Chapter 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Forms of Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Literary Skills Focus: What Are the Forms of Fiction? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Reading Skills Focus: What Skills and Strategies Help You Read Fiction? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Preparing To Read: La Bamba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Literary Skills Focus: Identifying the Characteristics
of the Short Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Reading Skills Focus: Story and Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Interactive Selection: La Bamba
Based on the short story by Gary Soto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Skills Practice: Use a Concept Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Preparing To Read: The Gold Cadillac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Literary Skills Focus: Forms of Fiction: Novella . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Reading Skills Focus: Making and Adjusting Predictions . . . . . 110
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Interactive Selection: The Gold Cadillac
By Mildred D. Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Skills Practice: Use a Prediction Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Contents v
 Preparing To Read: Making It Up As We Go: The History of
Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Informational Text Focus: Structural Features of Popular
Media: Magazines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Interactive Selection: Making It Up As We Go: The History
of Storytelling By Jennifer Kroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Preparing To Read: Iraqi Treasures Hunted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Informational Text Focus: Structural Features of Popular
Media: Newspapers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Interactive Selection: Iraqi Treasures Hunted
By Barbara Bakowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Preparing To Read: CAVE Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Informational Text Focus: Structural Features of Popular
Media: Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Interactive Selection: CAVE Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Skills Practice: Use a Web Site Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Skills Review: Chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Elements of Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Literary Skills Focus: How Does Poetry Make You See?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Reading Skills Focus: How Do You Read Poetry?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Preparing To Read: The Sneetches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Literary Skills Focus: Rhythm and Rhyme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Reading Skills Focus: Reading a Poem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Interactive Selection: The Sneetches
By Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Skills Practice: Use a Rhyme Scheme Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

vi Contents
 Preparing To Read: John Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Literary Skills Focus: Repetition and Refrain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Reading Skills Focus: Questioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Interactive Selection: John Henry
By an anonymous African American. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Preparing To Read: Ode to Mi Gato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Literary Skills Focus: Figurative Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Reading Skills Focus: Re-reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Interactive Selection: Ode to Mi Gato
By Gary Soto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Skills Review: Chapter 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Biography and Autobiography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Literary Skills Focus: What Are the Elements of Nonfiction? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Reading Skills Focus: What Skills Help You Read Nonfiction? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Preparing To Read: from The Land I Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Literary Skills Focus: Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Reading Skills Focus: Author’s Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Interactive Selection: from The Land I Lost
Based on the story by Huynh Quang Nhuong. . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Preparing To Read: Storm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Literary Skills Focus: Imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Author’s Purpose . . . . . . . . . . 192
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Interactive Selection: Storm
From the autobiography Woodsong by Gary Paulsen . . . . . . 193
Skills Practice: Use a Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Contents vii
 Preparing To Read: The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Literary Skills Focus: Figurative Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Reading Skills Focus: Distinguishing Between Fact and
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Interactive Selection: The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln
Based on the biography by Russell Freedman . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Skills Practice: Use a Comparison Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Preparing To Read: What Do Fish Have to Do With

Anything? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Reading Skills Focus: Sequencing: Chronological Order . . . . . 208
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Interactive Selection: What Do Fish Have to Do With
Anything? By Avi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Preparing To Read: All Aboard with Thomas Garrett . . . . . . . 224

Informational Text Focus: Connecting Main Ideas Across
Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Interactive Selection: All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Based on the article by Alice P. Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Skills Practice: Use an Organization Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Preparing To Read: from Harriet Tubman: The Moses of

Her People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Informational Text Focus: Connecting Main Ideas Across
Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Interactive Selection: from Harriet Tubman: The Moses of
Her People Bases on the biography by Sarah Bradford . . . . . 233
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Skills Review: Chapter 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Expository Critique: Persuasive Texts and Media . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

viii Contents
 Informational Text Focus: What Is Expository Critique? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Reading Skills Focus: What Skills Help You Read an Expository Critique?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Preparing To Read: A Surprising Secret to a Long Life:

Stay in School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Informational Text Focus: Persuasion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Reading Skills Focus: Evaluating Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Interactive Selection: A Surprising Secret to a Long Life:
Stay in School Based on the newspaper article by Gina
Kolata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Skills Practice: Use a Comparison Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Preparing To Read: Oprah Talks About Her South

African “Dreamgirls” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Informational Text Focus: Logical and Emotional Appeals . . . 250
Reading Skills Focus: Evaluating Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Interactive Selection: Oprah Talks About Her South African
“Dreamgirls” Based on the article by ABC News . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Skills Practice: Use a Logical and Emotional Appeals Chart. . . 254
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Preparing To Read: Start the Day Right!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Informational Text Focus: Persuasive Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Reading Skills Focus: Evaluating Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Interactive Selection: Start the Day Right!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Preparing To Read: Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really

Works! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Informational Text Focus: Fallacious Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Reading Skills Focus: Evaluating Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Interactive Selection: Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really
Works! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Skills Practice: Use a Reasoning Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Contents ix
 Preparing To Read: Brain Breeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Informational Text Focus: Propaganda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing and Author’s Purpose . . . . . . 266
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Interactive Selection: Brain Breeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Skills Practice: Use a Propaganda Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Skills Review: Chapter 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

Literary Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Literary Skills Focus: What Is Literary Criticism?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Reading Skills Focus: What Skills Help You Critique a Literary Work?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

Preparing To Read: The Dog of Pompeii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Literary Skills Focus: Historical Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Reading Skills Focus: Reading for Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Interactive Selection: The Dog of Pompeii
Based on the story by Louis Untermeyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Skills Practice: Use a Fact and Fiction Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Applying Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Skills Review: Chapter 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Index of Authors and Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

x Contents
 To the Student
A Book for You
A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
—Chinese Proverb

The more you put into reading, the more you get out of it. This book is designed to do
just that—help you interact with the selections you read by marking them up, asking your
own questions, taking notes, recording your own ideas, and responding to the questions
of others.

A Book Designed for Your Success

The Holt English Language Development Interactive Reader goes hand in hand with Holt
Literature and Language Arts. It is designed to help you interact with the selections and
master important language arts skills.

The Holt English Language Development Interactive Reader has three types of selections:
literature, informational texts, and documents that you may encounter in your various
activities. All the selections include the same basic preparation, support, and review materi-
als. Vocabulary previews, skill descriptions, graphic organizers, review questions, and other
tools help you understand and enjoy the selections. Moreover, tips and questions in the
side margins ensure that you can apply and practice the skills you are learning as you read.

Most selections in this book are from your textbook, Holt Literature and Language Arts.
You will find that some of the selections are worded exactly as they were worded in Holt
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Literature and Language Arts. In this book, those selections have been broken into sec-
tions. Each section is followed by a short note titled “In Other Words.” That note restates
the previous text in different words. Other selections have been rewritten or retold
slightly to make them easier to understand; these are called adapted selections. You can
tell which ones are adapted because you will see the words “based on” in the Table of
Contents or on the first page of the selection.

A Book for Your Own Thoughts and Feelings

Reading is about you. It is about connecting your thoughts and feelings to the thoughts
and feelings of the writer. Make this book your own. The more you give of yourself to
your reading, the more you will get out of it. We encourage you to write in this book. Jot
down how you feel about the selection. Write down questions you have about the text.
Note details you think need to be cleared up or topics that you would like to investigate
further.

To the Student xi
 A Walk Through the Book
The Holt English Language Development Interactive Reader is arranged in chapters, just like Holt
Literature and Language Arts, the book on which this one is based. Each chapter has a theme or basic
idea. The stories, poems, articles, or documents within the chapter follow that theme. Let’s look at
how the arrangement of The Holt English Language Development Interactive Reader helps you enjoy a
chapter as a whole and the individual selections within the chapter.

Before Reading the Chapter

Literary and Academic Vocabulary

Literary and academic vocabulary refers to the specialized language that is used to talk about books,
tests, and formal writing. Each chapter begins with the literary and academic terms that you need to
know to master the skills for that chapter.

Literary Skills Focus and Reading Skills Focus

The chapter’s literary skills focus and reading skills focus are introduced at the beginning of each chapter.
Students have the opportunity to learn each skill, which also appears in Holt Literature and Language
Arts, and practice using it in an activity. Later, they will practice these same skills as they read the chapter
selections.

Before Reading the Selection

Preparing to Read
From experience, you know that you understand something better if you have some idea of what’s going
to happen. So that you can get the most from the reading, this page previews the skills and vocabulary
that you will see in the reading.

Literary Skills Focus

For fiction selections—stories, poems, and plays—this feature reintroduces the literary skill presented at
the beginning of the chapter and tailors it to the selection. Examples and graphic elements help explain

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the literary skill.

Reading Skills Focus

Also in fiction selections, this feature highlights one of the reading skills presented at the beginning
of the chapter that you can apply to the story, poem, or play. The feature points out why this skill is
important and how it can help you become a better reader.

Informational Text Focus

For informational, or nonfiction, selections, this feature introduces you to the format and characteristics
of nonfiction texts. Those texts may be essays, newspaper articles, Web sites, employment regulations,
application forms, or other similar documents.

Selection Vocabulary
This feature introduces you to selection vocabulary that may be unfamiliar. Each entry gives the
pronunciation and definition of the word as well as a sentence in which the word is used correctly.

Into the Story

This feature provides an introduction about the selection related to the author, setting, historical events,
or other topics that may be unfamiliar.

xii A Walk Through the Book

 A Walk Through the Book
While Reading the Selection

Side-Column Notes
Each selection has notes in the side column that guide your reading. Many notes ask you to underline or
circle in the text itself. Others provide lines on which you can write your responses to questions.
Read and Discuss These notes ask you to pause at certain points so that you can think about basic ideas
before proceeding further. Your teacher may use these notes for class discussions.
Here’s How This feature shows you how to apply a particular skill to what you are reading. It models
how you might think through the text. Each Here’s How note addresses the selection’s Reading Focus,
Literary Focus, Language Coach, or Vocabulary.
Your Turn In these notes, you have a chance to apply vocabulary skills and practice the same reading,
literary, and language skills introduced and modeled earlier. You might be asked to underline or circle
words in the text or to write responses in your own words.

After Reading the Selection

Skills Practice
For some selections, graphic organizers reinforce the skills you have practiced throughout the selection.

Applying Your Skills

This feature helps you review the selection. It provides additional practice with selection vocabulary and
literary, reading, and informational text focus skills.

After Reading the Chapter

Skills Review
On the first page of the Skills Review, you can practice using the chapter’s academic vocabulary and
selection vocabulary.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Language Coach
The second Skills Review page draws on the Language Coach skills in the Holt Literature and Language
Arts Preparing to Read pages. This feature asks you to apply those skills to texts from throughout the
chapter.

Writing Activity
You may have found that you need more practice writing. These short writing activities challenge you to
apply what you have learned to your own ideas and experiences.

Oral Language Activity

Writing Activities alternate with Oral Language Activities. These features are designed to help you
express your thoughts clearly aloud. The features are particularly helpful if you are learning English or if
you need practice with Standard English.

A Walk Through the Book xiii

 1
Chapter
Setting and Plot

HRW Photo by Nathan Keay, SMINK, Inc.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 1

LITERARY VOCABULARY
setting (SEH TIHNG) n.: where and when a story takes place.
William wanted the setting of his story to be an old warehouse in
the 1920s.
conflict (KAHN FLIHKT) n.: main problem or struggle in a story.
Reginald and his aunt had a conflict because he did not want to listen
to loud music, but she did.
climax (KLY MAKS) n.: most exciting part of a story.
The climax was when the two pirates were having a swordfight high
up on the boat in the middle of the huge storm.
resolution (REH ZUH LOO SHUHN) n.: solution to a conflict in a story; the
closing.
I thought that taking turns with the new dolls was a good resolution.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
achieve (UH CHEEV) v.: succeed; reach a goal.
Beverly is trying to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor.
influence (IHN FLU UHNS) n.: ability or power to affect thought, behavior,
or development.
The advertisement had a strong influence on the brand of sneakers
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Adam chose to buy.

interact (IHN TUHR AKT) v.: talk to others and do things with them.
Jean and Tasha only get to interact when they eat lunch in the
cafeteria.
major (MAY JUHR) adj.: very big or important.
Losing 20 pounds was a major change for me.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 1

Literary Skills Focus

What Are Setting and Plot?

One of the major characteristics of short stories is setting. Setting is the place
and time in which the action of the story takes place.

Setting can create an external conflict in the story. For example, characters
may have to struggle with bad weather or a deserted location.

Details about the setting can make a story seem more real.

Setting can create an atmosphere, or mood.

Another important characteristic of short stories is plot. Plot is the series of

events that tells you what happens in a story. A basic diagram of a plot looks
like this:

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The basic situation is the part where you meet the characters and find out
what they want. You also find out what conflicts, or problems, they face.

Complications are problems that stop the characters from getting what
they want.
The climax is the most exciting part of the plot. It is when we find out how
the conflict will be worked out.

In the resolution, events are wrapped up and the main character’s problems
are solved. This is the last part of the plot.

2 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Setting and Plot

Work with a partner. Think of a story, TV show, or movie you both know. Use a
plot structure chart like this one to track its plot.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Identify the setting of the story, TV show, or movie you chose. How did the
setting influence the problem and its resolution?

Literary Skills Focus 3

Reading Skills Focus

What Skills Help You Understand Setting and Plot?

Sometimes writers write complicated stories and we have to work hard to
understand them. We can learn special skills to help us understand these
complicated stories.

Paying attention to the sequence, or order of events, in a story can help you
follow what is happening in the plot. Many stories are told in chronological
order, or the order in which events occur.

Retelling, or recounting, the events of a story can help you understand

plot and setting. Create a retelling sheet like the one below to help you
successfully retell the plot of any story:
1. Basic situation Begin with the title and author of the story. Then,
identify the setting. Tell the characters’ names, and explain how the
characters are connected to one another. Explain what the main
character wants to do.
2. Conflict What is the main character’s conflict, or problem? In other
words, what is keeping the main character from getting what he or
she wants?
3. Complications Describe the main events—what happens as characters try
to solve the conflict and roadblocks develop.
4. Climax Describe the climax, the most suspenseful moment, when you

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

discover either how the main character will overcome the conflict or how
the main character will be defeated.
5. Resolution Tell what happens after the climax. How does the story end?

Summarizing is similar to retelling a story, but it involves identifying only the

most important ideas and details. A good summary is very short. It should be
no more than a page long, and it may be as short as a single paragraph.

4 Literary Skills
Reading Skills Focus
Focus
 Reading Skills Focus

Your Turn: Analyze Setting and Plot

1. Explain why identifying the sequence of events in a plot is important to
understanding a story.

2. Retell one of your favorite stories out loud to a partner. Then, write a
summary of the story. Your summary should be about a paragraph or
two long.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading
Literary Skills Focus 5
Preparing to Read

All Summer in a Day

By Ray Bradbury
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: PLOT AND SETTING
The plot is the series of events that make up a story. Setting is where and
when the story takes place. In some stories, the setting causes characters to
act in certain ways. For example, in this story, the weather on Venus causes
the characters to act in strange ways. As you read, think about how setting
affects the plot of the story.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: SEQUENCING

The order of events in a story is called sequence. Understanding when
events take place is important to understanding the plot of a story.

To keep track of the main events, or things that happen, in “All Summer
in a Day,” make a chart like the one below. Number each event. Then tell
what happens in your own words.

Order Event
1 The children are waiting for the rain to stop.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

3

VOCABULARY
frail (FRAYL) adj.: not very strong; easily broken.
vital (VY TUHL) adj.: necessary for life; very important.
consequence (KON SUH KWEHNS) n.: importance.
surged (SURJD) v.: moved forward, as if in a wave.
savored (SAY VUHRD) v.: delighted in.

INTO THE STORY

This story takes place on the planet Venus, where humans have come to
set up a colony. Although the description of the planet is made up by the
author, Venus is a real planet. It is the second plant from the sun and is very
hot and dry. But on Venus—at least in the setting that Bradbury describes—
the sun appears for only two hours every seven years.

6 All Summer in a Day

 All Summer in
a Day
by Ray Bradbury
“Ready.”
“Ready.”
“Now?”
“Soon.”
“Do the scientists really know? Will it happen today, will it?”
“Look, look; see for yourself!”
The children pressed to each other like so many roses,
© Digital Art/Corbis
so many weeds, intermixed, peering out for a look at the
hidden sun.
10 It rained. A READ AND DISCUSS
It had been raining for seven years; thousands upon
Comprehension
thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the So how are things starting off?
other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet
crystal fall of showers and the concussion1 of storms so heavy B HERE’S HOW
they were tidal waves come over the islands. A thousand forests Literary Focus
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand times So far I can see that the
setting of this story is on
to be crushed again. And this was the way life was forever on the Venus, where it rains every
planet Venus, and this was the schoolroom of the children of the day. Today though, the
children are looking for the
rocket men and women who had come to a raining world to set sun. I think that part of the
plot will be about the rain
20 up civilization and live out their lives. A B C finally stopping.

IN OTHER WORDS Young children eagerly look outside, C HERE’S HOW

searching for the sun. They are the children of astronauts
Reading Focus
who settled on Venus, where it has rained every day for the A lot is happening, so I
last seven years. The children, however, seem to think that will pause and review the
sequence, or order of events,
something special will happen today. so far:
1. The children were looking
outside for the sun.
“It’s stopping, it’s stopping!” 2. The author explained that
they live on Venus, where
1. concussion (KUHN KUH SHUHN): violent shaking or shock.
it had been raining for the
last seven years.
“All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. Copyright © 1954 and renewed © 1982
by Ray Bradbury. Reproduced by permission of Don Congdon Associates, Inc.

All Summer in a Day 7

 “Yes, yes!” A
A HERE’S HOW Margot stood apart from them, from these children who
Language Coach could never remember a time when there wasn’t rain and rain
The author uses strong words
and powerful dialogue
and rain. They were all nine years old, and if there had been a
to help bring the story day, seven years ago, when the sun came out for an hour and
to life. I can tell from the
exclamation marks that the showed its face to the stunned world, they could not recall.
children are really excited. Sometimes, at night, she heard them stir, in remembrance, and
she knew they were dreaming and remembering gold or a yellow
B READ AND DISCUSS
30 crayon or a coin large enough to buy the world with. She knew
Comprehension they thought they remembered a warmness, like a blushing in
What are we learning from
this part? the face, in the body, in the arms and legs and trembling hands.
But then they always awoke to the tatting drum, the endless
shaking down of clear bead necklaces upon the roof, the walk,
the gardens, the forests, and their dreams were gone. All day
yesterday they had read in class about the sun. About how like a
lemon it was, and how hot. And they had written small stories or
essays or poems about it. B
I think the sun is a flower
40 That blooms for just one hour.
That was Margot’s poem, read in a quiet voice in the still
classroom while the rain was falling outside.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

“Aw, you didn’t write that!” protested one of the boys.
“I did,” said Margot. “I did.”
“William!” said the teacher.
But that was yesterday. Now the rain was slackening2, and
the children were crushed in the great thick windows.

IN OTHER WORDS The children notice the rain dying

down. They are all nine years old—too young to remember
when it last stopped raining on Venus seven years ago. A girl
named Margot seems to remember the sun, but she stands
alone because the children are often mean to her.

“Where’s teacher?”
“She’ll be back.”
2. slackening (SLA KUH NIHNG): lessening; slowing.

8 All Summer in a Day

 50 “She’d better hurry; we’ll miss it!”
They turned on themselves like a feverish wheel, all C HERE’S HOW
tumbling spokes. Vocabulary
Margot stood alone. She was a very frail girl who looked as Based on the description of
Margot in this paragraph,
if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed I think that frail means
out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the “weak.” I checked the
dictionary and I was right!
yellow from her hair. She was an old photograph dusted from an
album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be D YOUR TURN
a ghost. Now she stood, separate, staring at the rain and the loud
Literary Focus
wet world beyond the huge glass. C The plot changes here as
60 “What’re you looking at?” said William. William picks on Margot.
How do you feel about
Margot said nothing. William now?
“Speak when you’re spoken to.” He gave her a shove. But she
did not move; rather she let herself be moved only by him and
nothing else. D
They edged away from her; they would not look at her. She
felt them go away. And this was because she would play no games
with them in the echoing tunnels of the underground city. If they
tagged her and ran, she stood blinking after them and did not E HERE’S HOW
follow. When the class sang songs about happiness and life and Vocabulary
70 games, her lips barely moved. Only when they sang about the sun From context clues, I think
that drenched means “very
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

and the summer did her lips move as she watched the drenched wet” or “soaked.” I checked
windows. E my dictionary and I was
right.

IN OTHER WORDS While waiting for the teacher to

return, a boy named William pushes Margot. She does not
respond. The children dislike Margot because she refuses to
play games with them or sing songs in class.

And then, of course, the biggest crime of all was that

she had come here only five years ago from Earth, and she
remembered the sun and the way the sun was and the sky was
when she was four in Ohio. And they, they had been on Venus
all their lives, and they had been only two years old when last the
sun came out and had long since forgotten the color and heat of
it and the way it really was. But Margot remembered.

All Summer in a Day 9

 80 “It’s like a penny,” she said once, eyes closed.
A HERE’S HOW “No, it’s not!” the children cried.
Vocabulary “It’s like a fire,” she said, “in the stove.”
I am not sure what dimly “You’re lying; you don’t remember!” cried the children.
means. It is used twice in the
same sentence, so I think it But she remembered and stood quietly apart from all of them
is important. The dictionary and watched the patterning windows. And once, a month ago, she
says it means “in a manner
not understood clearly.” had refused to shower in the school shower rooms, had clutched
her hands to her ears and over her head, screaming the water
B YOUR TURN mustn’t touch her head. So after that, dimly, dimly, she sensed it,
Vocabulary she was different, and they knew her difference and kept away. A
Look at the word vital. In 90 There was talk that her father and mother were taking her
Latin, words with the roots
vit- and viv- relate to life. back to Earth next year; it seemed vital to her that they do so,
Knowing this, what might
though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars to her
vital mean?
family. B And so, the children hated her for all these reasons of
big and little consequence. They hated her pale snow face, her
waiting silence, her thinness, and her possible future. C
“Get away!” The boy gave her another push. “What’re you
waiting for?”
Then, for the first time, she turned and looked at him. And

C
what she was waiting for was in her eyes.
READ AND DISCUSS
100 “Well, don’t wait around here!” cried the boy savagely. “You
Comprehension

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

What is going on with won’t see nothing!” D
Margot?
IN OTHER WORDS Margot feels like an outsider with the
D HERE’S HOW other children because she moved to Venus from Earth just
Vocabulary five years ago. She still remembers Earth and argues with her
I do not know what savagely
classmates about what the sun is like. Today, William seems
means. The story says the boy
“cried,” or yelled savagely. determined to torment her.
By its context here, I think
savagely means “wildly.”
I checked my dictionary, and Her lips moved.
I was right. “Nothing!” he cried. “It was all a joke, wasn’t it?” He turned
to the other children. “Nothing’s happening today. Is it?”
They all blinked at him and then, understanding, laughed
and shook their heads. “Nothing, nothing!”
“Oh, but,” Margot whispered, her eyes helpless. “But this is
the day, the scientists predict, they say, they know, the sun . . .”

10 All Summer in a Day

 E YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Review and record the story’s
sequence in lines 100–115.

© Anthony Redpath/Corbis
F YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
“All a joke!” said the boy, and seized her roughly. “Hey Based on the action in this
110 everyone, let’s put her in a closet before teacher comes!” sentence, what might the
word surged mean?
“No,” said Margot, falling back.
They surged about her, caught her up and bore her,
protesting, and then pleading, and then crying, back into a
tunnel, a room, a closet, where they slammed and locked the
G READ AND DISCUSS
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

door. E F They stood looking at the door and saw it tremble

from her beating and throwing herself against it. They heard her Comprehension
What picture is the author
muffled cries. Then, smiling, they turned and went out and back
creating for us?
down the tunnel, just as the teacher arrived. G
“Ready, children?” She glanced at her watch. H READ AND DISCUSS
120 “Yes!” said everyone. Comprehension
“Are we all here?” How do the children seem to
feel about what they have
“Yes!” H
done to Margot?
The rain slackened still more.
They crowded to the huge door.
The rain stopped.

IN OTHER WORDS While bullying Margot, William tells

her that it will not stop raining today. The rest of the class
plays along with this joke. Margot is hurt and the children

All Summer in a Day 11

 lock her in a closet. They return to the classroom to meet their
A YOUR TURN teacher, and suddenly, the rain stops.
Literary Focus
What major event just It was as if, in the midst of a film concerning an avalanche,
happened in the story’s plot? a tornado, a hurricane, a volcanic eruption, something had,
How do you think this will
affect the characters? first, gone wrong with the sound apparatus, thus muffling and
finally cutting off all noise, all of the blasts and repercussions
130 and thunders, and then, second, ripped the film from the
projector and inserted in its place a peaceful tropical slide which
did not move or tremor. The world ground to a standstill. The
silence was so immense and unbelievable that you felt your ears
had been stuffed or you had lost your hearing altogether. The
B YOUR TURN children put their hands to their ears.
Language Coach They stood apart. The door slid back and the smell of the
How does this use of silent, waiting world came in to them.
dialogue add to the story?
The sun came out. A
It was the color of flaming bronze and it was very large. And
140 the sky around it was a blazing blue tile color. And the jungle
burned with sunlight as the children, released from their spell,
rushed out, yelling, into the springtime.
“Now, don’t go too far,” called the teacher after them.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

“You’ve only two hours, you know. You wouldn’t want to get
C READ AND DISCUSS
caught out!”
Comprehension
But they were running and turning their faces up to the sky
What has occurred here?
and feeling the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron; they were
taking off their jackets and letting the sun burn their arms.
“Oh, it’s better than the sun lamps, isn’t it?”
150 “Much, much better!” B
They stopped running and stood in the great jungle
that covered Venus, that grew and never stopped growing,
tumultuously,3 even as you watched it. It was a nest of octopuses,
clustering up great arms of fleshlike weed, wavering, flowering in
this brief spring. It was the color of rubber and ash, this jungle,
from the many years without sun. It was the color of stones and
white cheeses and ink, and it was the color of the moon. C

3. tumultuously (TOO MUHL CHOO UHS LEE): wildly; violently.

12 All Summer in a Day

 IN OTHER WORDS As the rain stops, the silence seems
strange to the children. They race outside. Amazed by the D YOUR TURN

sunlight, they run wildly and explore the Venus jungle. Vocabulary
Think about how you would
feel about seeing the sun for
The children lay out, laughing, on the jungle mattress and
the first time in seven years.
heard it sigh and squeak under them, resilient4 and alive. They Considering this, what might
the word savored mean?
160 ran among the trees, they slipped and fell, they pushed each
other, they played hide-and-seek and tag, but most of all they
squinted at the sun until tears ran down their faces; they put
their hands up to that yellowness and that amazing blueness and
they breathed of the fresh, fresh air and listened and listened
to the silence which suspended them in a blessed sea of no
sound and no motion. They looked at everything and savored
E YOUR TURN
everything. D Then, wildly, like animals escaped from their
Reading Focus
caves, they ran and ran in shouting circles. They ran for an hour
Review and record the story’s
and did not stop running. sequence in lines 158–184.
170 And then—
In the midst of their running, one of the girls wailed.
Everyone stopped.
The girl, standing in the open, held out her hand.
“Oh, look, look,” she said, trembling.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

They came slowly to look at her opened palm.

In the center of it, cupped and huge, was a single raindrop.
She began to cry, looking at it.
They glanced quietly at the sky.
“Oh. Oh.”
180 A few cold drops fell on their noses and their cheeks and
their mouths. The sun faded behind a stir of mist. A wind blew F READ AND DISCUSS
cool around them. They turned and started to walk back toward Comprehension
the underground house, their hands at their sides, their smiles What has happened here?

vanishing away. E F

IN OTHER WORDS The children play cheerfully in the

glow of the sun. After a while, raindrops begin falling and the
children walk sadly back to their underground school.

4. resilient (RIH ZIHL YUHNT): springy, quick to recover.

All Summer in a Day 13

 A boom of thunder startled them, and like leaves before a
A YOUR TURN new hurricane, they tumbled upon each other and ran. Lightning
Literary Focus struck ten miles away, five miles away, a mile, a half-mile. The
What important event just sky darkened into midnight in a flash.
happened in the story’s plot?
They stood in the doorway of the underground for a
190 moment until it was raining hard. Then they closed the door
and heard the gigantic sound of the rain falling in tons and
avalanches, everywhere and forever.
“Will it be seven more years?”
“Yes. Seven.”
Then one of them gave a little cry.
B READ AND DISCUSS
“Margot!”
Comprehension
“What?”
What does this say about the
students? “She’s still in the closet where we locked her.”
“Margot.” A
200 They stood as if someone had driven them, like so many
stakes, into the floor. They looked at each other and then looked
away. They glanced out at the world that was raining now and
raining and raining steadily. They could not meet each other’s
glances. Their faces were solemn and pale. They looked at their
hands and feet, their faces down.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

“Margot.”
One of the girls said, “Well . . . ?”
No one moved.
“Go on,” whispered the girl.
210 They walked slowly down the hall in the sound of cold rain.
They turned through the doorway to the room in the sound of
the storm and thunder, lightning on their faces, blue and terrible.
They walked over to the closet door slowly and stood by it.
Behind the closet door was only silence.
They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let Margot
out. B

IN OTHER WORDS As the children come inside, they

remember that Margot is locked in the closet. They all feel
horrible for not letting her enjoy the sun. Eventually they go
to the closet and slowly let Margot out.
14 All Summer in a Day
 Applying Your Skills

All Summer in a Day

COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. What point could the author be trying to make?
2. Why do you think the other children were so cruel, or mean, to Margot?

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: PLOT AND SETTING

1. Why is the setting of this story the most important part of the plot?

2. In some ways the children act like children on Earth. How might the plot be
different if the children were nicer to Margot?

READING SKILLS FOCUS: SEQUENCING

DIRECTIONS: Fill in the sequence chart below by telling the events in the story from
Margot’s point of view and in the correct order that they occurred.

Order Events
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Complete the sentences below by writing the correct vocabulary
words in the blanks. Not all of the words will be used.

LdgY7dm 1. When the children locked Margot in the closet, they were not thinking
about the of their actions.
frail
vital 2. The children toward the door, excited to see
sunlight for the first time in seven years.
consequence
3. As a small girl, Margot was and often teased
surged
by her classmates.
savored
All Summer in a Day 15
Preparing to Read

Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime

Apologies
Based on the article by Nancy Day
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: TAKING NOTES
How do you keep track of what you read? You take notes! One way to take
notes is by finding important dates and recording what happened on those
dates. You can take notes by using index cards. Make one card for each main
idea in a selection. Then list important details about the main idea in your
own words. You can also use quotation marks around the author’s words.
Your note cards will look like this:

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The supporting details you write down should answer questions about the
main idea, like who? what? where? when? why? and how?

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selections.
citizens (SIT UH SUHNS) n.: members of a state or nation who are loyal to and
protected by the government.
protect (PRO TEHCKT) v.: to keep safe from harm.

INTO THE ARTICLE

Reading
Standard 2.4 From 1942 to 1945, the United States was at war with Japan. Japanese
Clarify an Americans were treated badly. The U.S. President and other Americans did
understanding
of texts by not trust Japanese Americans, even though many of these people had lived
creating
outlines, in the U.S. for a long time. Japanese Americans lost their homes and jobs,
logical notes, and were forced to live in internment, or prison, camps. Later, the United
summaries, or
reports. States realized it had made a mistake and apologized, or said it was sorry.

16 Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies

 Wartime Mistakes,
Peacetime Apologies
Based on the article by Nancy Day

A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
I will begin by taking notes.
Right away, I see a date—
December 7, 1941. Now I will
write what happened: Japan
attacked the United States.

B READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
What did we learn about
President Roosevelt’s war
order?

Dorothea Lange/National Archive

C HERE’S HOW

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States. A Vocabulary

I do not know what
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Then in 1942, President Roosevelt signed a war order.1 It

citizens in line 11 means.
changed many lives. The order put Japanese Americans in The dictionary defines it
as “members of a state
camps. The camps were like prisons. B or nation who are loyal
A teacher named Yoshiko Imamoto had lived in America to and protected by the
government.” Line 11 tells
for twenty-four years. In March 1942, three lawmen came to her me that these citizens were
home. They let her pack a nightgown and a Bible. Then, they good, so I think they were
treated unfairly when the
took her to jail. war order was signed.
The war ended in 1945. Japanese Americans had to start
10 over. They had lost their jobs and their homes. They felt hurt.
They had been good citizens. C The United States had treated

1. order: a rule or law that must be obeyed.

“Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies” by Nancy Day Sakaduski adapted from Cobblestone:
Japanese Americans, April 1996. Copyright © 1996 by Cobblestone Publishing Company. Retold
by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission of Cobblestone
Publishing Company, 30 Grove Street, Suite C, Peterborough, NH 03458, a division of Carus
Publishing Company.

Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies 17

A YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Dates stand out from the
words on the page. Take
notes by circling two dates
on this page.

© Wally McNamee/Corbis
them badly. They wanted America to say it had been wrong.
They wanted payment for their pain.
Many years later, the government decided the order had
been unjust.2 All citizens have the same rights. Our country
should not have put citizens in camps. Each camp survivor should
receive twenty thousand dollars. America should say it was sorry.
Some people said that no one should be paid. The order had
been correct. The government had to protect everyone.
20 Some Japanese Americans had not obeyed the war orders.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

They went to jail. Three of them sued3 the country and won their
case. The court said the Japanese Americans had done nothing
wrong. They had the same rights as other Americans.
In 1990, at age ninety-three, Imamoto received a twenty-
thousand dollar check and a note. Almost fifty years had passed.
And America had finally paid for its mistake. America had
apologized. A

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. You have just read about U.S. President Roosevelt’s war
order. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter said that the war
order was the result of “race prejudice, war hysteria, and
a failure of political leadership.” Talk about what he said.

2. unjust (UHN JUHST): not fair.

3. sued (SOOD): brought to a court of law to have justice or gain a right.

18 Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies

 Preparing to Read

What a Character: Iwao

Takamoto and His Toons
Based on the article by Jessica Cohn
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: OUTLINING
Outlining is a way of organizing the notes you have taken. An outline
usually contains main ideas followed by the details that support them.
Here is an example of how to take notes by outlining a text:

Summarizing is another way to better understand a text. A summary is a

much shorter version of a text that restates only its main ideas and the key
supporting details.

VOCABULARY
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Look for these words and their context as you read the selections.
character (KARE ECK TUR) n.: person or human-like animal in a story, movie,
or cartoon.
internment (IN TURN MENT) adj.: imprisonment.
animators (AN IH MAY TUR) n.: people who draw cartoons.
Reading
Standard 2.4
INTO THE ARTICLE Clarify an
understanding
This article is about Iwao Takamoto, a Japanese American who was sent of texts by
creating
to an internment camp during World War II. Even though he grew up in this outlines,
hard environment, Takamoto went on to have great success in the field of logical notes,
summaries, or
animation. reports.

What a Character: Iwao Takamoto and His Toons 19

 What a Character: Iwao
Takamoto and His Toons A

Based on the article from The World Almanac

A HERE’S HOW

Language Coach
A pun, or a play on words,
gives a word more than one
meaning. The title of this
article, “What a Character,”
has a pun in it. A character
can be a memorable
and funny person. The
memorable person could be © CBS/Phototest © Everett Collection, Inc.
the subject of the article,
Iwao Takamoto. A character A Journey Begins
can also be a person or
animal in a cartoon, like Iwao Takamoto, a Japanese American, was born in Los Angeles,
the cartoon characters that
Takamoto created. California in 1925. By age 15, he had graduated from high
school. But his hopes for the future changed when the Japanese
B READ AND DISCUSS bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Comprehension Japan was an enemy of the United States. As a result, thou-

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

What has the author set up sands of Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes to
for us?
go to internment camps. Takamoto and his family were impris-
oned in Manzanar Internment Camp, in the desert outside
C HERE’S HOW
Los Angeles.
Reading Focus
I can outline the first three 10 In Manzanar, Takamoto met some people who had worked
paragraphs: in movies. These men saw Takamoto’s drawings of the camp.
1. Iwao Takamoto was a
Japanese American who They told him he was good. And they gave him art lessons to
was 16 when World War II make him better. B C
began.
A. He was imprisoned in
an internment camp.
1. There, he met people A Life in Cartoons
who taught him more
about art. To get away from the camp, Takamoto offered to pick fruit in
Idaho. But it was his drawing that truly freed him. Two months
before the end of World War II in 1945, Takamoto contacted
Walt Disney Studios. He did not know much about Disney.

20 What a Character: Iwao Takamoto and His Toons

 University of California, Berkeley,
Courtesy of The Bancroft Library.
D HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary

1967. 014v.ts,eh-706pic
I can figure out the meaning
of animators by looking
carefully at the text. Words
such as “sketchpads,”
drawings,” and “pencils”
give me clues that animators
are a kind of artist. I also
know that Disney Studios
But he was asked to bring his drawings. The problem was that makes many cartoons. I think
that animators must be
he had no work to show them. He had been busy picking fruit. artists that draw cartoons.
20 A few days before he went to Disney Studios, Takamoto
bought sketchpads and pencils. He filled two pads with drawings E READ AND DISCUSS
of everything “from knights to cowboys.” He got a job at Disney Comprehension
Studios right away. Soon, he was learning from the most famous What is going on?
animators in the world. D
Takamoto worked on short cartoons and longer movies.
In the 1950s, he worked on well-known Disney movies such
as Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping
Beauty. E
In 1961, Takamoto began work at Hanna-Barbera Studios.
30 He worked on the company’s well-known television cartoon
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

shows, including Huckleberry Hound, The Yogi Bear Show, and

The Flintstones.
Takamoto worked at Hanna-Barbera Studios for the next
forty years. He created many well-known cartoon characters,
such as Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant.

Famous Cartoon Dogs

Takamoto drew many animal characters. But he became most
famous for his dogs. He created Astro, the family dog on The
Jetsons. His most famous dog character was Scooby-Doo.
Scooby Doo was big dog who solved mysteries even though
40 he was afraid of almost everything.
Takamoto was a skilled artist. But he also had skill for
turning what we see, hear, and know into something new.

What a Character: Iwao Takamoto and His Toons 21

A READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
How did Takamoto go about
creating characters like
Scooby Doo?

B YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
In the lines below, write an
outline that lists the main Photo: Moses Sparks
ideas of this article.

The name Scooby-Doo came from the words of a well-known

song of the 1960s, “Strangers in the Night.” The singer, Frank
Sinatra sings the “scooby-dooby-do,” which made no sense. But
even nonsense was fun for Takamoto. And his fun-loving dog
was a favorite cartoon character for millions of kids. A

Awards
In 1996, Takamoto won the Windsor McKay Lifetime
Achievement Award. He was honored by other animators for
50 Scooby-Doo and his other beloved characters. In 2001, the

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Japanese American National Museum honored him for his work.
Takamoto died in 2007 at age 81. He went from a world of
unfair treatment to a world of unlimited imagination. He died of
heart failure. But those who knew him say that his heart lives on
in his beloved characters. B

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. How might Takamoto’s life have been different if he were
never in Manzanar Internment Camp?
2. What does the author mean when she says that Takamoto’s
heart will live on in his work?

22 What a Character: Iwao Takamoto and His Toons

 Applying Your Skills

Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime

Apologies and What a Character . . .
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: OUTLINING
DIRECTIONS: Complete the outlines below by adding two details to each
main idea.

Wartime Mistakes,
What a Character . . .
Peacetime Apologies

Main idea: During World War II, Japanese Main idea: After internment, Iwao
Americans were forced into prison camps. Takamoto became a successful animator.
Detail 1: Detail 1:

Detail 2: Detail 2:
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.
One word will not be used.

LdgY7dm 1. Scooby Doo is the most famous that Iwao

Takamoto created.
citizens
2. Thousands of Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps
protect
even though they were legal United States .
character
3. Iwao Takamoto’s drawings lead him to join a team of Disney
internment
.
animators
4. is the term usually used to describe the
imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies and What a Character . . . 23

Skills Review

Chapter 1
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Answer each question in a complete sentence. Use the vocabulary
word in italics in your answer.
1. Describe a frail person.

2. Name one food you have savored.

3. How do immigrants become citizens of the United States?

4. Describe something you think it is important to protect.

5. List at least three things that are vital to human survival.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. How does the setting of “All Summer in a Day” influence the behavior of
the children?

2. Based on what you read in “Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies,”

what is something major that happened in the life of Yoshiko Imamoto?

3. According to “What a Character: Iwao Takamoto and His Toons,” what is

something Iwao Takamoto achieved?

24 Setting and Plot

 Skills Review

Chapter 1
LANGUAGE COACH: DIALOGUE
Ray Bradbury is known for his strong vocabulary and dialogue. He uses
exciting words to make the action stand out and come to life.

DIRECTIONS: Read the sentences below.

Jack and Jill walked home in a storm. When they got home, they were all wet.
How can you make these sentences come to life? Re-write the sentences on
the lines below as a dialogue, or conversation, between Jack and Jill.

WRITING ACTIVITY
One of the best ways to understand the plot of a story is to summarize it.
Complete the exercise below by summarizing “All Summer in a Day.”
1. Introduction: Give the title, author, and setting
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

2. Characters: Who is the main character? What does she want? Who are
other
important characters? How are they alike? How are they different?

3. Conflict: Why can’t the main character get what she wants? How do
other characters stop or help the main character?

4. Climax: What is the most important moment in the story? How did you
feel when you read it?

Review 25
 2
Chapter
Character

Found-Object Faces/© Jim Shores

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 2

LITERARY VOCABULARY
conflict (KON FLIKT) n.: The central struggle or problem in a work of literature.
The conflict in the story of Cinderella is caused by the stepmother’s
poor treatment of Cinderella.

characterization (KAR IHK TUHR Y ZAY SHUHN) n.: how an author reveals the
personality of a character and brings him or her to life.
The characterization of the woman with big muscles made her sound
strong.
revealing (RI VEAL IHNG) v.: making known; bringing into view
Dialogue is one method authors use for revealing characters’ personalities

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
adapt (UH DAPT) v.: to change in order to fit into a new situation.
Cecil liked candy so much that he could not adapt to a diet without
sugar.
circumstance (SUHR KUHM STANS) n.: a situation, event, or events.
I told Edward that a monkey had stolen my wallet, and because of the
circumstance he would have to pay for my dinner.
qualities (KWAHL UH TEEZ) n.: traits; distinguishing characteristics.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

One of Alex’s best qualities is his sense of humor.

obvious (AHB VEE UHS) adj.: easy to notice or understand; clear.
The pillow under his desk and the yawn he gave made it obvious that
Mr. Yang had been napping before class.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 27

Literary Skills Focus

How Do Characters in Conflict Influence the Plot of

a Story?
The characters in a story have qualities, or characteristics. Some qualities are
courage, laziness, or kindness.

The main character’s qualities affect, or influence, the plot of the story. A
character’s choices and actions affect the way he or she solves the conflict, or
problem, in a story.

A writer shows the qualities of a character through characterization.

Characterization is the way an author brings a character to life. Here are some
ways you can learn more about a character’s qualities:

The way a character looks may tell you something about his or her qualities.

Walt Masters is not a very large boy . . . . He is the only white child in
thousands of miles of frozen wilderness.

Think about the way a character talks. What does this tell you about the
character’s qualities?

Don Ricardo. Seeking your fortune! They always say that, don’t they, Blanca
Flor. Well, I will give you the same chance I have given others. For each of
three days, I will give you a job. If in three days you have completed the
jobs, then you may leave. If not, then you will work here with me until you

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

are dead. What do you say, fortune-seeker?

Writers may describe how a character acts or behaves. These actions often
show the character’s qualities.

THE DUENDE grabs the tortilla out of JUANITO’S hand and begins to eat it.
During the rest of the scene THE DUENDE continues to eat tortillas.

Sometimes an author will tell what a character is thinking or feeling.

Juanito (gathering all his courage).

What other characters think or say about the main character can help you
understand the main character’s qualities.

Because of what Walt Masters did, the men of the Yukon now call him the
King of Mazy May.

Sometimes a writer just tells you what a character is like.

He is not afraid of anything. His father is strong and brave. Walt is growing
up to be like him.

28 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Analyze Characters

Work with a partner. Think of a story, TV show, or movie you both know.
Choose a story in which two characters have a conflict. You can then draw two
heads like the ones below.

In each head, list one character’s qualities. Tell which character won the
conflict. Explain how the character’s qualities affected the resolution of the
conflict.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Literary Skills Focus 29

Reading Skills Focus

What Reading Skills Help You Understand

Characters?
When you visualize, you make a mental picture of the characters, settings,
objects, and events in a story. Here are some tips to help you visualize a
character’s qualities.
• Look for details about how a character looks, moves, and acts.
• Try to imagine a character’s facial expressions. Expressions may tell you
how a character feels.
• Read a character’s words aloud. This may help you understand how a
character says something.

An inference is an educated guess based on evidence. Create a chart like

the one below to help you make inferences. Write down clues from the story
in the “It Says . . .” column. List your own experiences that are similar to the
events in the story in the “I Say . . .” column. Combine the information in the
story and your own experiences to make inferences. Write your inferences in
the “And So . . .” column.

It Says . . . I Say . . . And So . . .

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

You may connect, or relate, to a character by thinking about how the person
is like you or like other people you know in real life or in stories. Use these
sentence starters to help you connect with a character.
• This character is like me because . . .
• I faced a similar conflict when . . .
• This character reminds me of . . .

30 Reading Skills Focus

 Reading Skills Focus

Your Turn: Apply Reading Skills

Imagine that a girl in a story does not follow her teacher’s directions. What
inferences could you make about the girl’s qualities? Use the chart below to
make your inferences.

It Says . . . I Say . . . And So . . .

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading Skills Focus 31

Preparing to Read

The King of Mazy May

Based on the story by Jack London
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: CHARACTERIZATION AND EXTERNAL CONFLICT
A good writer can make characters in a story seem like real people. For
example, author Jack London makes the character Walt come alive in this
story. We learn that Walt “knows a lot that other boys do not know.” He
can “make bread and shoot a moose.” He can “drive a dog sled fifty miles
a day on trail.” This characterization tells us that Walt may be young, but
he acts older than others his age.
Many stories have a conflict, which is a problem or fight, between
characters. Adventure stories like “The King of Mazy May” may have an
external conflict. An external conflict is a problem or fight between the
main character and some other force, like nature. For example, this story
takes place during the winter in Alaska. Very cold temperatures and deep
snow create obstacles for the characters in the story.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: VISUALIZING

An author’s words can help you visualize, or make a picture in your mind.
When you read, look for words and phrases that may help you make a
picture of the characters and the setting. In this story, for example, the

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

main character lives in an area that has thousands of miles of frozen
wilderness. Picturing a setting can make a story more exciting.

VOCABULARY
With a partner, practice using these words in complete sentences.
moccasins (MAHK UH SUHNS) n.: soft leather shoes first used by Native Americans.
claim (KLAYM) n.: a piece of land that a miner takes as his own.
gravel (GRAV UHL) n.: small pieces of rock and stone.
harnessed (HAHR NUHSD) v.: tied together.

INTO THE STORY

The story takes place during the gold rush in an area called the Klondike.
The Klondike is part of the Yukon Territory of Canada. The gold rush took
place in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Thousands of people came to the
Klondike with dreams of becoming rich, but bad weather and bad luck
ended many dreams. Those who stayed had to be tough and fearless.

32 The King of Mazy May

 The King of

© Julian Winslow/Corbis
Mazy May
Based on the story by Jack London

Walt Masters is not a very large boy. But he knows a lot that
other boys do not know. A HERE’S HOW
He has never seen a train or an elevator. He has never Reading Focus
gone to a picnic or talked to a girl. But he has seen the sun at I looked up the “northern
lights” the author talks
midnight. He has played beneath the northern lights. He is the about. I learned that they
only white child in thousands of miles of frozen wilderness. A are bright belts of light that
appear in the sky at night.
Walt always walks in moccasins made from moose skins. B I can picture the sun at night,
low in the sky. And I can
He goes to Indian camps to trade cloth and beads for precious
picture the snow and ice of
furs. He can make bread and shoot a moose. He can drive a dog the frozen wilderness. This
visualizing helps me under-
10 sled fifty miles a day on a trail. He is not afraid of anything. His stand the setting of the story.
father is strong and brave. Walt is growing up to be like him. C
Walt was born in the Yukon Territory, in a trading-post. B HERE’S HOW

After his mother died, he and his father moved up the Yukon Vocabulary
River. They settled on Mazy May Creek in the Klondike. They I am not sure what the word
moccasins means, but I think
and several others panned for gold on the banks of the Mazy I can figure it out by reading
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the surrounding words. The

May. But the news of their discoveries spread. Strange men author says that Walt walks
began to come there. in moccasins and they are
made from moose skin.
Si Hartman had gone away on a moose-hunt. He returned Moccasins must be a type of
to find that other men had taken his place, called a claim. George soft shoes.

20 Lukens and his brother lost their land claims. Many other hard-
C YOUR TURN
working miners had lost their claims too.
But Walt Masters’s father kept a record of his claim in a Literary Focus
What are some words
government land office at Dawson, a town in the Yukon that the author uses in his
Territory. Walt was not afraid of claim jumpers when his father characterization of Walt?

went on a trip up the White River. Walt stayed in the cabin. And
he watched the nearby claim that belonged to Loren Hall. Loren
Hall had started for the land office in Dawson to record it. D D READ AND DISCUSS

Loren Hall had no dogs, so he had to travel very slowly. Comprehension

After some time, word came that his feet were frozen. He would What is the author setting
up for us?

The King of Mazy May 33

 30 not be able to travel for weeks. Walt worried that Hall’s claim
A HERE’S HOW would be stolen because of the delay. A Some men he had
Literary Focus never seen before had arrived at the Mazy May. He did not like
When I read that Loren the looks of the newcomers. One day, five of them came by with
Hall’s “feet were frozen,”
I understand his external well-trained dog-teams. So Walt followed them from a distance.
conflict with nature. I see He saw them change many claim markers and replace them with
how his fight with the cold
may let the claim jumpers new ones. B
take over his claim.
“The creek is all marked, boys,” a large, black-bearded man
said, “and I think the best thing we can do is to pull out tonight
B READ AND DISCUSS
and file our claims in Dawson. The dogs can follow the trail in
Comprehension
40 the moonlight.”
What is going on with
Walt here? Follow-up: Why “But it’s forty below zero now,” another man complained.
doesn’t Loren record his
“I know. But if we get to the land office and record our
claim like Walt’s dad did?
claims, we’ll be rich,” said the leader. “There is no telling who’s
C YOUR TURN been watching us. We should let the dogs rest, and then go. What
Reading Focus do you say?”
Circle the words in this The men seemed to agree with their leader. Walt peeked out
paragraph that help you
visualize what is happening
and saw the leader studying a piece of paper. It was a list of the
in the story. unrecorded claims on Mazy May.
“Thirty-two,” the leader said. “Thirty-two aren’t recorded.
D YOUR TURN 50 And this is thirty-three. Come on; let’s take a look at it.”

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Vocabulary Three men went with him. Walt crept carefully after them
Look at the word harnessed.
Based on what you have
until they came to Loren Hall’s claim. One man built a fire to
read here, what do you think warm the frozen gravel. The others built another fire to melt the
harnessed means?
ice in gold pans. C
Walt watched as the men washed the gravel. When they
finished, there were yellow gold-grains on the bottom of the pan.
Walt saw that Loren Hall had struck it rich. But his claim was not
yet recorded. And the men going to take it.
Walt waited until the men began to place new stakes over
60 Loren Hall’s old ones. Then he ran for the men’s camp. The boy
knew it was impossible to go seventy miles to Dawson without
dogs and a sled. But his father had taken theirs.
In the camp, he picked out a sled and harnessed the men’s
dogs. There were three teams of six dogs. D Walt chose ten of
the best. By the time everything was ready, the men were only a

34 The King of Mazy May

 E READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
What does Walt’s plan here
tell us about what kind of
person he is?

F READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
What is all this saying about
© Colin Hawkins/Getty Images
Walt’s trip?

hundred yards away. They called out to him. But Walt grabbed a
G HERE’S HOW
fur sleeping robe and jumped onto the sled. “Mush!” he cried to
Reading Focus
the animals, snapping the whip. E
Here I can visualize Walt
The dogs pulled against the straps, and the sled jerked on the sled at night. He
is wrapped in a fur robe
70 suddenly. It leaned toward the creek on one runner. Walt could because of the cold.
hear the cries of the men chasing him. He did not want to think
what would happen if they caught him.
Suddenly, one man leaped over a snowbank toward the sled.
With the quickness of a cat, he grabbed the end of the sled with
one hand. Walt cracked him across the knuckles with the end of
the dog-whip until he let go.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

It was eight miles along the ice of the Mazy May from Walt’s
claim to the Yukon River. The creek wound back and forth like a
snake. Because it was so crooked, the dogs could not reach their
80 top speed.
Two men had harnessed their remaining dogs and chased
Walt. The others cut across land on foot.
“Halt!” they cried. “Stop, or we’ll shoot!”
Walt dashed around a bend with bullets singing after him.
At the next bend they were even closer, and so were the bullets.
But then the Mazy May ran straight for half a mile. Here the dogs
raced ahead of the tired men. They slowed down and waited for
their sled. F
Walt knew that the men would soon be after him again. He
90 wrapped the fur robe about him to shut out the freezing air. He
lay flat on the empty sled and let the dogs run. G

The King of Mazy May 35

 At last Walt reached the mighty Yukon River. The only
A HERE’S HOW sounds were the breathing of the dogs, and the scrape of the
Literary Focus sled’s steel runners.
I really feel the cold as I read. No snow had fallen for several weeks. The main river trail
When I read that Walt runs
to keep warm, I understand was smooth and hard. The sled flew along, and the dogs kept on
more about the author’s the trail. But without straps to steer them, he had to guide the
characterization of Walt. The
author is showing the reader dogs by his voice. The dogs ran so fast that they nearly tipped the
that Walt just will not quit.
sled. There was no wind. But at forty degrees below zero, Walt
100 felt the cold night air even through the blankets. He knew that he
B HERE’S HOW
would freeze to death if he stayed on the sled. So, whenever he
Language Coach
felt chilled he jumped off and ran until he was warm. A
The author says the lead
dog is poor. That word has Night fell, and in the blackness, Walt had problems with his
multiple or more than one,
dogs. The lead dog was poor. B And the sled constantly went off
meanings. One meaning
of poor is “not having the track into the soft snow. Walt was afraid the men would catch
money.” Another meaning
is “not good in quality.” up to him. He could hear them yelling to their dogs. However, he
The second definition makes could tell that they were still some distance away.
more sense here.
When the moon rose, the land office was fifty miles away.

C
Walt looked back and saw his enemies were within four hundred
YOUR TURN
110 yards. No matter how hard they tried, they could not get closer.
Reading Focus
Does the author do a But he could not get farther away.
good job of showing the He had reached Rosebud Creek when he heard a bullet
reader the action? Can you

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

visualize what is going on hit the ice beside him. The sound of the gun told him that they
here? Explain your answer. were shooting with a rifle. He stretched flat on the bouncing sled
to avoid the bullets. After several hours, the men’s ammunition
was almost gone. By then, Walt was pulling ahead. The distance
increased to six hundred yards. But then, at an ice jam, a bul-
let sang past Walt’s ears. It struck the lead dog. The poor animal
dropped. The rest of the dogs fell on top of him.
120 In a flash, Walt cut the leather harness with his knife. He
dragged the dying animal to one side and straightened out the
other dogs. C
Walt saw the other sled coming like a speeding train. He
cried, “Mush on!” He jumped on the sled just as the men reached
him. Suddenly Walt turned fiercely upon them with his whip.
The men covered their faces with their hands. But that
meant they could not shoot. Before they could recover, Walt

36 The King of Mazy May

 D READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
How does the author end
the story? Follow-up: Why is
Walt now called the “King of
Mazy May?”

© Karen Su/Corbis
grabbed their lead dog by its legs. He flipped the dog, and the
whole team became tangled.
130 Away Walt flew, the runners of his sled screaming over the
frozen surface. And what had seemed like an accident proved to
be good luck. The new lead dog was better. He barked with joy as
he pulled the team along behind him.
By the time he was seventeen miles from the land office,
Walt had left the men far behind. Soon he could no longer see
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

them. Then, just as daylight arrived, he came upon the camp of

Loren Hall.
Loren quickly rolled up his sleeping furs and joined Walt on
the sled. Just as they pulled up at the land office in the town of
140 Dawson, Walt fell asleep.
Hall filed his claim. And the claim jumpers were never seen
again.
Because of what Walt Masters did, the men of the Yukon
now call him the King of Mazy May. D

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. In what ways does the author, Jack London, show the sus-
pense and excitement of this outdoor tale?
2. What details does the author give about Walt’s character?
How would you describe Walt as a person?

The King of Mazy May 37

Skills Practice

The King of Mazy May

USE A WORD WEB
One way to help you better understand a story and its characters is to make a
word web. Word webs have an idea in the center circle. The outer circles can be
filled with details to support that idea.

DIRECTIONS: Re-read the first four paragraphs of the story. What important details
do you learn about Walt’s character? List some of them in the circles below.

Characterization of Walt

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

38 The King of Mazy May

 Applying Your Skills

The King of Mazy May

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: CHARACTERIZATION AND EXTERNAL CONFLICT
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions.
1. The setting of the story is the Klondike area of the Yukon Territory. Few people have
ever been to an area that cold. How does the author use an external conflict with
nature to make the story more exciting?

2. How might the story be different if it were set in the desert?

READING SKILLS FOCUS: VISUALIZING

Review the words and sentences from the story that the author uses to describe Walt.
How did these words help you visualize, or picture, Walt?

DIRECTIONS: In the space below, draw a sketch of what you think Walt looks like.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. I bought a comfortable pair of yesterday.

moccasins 2. The road was made of and was rough

to ride over.
claim
gravel
harnessed

The King of Mazy May 39

Preparing to Read

Blanca Flor
By Angel Vigil
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: CHARACTERIZATION
The way writers show characters’ qualities is called characterization. The
characters’ appearance, speech, actions, thoughts, and feelings are all part
of characterization. So are the ways other characters respond to them. For
example, the wolf in the story of Little Red Riding Hood is characterized as
evil. He is ugly, plays tricks on Little Red Riding Hood, and even tries to eat her.

In plays, dialogue—conversation between characters—tells us about the

characters’ thoughts and feelings. Stage directions—notes in parentheses
or brackets that aren’t read aloud in a performance—provide more
information about characters’ actions and reactions. In Blanca Flor, a
narrator also tells us about the characters and events. The narrator speaks
but is not a character in the story. However they are shown, characters’
qualities can be an important part of a play’s or story’s plot.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: VISUALIZING

When you read a play, you have to visualize, or picture in your mind, what
is happening. The dialogue, stage directions, and narrator’s part can all help
you imagine what the play might look like on stage. As you read Blanca

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Flor, pay attention to where the characters are and what they are doing.

VOCABULARY
Practice using these words in complete sentences.
valiant (VAL YUHNT) adj.: determined; brave.
barren (BAR UHN) adj.: not producing crops or fruit.
flourish (FLUR IHSH) n.: sweeping movement.
apprehensively (AP RIH HEHN SIHV LEE) adv.: fearfully; uneasily.

INTO THE PLAY

Angel Vigil based his play Blanca Flor on a European tale and Hispanic
folktales. Folktales are part of most cultures around the world. The stories
are passed down through generations, both by word of mouth and in
writing. Fairy tales, legends, fables, and myths are all considered types
of folktales.

40 Blanca Flor
 Blanca Flor
By Angel Vigil

Characters
(in order of appearance) A HERE’S HOW
The Narrator Reading Focus
Juanito, a young man These short descriptions
at the beginning of the
The Duende, a gnome-like, mischievous creature who lives in play help me visualize the
the forest characters. For example,
it says the Duende is
Blanca Flor, a young woman mischievous, or naughty, and
like a gnome. I picture him as
Don1 Ricardo, an evil man
very short with a twinkle in
Don Ramon, the father of Juanito his eye. I picture Don Ricardo
as very ugly, because I think
Doña2 Arlette, the mother of Juanito his evil character would show
Two Doves, actors in costume A on his face.

B HERE’S HOW
SCENE 1.
Literary Focus
In the forest. I think that the narrator gives
me important information
The Narrator. Blanca Flor, “White Flower.” There never was a
for characterizing Juanito in
story with such a beautiful name as this story of Blanca Flor. lines 1–8. I have underlined
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the part that I think is most

At the beginning of our story, a young man named Juanito has important.
left home to seek his fortune in the world. With the blessing of
his parents to aid and protect him, he has begun what will be a C HERE’S HOW
fantastic adventure. At the beginning of his journey, he wanders Language Coach
into a forest and stops by a stream to rest and eat some of the I have seen the word tortilla
before. It sounds like a
tortillas his mother had packed for his journey. B Spanish word, but I am not
[juanito enters and walks around the stage as if looking for a sure what it means. Juanito
plans to eat his tortillas. That
10 comfortable place to rest. He finally decides upon a spot and sits must mean they are a kind
down. He takes out a tortilla from his traveling bag and he begins of food. I checked in the
dictionary, and I was right!
to talk to himself.] C A tortilla is a flat Mexican
bread made from flour or
Juanito. Whew! I’m hot. This river looks like a good spot to rest cornmeal.
for a while. I’m so tired. Maybe this journey wasn’t such a good

1. Don (DOHN): Spanish for “Sir” or “Mr.”

2. Doña (DOH nyah): Spanish for “Lady” or “Madam.”

Adapted from “Blanca Flor/White Flower” from ¡Teatro! Hispanic Plays for Young People by
Angel Vigil. Copyright © 1996 by Teacher Ideas Press. Reproduced by permission of Greenwood
Publishing Group, Inc. Westport, CT. Blanca Flor 41
 idea. Right now I could be home with la familia eating a good
A YOUR TURN supper that mamacita cooked for us. A But no, I’m out in the
Language Coach world seeking my fortune. So far I haven’t found very much,
English has many similarities and all I have to show for my efforts are two worn-out feet and
to Latin-based languages,
such as Spanish. What a tired body . . . oh, and don’t forget (holding up a dried tortilla)
English word is similar to the 20 a dried-out tortilla . . . (He quickly looks around as if startled.)
Spanish word familia?
What was that? (He listens intently and hears a sound again.)
There it is again. I know I heard something . . .
[As juanito is talking, the duende enters, sneaking up behind
B HERE’S HOW
him.]
Literary Focus Juanito. Must be my imagination. I’ve been out in the woods
I think the author uses these
stage directions to help too long. You know, if you’re alone too long, your mind starts to
characterize the Duende. play tricks on you. Just look at me. I’m talking to my tortilla and
When I read the stage
directions, I can see that hearing things . . .
the Duende has a crackly
voice and twinkling eyes.
The Duende (in a crackly voice). Hello.
Those qualities make him 30 Juanito. Yikes! Who said that! (He turns around quickly and is
seem magical and playful.
I will keep reading the stage startled to see the duende behind him.) Who are you?
directions to get more clues The Duende (with a mischievous twinkle in his eye). Hello. B
about the Duende and the
other characters. Juanito. Hello . . . who, who are you? And where did you
come from?
C READ AND DISCUSS [the duende grabs the tortilla out of juanito’s hand and begins

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Comprehension to eat it. During the rest of the scene the duende continues to eat
Why do you think the author tortillas.]
has Juanito talk to the
audience here? Juanito. Hey, that’s my tortilla.
The Duende (in a playful manner). Thank you very much.
40 Thank you very much.
Juanito (to the audience). He must be a forest Duende. I’ve heard
of them. They’re spirits who live in the wood and play tricks on
humans. I better go along with him or he might hurt me. (He
offers the duende another tortilla. the duende takes the tortilla
and begins to eat it, too.) I hope he’s not too hungry. If he eats all
my tortillas, I won’t have any left, and it’ll be days before I get
food again. I’ll have to eat wild berries like an animal. (He reaches
for the tortilla and the duende hits his hand.) Ouch, that hurt!
The Duende. Looking for work, eh?
50 Juanito. Now I know he’s a Duende. He can read minds. C

42 Blanca Flor
 D YOUR TURN

Literary Focus
Based on the dialogue
between the Duende and
Juanito in lines 51–55, how
would you characterize
Juanito?

E YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
What can you visualize
about the setting of this part
of the play based on the
stage direction given?

The Duende. No work here. Lost in the forest. No work here.

Juanito. I know that. We’re in the middle of the forest. But
I know there’ll be work in the next town.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The Duende. Maybe work right here. Maybe.

Juanito. Really. Where? D
[the duende points to a path in the forest. juanito stands up
and looks down the path.] E
Juanito. There’s nothing down that path. I’ve been down that
path and there is nothing there.
60 The Duende. Look again. Look again. Be careful. Be careful. (He
begins to walk off, carrying the bag of tortillas with him.)
Juanito. Hey, don’t leave yet. What type of work? And where?
Who do I see? Hey, don’t leave yet!
The Duende (the duende stops and turns). Be careful. Danger.
Danger. (He exits.)
Juanito. Hey! That’s my bag of tortillas. Oh, this is great. This is
really going to sound good when I get back home. My tortillas?
. . . Oh, they were stolen by a forest Duende. Not to worry . . .

Blanca Flor 43
 (He yells in the direction of the departed duende.) And I’m not
A READ AND DISCUSS 70 lost! . . . This is great. Lost and hungry and no work. I guess I’m
Comprehension never going to find my fortune in the world. But what did he
What do we know about mean about work . . . and be careful . . . and danger. I’ve been
Juanito and the Duende
so far? down that path and there was nothing there . . . I don’t think
there was anything there. Oh well, there is only one way to find
B HERE’S HOW out. It certainly can’t get much worse than things are now, and
Literary Focus maybe there is work there.
In lines 79–81, the narrator [juanito exits, in the direction of the path the duende
is speaking. I know that the
narrator can give important
indicated.] A
information to help give
characterization. It looks IN OTHER WORDS Juanito is a young man who has begun
like the narrator is giving us
important information that a journey in search of work and adventure. He stops in a
helps explain the action of
the play. After reading this forest to eat, and there he meets a magical creature called
speech, I know that Juanito a forest Duende. The Duende suggests that Juanito can find
follows the path and meets a
young woman. work if he follows a certain path in the forest. However, the
Duende warns that following that path will be dangerous.
The Duende leaves, taking with him all of Juanito’s food.
The young man decides to follow the path and see what will
happen.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

SCENE 2.
Farther in the forest.
The Narrator. In spite of the Duende’s warning, Juanito
80 continued on the path of danger. As he came into a clearing, he
came to a house and saw a young woman coming out of it. B
[juanito enters, blanca flor enters from the opposite side of the
stage and stops, remaining at the opposite side of the stage.]
Juanito. Where did this house come from? I was here just
yesterday and there was no house here. I must really be lost and
turned around. (He sees the young woman and waves to her.)
Hey! Come here. Over here!
[blanca flor runs to juanito.]
Blanca Flor (with fear in her voice). How did you find this
90 place? You must leave right away. The owner of this place is

44 Blanca Flor
 gone, but he will return soon. He leaves to do his work in the
world, but he will return unexpectedly. If he finds you here, C YOUR TURN
you’ll never be able to leave. You must leave right away. Reading Focus
Juanito. Why? I haven’t done anything. Based on this stage direction,
how do you visualize Don
Blanca Flor. Please, just leave. And hurry! Ricardo?
Juanito. Who are you? And why are you here?
Blanca Flor. I am Blanca Flor. My parents died long ago, and
I am kept by this man to pay off their debts to him. I have to
work day and night on his farm until I can be free. But he is
100 mean, and he has kept prisoner others who have tried to free
me. He makes them work until they die from exhaustion.
Juanito. Who would be so mean?
Blanca Flor. His name is Don Ricardo.
[don ricardo enters, suddenly and with great force.] C
Don Ricardo (addressing juanito). Why are you here! Didn’t
she tell you to leave!
Blanca Flor (scared). Don’t hurt him. He is lost in the forest and
got here by mistake. He was just leaving.
Don Ricardo. Let him answer for himself. Then I will decide
110 what to do with him.
Juanito (gathering all his courage). Yes, she did tell me to leave.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

But . . . but I am in the world seeking my fortune and I am

looking for work. Is there any work for me to do here?
Don Ricardo. Seeking your fortune! They always say that, don’t
they, Blanca Flor. Well, I will give you the same chance I have
given others. For each of three days, I will give you a job. If in
three days you have completed the jobs, then you may leave. If
not, then you will work here with me until you are dead. What
do you say, fortune-seeker?
120 Blanca Flor (pulling juanito aside). Do not say yes. You will
never leave here alive. Run and try to escape.
Juanito. But what about you? You are more trapped than
anybody.
Blanca Flor. That is not your worry. Just run and try to escape.
Juanito (suddenly turning back to don ricardo). I will do the
work you ask.

Blanca Flor 45
 Don Ricardo (laughing). Blanca Flor, it is always your fault they
A HERE’S HOW stay. They all think they will be able to set you free. Well, let’s
Literary Focus give this one his “fair” chance. (To juanito) Here is your first
I think the dialogue between 130 job. See that lake over there? Take this thimble (he gives a
Juanito, Blanca Flor, and
Don Ricardo can help me thimble to juanito) and use it to carry all the water in the lake
characterize and understand to that field over there.
them. Don Ricardo seems
mean. He makes fun of Juanito. You want me to move a lake with a thimble?!
Juanito and asks him to do Don Ricardo. You wanted work, fortune-seeker. Well, this is
an impossible task. Blanca
Flor seems nice. She tries your job. Have it finished by morning or your fate will be the
to save Juanito from Don
Ricardo by telling him to
same as all the others who tried to save poor Blanca Flor.
leave. I think Juanito is noble (He exits.) A
because he says he wants
to help Blanca Flor, even Juanito. What type of man is he? I have heard legends of evil
though he might have to put men who keep people captive, and in my travels I heard many
himself in danger.
140 stories of young men seeking their fortunes who were never seen
B READ AND DISCUSS
again, but I always thought they were just stories.
Blanca Flor. You have had the misfortune to get lost in a terrible
Comprehension
What is going on with part of the forest. Didn’t anyone warn you to stay away from
Juanito now? here?
Juanito. Yes . . . one person did. But I thought he was a forest
Duende, and I didn’t really believe him.
Blanca Flor. It was a forest Duende. In this part of the forest

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

there are many creatures with magic. But my keeper, his magic is
stronger than any of ours.
150 Juanito. Ours? . . . What do you mean, ours? Are you part of the
magic of this forest?
Blanca Flor. Do not ask so many questions. The day is passing
by, and soon it will be morning.
Juanito. Morning. I’m supposed to have moved the lake by then.
I know this job is impossible, but while God is in his heaven
there is a way. I will do this job. And when I am done, I will help
you escape from here. B
[juanito and blanca flor exit.]

IN OTHER WORDS Juanito arrives at a house where he

meets Blanca Flor, a beautiful young woman. She tells him
that an evil man named Don Ricardo is keeping her trapped.

46 Blanca Flor
 She warns Juanito to leave, but just then Don Ricardo arrives.
Juanito wants to help Blanca Flor escape, so he agrees to do C HERE’S HOW
three jobs for Don Ricardo. If he succeeds, he will be free. Vocabulary
If not, he must stay and work for the evil man forever. The Juanito makes a valiant
effort to move the water.
first job is to move an entire lake with a tiny thimble—in I think Juanito is very
one night. brave and patient to try to
complete this task. A valiant
person probably has the
qualities of courage and
SCENE 3. determination.

The next morning.

juanito and blanca flor enter. As the narrator speaks,
160 juanito and blanca flor act out the scene as it is described.
The Narrator. Juanito took the thimble and started to carry the
water from the lake. He worked as hard as he could, but soon he
began to realize that the job really was an impossible one, and
he knew he was doomed. He sat down and began to cry because
his luck had abandoned him and because his parents’ blessings
offered no protection in that evil place. Blanca Flor watched
Juanito’s valiant effort to move the water. C As she watched
him crying, her heart was touched, and she decided to use her
powers to help him. She knew that it was very dangerous to use
170 her powers to help Juanito and to cross Don Ricardo, but she
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

felt it was finally time to end her own torment. As Juanito cried,
Blanca Flor took out her brush and began to brush his hair. She
cradled Juanito in her arms and her soothing comfort soon put
him to sleep . . .
[As soon as juanito is asleep, blanca flor gently puts his head
down and leaves, taking the thimble with her.]
The Narrator. When Juanito awoke, he frantically looked for the
thimble and, not finding it, ran to the lake. When he reached the
lake, he stood at its banks in amazement. All the water was gone.
180 He looked over to the other part of the field, and there stood
a lake where before there was nothing. He turned to look for
Blanca Flor, but instead there was Don Ricardo.
[don ricardo enters.]

Blanca Flor 47
 Don Ricardo (in full force and very angry). This must be
A YOUR TURN the work of Blanca Flor, or else you have more power than I
Vocabulary thought. I know Blanca Flor is too scared to ever use her
Barren ground is land where powers against me, so as a test of your powers, tomorrow your
no crops or fruit can be
grown. Write a sentence
next job will not be so easy. See that barren ground over on the
describing how a barren field side of the mountain? A You are to clear that ground, plant
might look.
190 seeds, grow wheat, harvest it, grind it, cook it, and have bread
for me to eat before I return. You still have your life now, but I
better have bread tomorrow. (He exits, with a flourish.) B
[juanito exits.]

IN OTHER WORDS Juanito tries to move the lake.

However, he realizes that the job is impossible. Blanca Flor
B YOUR TURN
is sorry for him. She comforts him and brushes his hair until
Vocabulary he falls asleep. Then she uses her magic powers to move the
The word flourish can be
used as a noun, meaning lake. In the morning, Don Ricardo is angry that Juanito has
a “sweeping movement.” succeeded. He gives the young man an even harder job: to
It can also be used as a
verb, meaning “make bold grow wheat and bake bread from it—all in one night.
gestures.” Which meaning of
flourish makes more sense in
line 192?
SCENE 4.
The next morning.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

As the narrator speaks, juanito and blanca flor enter and
act out the scene as it is described.
The Narrator. Immediately upon waking the next morning,
Juanito tried to move the rocks in the field, but they were
impossible to move because of their great size. Once again,
Juanito knew that his efforts were useless. He went over to the
200 new lake and fell down in exhaustion. As he lay in the grass by
the lake, Blanca Flor came to him once more and began to brush
his hair. Soon, Juanito was asleep.
[blanca flor exits.]
The Narrator. As before, when he awoke, Juanito dashed to
the field to make one last attempt to do his work. When he
got there, he again stopped in amazement. The field was clear
of rocks, and the land had been planted and harvested. As he
turned around, there stood Blanca Flor.
48 Blanca Flor
 [blanca flor enters.]
210 Blanca Flor (she hands a loaf of bread to juanito). Give this to C YOUR TURN
Don Ricardo. Literary Focus
Juanito. How did you do this? Circle the stage directions
in lines 210–218 that tell
[don ricardo enters, quickly.] how characters are feeling.
Don Ricardo. What do you have? How do these feelings help
characterize Juanito and
Juanito (shaking with fear). Just . . . just this loaf of bread. (Giving Don Ricardo?
the bread to don ricardo) Here is the bread you asked for.
Don Ricardo (very angry). This is the work of Blanca Flor. C
This will not happen again. Tomorrow, your third job will be
your final job, and even the powers of Blanca Flor will not help
220 you this time!
(He exits.)
Blanca Flor. Believe me, the third job will be impossible to do. It
will be too difficult even for my powers. We must run from here
if there is to be any chance of escaping his anger. He will kill you
because I have helped you. Tonight I will come for you. Be ready
to leave quickly as soon as I call for you. D
[juanito and blanca flor exit.] D READ AND DISCUSS

IN OTHER WORDS Comprehension

Once again, Blanca Flor helps Juanito
How did Juanito’s first two
do his task. But she warns that she will not be able to help him
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

tasks turn out?

again. Instead, they must run away together.

Blanca Flor 49
 SCENE 5.
A YOUR TURN Later that night.
Literary Focus On one side of the stage, juanito sits waiting. On the other side,
How does the dialogue blanca flor is in her room grabbing her traveling bag. As she
between Juanito and Blanca
Flor in lines 236–242 serve as 230 leaves her room, she turns and mimes spitting three times as the
characterization? narrator describes the action.
The Narrator. Late that night, as Juanito waited for her, Blanca
Flor packed her belongings into a bag. Before she left the house,
she went to the fireplace and spat three times into it.
[blanca flor joins juanito.]
Blanca Flor (quietly calling). Juanito . . . Juanito.
Juanito. Blanca Flor, is it time?
Blanca Flor. Yes. We must leave quickly, before he finds out I
am gone, or it will be too late.
240 Juanito. Won’t he know you are gone as soon as he calls for you?
Blanca Flor. Not right away. I’ve used my powers to fool him.
But it won’t last long. Let’s go! A
[juanito and blanca flor exit.]
The Narrator. When Don Ricardo heard the noise of Juanito
and Blanca Flor leaving, he called out . . .
Don Ricardo (from offstage). Blanca Flor, are you there?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The Narrator. The spit she had left in the fireplace answered.
Blanca Flor (from offstage). Yes, I am here.
The Narrator. Later, Don Ricardo called out again.
250 Don Ricardo (from offstage). Blanca Flor, are you there?
The Narrator. For a second time, the spit she had left in the
fireplace answered.
Blanca Flor (from offstage). Yes, I am here.
The Narrator. Still later, Don Ricardo called out again, a
third time.
Don Ricardo (from offstage). Blanca Flor, are you there?
The Narrator. By this time, the fire had evaporated Blanca Flor’s
spit, and there was no answer. Don Ricardo knew that Blanca
Flor was gone, and that she had run away with Juanito. He

50 Blanca Flor
 260 saddled his horse and galloped up the path to catch them before
they escaped from his land. B B READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
IN OTHER WORDS Blanca Flor and Juanito run away What is this part about?
from the house. Blanca Flor uses her magic powers to trick Follow-up: Why does Blanca
Flor spit in the fire?
Don Ricardo and give them more time to get away. Soon,
however, Don Ricardo realizes they are gone and sets out to
chase them.

SCENE 6.
In the forest.
juanito and blanca flor enter, running and out of breath.
Juanito. Blanca Flor, we can rest now. We are free.
Blanca Flor. No, Juanito, we will not be free until we are beyond
the borders of Don Ricardo’s land. As long as we are on his land,
his powers will work on us.
Juanito. How much farther?
Blanca Flor. Remember the river where you met the Duende?
That river is the border. Across it we are free.
270 Juanito. That river is still really far. Let’s rest here for a while.
Blanca Flor. No, he is already after us. We must keep going. I
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

can hear the hooves of his horse.

Juanito (he looks around desperately). Where? How can that be?
Blanca Flor. He is really close. Juanito, come stand by me.
Quickly!
Juanito (still looking around). I don’t hear anything.
Blanca Flor (grabbing him and pulling him to her). Juanito!
Now!
[As the narrator describes the action, juanito and blanca
280 flor act out the scene. blanca flor does not actually throw a
brush. She mimes throwing the brush and the action.]
The Narrator. Blanca Flor looked behind them and saw that
Don Ricardo was getting closer. She reached into her bag, took
her brush, and threw it behind her. The brush turned into a
church by the side of the road. She then cast a spell on Juanito

Blanca Flor 51
 and turned him into a little old bell ringer. She turned herself
A HERE’S HOW into a statue outside the church. A
Reading Focus [don ricardo enters, as if riding a horse.]
In lines 282–287, I can Don Ricardo (addressing the bell ringer [juanito]). Bell ringer,
visualize the action of the
play based on what the
290 have you seen two young people come this way recently? They
narrator is describing. would have been in a great hurry and out of breath.
Juanito (in an old man’s voice). No . . . I don’t think so. But
B READ AND DISCUSS maybe last week, two young boys came by. They stopped to pray
Comprehension in the church . . . Or was it two girls. I don’t know. I am just an
What did you just find out,
old bell ringer. Not many people actually come by this way at all.
and what does this say about
Blanca Flor? You’re the first in a long time.
Don Ricardo. Bell ringer, if you are lying to me you will be
sorry. (He goes over to the statue [blanca flor], who is standing
very still, as a statue. He examines the statue very closely and then
300 addresses the bell ringer [juanito].) Bell ringer, what saint is this
a statue of? The face looks very familiar.
Juanito. I am an old bell ringer. I don’t remember the names of
all the saints. But I do know that the statue is very old and has
been here a long time. Maybe Saint Theresa or Saint Bernadette.
Don Ricardo. Bell ringer, if you are lying, I will be back!
(He exits.)

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Juanito. Adiós, Señor!
[blanca flor breaks her pose as a statue and goes to juanito.]
Blanca Flor. Juanito, Juanito. The spell is over.
310 Juanito. What happened? I did hear the angry hooves of a horse
being ridden hard.
Blanca Flor. We are safe for a while. But he will not give up, and
we are not free yet. B
[juanito and blanca flor exit.]

IN OTHER WORDS Blanca Flor tells Juanito that they will

not be safe until they leave Don Ricardo’s lands. But Don
Ricardo is catching up. Blanca Flor uses her magic powers to
disguise herself as a statue and Juanito as an old bell ringer at
a little church. When Don Ricardo is gone, Blanca Flor undoes
the spell. She and Juanito continue running away.

52 Blanca Flor
 C YOUR TURN

Literary Focus
Based on the dialogue in
lines 319–324, how do you
think Juanito and Blanca
Flor are feeling now? How
do these feelings help
characterize these two
characters?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

SCENE 7.
Farther into the forest.
The Narrator. Blanca Flor and Juanito desperately continued
their escape. As they finally stopped for a rest, they had their
closest call yet.
[blanca flor and juanito enter.]
Juanito. Blanca Flor, please, let’s rest just for a minute.
320 Blanca Flor. OK. We can rest here. I have not heard the hooves
of his horse for a while now.
Juanito. What will he do if he catches us?
Blanca Flor. He will take us back. I will be watched more closely
than ever, and you will— C

Blanca Flor 53
 Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Juanito (sadly). I know. Was there ever a time when you were
free? Do you even remember your parents?
A YOUR TURN
Blanca Flor. Yes. I have the most beautiful memories of my
Literary Focus
mother, our house, and our animals. Every day, my father would
With a partner, read the
dialogue between Blanca saddle the horses and together we would—
Flor and Juanito out loud.
Think about characterization 330 Juanito. Blanca Flor . . . I hear something.
and your character’s qualities Blanca Flor (alarmed). He’s close. Very close. A
and feelings. Try to make the
tone of your voice reflect [As the narrator describes the action, juanito and blanca
your character’s changing
flor act out the scene. blanca flor does not actually throw a
feelings, as well as the
character’s qualities overall. comb. She mimes throwing the comb and the action.]
The Narrator. Blanca Flor quickly opened her bag and threw
her comb behind her. Immediately the comb turned into a field
of corn. This time she turned Juanito into a scarecrow, and she
turned herself into a stalk of corn beside him.

54 Blanca Flor
 [don ricardo enters, as if riding a horse.]
340 Don Ricardo. Where did they go? I still think that the bell B HERE’S HOW
ringer knew more than he was saying. They were just here. I Vocabulary
could hear their scared little voices. Juanito will pay for this, and Blanca Flor looks around
apprehensively. I know that
Blanca Flor will never have the chance to escape again . . . Now Don Ricardo has just been
where did they go? Perhaps they are in this field of corn. It is there looking for her and
Juanito. Blanca Flor must be
strange to see a stalk of corn grow so close to a scarecrow. But feeling nervous and afraid
this is a day for strange things. (He exits.) when she checks to see if
Don Ricardo is gone. So if
Blanca Flor. Juanito, it is over again. Let’s go. The river is not someone acts apprehensively,
he or she probably is acting
far. We are almost free.
nervously or fearfully.
[juanito breaks his pose as a scarecrow and stretches and rubs his
350 legs as blanca flor looks around apprehensively.] B
Juanito. Blanca Flor, that was close. We have to hurry now. The
river is just through these trees. We can make it now for sure if
we hurry.
The Narrator. But they spoke too soon. Don Ricardo had gotten
suspicious about the field of corn and returned to it. When he
saw Juanito and Blanca Flor he raced to catch them.
[don ricardo enters suddenly and sees them.]
Don Ricardo. There you are. I knew something was wrong with
that field of corn. Now you are mine.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

360 [As the narrator describes the action, juanito and blanca
flor act out the scene. blanca flor does not actually throw a
mirror. She mimes throwing the mirror and the action.]
The Narrator. When Blanca Flor saw Don Ricardo, she reached
into her bag and took out a mirror, the final object in the bag.
She threw the mirror into the middle of the road. Instantly, the
mirror became a large lake, its waters so smooth and still that
it looked like a mirror as it reflected the sky and clouds. When
Don Ricardo got to the lake, all he saw was two ducks, a male
and a female, swimming peacefully in the middle of the lake.
370 Suddenly, the ducks lifted off the lake and flew away. As they
flew away, Don Ricardo knew that the ducks were Juanito and
Blanca Flor, and that they were beyond his grasp. As they
disappeared, he shouted one last curse.

Blanca Flor 55
 [juanito and blanca flor exit.]
A READ AND DISCUSS Don Ricardo. You may have escaped, Blanca Flor, but you will
Comprehension never have his love. I place a curse on both of you. The first
How is the escape going now? person to embrace him will cause him to forget you forever!
Follow-up: How does Don
Ricardo respond?
(He exits.) A

IN OTHER WORDS Once again, Blanca Flor uses her magic

to disguise herself and Juanito. But Don Ricardo becomes
suspicious. When Blanca Flor breaks the spell, he is waiting
for the two runaways. Blanca Flor casts one more spell. She
and Juanito become ducks, and they fly away. As they fly
away, Don Ricardo curses them. He says that Juanito will hug
someone else and completely forget Blanca Flor.

SCENE 8.
Near Juanito’s home.
blanca flor and juanito enter.
380 The Narrator. Disguised as ducks, Blanca Flor and Juanito flew
safely away from that evil land and escaped from Don Ricardo.
They finally arrived at Juanito’s home, and using Blanca Flor’s
magical powers, they returned to their human selves.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Juanito. Blanca Flor, we are close to my home. Soon we will be
finally safe forever. I will introduce you to my family, and we
will begin our new life together . . . Blanca Flor, why do you look
so sad? We have escaped the evil Don Ricardo, and soon we will
be happy forever.
Blanca Flor. We have not escaped. His final curse will forever be
390 over us.
Juanito. Remember, that curse will work only in his own land.
You yourself told me that once we were beyond the borders of
his land, his powers would have no hold on us.
Blanca Flor. His powers are very great, Juanito.
Juanito. Blanca Flor, you have never explained to me the source
of your own powers. Are your powers also gone?

56 Blanca Flor
 Blanca Flor. The powers have always been in the women of my
family. That is why Don Ricardo would not let me leave. He was B YOUR TURN
afraid that I would use my powers against him. I have never Reading Focus
400 been away from that land, so I do not know about my powers in Blanca Flor and Juanito have
just left Don Ricardo’s lands
this new land. and arrived in Juanito’s home
Juanito. You will have no need for your powers here. Soon we country. Visualize what both
places look like. How are
will be with my family. B Wait outside while I go and tell my they different?
family that I have returned from seeking my fortune, safe at last.
Then I will tell them that the fortune I found was you.
Blanca Flor. Juanito, remember the curse.
Juanito. I am not afraid of any curse. Not with you here with
me. All my dreams have come true. Come, let’s go meet my
family.
410 [juanito and blanca flor exit.]

IN OTHER WORDS Blanca Flor and Juanito arrive at his

family’s home. They discuss Blanca Flor’s magic powers, and
Don Ricardo’s powers. Blanca Flor is afraid of Don Ricardo’s
last curse, but Juanito is not worried.

SCENE 9.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

At Juanito’s home.
don ramon and doña arlette are sitting at home passing the
time with idle talk.
The Narrator. Juanito’s parents had waited patiently for their
son to return from seeking his fortune in the world. They did
not know that his return home was only the beginning of
another chapter of his great adventure.
Doña Arlette. Do you ever think we will hear from Juanito? It
has been months since he left to seek his fortune in the world.
Don Ramon. We will hear word soon. I remember when I left
420 home to seek my fortune in the world. Eventually, I found that
the best thing to do was return home and make my fortune right
here, with my familia at my side. Soon he will discover the same
thing and you will have your son back.

Blanca Flor 57
 Doña Arlette. It is easier for a father to know those things. A
A YOUR TURN mother will never stop worrying about her children.
Literary Focus Don Ramon. I worry about the children just as much as you do.
How does the author But there is no stopping children who want to grow up. He has
characterize Juanito’s
parents in lines 417–429?
our blessing and permission to go, and that will be what brings
him back safe to us. Soon. You just wait. A
430 [juanito enters. His parents are overjoyed to see him.]
Juanito. Mama! Papa! I am home.
Doña Arlette. ¡Mi ’jito!3
Don Ramon. Juanito!
[Overjoyed with seeing juanito, his parents rush and embrace
him.]
Doña Arlette. God has answered my prayers. Mi ’jito has
B HERE’S HOW
returned home safe. B
Language Coach
Don Ramon. Juanito, come sit close to us and tell us all about
Juanito’s mother refers
to him using the Spanish your adventures in the world. What great adventures did you
expression mi ‘jito. This
reminds me that this story
440 have?
is set in Latin America. Juanito. I had the greatest adventures. For the longest time I was
Even though the play is in
English, the characters would unlucky and unable to find work but finally I . . . I . . .
probably speak Spanish. Doña Arlette. What is it? Are you OK? Do you need some food?
Juanito. No, I’m OK. It’s just that I was going to say something

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

and I forgot what I was going to say.
Don Ramon. Don’t worry. If it is truly important, it’ll come
back.
Juanito. No, I’ve definitely forgotten what I was going to say. Oh
well, it probably wasn’t important anyway.
450 Doña Arlette. Did you meet someone special? Did you bring a
young woman back for us to meet?
Juanito. No, I didn’t have those kind of adventures. Pretty much
nothing happened, and then I finally decided that it was just
best to come home.
Don Ramon (to doña arlette). See what I told you? That is
exactly what I said would happen.

3. Mi `jito (MEE HEE TOH): Contraction of mi hijito, Spanish for “my little
son.”

58 Blanca Flor
 Doña Arlette. Now that you are home, it is time to settle down
and start your own family. You know our neighbor Don Emilio C READ AND DISCUSS
has a younger daughter who would make a very good wife. Comprehension
460 Perhaps we should go visit her family this Sunday. What does this conversation
show us about Don Ricardo’s
Juanito. You know, that would probably be a good idea. I must curse?
admit that I was hoping I would find love on my adventures, but
I have come home with no memories of love at all. Perhaps it is D HERE’S HOW
best to make my fortune right here, close to home. Literary Focus
Don Ramon (to doña arlette). See? That is exactly what I It would take a long time to
act out everything in lines
said would happen. C 468–480. It makes a lot more
[All exit.] sense to have the narrator
sum up what happens to
Blanca Flor. I notice that the
IN OTHER WORDS Juanito greets his parents. They are narrator also adds details that
help characterize Blanca Flor.
very happy to see him and give him a hug. At once, Don The narrator tells us that she
Ricardo’s curse takes action. The young man forgets Blanca is brokenhearted, but also
that she is a good person, and
Flor and all his adventures with her. that she continues to practice
her magic.

SCENE 10.
Months later at Juanito’s home.
The Narrator. Blanca Flor had seen the embrace and knew that
the evil curse had been fulfilled. Brokenhearted, she traveled to
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

470 a nearby village and lived there in hopes that one day the curse
could be broken. The people of the village soon got to know
Blanca Flor and came to respect her for the good person she
was. One day, Blanca Flor heard news that a celebration was
being held in honor of Juanito’s return home. She immediately
knew that this might be her one chance to break the curse. From
the times when she had brushed Juanito’s hair, she had kept a
lock of his hair. She took one strand of his hair and made it into
a dove. She then took one strand of her own hair and turned it
into another dove. She took these two doves to Juanito’s
480 celebration as a present. D
[juanito and don ramon are sitting talking.]
Don Ramon. Juanito, what was the most fantastic thing that
happened on your adventures?

Blanca Flor 59
 Juanito. Really, Father, nothing much at all happened.
A YOUR TURN Sometimes I begin to have a memory of something, but it never
Reading Focus becomes really clear. At night I have these dreams, but when I
How do the stage directions awake in the morning I cannot remember them. It must be some
in lines 501–502 help you
visualize what the play
dream I keep trying to remember . . . or forget.
would look like on stage? Don Ramon. I remember when I went into the world to seek
490 my fortune. I was a young man like you . . .
[doña arlette enters.]
Doña Arlette. Juanito, there’s a young woman here with a
present for you.
Juanito. Who is it?
Doña Arlette. I don’t really know her. She is the new young
woman who just recently came to the village. The women of the
church say she is constantly doing good works for the church
and that she is a very good person. She has brought you a pres-
ent to help celebrate your coming home safe.
500 Juanito. Sure. Let her come in.
[blanca flor enters with the two doves. The doves are actors
in costume.] A
Blanca Flor (speaking to juanito). Thank you for giving me the
honor of presenting these doves as gifts to you.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Juanito. No. No. The honor is mine. Thank you. They are very
beautiful.
Blanca Flor. They are special doves. They are singing doves.
Doña Arlette. I have never heard of singing doves before.
Where did you get them?
510 Blanca Flor. They came from a special place. A place where all
things have a magic power. There are no other doves like these
in the world.
Don Ramon. Juanito, what a gift! Let’s hear them sing!
Doña Arlette. Yes, let’s hear them sing.
Blanca Flor (to juanito). May they sing to you?
Juanito. Yes, of course. Let’s hear their song.
[Everyone sits to listen to the doves’ song. As the doves begin to
chant, their words begin to have a powerful effect on juanito. His
memory of blanca flor returns to him.]

60 Blanca Flor
 520 Doves. Once there was a faraway land
A land of both good and evil powers. B YOUR TURN
A river flowed at the edge like a steady hand Language Coach
And it was guarded by a Duende for all the hours. Blanca Flor is a Spanish
name. What does Blanca Flor
Of all the beautiful things the land did hold mean in English?
The most beautiful with the purest power
Was a young maiden, true and bold
Named Blanca Flor, the White Flower. B
C READ AND DISCUSS
Juanito. I remember! The doves’ song has made me remember.
Comprehension
(Going to blanca flor) Blanca Flor, your love has broken the
How does Blanca Flor break
530 curse. Now I remember all that was struggling to come out. Don Ricardo’s spell?

Mama, Papa, here is Blanca Flor, the love I found when I was
seeking my fortune. C
[juanito and blanca flor embrace.]
Don Ramon. This is going to be a really good story!
[All exit, with juanito stopping to give blanca flor
a big hug.]

IN OTHER WORDS Blanca Flor sees that the curse has

worked, but she stays nearby in case she can undo it. One
day, she goes to a party for Juanito. She makes him a special
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

present: two magic doves made of his hair and her hair. The
doves sing to him about their adventures together. The curse
breaks. Juanito remembers everything and declares his love
for Blanca Flor.

Blanca Flor 61
 Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. Blanca Flor tells Juanito after meeting him “but my keeper,
his magic is stronger than any of ours.” But whose magic is
really stronger? What details in the text allow you to agree
or disagree with Blanca Flor’s statement?
2. Although this story is part of Hispanic culture, there are
similarities to other folktales you’ve heard or read. How
could this fit into the folktale genre?
3. If Blanca Flor had these magical powers, why didn’t she
escape from her captor before Juanito came to the forest?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

62 Blanca Flor
 Applying Your Skills

Blanca Flor
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: CHARACTERIZATION
DIRECTIONS: Think of a character from a fairy tale that you know. Write your own
stage directions and dialogue for a short scene that will help characterize that person.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: VISUALIZING

DIRECTIONS: Visualize one of the characters or scenes from “Blanca Flor.” Then draw
him or her in the box below.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

LdgY7dm VOCABULARY REVIEW

valiant DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Box.
barren 1. This desert is the most land I have ever seen.
flourish 2. She walked toward the haunted house slowly and .
apprehensively 3. Everyone called the knight who killed the dragon a
hero.
4. The actor gave a fancy bow and left the stage with a .

Blanca Flor 63
Preparing to Read

Olympic Glory:
Victories in History
Based on the article from The World Almanac
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST
Comparing and contrasting helps you see details of a selection more clearly.
When you compare, you point out what is the same. When you contrast,
you point out what is different. For example, read the following statements:
At Allison’s birthday party, we went to the beach.
At Travis’s birthday party, we went to a baseball game.
We can compare and contrast these statements. Here’s how:
Compare: Ask yourself–how are these two statements alike? Both have
to do with going to birthday parties.
Contrast: Ask yourself–how are these two statements different? Alison’s
birthday party was at the beach, but Travis’s birthday party was at a
baseball game.
The following article about the Olympic Games is written in a comparison-
contrast organizational pattern. As you read, you will learn how today’s
Olympic Games both compare and contrast to the ancient games.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY
champion (CHAMP EE UHN) n.: person who wins a sports event.
athletes (ATH LEETS) n.: people who take part in sports.
festival (FEHS TIH VUHL) n.: a fair, celebration, or party.
ceremony (SEHR UH MOH NEE) n.: a service or ritual.

INTO THE ARTICLE

Every four years, millions of people around the world watch the Olympic
Games. For two weeks, athletes compete in many different events. The
Reading athletes represent their countries proudly. Winning a medal—gold, silver,
Standard 2.2
Analyze text or bronze—is one of the greatest events in the life of an athlete. The
that uses the
compare- Olympics first began three thousand years ago, in the country that is
and-contrast today known as Greece. Some of the most important cities there were
organization
system. Athens, Sparta, and Olympia.

64 Olympic Glory: Victories in History

 Olympic Glory: Victories
in History
Based on the article from The World Almanac

In Greece in 1896, a shepherd named

Spyridon Louis ran a footrace from
A READ AND DISCUSS
Marathon to Athens. Louis became
Comprehension
the first marathon champion of the What point is the author
modern Olympics. He ran the race trying to make in the first
two paragraphs? Follow-
in borrowed shoes. In the Olympic up: What features of the
Games today, most athletes have Olympics always stay the
© Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY same?
no trouble finding running shoes.
Makers of athletic shoes give free shoes to Olympic athletes. B YOUR TURN
10 This helps brands become known to the public.
Reading Focus
However, today’s Olympic runners who win races still You can compare and
feel like Louis. Forty years after he won the marathon, he said, contrast in this section. The
first paragraph explains the
“That hour…appears in my memory like a dream. Everybody ancient Games. The second
paragraph explains the
was calling out my name and throwing their hats in the air.”
modern Games. What
Now, like then, crowds will gather. Flags will fly. Athletes will are some things about
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the ancient and modern

triumph. Some elements of the Games always stay the same. A Games that are the same?

Festival from Ancient Greece

The first Olympic Games were part of a Greek religious festival
honoring Zeus, the father of Greek gods and goddesses. Athletes
from the main cities in Greece took part. The ancient Olympic
What are some things that
20 Games were held in the city of Olympia. They took place every
are different?
four years from 776 b.c. through a.d. 393. That’s over one
thousand years!
The modern Olympics began in 1896. Today’s Olympics
are run by people from many nations, not just people from
cities in ancient Greece. And the games are held in different
cities around the world each time. B

Olympic Glory: Victories in History 65

A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
Here, the author asks, “What
has stayed the same in the
Olympic Games between
ancient times and today?” I
know that when I compare
two things, I am looking for © Pete Saloutos/Corbis
what is the same. Because of
this, I think that the section Games for All Seasons
will be about comparing the
ancient Games to the Games The ancient Games were held in summer. Today there are
of today. As I read the rest
of the paragraph, I see that Winter Games as well. Like the ancient Games, the modern
I am right!
Summer and Winter Olympics are each held every four years.
30 They alternate on even-numbered years. The next Summer
B HERE’S HOW
Olympics are set for 2008, and the next Winter Games will
Vocabulary
be held in 2010.
I am not sure what competes
means. I know that athletes
are people who take part in
sports. If an athlete competes Timeless Traditions
for a prize, he or she must
be playing against someone. What has stayed the same in the Olympic Games between
I checked my dictionary, just ancient times and today? The reasons athletes compete has not
to be sure. It says competes
means “trying hard to outdo really changed. They hope for victory, fame, and riches. In fact,
others at a task, race, or
contest.”
the word athlete comes from a Greek word meaning “one who

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

competes for a prize.” A B
C READ AND DISCUSS In 516 b.c., the wrestler Milo of Kroton became the most

Comprehension famous Olympian of ancient times. People even started to tell

What is the author letting 40 legends about him. In 2002, figure skater Sarah Hughes won
us know about an Olympic
a gold medal and became world famous, appearing on cereal
athlete?
boxes, posters, and TV shows. One was a man from an ancient
world. The other was a woman from today. But both are part of
a long line of athletes who became famous at the Olympics and
then became wealthy from their success. C

Olympic Myths
For years, it was believed that ancient athletes were not paid
to compete in the games. So, modern Olympic athletes were
banned from accepting money to compete. David Potter, a

66 Olympic Glory: Victories in History

 professor of Greek and
50 Latin at the University of D YOUR TURN
Michigan, says that that is Vocabulary
a myth. “These guys were Look at the word ceremony.
Read the surrounding
professionals,” he says. Now sentences to get a better
some Olympic athletes, idea of what ceremony
means. Write a definition
such as basketball players, for ceremony on the lines
below. Then, use a dictionary
are paid. Others may not be
to check if your definition is
actual professionals—people correct.

hired and paid to compete.

But they are professional in
60 the hard work the put into
© Pete Saloutos/Corbis
their sport and the level they reach. E READ AND DISCUSS
Another myth is that female Olympians like Hughes are
Comprehension
only from modern times. But Olympia also held a festival to What is the author telling
honor Hera, the wife of Zeus. In that festival, young women us about the Olympic torch?

ran in footraces.
F HERE’S HOW
Another myth deals with the Olympic torch. Most people
think that the Olympic torch must have been part of the Games Language Coach
My teacher says that the
since ancient times. A fire in honor of the god Prometheus root of audience is the Latin
was kept burning throughout the ancient Olympic games. But word audentia, which means
“hearing.” That seems to
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

70 there was no opening ceremony with an Olympic torch. D make sense.

The Olympic torch ceremony—like the Olympic symbol of five
interconnected rings—was invented in 1928. E There is one
important way in which the Olympic Games have not changed.
People want to see athletes compete. F Today, however, the
audience has grown. Once thousands attended the ancient
Greek Olympic Games. Today, there are millions of TV and
Internet viewers around the world who watch the Olympics.

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. What is the author trying to tell us about how the Olympics
have both changed over time and remained the same over
time? What does the author mean by saying “some elements
of the Games always stay the same?”

Olympic Glory: Victories in History 67

Skills Practice

Olympic Glory:
Victories in History
USE A VENN DIAGRAM
One way to help you better understand an article that talks about both the
past and the present is by filling in a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram makes it
easier to compare and contrast what you have read.

DIRECTIONS: Fill in the Venn diagram below with things that are the same
and different about the ancient Olympic Games and the Olympic Games today.
Write things that are the same in the space where the two circles come together.
Write things that are different in the circles under the correct heading.

Ancient Olympics Same Today’s Olympics

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

68 Olympic Glory: Victories in History

 Applying Your Skills

Olympic Glory:
Victories in History
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST
By comparing and contrasting, you are able to see how things are both the
same and different.

DIRECTIONS: Circle the best answer to each of the following questions.

1. Which of the things below is the same today in the Olympics as it was
long ago?
a. There are Summer and Winter Olympics.
b. Athletes get free athletic shoes.
c. The Games are held in the same city every year.
d. Athletes compete for victory, riches, and fame.
2. Which assignment listed below would make good use of a
compare and contrast diagram?
a. A report on Zeus
b. A report on Olympic basketball players of today
c. A report on the differences between the Winter and Summer
Olympics
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

d. A report on famous Olympic athletes of the past

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions by using vocabulary words.

LdgY7dm 1. The Olympic torch is shown in a at the start

of the Olympic Games.
champion
athletes 2. Use the word athletes in a complete sentence about the Olympic Games.

festival
ceremony
3. Another word for champion is
a. winner. b. athlete. c. professional. d. famous.
4. One word that does not mean the same as festival is
a. fair. b. celebration. c. game. d. party.

Olympic Glory: Victories in History 69

Skills Review

Chapter 2
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Lisa is a champion athlete. Describe what kind of athlete Lisa is.

2. The knight was known for being valiant. What kinds of acts might the
knight have performed?

3. Sam went to a great festival this weekend. What kinds of activities might
there have been?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

4. The actor came on stage with a flourish. How did the actor appear on
stage?

DIRECTIONS: Pretend you are late to school. Write a few sentences explaining
the circumstances of why you are late. Be creative!

70 Character
 Skills Review

Chapter 2
LANGUAGE COACH: MULTIPLE MEANINGS
DIRECTIONS: Put a check mark to the left of the words below that can have multiple,
or more than one, meanings. For those words, write two or more different meanings
on the blanks to the right. Use a dictionary to help you.

1. television

2. general

3. article

4. newspaper
5. tie

6. poor

WRITING ACTIVITY
Using details from your Venn diagram, write a paragraph comparing and contrasting
the ancient Olympic games and today’s Olympic games.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Review 71
Chapter

3 Theme

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

It Takes the Village by Sami Bentil/courtesy of Sami Bentil.
 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 3

LITERARY VOCABULARY
theme (THEEM) n.: an idea about life that the story’s characters, events, and
images suggest.
The theme of these five songs is that love is a wonderful thing.
subject (SUHB JEHKT) n.: what the story is about.
The subject of the story was growing up.
generalization (JEH NUH RUH LY ZAY SHUHN) n.: broad, general conclusion.
We made the generalization that most basketball players are
very tall.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
attitude (A TIH TUHD) n.: opinions and feelings you have about someone or
something.
My attitude towards Mia changed when I saw how much she helps
others.
communicate (KUH MYOO NIH KAYT) v.: give information or thoughts.
Mom tried to communicate to Dad to go move the cars, but he
thought she said to go move to Mars.
conveyed (KUHN VAYD) v.: made known.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Jason conveyed his love of dessert by clapping and cheering when cake
was served.
illustrate (IH LUH STRAYT) v.: explain or make clear by giving examples.
As Isaac will illustrate, it is difficult to clap while standing on your head.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 73

Literary Skills Focus

WHAT IS THEME?
A theme in a story is a message about life. It expresses an important idea
about a big issue, such as love or power. A theme is an idea about the subject
and is usually expressed in a complete sentence.

Writers give clues about their themes through the characters, actions, and
images in their stories.

Theme and Character One of the best places to look for clues about the
theme of a story is in the thoughts and dialogue of the characters. You can
also find the theme in parts of a story where the main character makes a
sudden discovery.

Theme and Actions A story’s plot can help you understand the theme. For
example, the way a character resolves a conflict can help you identify the
theme.

Theme and Images The images in a story are descriptions that appeal to our
senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. For example, a writer might
use images of thunder and lightening to convey a theme about anger.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

74 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

YOUR TURN: ANALYZE THEME

Copy the chart below. Think of one of your favorite stories or movies and
write the title in the right-hand column of the chart. Write the theme of the
story or movie. Then explain how the story or movie conveyed the theme
through the characters, action, and images.

Story or movie title:

Theme of the story or movie:

How the characters conveyed the theme:

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

How the action conveyed the theme:

How the images conveyed the theme:

Literary Skills Focus 75

Reading Skills Focus

WHAT SKILLS CAN HELP YOU FIND THE THEME OF A STORY?

To identify a theme, it is important to think about the whole story. The
characters, actions, and images in a story are clues to the theme. Here are
some questions that can help you identify clues to the theme:
• What does a character learn? A discovery could be a clue to the theme.
• How do a character’s thoughts, words, or actions change?
• How is the conflict in the story resolved?
• What images does the author repeat? Ask yourself, “What is the author
trying to tell me with these images?”

A generalization is a broad statement that tells how many things have

something in common. A theme is a generalization about life or the human
experience. Follow these steps to make a generalization to state the theme
of a story:
1. Think about the characters’ actions. Consider how they resolve the
conflict of the story.
2. Decide what the characters have learned by the end of the story.
3. State the main idea or message of the story.
4. Restate the main message in a way that applies to real life.

A cause in a story is an event that makes something happen. What happens

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

is called the effect. Stories often have a chain of causes and effects. A cause
leads to an effect. An effect can then be the cause of another event. Use a
chart similar to the one below to help you identify cause and effect in a story.
Try to identify the theme based on your chart.

Cause Effect/Cause Effect/Cause Effect

76 Reading Skills Focus

 Reading Skills Focus

YOUR TURN: APPLY READING SKILLS

Work with a partner. Choose a fairy tale or folk tale that you both know well.
In the chart below, fill in the important events of the story and their causes
and effects. Add more boxes if necessary.

Cause Effect/Cause Effect/Cause Effect

Use your cause-and-effect chart to help you state the story’s theme.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading Skills Focus 77

Preparing to Read

Ta-Na-E-Ka
Based on the story by Mary Whitebird
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: THEME
Writers often try to share a message through their stories. This message,
or theme, usually tells the reader something beyond the story itself about
people or life in general. As you read “Ta-Na-E-Ka,” think about what the
author is trying to say.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: IDENTIFYING THE THEME

For most stories, readers guess the theme by looking for clues—what the
characters say, the main events and conflicts, and so forth. As you read
“Ta-Na-E-Ka,” look for things the characters say and do that may help you
identify, or find, the theme. See the chart below for hints on finding the
theme.

“Ta-Na-E-Ka” Notes for Finding the Theme

Comments by Characters Mrs. Richardson says, “All of us
have rituals.”

Main Events and Conflicts Mary does not want to participate

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

in Ta-Na-E-Ka.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
refuse (RI FYOOZ) v.: turn down; decline.
overslept (OH VER SLEPT) v.: slept longer than planned.
rotten (ROT N) adj.: bad-smelling.

INTO THE STORY

This story is about a girl whose beliefs are different than those of her family.
Her family follows the traditions, or ideas and beliefs, of a group of Native
Americans known as the Kaw. One of these traditions is a test of bravery
called Ta-Na-E-Ka, during which a Kaw child must spend five days alone
in the woods.

78 Ta-Na-E-Ka
 Ta-Na-E-Ka
Based on the story by Mary Whitebird

A HERE’S HOW

Literary Focus
Right away the author is
talking about her eleventh
birthday and taking steps
toward womanhood. I think
that information may be
part of the story’s message,
or theme.

B READ AND DISCUSS

© Alison Wright/Corbis Comprehension

How does “Eleven” connect
As my Ta-Na-E-Ka birthday neared, I had bad dreams. I was to Ta-Na-E-Ka?

reaching the age when Kaw Indians take part in Ta-Na-E-Ka.

Well, not all Kaws. But my grandfather stuck to the old ways. He
was one of the last living Indians who’d fought the U.S. Army.
(He died in 1953, when he was eighty-one.) At age eleven, he
was wounded at Rose Creek.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Eleven was a magic word among the Kaws. It was the time
of Ta-Na-E-Ka, the coming-of-age time. At eleven a boy could
prove himself a warrior. A girl took the first steps to
10 womanhood. A B
“I don’t want to be a warrior,” my cousin Roger told me. “I’m
going to become an accountant.”1
“It won’t be as bad as you think, Mary,” my mother said. “Once
you’ve gone through it, you’ll never forget it. You’ll be proud.”
I even talked to my teacher, Mrs. Richardson, a white
woman. I thought she would side with me. She didn’t.

1. An accountant (UH KOWN TUHNT) is someone who checks to be sure

financial records are correct.

“Ta-Na-E-Ka” by Mary Whitebird adapted from Scholastic Voice, December 13, 1973. Copyright
© 1973 by Scholastic, Inc. Retold by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Reproduced by permission of
the publisher.

Ta-Na-E-Ka 79
 “All of us have rituals,”2 she said. “Don’t look down on your
A HERE’S HOW roots.”3 A
Reading Focus Roots! I did not plan to keep living on a reservation.4 But
I know that characters’ 20 I’ve always thought that the Kaw started women’s liberation.5
comments can help me to
identify the theme of a story.
Some other subtribes of the Sioux Nation required men and
What Mrs. Richardson says women to eat separately. But the Kaw men and women ate
about rituals and roots may
be important later on. together. A Kaw woman could refuse a marriage offer. B The
wisest women often joined in leadership. Also, “Good Woman,”
B HERE’S HOW a superhero, is the star of most Kaw stories. And girls as well
Vocabulary as boys go through Ta-Na-E-Ka. C The ritual tests how well a
My teacher says that refuse person can get along alone.
means “turn down” or
“decline.” This would mean My grandfather told us that in the past, children were
that a Kaw woman could
painted white and sent out alone. They had to stay until the paint
turn down, or refuse, a
marriage offer. 30 wore off, about eighteen days. They lived on food they found or
caught. They faced enemies: white soldiers and other Indians.
C READ AND DISCUSS In 1947, Roger and I had it a little easier. We went to the
Comprehension woods for five days. We weren’t painted white. We got to wear
How does women’s
liberation connect to Kaw
swimming suits. D We did have to find our own food and face
history and traditions? the cold. Grandfather taught us how to eat a grasshopper.
I had my own ideas about food. I borrowed five dollars from
D YOUR TURN Mrs. Richardson. I would baby-sit to pay her back.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Literary Focus Roger and I went to the woods together. But we had to stay
Mary says that things have
changed a lot since her
in separate parts. We couldn’t be in touch with each other.
Grandfather’s days. Do you 40 I chose to be near the river. I wanted to sleep in a boat, but
think this is part of the
story’s theme? Why or I didn’t find one.
why not? I tasted a bitter berry I found. I spit it out and a rabbit ate it.
Then, I found a place that sold food. I ordered a hamburger and
milkshake. I spent forty-five cents of my five dollars.
While I was eating, I had a grand idea. I could sleep here. I
unlocked a window in the ladies’ room and returned that night. The
room was warm. I helped myself to milk and pie. I’d leave money
for the food. I planned to get out early before the owner returned.

2. Rituals (RIH CHOO UHLZ) are traditions or ceremonies.

3. Roots are ancestors and their culture and history.
4. A reservation is land set aside for use by American Indians.
5. Women’s liberation is the struggle for equality between men
and women.

80 Ta-Na-E-Ka
 E YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
Look at the two smaller

© Pam Ingalls/Corbis
words within overslept
(“over” and “slept”). Use
your knowledge of these
words to guess the definition
of overslept. You can use a
dictionary for help.
“What are you doing here, kid?”
50 It was a man’s voice.
It was morning. I’d overslept. E I was scared.
“Hold it, kid. You lost? You must be from the reservation.
F READ AND DISCUSS
Your folks must be worried sick about you. Do they have a
phone?” Ernie, the owner, asked. Comprehension
Knowing what we do about
“Yes,” I answered. “But don’t call them.” I shook with cold. Grandfather, what might he
The man made me hot chocolate. I told him why I was on think of Mary’s plan?

my own.
G HERE’S HOW
“I’ve lived by the reservation all my life. I never heard of this
test before. Pretty silly thing to do to a kid,” he said. Language Coach
Adjectives that compare
60 I’d thought that for months. But when he said it, I got angry. two things are called
“It isn’t silly. Kaws have done this for hundreds of years. All my comparatives. Adjectives
that compare three or
family went through this test. It’s why the Kaw are great warriors.” more things are superlatives.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

I know that better is the

“OK, great warrior,” he laughed. “You can stay if you
comparative form of
want.” F He tossed me clothes that people had left on boats. the adjective good. The
superlative form is the
“Find something to keep you warm.” word best.
The sweater was loose, but it felt good. I felt good. And I’d
found a new friend. Most important, I was surviving Ta-Na-E-Ka. H YOUR TURN
I stayed at Ernie’s for five days. Mornings I went into the Reading Focus
woods. I watched the animals and picked flowers. I’d never felt Part of the author’s
message is to stress the
70 better. G I watched the sun rise on the Missouri.6 I ate every- importance of growing up
thing I wanted. I paid Ernie all my money for food. H and surviving. Underline
things Mary says or does in
“I’ll keep this in trust7 for you, Mary,” Ernie said. “Someday lines 60–71 that may help
you may need five dollars.” you identify the theme.

I enjoyed every minute with Ernie. He taught me to cook,

and I told him Kaw stories.
6. The Missouri (MIH ZUH REE) is a U.S. river.
7. In trust means “safe.”

Ta-Na-E-Ka 81
 But Ta-Na-E-Ka was over. As I neared home, I worried. My
A HERE’S HOW feet were hardly cut. I hadn’t lost a pound. My hair was combed.
Literary Focus My grandfather met me wearing his grandfather’s beaded
Mary’s grandfather is deerskin shirt. “Welcome back,” he said in Kaw. A
very traditional, while she
is more modern. I think 80 I hugged my parents. Then I saw Roger stretched out on the
this is important to the couch. His eyes were red. He’d lost weight. His feet were bloody
story’s theme.
and sore.

B READ AND DISCUSS

“I made it. I’m a warrior,” Roger said.
My grandfather saw I was clean, well fed, and healthy. B
Comprehension
How do things look for Mary Finally he asked, “What did you eat to keep you so well?”
and Roger? “Hamburgers and milkshakes.”
“Hamburgers!” my grandfather shouted.
C YOUR TURN
“Milkshakes!” Roger said.
Vocabulary “You didn’t say we had to eat grasshoppers,” I said.
Remember that Mary spat
out the only berry she tried 90 “Tell us all about your Ta-Na-E-Ka,” my grandfather
to eat. Knowing this, what ordered.
do you think rotten means?
I told them the whole story.
“That’s not what I trained you for,” my grandfather said.
“Grandfather, I learned that Ta-Na-E-Ka is important.
I handled it my way. And I learned I had nothing to fear. There’s
D READ AND DISCUSS no reason in 1947 to eat grasshoppers. Grandfather, I’ll bet you

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Comprehension never ate one of those rotten berries.” C
How have things wrapped up
Grandfather laughed aloud! Grandfather never laughed.
for Mary and Grandfather?
Never.
100 “Those berries are terrible,” Grandfather said. “I found a
dead deer on the first day of my Ta-Na-E-Ka. The deer kept my
belly full.” Grandfather stopped laughing. “We should send you
out again,” he said.
Grandfather called me to him. “You should have done what
your cousin did. But you know more about what is happening to
our people today than I do. You would have passed the test in any
time. You can make do in a world that wasn’t made for Indians.
I don’t think you’ll have trouble getting along.”
Grandfather wasn’t entirely right. But I’ll tell about that
110 another time. D

82 Ta-Na-E-Ka
 Applying Your Skills

Ta-Na-E-Ka
COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. Talk about the differences in how Mary and Roger handled Ta-Na-E-Ka.

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: THEME

DIRECTIONS: The theme of “Ta-Na-E-Ka” centers around tradition, coming of age, and
survival. Write a short paragraph telling the message you think the author was trying
to send through her short story.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: IDENTIFYING THE THEME

DIRECTIONS: Write “Yes” after each detail listed below if it helped you identify the
theme of the story. Write “No” if it did not.
1. Ta-Na-E-Ka is called the “coming of age time” for young Kaw Indians.
2. Roger wants to be an accountant.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

3. Mary defends Ta-Na-E-Ka when Ernie says that it sounds silly.

4. Grandfather tells Mary, “You can make do in a world that wasn’t made for
Indians. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting along.”
5. Ernie lends Mary clothes that people left on the boats.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. The morning after finishing his Ta-Na-E-Ka, Roger

because he was so tired.
refuse
2. Grandfather finally said that he had never eaten
overslept
berries either.
rotten
3. At first Ernie tried to Mary’s money, then he
said he would just hold on to it until she needed it.

Ta-Na-E-Ka 83
Preparing to Read

Pet Adoption Application

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PREPARING AN APPLICATION
If you want to adopt a pet, chances are you will have to fill out an application.
Keep the following steps in mind when filling out an application:
• Read the whole application before you begin writing anything. You may
find something important you did not know when you started.
• If the application asks a question that needs a long answer, write it
down on a separate piece of paper first. Then copy your answer onto the
application.
• Answer questions truthfully.
• Write carefully on the application; avoid crossing anything out.
• Fill in all blanks. Write “n/a” (not applicable) for questions that do not
apply to you.
• Check your spelling.
• When you are done, re-read the application carefully to make sure you
did not miss anything.
• Sign and date the application.

An application may ask for references. A reference is someone that the person
reviewing the application will talk to in order to learn more about you. Only

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

list adults as references, and be sure to ask their permission first.

VOCABULARY
Reading Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
Standard 2.5
Follow multiple- single (SING GUHL) adj.: unmarried.
step instructions
for preparing occupation (OK YUH PEY SHUHN) n.: work; business; job.
applications
(e. g., for
a public INTO THE APPLICATION
library card,
bank savings Taking care of a pet is a big deal! Now you will read a Pet Adoption
account, sports Application. It asks many questions. The shelter must be sure that each
club, league
membership). pet gets a safe home. What information does the shelter need to know?

84 Pet Adoption Application

 Pet Adoption Application

INSTRUCTIONS: Adopter, print carefully in WHITE AREAS ONLY—do not

write in shaded areas. A
❏ Puppy ❏ Kitten ❏ Dog ❏ Cat A HERE’S HOW
Pet Adoption Application
1 Program H T Adoption Number Reading Focus
D O
1 The instructions say only to
Single Adoption Double Adoption MTA MTD L R
Date / / Age
G circle
one 2 write in the white areas. It is
Day Time ❏ AM Breed Color ❏Mr. ❏Mrs. ❏Ms. ❏Miss ❏Mr. & Mrs. good that I read the whole
❏ PM application or I may have
Sex ❏Adopter’s Last Name First Name
written in the shaded areas
Spay/
Voluntary Contribution Size: S M L Neuter
without knowing any better.
Vaccine
Cash $ ❏ Pure ❏ Mix Type Street Address Apt. #

Check $ Pet’s Name

Vaccine
Date
B YOUR TURN
Rabies
DVMA $
circle one Tag City State/Zip Code Reading Focus
Rabies
Credit ($ ) ASC Int. No. Date
The application asks if you
A/R
have a private yard. Why is
Total Voluntary Wormed Home Phone Business Phone
Contribution $ this an important question?
Med. NMR Tech.
X Given App. ( ) - ( )

Name of Reference Address City State Telephone ID Source

( ) - ❏ Yes ❏ No
D V ❏ Yes
( )
M A ❏ No
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

1. WHOM IS THE PET FOR? Self Gift For whom? Adopter’s age:

2. IF YOU’RE SINGLE: Do you live alone? Yes No Do you live with family? Yes No C READ AND DISCUSS
Do you work? Yes No What are your hours?
Comprehension
IF YOU’RE MARRIED: Do you both work? Yes No Husband’s hours:
What does the variety and
Wife’s hours: How many children at home? Ages: , ,
number of questions on the
Who will be responsible for the pet? Husband Wife Children Other
form tell us about adopting
3. DO YOU: OWN ❏ RENT ❏ HOUSE ❏ APT. ❏ Floor # Elevator in the building? Yes No a pet?
(CHECK ONE) (CHECK ONE)
If renting, does your lease allow pets? Yes No Are you moving? Yes No When?
Do you have use of a private yard? Yes No Is it fenced? Yes No Fence height: B
Where will your pet be kept? / Any allergy to pets? Yes No
DAYTIME NIGHTTIME

4. DO YOU HAVE OTHER PETS NOW? Yes No Breed:

Where did you get the pet? How long have you had it?

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A PET BEFORE? Yes No Breed:

How long did you have the pet? What happened to the pet?
Have you ever adopted from this shelter? Yes No Where is the pet now?

5. YOUR OCCUPATION: Business Phone: ( ) North Shore Animal League Pet

Company: Supervisor’s Name: C Adoption Application. Copyright ©
2000 by North Shore Animal League.
VET’S NAME CITY, STATE ZIP CODE Reproduced by permission of North
Shore Animal League, Port Washington,
Adopter’s Signature: New York.

Pet Adoption Application 85

Skills Practice

Pet Adoption Application

USE A COMPARISON TABLE
DIRECTIONS: To fully understand the pet adoption application, give a reason
why the application asks each of the questions listed below.

Pet Adoption Application

Question Reason for this Question

Are you single or married? 1.

What hours do you work? 2.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Have you ever had a pet before? 3.

86 Pet Adoption Application

 Applying Your Skills

Pet Adoption Application

COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. Talk about why the agency might care if you were giving a pet to
someone as a gift.

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PREPARING AN APPLICATION

DIRECTIONS: Using what you learned from the Preparing to Read section and
the application itself, answer the follow questions.
1. Does it cost any money to adopt a pet from this animal shelter? How do
you know?

2. Is it okay to list a classmate as a reference? Why or why not?

3. If a question doesn’t apply to you, is it okay to leave that space blank?

4. Why is it important to proofread your application?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Write “Yes” after each sentence if the vocabulary word is being
used correctly. Write “No” if it is not.
1. My occupation allows me to work from home, which is good because
I can spend more time with my pet.
2. Animal shelters prefer giving pets to single people because their spouses
and children can help care for the pets.
3. On a pet adoption application, it’s important to list a good occupation
who will speak well on your behalf.

Pet Adoption Application 87

Preparing to Read

Where the Heart Is

By Sheri Henderson
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: IDENTIFY MAIN IDEAS AND DETAILS
Main ideas of a text are the most important pieces of information the author
gives. Main ideas are what the whole text is about. To find the main idea, ask
these questions:
• What is the author trying to say?
• What will you remember most when you finish reading?
• How would you describe what the text is about to a friend?
The details are the smaller pieces of information that support, or back up,
the main idea. For example, suppose you are reading an article about a youth
baseball game in the newspaper. The game was between the Cougars and
the Vikings. The main idea of the article might be that the Cougars won the
game, by a score of 9 to 7. The details to support this main idea might include
descriptions of the players that did well and how each run was scored.

As you read the following selection, try to state the main idea in your own
words. Then try to locate one or more details that back up the main idea as
you have stated it.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the following selection.
gaunt (GAWNT) adj.: very skinny; thin and bony.
perseverance (PUHR SUHR VEE RUHNS) n.: determination.
deformity (DEH FOHR MUH TEE) n.: physical injury.
pondered (POHN DUHRD) v.: thought about.
extrasensory (EHK STRUH SEHN SUH REE) adj: outside the normal senses.

INTO THE ARTICLE

Do you have a pet, or know someone who is very close to their pet? This
Reading
Standard 2.3 article is about the relationship between animals and their owners. The
Analyze text
that uses the author provides lots of details about animals. While the author does not
cause-and-effect come out and tell you what the main idea of the article is, you can use
organizational
pattern. these details to find the main idea on your own.

88 Where the Heart Is

 Where the Heart Is
By Sheri Henderson

A HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
In the first line, a dog
is described as gaunt. I

Ralph A. Reinhold/Index Stock Imagery/Photolibrary

am not sure what gaunt
means, but since the dog is
limping, I believe it refers
to something that is not
healthy. My dictionary says
gaunt means “very skinny,”
which makes sense here.

B HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
I think the main idea of the
first paragraph is that
Bobby the dog faced many
difficulties to find his way
On a cold February evening in 1924, a gaunt dog limped up home. There are details that
to a farmhouse in Silverton, Oregon, where he had once lived help me find this main idea.
I know that Bobby had to
with his family as a pup. A But the house was silent, the family swim in rivers and cross the
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

long departed. Since August, the dog’s lonely journey had taken Rocky mountains as he goes
West to return home.
him across Illinois and Iowa. He had swum rivers, including
the dangerous and icy Missouri; he had crossed the great Rocky
mountains in the middle of winter. He had caught squirrels
and rabbits for food. At times he had been helped by strangers:
He had eaten stew with hobos and Thanksgiving dinner with
10 a family who sheltered him for several weeks. But once he had
regained his strength, the dog traveled on, always heading west.
The dog lay down to rest for the night at the empty farmhouse.
In the morning, on paws with pads worn almost to the bone,
he made his way slowly into town, into the restaurant where his
family now lived, and climbed upstairs to a bedroom to lick the
face of the man he had walked some three thousand miles to
find. Bobby had come home. B

Where the Heart Is 89

 Two-year-old Bobby, partly English sheepdog but mostly
A YOUR TURN collie, had become separated from Frank Brazier while on
Vocabulary 20 vacation in Indiana. When word got out about Bobby’s
Do you think someone who remarkable journey, the president of the Oregon Humane Society
shows perseverance is “lazy”
or “determined”? Circle the decided to document the facts and find the people who had seen
correct answer. You can use a or helped Bobby along the way. Bobby eventually became one
dictionary for help.
of the most honored heroes in dog history, recognized for his
perseverance. A
B HERE’S HOW
How did Bobby find his way home? Nobody knows for
Reading Focus
What is the main idea of this sure. We do know that Bobby’s story is unusual but not unique.
paragraph? For centuries there have been reports of animals performing
mystifying and wonderful feats like Bobby’s. There are stories
30 of other animals who tracked their families, sometimes over
thousands of miles, to places where the animals themselves had
never been, over routes the owners had never traveled. The story
of Sugar may be the longest recorded trip of this kind. B

C HERE’S HOW IN OTHER WORDS In 1924, a dog named Bobby traveled

Vocabulary three thousand miles on his own to find his way back home.
Sugar is described as having He had been traveling with his owner when he became lost.
a hip deformity. I know
that form means “shape Bobby never gave up, and crossed many states to find his way
or structure.” I also know

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

back home. Bobby is not the only animal who has been this
the prefix de– means “the
opposite of” or “removed determined.
from.” Using these clues, I
think a deformity is something
not in its usual shape. In this Stacy Woods, a high school principal, planned to move
context, a hip deformity must from Anderson, California, to a farm in Gage, Oklahoma, 1,500
be a hip injury.
miles away. She couldn’t take her cat Sugar, because he was

D YOUR TURN
terrified of riding in the car. So a neighbor agreed to adopt him.
Fourteen months later, as Stacy Woods was milking a cow in
Reading Focus
What detail about the story her Oklahoma barn, Sugar jumped through an open window
of Sugar best supports the 40 onto her shoulder. The astonished Woods family later learned
main idea “Animals can
do amazing things”: (a) that Sugar had disappeared three weeks after they had left him
Sugar was scared of riding
with the neighbor. Proving that the cat was really Sugar was easy
in cars, or (b) Sugar found
the Woods family after they because Sugar had an unusual hip deformity. C But the main
moved to another state?
Underline the best answer. question remains unanswered today: How did Sugar find his
owner? D Similar questions have been raised about many other

90 Where the Heart Is

 E YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
Circle the word in this
paragraph that means

©Tony Ruta/PictureQuest/Jupiter Images

“thought about.”

F YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
What two smaller words do
you see in extrasensory? Use
your understanding of these
two smaller words to write a
definition for extrasensory.
Use a dictionary to check
animals. How did Hugh Brady Perkins’s homing pigeon find his your answer.

way to Hugh’s hospital window, 120 miles from his home, after
the boy was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night?
How do some pets know when their favorite family members are
50 coming home unexpectedly? How do some pets know from great
distances when their family members are hurt or ill or in trouble?
In recent decades, researchers have studied questions like
these. They have pondered the possibility that animals draw on
information picked up in some way other than through the five
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

well-known senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). E

Researchers have found that some animals have senses
humans lack, like bats’ ability to detect objects from echoes
and certain snakes’ ability to sense tiny temperature differences
through special organs. Some people theorize that animals have
60 a form of ESP (extrasensory perception). At Duke University,
Joseph Banks Rhine collected more than five hundred stories
of unexplainable animal feats that seem to support this theory.
Rhine devoted his life to researching these events. Studies
conducted at the Research Institute at Rockland State hospital in
New York also support the notion of an extrasensory connection
between animals and humans, particularly humans the animals
know well and trust. F
Of course, whatever our theories say, we don’t really know
what goes on in the heart and mind of an animal. Perhaps the

Where the Heart Is 91

 70 question of how they find us is not the most important one. A
A HERE’S HOW better question to ponder may be why they find us, even when
Reading Focus faced with overwhelming difficulties. It has been said that home
Now that I have finished is where the heart is. It’s clear that for Bobby and Sugar and
reading, I think the main
idea, animals can do amazing countless others, home is where one particular heart is. A
things, still makes sense.
More details have been
IN OTHER WORDS When a woman named Stacy Woods
added to support this idea.
I know there is research moved from California to Oklahoma, she gave her cat, Sugar,
that talks about a special
connection between animals to a neighbor to keep. Sugar had her own ideas, though.
and humans. I can restate Sugar traveled by herself to find Stacy in her new home.
my main idea to make it
more specific—Animals can Scientists are interested in how animals like Sugar are able to
do amazing things in order
to find the people that they
find their owners after they have been lost. Although we do
love. not have all the answers to how animals do this, we know
that pets seem to have a very strong attachment to the people
who love them.

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. Discuss new information that you learned about animals in
this article.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

92 Where the Heart Is

 Applying Your Skills

Where the Heart Is

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: IDENTIFY MAIN IDEAS AND DETAILS
DIRECTIONS: Below, you will find several statements from one paragraph of
“Where the Heart Is.” Using your understanding of main ideas and details,
complete the concept map. Place the statement that is the main idea of the
paragraph in the center oval. Then, place the statements that are details in the
remaining ovals.
• Bats have the ability to detect objects from echoes.
• Snakes can sense tiny temperature differences through special organs. Some
people think that animals have a form of ESP (extrasensory perception).
• Researchers have found that some animals have senses humans do not have.

Main idea:
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

LdgY7dm VOCABULARY REVIEW

gaunt DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.
perseverance Not all words will be used.

deformity 1. The dog looked , as if he had not eaten

pondered in days.

extrasensory 2. Some scientists think that animals and humans may have an
connection.

Where the Heart Is 93

Skills Review

Chapter 3
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions with complete sentences.
1. What kind of occupation would you like to have someday?

2. Name one food you would refuse if someone offered it to you.

3. Describe what happened one time when you overslept.

4. What would you do if you found rotten food in your refrigerator?

5. Do you want to be single when you grow up? Why or why not?

6. Why is it important for a teacher to clearly communicate the lesson plan to his

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

or her students?

7. Have you ever had a bad attitude toward someone else? Why did you feel
that way?

94 Theme
 Skills Review

Chapter 3
LANGUAGE COACH: COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
When you compare, you find things that are the same. Compare a house, a
football stadium, and a city. They have some things in common, but one thing
is for sure: all three are pretty big. Of course, they are not all the same size: a
house is big, a football stadium is bigger, and a city is the biggest. Bigger is a
comparative, an adjective that compares two things. Biggest is a superlative,
an adjective that compares three or more things.

DIRECTIONS: Below, write the comparative and superlative forms of the

adjectives given.
1. small
a. comparative:
b. superlative:
2. strange
a. comparative:
b. superlative:
3. light
a. comparative:
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

b. superlative:

WRITING ACTIVITY
DIRECTIONS: Think about your favorite movie, book, or short story. On the
lines below, write about the theme of that story. Explain why you think that
theme is important.

Review 95
 4
Chapter
Forms of Fiction

courtesy of Agra-Art S.A.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 4

LITERARY VOCABULARY
fiction (FIHK SHUHN) n.: writing that is made up.
The story of Cinderella is an example of a work of fiction.
short story (SHAWRT STAWR EE) n.: story that is between five and twenty pages
in length, and usually focus on one or two main characters, one setting,
and one theme.
I like to read several short stories in one sitting.
novel (NAH VUHL) n.: long piece of fiction that usually is more than 100 pages,
that has more characters, settings, and themes than a short story.
Dracula, written by Bram Stoker, is an example of a novel.
novella (NOH VEHL UH) n.: piece of fiction that is shorter than a novel but
longer than a short story.
A novella can also be called a short book.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
characteristics (KAR IHK TUH RIHS TIHKS) n.: important, typical parts or features.
The different forms of fiction each have different characteristics.
concept (KAHN SEHPT) n.: idea of how something is or could be.
The concept of storytelling is present in every culture.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

indicate (IHN DUH KAYT) v.: show; express.

An author may use certain words to indicate an important theme in a
story.
interpret (IHN TUR PRIHT) v.: decide on the meaning of something.
When we interpret stories, we can learn lessons about life.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 97

Literary Skills Focus

What are the Forms of Fiction?

Fiction is literature that is made up by the writer. A fiction story comes from
the writer’s imagination. There are several different types of fiction.

Some forms of fiction are very old.

• Ancient peoples wrote myths. Myths answered questions that people
had about the world around them. A long story about a character from a
myth is called an epic.
• A fable is a short tale that teaches a lesson about life. The lesson in a
fable is called a moral.
• A folk tale is a story created by an unknown writer. The first folk tales
were spoken, not written. A special form of folk tale is the fairy tale.
Fairy tales often begin with the words, “Once upon a time.” They
usually have make-believe elements and a happy ending. A legend is a
folk tale or epic that is based on history. A famous legend is the tale of
King Arthur. Tall tales are exaggerated folk stories. The heroes perform
unbelievable acts.

Today, writers create many different kinds of fiction.

• A short story is generally five to twenty pages long. Most short stories
focus on one or two major characters, one main setting, and one main
theme.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

• A novel is a long fiction story. Novels are usually longer than 100 pages.
Novels may have more action, characters, settings, and themes than short
stories.
• A novella is longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel. Novellas
may be published by themselves or in a larger book with other fiction
stories.
• All of the following types of writing are also forms of fiction:
- Plays
- Movie and television scripts
- Comic books
- Graphic novels
- Poems that tell stories

98 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Identify Forms of Fiction

Team up with a classmate and identify at least one example of each of the
following forms of fiction that you know: a myth, a folk tale, a short story,
and a novel. Explain how each work of fiction fits its form. Use a chart like
the one below to write your answers.

Form of fiction Title How our example fits

the form
Myth

Folk tale

Short story

Novel
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Literary Skills Focus 99

Reading Skills Focus

What Skills and Strategies Help You Read Fiction?

Here are some strategies that can help you understand the fiction that you read.

To monitor your comprehension, check to make sure that you really understand
what you are reading. The word comprehension means “understanding.”

The “fix-it” strategies in the table below can help you monitor your
comprehension.

What Happened? How Do I Fix It?

Did you read too fast? Re-read the passage more slowly and
carefully.
Are there unfamiliar words in a Check the meaning of unfamiliar
passage? words in a dictionary.

Are there new ideas that you do not Look at a reference source, like an
understand? encyclopedia or trusted Web site.

Did you forget key information from Go back and re-read earlier passages.
earlier in the text?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

To set a purpose for reading, decide what your reading goal will be. Answer the
question, “Why am I reading this story?” Sometimes you will have more than one
purpose for reading.
To make a prediction, make an educated guess about what will happen next in a
story. We use our own experience and information in a text to make predictions.

100 Literary Skills

Reading Skills Focus
Focus
 Reading Skills Focus

Your Turn: Apply Fiction Reading Strategies

Answer these questions to test your skills at reading fiction.
1. What can you do if you see a word you do not understand in a passage?

2. You finish reading a passage in a novel. You realize that you forgot key
information from earlier in a story. What strategy could you use?

3. You plan to read a myth. What might you set as your purpose for
reading?

4. You are reading a story about a lovable soccer team that keeps losing.
In the story, the team gets a new coach who teaches them to believe in
themselves. What do you predict might happen in the story?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading Skills Focus 101

Preparing to Read

La Bamba
Based on the short story by Gary Soto
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: IDENTIFYING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
SHORT STORY
A short story is a brief piece of fiction that is about five to twenty pages
long. Fiction is something that is made up. Short stories have many
characteristics, or qualities, that are similar to other forms of fiction.
However, short stories are shorter than forms of fiction like novels and
novellas.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: STORY AND STRUCTURE

Short stories are built on a structure similar to longer forms of fiction.
However, good short stories must get to their point quickly. Because of its
limited length, a short story usually has just one or two main characters and
one conflict, or problem, the character faces. A conflict leads to the climax,
or most exciting part of a story. Most stories end with a resolution, where
the main conflict is worked out. “La Bamba” is an example of a short story
with all of these elements.

VOCABULARY

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
duo (DOO OH) n.: group of two people, often performing together.
cast (KAST) n.: group of performers in a play or event.

INTO THE SHORT STORY

“La Bamba” was a hit song in the late 1950s. It was recorded by Ritchie
Valens (1941–1959), who was the first Mexican American rock star. In this
Reading story, a boy named Manuel decides to perform “La Bamba” for a school
Standard 3.1
Identify the talent show. Manuel will not actually sing the song, though. He is going
forms of fiction
and describe to mouth the words as a record plays. Records are vinyl disks that have cut
the major grooves. People used to listen to music on record players before there were
characteristics of
each form. CDs or MP3s.

102 La Bamba
 La Bamba
Based on the Short Story by Gary Soto

A READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
What is the author letting us
know about Manuel?

B HERE’S HOW

Literary Focus
I know that short stories
usually have only one main
character. In this story I can
tell that Manuel is the main
character.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

© Royalty-Free/Corbis.

As Manuel walked to school, he thought about tomorrow’s

talent show. He was amazed that he had volunteered. He was
going to pretend to sing Ritchie Valens’s “La Bamba” before the
whole school.
He was nervous. But he longed to be the center of atten-
tion. He wanted to impress his friends. He especially wanted to
impress Petra Lopez, the second prettiest girl in his class. The
prettiest girl was already taken. Since he wasn’t great-looking
himself, he knew he should be reasonable. A
10 At lunch, Manuel showed his act to his friend Benny. Benny
was going to play the trumpet in the talent show. Benny watched.
He suggested that Manuel should dance. B

“La Bamba” adapted from Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto. Copyright © 1990
by Gary Soto. Retold by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Reproduced by permission of Harcourt, Inc.

La Bamba 103
 “Just think like you’re Michael Jackson or someone like
A HERE’S HOW that,” Benny said.
Reading Focus Manuel decided that was a good idea.
So far in this short story, In the cafeteria, during rehearsal, Mr. Roybal tested the
I think the conflict has to
do with the talent show. equipment. He cursed under his breath when the record player
Manuel is nervous about jammed.1 A He was nervous about directing the talent show.
performing on stage. I will
have to read on to see if “Is it broken?” Manuel asked.
there is a resolution to this 20 Mr. Roybal promised Manuel he would have a good record
conflict.
player at the talent show.
B YOUR TURN
Manuel twirled2 his “La Bamba” record as he watched the
other acts rehearse. It looked like it would be a great talent show.
Language Coach
The word class has a short His parents would be proud. His brothers and sisters would be
“a” sound. List three jealous. It would be a night to remember.
different words with that
same vowel sound. Then Benny was about to rehearse his trumpet solo. He blew
practice pronouncing your
so loudly that Manuel dropped his record. It rolled across the
words until you can say them
all fluently, or smoothly. floor and hit a wall. Manuel grabbed it and wiped it off. He was
relieved that it hadn’t broken.
30 That night, in bed, Manuel prayed that he wouldn’t mess up.
He didn’t want to embarrass himself, as he did in the first grade,
during Science Week. He had made a simple flashlight from a
light bulb and a battery. He showed it off to all his neighbors.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

When it was time to show it to his class, the battery was dead. B
Some kids snickered3 at him.
The next morning, Manuel’s parents were smiling proudly.
They were curious about what he was going to do, but Manuel
wanted to surprise them.
The day flew by. Suddenly it was evening, and Manuel was
40 standing backstage in his best clothes. He could hear the crowd
filling the cafeteria. Then he heard Mr. Roybal introduce the first
act. It was a girl dressed as a toothbrush and a boy dressed as
a dirty gray tooth. They sang a little song about brushing and
flossing.

1. Jammed means “got stuck; broke.”

2. Twirled (twurld) means “turned around with his fingers; whirled;
spun.”
3. Snickered (SNIH kuhrd) means “laughed in a mean way.”

104 La Bamba
 D HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I think that I have seen
the word duo before.
I am just not sure, though.
The dictionary defines
duo as a “group of two
people, often performing
together.” This makes sense
here because a mother and
daughter are playing violins
together.

© Bettmann/Corbis

Next came a mother-daughter violin duo. D They got a big

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

round of applause. After that, a group of first-grade girls jumped

rope. The crowd was pleased.
Right before Manuel came a karate act. A boy broke a board
with his hands. The audience was very impressed.
50 Mr. Roybal announced Manuel’s act. Manuel was nervous,
but he loved the clapping. The song started up. The shock of
standing alone in front of the big crowd made Manuel’s first
movements stiff. He moved his lips and swayed.4 Suddenly he
noticed his little brother Mario in the audience. Mario was wear-
ing Manuel’s favorite shirt. Manuel would deal with him later.
Why am I here? thought Manuel. This is no fun. The audi-
ence didn’t seem excited at all. But then Manuel did a fancy
dance step. The audience clapped. He started to get into a

4. Swayed means “slowly moved back and forth.”

La Bamba 105
 Michael Jackson groove. A Suddenly, the record got stuck, and
A YOUR TURN 60 he had to mouth the words
Reading Focus Para bailar la bamba
After a while, Manuel starts
to feel comfortable on stage.
Para bailar la bamba
Is this the climax of the Para bailar la bamba5
story? Explain your answer.
again and again.
The audience began to laugh and stand on their chairs.
Manuel couldn’t believe his bad luck. Mr. Roybal brought the
record to a sudden stop. All Manuel could do was bow and
scoot6 off stage. The audience clapped wildly, but Manuel felt
like crying.
70 He became angry as he listened to Benny play his trumpet.
Benny sounded great. It was Benny’s trumpet-playing that had
made him drop his record. It must have gotten scratched then.
That’s why it had skipped.7
5. para bailar la bamba (PAH RAH BY LAHR LAH BAHM BAH): Spanish for
“to dance the bamba.”
6. Scoot means “go suddenly and quickly.”
7. skipped: The record got stuck and played the same part of the song
over and over.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

© Royalty-Free/Corbis.

106 La Bamba
 But when the cast lined up for a final bow, Manuel received
loud applause that shook the cafeteria walls. B Later, everyone B YOUR TURN
patted him on the back. “Way to go. Really funny.” C Vocabulary
Manuel was confused, but he didn’t care. He was the center The word cast means a
“group of performers in a
of attention. Even the popular kids crowded around him. He play or event.” In what event
decided not to punch his brother for wearing his favorite shirt. D did this cast just perform?

80 That night his father asked him how he had made the
needle stick.
“Easy, Dad,” said Manuel. “I used laser tracking with high C READ AND DISCUSS

optics and low functional decibels per channel.” Comprehension

“Ay, que niños tan truchas,” his father said. “What smart How does everyone react
to Manuel’s performance?
kids. I don’t know how you get so smart.” Follow-up: What is all this
about applause shaking the
A little later, Manuel, feeling happy, began to sing “La
walls of the cafeteria?
Bamba” into his mirror. But he was tired of the song. He was
relieved the day was over. Next year, he thought, he would not D YOUR TURN
volunteer for the talent show. Probably.
Reading Focus
At the beginning of the short
Comprehension Wrap-Up story Manuel felt nervous
about performing at the
1. What does this story show us about people when they know talent show. How was that
they want to do something but are afraid to try? conflict resolved?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

La Bamba 107
Skills Practice

La Bamba
USE A CONCEPT MAP
DIRECTIONS: Remember that a conflict is a problem in a short story. Choose
four conflicts from “La Bamba,” big or small, and write them in the bubbles
below.

Conflicts

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

108 La Bamba
 Applying Your Skills

La Bamba
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: IDENTIFYING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHORT
STORY
In this short story, the conflict was resolved quickly. How might this story have
been different if it were told in the form of a novel?

READING SKILLS FOCUS: STORY AND STRUCTURE

While reading the short story, you identified Manuel as the main character.
You identified the conflict as Manuel’s nervousness about performing in the
talent show.

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions about other elements of the short
story in complete sentences.
1. The most exciting part of a story is called the climax, when the action of
the story reaches its peak. In “La Bamba,” what point was the climax?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

2. When the main character solves the conflict of a story, it is called the resolution.
What was the resolution for Manuel?

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: You probably have seen many plays, movies, and TV shows. Name
a play, movie, or TV show you have seen and write two or three sentences
describing its cast.

La Bamba 109
Preparing to Read

The Gold Cadillac

By Mildred D. Taylor
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: FORMS OF FICTION: NOVELLA
Fiction is writing that is made up. The novel, the novella, and the short story
are three types of fiction. The novella is shorter than a novel, but longer than
a short story. A novella can be part of a book of other stories or it can be
printed on its own. “The Gold Cadillac” was first published as a short book,
or novella.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: MAKING AND ADJUSTING PREDICTIONS

When you read, you may find clues about what will happen next in a story.
These clues allow you to predict, or make educated guesses about, what
will happen. As you continue to read and find more clues, you may decide
to change, or adjust, your predictions. Make a chart like the one below to
keep track of your predictions. As you read the story, add three more events
and predictions to your chart.

In the story . . . I predict . . . Because . . .

the narrator and her their father bought it. their father is driving

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

sister see the Cadillac. it and is happy.

VOCABULARY
evident (EHV UH DUHNT) adj.: easily seen or understood; obvious.
rural (RUR UHL) adj.: having to do with country life.
dusk (DUHSK) n.: period of time when the sky darkens as the sun goes down.
ignorance (IHG NUHR UHNS) n.: lack of knowledge.

INTO THE STORY

The novella The Gold Cadillac takes place between the end of the Civil
Reading War and the beginning of the Civil Rights era. At that time, many African
Standard 3.1
Identify the Americans had moved from the South to work in northern factories in cities
forms of fiction
and describe like Toledo, Ohio. But for African Americans still living in the South, life
the major was often difficult and dangerous. In most Southern states, laws still kept
characteristics of
each form. African Americans segregated, or apart, from white people.

110 The Gold Cadillac

 The Gold Cadillac
By Mildred D. Taylor

A HERE’S HOW

Literary Focus
Just by looking at the length
of this story, I can tell that
it is too long to be a short
story. But, it is not long
enough to be a novel. That
must mean that “The Gold
Cadillac” is a novella.

© National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

My sister and I were playing out on the front lawn when the
gold Cadillac rolled up and my father stepped from behind the
wheel.
We ran to him, our eyes filled with wonder. “Daddy, whose
Cadillac?” I asked.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

And Wilma demanded, “Where’s our Mercury?”

My father grinned. “Go get your mother and I’ll tell you all
about it.”
“Is it ours?” I cried. “Daddy, is it ours?”
10 “Get your mother!” he laughed. “And tell her to hurry!”
Wilma and I ran off to obey, as Mr. Pondexter next door
came from his house to see what this new Cadillac was all about.
We threw open the front door, ran through the downstairs front
parlor and straight through the house to the kitchen, where my
mother was cooking and one of my aunts was helping her. “Come From The Gold Cadillac by Mildred
D. Taylor. Copyright © 1987 by Mildred
on, Mother-Dear!” we cried together. “Daddy say come on out D. Taylor. Reproduced by permission
and see this new car!” of Dial Books for Young Readers,
a Division of Penguin Books for Young
“What?” said my mother, her face showing her surprise. Readers, a Division of Penguin Group
(USA) Inc., 345 Hudson Street, New
“What’re you talking about?” A York, NY 10014, www.penguin.com.

The Gold Cadillac 111

 20 “A Cadillac!” I cried.
A HERE’S HOW “He said hurry up!” relayed Wilma.
Vocabulary
I might have been able to IN OTHER WORDS As the novella begins, the narrator’s
guess part of the meaning
father has just pulled up to their house in a gold Cadillac.
of unison even without the
footnote. Unison makes me Excited by the car, the narrator and her sister Wilma ask their
think of other words that
start with uni-, like unicorn father if the Cadillac is the new family car. Instead of answering,
and unicycle. Both those their father laughs and sends them to get their mother.
words have to do with
“one”—a unicorn is a horse
with one horn and a unicycle And then we took off again, up the back stairs to the second
is a bike with one wheel. It
makes sense that unison here
floor of the duplex. Running down the hall, we banged on all the
means “two or more people apartment doors. My uncles and their wives stepped to the doors.
speaking at one time.”
It was good it was a Saturday morning. Everybody was home.
“We got us a Cadillac! We got us a Cadillac!” Wilma and I
B READ AND DISCUSS
proclaimed in unison.1 A B
Comprehension
What has the author set up
We had decided that the Cadillac had to be ours if our
for us so far? father was driving it and holding on to the keys. “Come on see!”
30 Then we raced on, through the upstairs sunroom, down the front
C YOUR TURN
steps, through the downstairs sunroom, and out to the Cadillac.
Vocabulary Mr. Pondexter was still there. Mr. LeRoy and Mr. Courtland
Look at the word features.
Based on the rest of the
from down the street were there too, and all were admiring the
sentence, what do you think Cadillac as my father stood proudly by, pointing out the various

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

features means here? (Hint:
What might a person with a features. C
new car want to show you?) “Brand-new 1950 Coupe deVille!” I heard one of the men
saying.
“Just off the showroom floor!” my father said. “I just
couldn’t resist it.”
40 My sister and I eased up to the car and peeked in. It was all
gold inside. Gold leather seats. Gold carpeting. Gold dashboard.
It was like no car we had owned before. It looked like a car for
rich folks.

IN OTHER WORDS After telling their mother to come

downstairs to see the Cadillac, the narrator and her sister run

1. in unison (IN YOO NUH SUHN): in chorus; in the same words, spoken at
the same time.

112 The Gold Cadillac

 through the rest of the two-family house. They scream for their
aunts and uncles to come outside. When they return to the D READ AND DISCUSS
driveway, neighbors from down the street are also admiring Comprehension
the car. It is all gold, inside and out. What does this scene show
us about the relationship
between the sisters and their
“Daddy, are we rich?” I asked. My father laughed. father?
“Daddy, it’s ours, isn’t it?” asked Wilma, who was older and
more practical than I. She didn’t intend to give her heart too E HERE’S HOW

quickly to something that wasn’t hers. Reading Focus

“You like it?” I can tell from the mother’s
words on this page that
“Oh, Daddy, yes!” she thinks the family’s old
car was fine. I can make a
50 He looked at me. “What ’bout you, ’lois?” prediction that part of the
“Yes, sir!” story will be about the father
and mother’s disagreement
My father laughed again. “Then I expect I can’t much over him buying the Cadillac.
disappoint my girls, can I? It’s ours, all right!”
Wilma and I hugged our father with our joy. My uncles
came from the house, and my aunts, carrying their babies, came
out too. Everybody surrounded the car and owwed and ahhed.
Nobody could believe it. D
Then my mother came out.
Everybody stood back grinning as she approached the car.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

60 There was no smile on her face. We all waited for her to speak.
She stared at the car, then looked at my father, standing there as
proud as he could be. Finally she said, “You didn’t buy this car,
did you, Wilbert?”
“Gotta admit I did. Couldn’t resist it.”
“But . . . but what about our Mercury? It was perfectly
good!”
“Don’t you like the Cadillac, Dee?”
“That Mercury wasn’t even a year old!”
My father nodded. “And I’m sure whoever buys it is going
70 to get themselves a good car. But we’ve got ourselves a better one.
Now stop frowning, honey, and let’s take ourselves a ride in our
brand-new Cadillac!”
My mother shook her head. “I’ve got food on the stove,” she
said and, turning away, walked back to the house. E

The Gold Cadillac 113

 IN OTHER WORDS Everyone who looks at the car loves it,
A YOUR TURN except for the girls’ mother. She cannot believe her husband
Literary Focus traded in their Mercury for a more expensive Cadillac. When
Suppose this story was a
the girls’ father tries to convince her to take a ride in the new
novel, and not a novella.
How might the author car, she refuses and goes back inside the house.
describe the car and the
family’s reaction to it
differently? Explain your There was an awkward silence, and then my father said, “You
answer. know Dee never did much like surprises. Guess this here Cadillac
was a bit too much for her. I best go smooth things out with her.”
Everybody watched as he went after my mother. But when
he came back, he was alone.
80 “Well, what she say?” asked one of my uncles.
My father shrugged and smiled. “Told me I bought this
Cadillac alone, I could just ride in it alone.”
Another uncle laughed. “Uh-oh! Guess she told you!”
“Oh, she’ll come around,” said one of my aunts. “Any woman
B HERE’S HOW
would be proud to ride in this car.”
“That’s what I’m banking on,” said my father as he went
Vocabulary
I am not familiar with the around to the street side of the car and opened the door. “All
word glorious. I think it right! Who’s for a ride?”
must mean something good,
though. I know that ‘lois is “We are!” Wilma and I cried. A
very happy to be riding in

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the Cadillac. I think glorious
90 All three of my uncles and one of my aunts, still holding
is a synonym of, or means her baby, and Mr. Pondexter climbed in with us, and we took
the same thing as, magnifi-
cent or wonderful. I can look off for the first ride in the gold Cadillac. It was a glorious ride,
up glorious in a thesaurus and we drove all through the city of Toledo. B We rode past
(or a dictionary) to see if my
guess is right. the church and past the school. We rode through Ottawa Hills,
where the rich folks lived, and on into Walbridge Park and past
the zoo, then along the Maumee River. But none of us had had
enough of the car, so my father put the car on the road and we
drove all the way to Detroit. We had plenty of family there, and
everybody was just as pleased as could be about the Cadillac. My
100 father told our Detroit relatives that he was in the doghouse with
my mother about buying the Cadillac. My uncles told them she
wouldn’t ride in the car. All the Detroit family thought that was
funny, and everybody, including my father, laughed about it and
said my mother would come around.

114 The Gold Cadillac

 IN OTHER WORDS When their mother refuses to take
a ride in the new car, the girls and some of their aunts and C READ AND DISCUSS

uncles go instead. The father drives them throughout the city Comprehension
What does it mean that
of Toledo, Ohio. Then they keep driving to Detroit, Michigan,
“I could see from my
where they show more relatives the car. mother’s face she had
not come around”?

It was early evening by the time we got back home, and

D HERE’S HOW
I could see from my mother’s face she had not come around.
She was angry now not only about the car, but that we had been Language Coach
I know you can change the
gone so long. I didn’t understand that, since my father had called form of many nouns by
her as soon as we reached Detroit to let her know where we were. adding one or two letters.
I see the adjective funny in
110 I had heard him myself. I didn’t understand either why she did line 125. I know the noun
not like that fine Cadillac and thought she was being terribly dis- fun. Fun is changed to
become funny by adding –ny.
agreeable with my father. That night, as she tucked Wilma and I can change the following
nouns into adjectives: hair,
me in bed, I told her that too. C
water, skin: hairy, watery,
“Is this your business?” she asked. skinny.

“Well, I just think you ought to be nice to Daddy. I think

you ought to ride in that car with him! It’d sure make him happy.” E YOUR TURN

“I think you ought to go to sleep,” she said and turned out Reading Focus
What effect do you predict
the light. this argument will have on
Later I heard her arguing with my father. “We’re supposed to whether or not ‘lois’s father
keeps the Cadillac?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

120 be saving for a house!” she said.

“We’ve already got a house!” said my father.
“But you said you wanted a house in a better neighborhood.
I thought that’s what we both said!”
“I haven’t changed my mind.”
“Well, you have a mighty funny way of saving for it, then.
Your brothers are saving for houses of their own, and you don’t
see them out buying new cars every year!” D
“We’ll still get the house, Dee. That’s a promise!”
“Not with new Cadillacs we won’t!” said my mother, and
130 then she said a very loud good night, and all was quiet. E

IN OTHER WORDS Once the girls return home, they find

that their mother is still angry at their father. The narrator, ‘lois,
does not understand why her mother is giving her father a hard

The Gold Cadillac 115

 time about the car. After ‘lois goes to bed, she can hear her
A READ AND DISCUSS parents arguing about the car. Her mother is angry because they
Comprehension are supposed to be saving money for a house. She thinks that the
What does this part of the new Cadillac will keep them from being able to buy a house.
story show us about Dee’s
anger toward the Cadillac
purchase? The next day was Sunday, and everybody figured that my
mother would be sure to give in and ride in the Cadillac. After
B YOUR TURN all, the family always went to church together on Sunday. But she
Reading Focus didn’t give in. What was worse, she wouldn’t let Wilma and me
In the caravan in the story, ride in the Cadillac either. She took us each by the hand, walked
the gold Cadillac is the
leader. Knowing this, what past the Cadillac where my father stood waiting, and headed on
can you predict about how
toward the church three blocks away. I was really mad at her now.
important this car will be to
the family? I had been looking forward to driving up to the church in that
gold Cadillac and having everybody see. A
140 On most Sunday afternoons during the summertime, my
mother, my father, Wilma, and I would go for a ride. Sometimes
we just rode around the city and visited friends and family.
Sometimes we made short trips over to Chicago or Peoria or
Detroit to see relatives there or to Cleveland, where we had
C YOUR TURN relatives too, but we could also see the Cleveland Indians play.
Reading Focus Sometimes we joined our aunts and uncles and drove in a
So far, most of the story has
caravan2 out to the park or to the beach. At the park or the

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

taken place at the narrator’s
home and in a city park. beach, Wilma and I would run and play. My mother and my
Because the story is about a
car, make a prediction about
aunts would spread a picnic, and my father and my uncles
whether you think the family 150 would shine their cars. B
will stay at home or take a
trip somewhere. But on this Sunday afternoon, my mother refused to ride
anywhere. She told Wilma and me that we could go. So we left
her alone in the big, empty house, and the family cars, led by the
gold Cadillac, headed for the park. For a while I played and had
a good time, but then I stopped playing and went to sit with my
father. Despite his laughter he seemed sad to me. I think he was
missing my mother as much as I was. C

IN OTHER WORDS The next day, ‘lois’s mother makes the

girls walk with her to church, instead of riding their in the

2. A caravan (KAR UH VAN) is a group of cars traveling together.

116 The Gold Cadillac

 new Cadillac. After church, the mother refuses to go on their
weekly ride around town. She stays home while ‘lois, Wilma, C YOUR TURN
and their father drive with some other family members to the Vocabulary
park. ‘lois has a good time at first, but soon notices that her Detectives always look for
evidence when solving a
father seems sad and lonely. crime. Review the definition
of evident on the Preparing
to Read page. How are
That evening, my father took my mother to dinner down
evident and evidence
at the corner cafe. They walked. Wilma and I stayed at the house, related?

160 chasing fireflies in the backyard. My aunts and uncles sat in the
yard and on the porch, talking and laughing about the day and
watching us. It was a soft summer’s evening, the kind that came
every day and was expected. The smell of charcoal and of barbe-
cue drifting from up the block, the sound of laughter and music
D READ AND DISCUSS
and talk drifting from yard to yard were all a part of it. Soon one
of my uncles joined Wilma and me in our chase of fireflies, and Comprehension
How have these scenes
when my mother and father came home, we were at it still. My added to what we know
mother and father watched us for a while, while everybody else about ‘lois’s father and
mother?
watched them to see if my father would take out the Cadillac and
170 if my mother would slide in beside him to take a ride. But it soon
became evident that the dinner had not changed my mother’s
mind. C She still refused to ride in the Cadillac. I just couldn’t
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

understand her objection to it. D

IN OTHER WORDS When the family returns home from

the park, ‘lois’s mother and father go out to a small restaurant
down the street. After dinner, they walk back home and
watch their daughters chase fireflies. Everyone thinks that
‘lois’s mother will finally decide to take a ride in the Cadillac,
but she still refuses. This decision confuses ‘lois.

Though my mother didn’t like the Cadillac, everybody else

in the neighborhood certainly did. That meant quite a few folks
too, since we lived on a very busy block. On one corner was a
grocery store, a cleaner’s, and a gas station. Across the street
was a beauty shop and a fish market, and down the street was
a bar, another grocery store, the Dixie Theater, the cafe, and a

The Gold Cadillac 117

 180 drugstore. There were always people strolling to or from one of
A YOUR TURN these places, and because our house was right in the middle of
Literary Focus the block, just about everybody had to pass our house and the
Re-read lines 198–203. The gold Cadillac. Sometimes people took in the Cadillac as they
author takes a few lines
to tell us why “everybody walked, their heads turning for a longer look as they passed.
stopped laughing.” Do you Then there were people who just outright stopped and took
think the author would have
enough room to do this in a good look before continuing on their way. I was proud to
a short story? How might
say that car belonged to my family. I felt mighty important as
the action in this scene be
different if this was a short people called to me as I ran down the street. “’Ey, ’lois! How’s
story and not a novella?
that Cadillac, girl? Riding fine?” I told my mother how much
190 everybody liked that car. She was not impressed and made no
comment.

IN OTHER WORDS In the above paragraph, ‘lois describes

how people in their busy neighborhood always admire the gold
Cadillac. Some take a long look while strolling, or walking, by.
Others stop altogether to examine the car. ‘lois is proud that
her family’s car gets so much attention. However, her mother
does not seem to care about this.

Since just about everybody on the block knew everybody

else, most folks knew that my mother wouldn’t ride in the

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Cadillac. Because of that, my father took a lot of good-natured
kidding from the men. My mother got kidded too, as the women
said if she didn’t ride in that car, maybe some other woman
would. And everybody laughed about it and began to bet on who
would give in first, my mother or my father. But then my father
said he was going to drive the car south into Mississippi to visit
200 my grandparents, and everybody stopped laughing.
My uncles stopped.
So did my aunts.
Everybody. A
“Look here, Wilbert,” said one of my uncles, “it’s too
dangerous. It’s like putting a loaded gun to your head.”
“I paid good money for that car,” said my father. “That gives
me a right to drive it where I please. Even down to Mississippi.”

118 The Gold Cadillac

 My uncles argued with him and tried to talk him out of
driving the car south. So did my aunts, and so did the neighbors, B YOUR TURN
210 Mr. LeRoy, Mr. Courtland, and Mr. Pondexter. They said it was Vocabulary
a dangerous thing, a mighty dangerous thing, for a black man to ‘lois’s relatives seem very
worried that her father
drive an expensive car into the rural South. B might drive his Cadillac
“Not much those folks hate more’n to see a northern Negro in the “rural South.” But
they do not worry when
coming down there in a fine car,” said Mr. Pondexter. “They see he drives it around their
neighborhood. What do
those Ohio license plates, they’ll figure you coming down uppity,
these feelings tell you about
trying to lord your fine car over them!” ‘lois’s neighborhood?

I listened, but I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand why

they didn’t want my father to drive that car south. It was his.
“Listen to Pondexter, Wilbert!” cried another uncle. “We
220 might’ve fought a war to free people overseas, but we’re not free
C HERE’S HOW
here! Man, those white folks down south’ll lynch3 you soon’s look
Vocabulary
at you. You know that!” Sometimes people shiver
Wilma and I looked at each other. Neither one of us knew when they are cold. But
I can tell from what has just
what lynch2 meant, but the word sent a shiver through us. We happened that the shiver
in line 224 comes from fear.
held each other’s hand. C
I can tell that both girls are
My father was silent, then he said: “All my life I’ve had to afraid because they hold
hands in line 225.
be heedful of what white folks thought. Well, I’m tired of that.
I worked hard for everything I got. Got it honest, too. Now I got
D YOUR TURN
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

that Cadillac because I liked it and because it meant something

Reading Focus
230 to me that somebody like me from Mississippi could go and buy Until now, the novella has
it. It’s my car, I paid for it, and I’m driving it south.” D E been about ‘lois’s family
and their feelings about
the Cadillac. Now ‘lois’s
IN OTHER WORDS ‘lois’s father decides that he wants father seems upset about
his family telling him not
to drive to Mississippi to visit his parents. The rest of ‘lois’s
to go to Mississippi. Do
family panics at this idea, telling him that he is crazy for even you need to adjust your
predictions about what may
thinking about driving a Cadillac into the South. They warn happen next in the story?
him that people will see a black man from the North driving a
fancy car and get angry. They tell him that people will get so
angry that they might kill him. But ‘lois’s father refuses to back E READ AND DISCUSS
down, saying that he is sick of heeding, or paying attention
Comprehension
to, what white people think. What does the conversation
between ‘lois’s father and
his relatives show us about
3. Lynch (LIHNCH) means “kill a person without legal authority, usually by
their life?
hanging.” Lynchings are committed by violent mobs.

The Gold Cadillac 119

 Courtesy of the James Cox Gallery at Woodstock

My mother, who had said nothing through all this, now

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

stood. “Then the girls and I’ll be going too,” she said.
A HERE’S HOW
“No!” said my father.
Language Coach
I know that water in line 244 My mother only looked at him and went off to the kitchen.
talks about the drink. It is a My father shook his head. It seemed he didn’t want us to
noun. But I can change its
form by adding “-y” to the go. My uncles looked at each other, then at my father. “You set
end to make it watery. Then on doing this, we’ll all go,” they said. “That way we can watch out
it becomes an adjective, as in
“My eyes are watery.” for each other.” My father took a moment and nodded. Then my
240 aunts got up and went off to their kitchens too.
All the next day, my aunts and my mother cooked and the
house was filled with delicious smells. They fried chicken and
baked hams and cakes and sweet potato pies and mixed potato
salad. They filled jugs with water and punch and coffee. A
Then they packed everything in huge picnic baskets, along with
bread and boiled eggs, oranges and apples, plates and napkins,
spoons and forks and cups. They placed all that food on the back

120 The Gold Cadillac

 seats of the cars. It was like a grand, grand picnic we were going
on, and Wilma and I were mighty excited. We could hardly wait B READ AND DISCUSS
250 to start. Comprehension
My father, my mother, Wilma, and I got into the Cadillac. What is ‘lois thinking about
the trip?
My uncles, my aunts, my cousins got into the Ford, the Buick,
and the Chevrolet, and we rolled off in our caravan headed
south. Though my mother was finally riding in the Cadillac, she
had no praise for it. In fact, she said nothing about it at all. She
still seemed upset, and since she still seemed to feel the same
about the car, I wondered why she had insisted upon making this
trip with my father. B

IN OTHER WORDS ‘lois’s mother decides that if her

husband is going to Mississippi, she and the girls will go too.
Then the rest of the family also decides to go, to make sure
‘lois’s father completes the trip safely. The women spend the
next day cooking, packing huge picnic baskets with meals and
drinks. ‘lois and her sister get more and more excited. But ‘lois
wonders why her mother wants to come along, since she still
seems upset about the car.

We left the city of Toledo behind, drove through Bowling

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

260 Green and down through the Ohio countryside of farms and
small towns, through Dayton and Cincinnati, and across the
Ohio River into Kentucky. On the other side of the river, my
father stopped the car and looked back at Wilma and me and
said, “Now from here on, whenever we stop and there’re white
people around, I don’t want either one of you to say a word. Not
one word! Your mother and I’ll do the talking. That understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Wilma and I both said, though we didn’t truly
understand why.
My father nodded, looked at my mother, and started the car
270 again. We rolled on, down Highway 25 and through the bluegrass
hills of Kentucky. Soon we began to see signs. Signs that read:
“White Only, Colored Not Allowed.” Hours later, we left the

The Gold Cadillac 121

 Bluegrass State and crossed into Tennessee. Now we saw even
A HERE’S HOW more of the signs saying: “White Only, Colored Not Allowed.”
Literary Focus We saw the signs above water fountains and in restaurant
If this were a novel instead windows. We saw them in ice cream parlors and at hamburger
of a novella, the author
would have more room to stands. We saw them in front of hotels and motels, and on the
tell about these signs and restroom doors of filling stations. I didn’t like the signs. I felt as if
what they mean. Maybe
she could even give an I were in a foreign land. A
example by describing what
280 I couldn’t understand why the signs were there, and I asked
happened if ‘lois and her
family stopped at a “Whites my father what the signs meant. He said they meant we couldn’t
Only” restaurant.
drink from the water fountains. He said they meant we couldn’t
stop to sleep in the motels. He said they meant we couldn’t stop
B READ AND DISCUSS
to eat in the restaurants. I looked at the grand picnic basket I had
Comprehension
been enjoying so much. Now I understood why my mother had
What does ‘lois now
understand about the real packed it. Suddenly the picnic did not seem so grand. B
reason for the picnic?

IN OTHER WORDS As the family crosses into Kentucky,

C YOUR TURN
‘lois’s father warns the girls that they are not to speak at all
Reading Focus
if there are white people around. The girls are confused, but
‘lois’s father is an adult,
but the policeman calls him agree. ‘lois feels even more confused once she sees the signs
“boy” in line 295. What can
warning “colored” people to keep out of places like rest-
you predict may happen
next? Do you think the police rooms and restaurants.
will be friendly and helpful

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

to the family? Do you think
the police will be mean? Finally we reached Memphis. We got there at a bad time.
Explain the reasons for your Traffic was heavy and we got separated from the rest of the
prediction.
family. We tried to find them but it was no use. We had to go
290 on alone. We reached the Mississippi state line, and soon after,
we heard a police siren. A police car came up behind us. My
father slowed the Cadillac, then stopped. Two white policemen
got out of their car. They eyeballed the Cadillac and told my
father to get out.
“Whose car is this, boy?” they asked. C
I saw anger in my father’s eyes. “It’s mine,” he said.
“You’re a liar,” said one of the policemen. “You stole this car.”
“Turn around, put your hands on top of that car, and
spread-eagle,” said the other policeman.

122 The Gold Cadillac

 300 My father did as he was told. They searched him and I
didn’t understand why. D HERE’S HOW
I didn’t understand either why they had called my father a Reading Focus
liar and didn’t believe that the Cadillac was his. I wanted to ask, I predict that ‘lois’s father
will be all right, but her
but I remembered my father’s warning not to say a word, and I mother seems worried. I
obeyed that warning. will keep reading, and I may
have to adjust my prediction.
The policemen told my father to get in the back of the
police car. My father did. One policeman got back into the police
car. The other policeman slid behind the wheel of our Cadillac.
The police car started off. The Cadillac followed. Wilma and I
310 looked at each other and at our mother. We didn’t know what to
think. We were scared.
The Cadillac followed the police car into a small town and
stopped in front of the police station. The policeman stepped out
of our Cadillac and took the keys. The other policeman took my
father into the police station.

IN OTHER WORDS The family finally arrives in Mississippi.

However, they are separated from the rest of the caravan.
Shortly after they cross the state line, a police car pulls them
over. Two police officers ask where ‘lois’s father got the
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Cadillac. They refuse to believe that he owns it. They search

him and force him into the back of the police car. One of the
officers then begins driving the Cadillac, following the police
car to the police station. Once there, the officers bring ‘lois’s
father into the station.

“Mother-Dear!” Wilma and I cried. “What’re they going to

do to our daddy? They going to hurt him?”
“He’ll be all right,” said my mother. “He’ll be all right.” But
she didn’t sound so sure of that. She seemed worried. D
320 We waited. More than three hours we waited. Finally my
father came out of the police station. We had lots of questions to
ask him. He said the police had given him a ticket for speeding
and locked him up. But then the judge had come. My father had
paid the ticket and they had let him go.

The Gold Cadillac 123

 He started the Cadillac and drove slowly out of the town,
A YOUR TURN below the speed limit. The police car followed us. People stand-
Vocabulary ing on steps and sitting on porches and in front of stores stared
Dusk is one of many at us as we passed. Finally we were out of the town. The police
words that describe the
later part of a day. What car still followed. Dusk was falling. A The night grew black,
other words can you think 330 and finally the police car turned around and left us.
of that mean about the
same thing as dusk? We drove and drove. But my father was tired now and my
grandparents’ farm was still far away. My father said he had to get
some sleep, and since my mother didn’t drive, he pulled into a
grove of trees at the side of the road and stopped.
“I’ll keep watch,” said my mother.
“Wake me if you see anybody,” said my father.
B YOUR TURN “Just rest,” said my mother.
Reading Focus
It is easy to see that ‘lois was IN OTHER WORDS ‘lois and her mother and sister wait
scared by what happened
with her father and the outside the police station. After three hours, ‘lois’s father is
police. Make a prediction of
how this might affect her
free to go, after paying a ticket for speeding. As the family
later in the story. drives out of town, a police car follows them until it is dark.
‘lois’s father is tired, so he pulls off the road to sleep for a
while. ‘lois’s mother says that she will watch for other people
on the road.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

So my father slept. But that bothered me. I needed him
awake. I was afraid of the dark and of the woods and of whatever
340 lurked there. My father was the one who kept us safe, he and my
uncles. But already the police had taken my father away from us
once today, and my uncles were lost. B
“Go to sleep, baby,” said my mother. “Go to sleep.”
But I was afraid to sleep until my father woke. I had to help
my mother keep watch. I figured I had to help protect us too,
in case the police came back and tried to take my father away
again. There was a long, sharp knife in the picnic basket, and I
took hold of it, clutching it tightly in my hand. Ready to strike,
I sat there in the back of the car, eyes wide, searching the black-
350 ness outside the Cadillac. Wilma, for a while, searched the night
too, then she fell asleep. I didn’t want to sleep, but soon I found

124 The Gold Cadillac

 I couldn’t help myself as an unwelcome drowsiness came over
me. I had an uneasy sleep, and when I woke, it was dawn and C READ AND DISCUSS
my father was gently shaking me. I woke with a start and my Comprehension
hand went up, but the knife wasn’t there. My mother had it. My What is going on? Follow-up:
What led ‘lois’s father to this
father took my hand. “Why were you holding the knife, ’lois?” decision?
he asked.
I looked at him and at my mother. “I—I was scared,” I said.
My father was thoughtful. “No need to be scared now,
360 sugar,” he said. “Daddy’s here and so is Mother-Dear.”
Then after a glance at my mother, he got out of the car,
walked to the road, looked down it one way, then the other.
When he came back and started the motor, he turned the
Cadillac north, not south.
“What’re you doing?” asked my mother.
“Heading back to Memphis,” said my father. “Cousin
Halton’s there. We’ll leave the Cadillac and get his car. Driving
this car any farther south with you and the girls in the car, it’s just
not worth the risk.” C

IN OTHER WORDS ‘lois is afraid to sleep in the car

knowing that her father is not awake to protect them. She
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

takes a sharp knife from the picnic basket and tries to stay
awake. However, she is tired and soon falls asleep. When she
wakes up, she finds that her parents have taken away the
knife. She explains that she was holding it because she was
scared. Once he hears this, ‘lois’s father decides to drive to
Mississippi in his cousin’s less noticeable Chevrolet.

370 And so that’s what we did. Instead of driving through

Mississippi in golden splendor, we traveled its streets and roads
and highways in Cousin Halton’s solid, yet not so splendid, four-
year-old Chevy. When we reached my grandparents’ farm, my
uncles and aunts were already there. Everybody was glad to see
us. They had been worried. They asked about the Cadillac. My
father told them what had happened, and they nodded and said
he had done the best thing.

The Gold Cadillac 125

 We stayed one week in Mississippi. During that week I often
A HERE’S HOW saw my father, looking deep in thought, walk off alone across
Vocabulary 380 the family land. I saw my mother watching him. One day I ran
When I look at the word after my father, took his hand, and walked the land with him. I
ignorance, I see another
word I know better: ignore. asked him all the questions that were on my mind. I asked him
I know that if you ignore why the policemen had treated him the way they had and why
something, you refuse to
notice or do something. It people didn’t want us to eat in the restaurants or drink from the
now makes more sense to
water fountains or sleep in the hotels. I told him I just didn’t
me that ignorance means
“lack of knowledge.” You understand all that.
would definitely lack
knowledge if you refused
My father looked at me and said that it all was a difficult
to try or do something. thing to understand and he didn’t really understand it himself.
He said it all had to do with the fact that black people had once
390 been forced to be slaves. He said it had to do with our skins being
colored. He said it had to do with stupidity and ignorance. A
He said it had to do with the law, the law that said we could be
treated like this here in the South. And for that matter, he added,
any other place in these United States where folks thought the
same as so many folks did here in the South. But he also said,
“I’m hoping one day though we can drive that long road down
here and there won’t be any signs. I’m hoping one day the police
won’t stop us just because of the color of our skins and we’re

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

riding in a gold Cadillac with northern plates.”

IN OTHER WORDS The family arrives safely at ‘lois’s

grandparents’ house. But ‘lois becomes worried about her
father, who spends much of the time walking by himself and
thinking. ‘lois asks about what happened in Mississippi. Her
father explains that black people can be treated differently in
the South. He tells ‘lois that he hopes someday black people
will be able to go anywhere in the South, without fear of
being bothered or hurt.

400 When the week ended, we said a sad goodbye to my

grandparents and all the Mississippi family and headed in a
caravan back toward Memphis. In Memphis, we returned Cousin
Halton’s car and got our Cadillac. Once we were home, my father

126 The Gold Cadillac

 put the Cadillac in the garage and didn’t drive it. I didn’t hear my
mother say any more about the Cadillac. I didn’t hear my father B YOUR TURN
speak of it either. Reading Focus
Some days passed, and then on a bright Saturday afternoon Make a prediction about
what ‘lois’s father will do
while Wilma and I were playing in the backyard, I saw my father after he shines the car.
go into the garage. He opened the garage doors wide so the
410 sunshine streamed in and began to shine the Cadillac. I saw my
mother at the kitchen window staring out across the yard at my
father. For a long time, she stood there watching my father shine
his car. Then she came out and crossed the yard to the garage,
and I heard her say, “Wilbert, you keep the car.” He looked at her
as if he had not heard. B
“You keep it,” she repeated and turned and walked back to
the house.
My father watched her until the back door had shut behind
her. Then he went on shining the car and soon began to sing.
420 About an hour later he got into the car and drove away. That
evening when he came back, he was walking. The Cadillac was
nowhere in sight.
“Daddy, where’s our new Cadillac?” I demanded to know. So
did Wilma.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

He smiled and put his hand on my head. “Sold it,” he said as

my mother came into the room.
“But how come?” I asked. “We poor now?”
“No, sugar. We’ve got more money towards our new
house now, and we’re all together. I figure that makes us about
430 the richest folks in the world.” He smiled at my mother, and she
smiled too and came into his arms.

IN OTHER WORDS Once the family arrives back home,

‘lois’s father parks the Cadillac in the garage and leaves it
there. No one talks about the car. After a while, ‘lois’s father
shines the Cadillac. His wife watches him, then tells him he
should keep the car. ‘lois’s father hears her, but soon drives
away in the Cadillac. When he returns, he is walking, not

The Gold Cadillac 127

 driving. He explains to his daughters that he sold the Cadillac
A YOUR TURN to get money for a house. He also says that they are the
Vocabulary richest people in the world because they are all together.
Look at the word ragged in
line 442. Then think about After that, we drove around in an old 1930s Model A Ford
how the Ford is different
than the Cadillac. What my father had. He said he’d factory-ordered us another Mercury,
definition can you write for
this time with my mother’s approval. Despite that, most folks on
ragged?
the block figured we had fallen on hard times after such a splashy
showing of good times, and some folks even laughed at us as the
Ford rattled around the city. I must admit that at first I was pretty
much embarrassed to be riding around in that old Ford after
the splendor of the Cadillac. But my father said to hold my head
440 high. We and the family knew the truth. As fine as the Cadillac
had been, he said, it had pulled us apart for a while. Now, as
ragged and noisy as that old Ford was, we all rode in it together,
and we were a family again. So I held my head high. A
Still, though, I thought often of that Cadillac. We had had
the Cadillac only a little more than a month, but I wouldn’t
soon forget its splendor or how I’d felt riding around inside it.
I wouldn’t soon forget either the ride we had taken south in
it. I wouldn’t soon forget the signs, the policemen, or my fear.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

I would remember that ride and the gold Cadillac all my life.

© Michael Nelson/Getty Images

128 The Gold Cadillac

 IN OTHER WORDS At first, ‘lois is embarrassed to be
riding around in an old car again, instead of the Cadillac. But
she soon learns that it is better to be a happy family than to
have a glamorous car. The memories of the ride she took down
south in the Cadillac remain with her the rest of her life.

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. Talk about the Cadillac and the consequences–good and
bad–of the attention it drew from others.
2. Discuss ‘lois’s feelings as the family drove south.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The Gold Cadillac 129

Skills Practice

The Gold Cadillac

USE A PREDICTION CHART
DIRECTIONS: Look back at the prediction chart you were told to keep as
you read the story. Fill in your events and predictions below. Then, fill out
the “Result” column with what actually happened to keep track of which
predictions came true.

In the story . . . I predict . . . Because . . . Result

the narrator and her sister see that their father bought it the father drives it and is
the Cadillac happy

1.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

2.

3.

130 The Gold Cadillac

 Applying Your Skills

The Gold Cadillac

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: FORMS OF FICTION: NOVELLA
DIRECTIONS: It is important to keep track of the main, or most important,
events in a novella. On the lines below, list what you think are the five most
important events in “The Gold Cadillac.”
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: MAKING AND ADJUSTING PREDICTIONS

When you make a prediction, you are making an educated guess about
something that may happen later on in a story. Read the sentences below
and write a prediction about what may happen next.
1. My car is acting funny. It is making loud noises and is not working the
right way.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

2. All of a sudden it became really dark outside and I saw a bolt of lightning
in the sky.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. My of European history made it hard for me

to answer some of the test questions.
evident
2. He grew up in a(n) area, where there were
rural
more farms than offices.
dusk
3. It was from her embarrassed expression that
ignorance
she had forgotten to do her homework.

The Gold Cadillac 131

Preparing to Read

Making It Up As We Go:
The History of Storytelling
By Jennifer Kroll
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF POPULAR
MEDIA: MAGAZINES
Like books and newspapers, magazines have special features that tell you
what can be found inside. Here is what to look for when you pick up a
magazine:
• The cover: Art and headlines tell about the articles inside a magazine.
• The contents page: This page is usually at the front of a magazine. This
page lists the articles and tells you what pages they are on.

Before you read a magazine article, study the way that it is set up. Look at:
• The title: Most magazine articles have titles that try to catch your interest.
• The subtitle: This usually appears below the title. The subtitle tells you a
bit more about what is in the article. The name of the writer may be listed
under the subtitle.
• Headings: These are words that break the article into parts. Headings are
often printed in a size or color that makes them stand out from the article.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

It may be helpful to outline the main ideas of an article by writing down
the headings.
• Illustrations: Many articles include drawings, photos, maps, graphs, or
tables to help explain information. These are called illustrations. Sometimes
words help to explain what illustrations tell you. These are captions.

VOCABULARY
Reading prehistoric (PREE HIHS TAWR IHK) adj.: having to do with the time before written
Standard 2.1
Identify the history.
structural
features permanent (PUR MUH NUHNT) adj.: lasting; unchanging.
of popular
media (e.g., intriguing (IHN TREE GIHNG) adj.: causing great interest.
newspapers,
magazines,
online INTO THE ARTICLE
information)
and use the People have told stories before they even had written language. This is called
features the oral, or spoken, tradition. Read more about the history of storytelling in
to obtain
information. this magazine article.

132 Making It Up as We Go: The History of Storytelling

 © Richard Hutchings/PhotoEdit, Inc.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Making It Up as We Go: The History of Storytelling 133

 A HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I am not sure what oxen
are, but they must be a kind
of animal. The dictionary
says oxen are “bulls used to
do heavy work on a farm.”
There must have been large
paintings of animals in the
A
cave for Maria to think they
looked like the animals on
her family’s farm.

B READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
What has the author told us
in this first section?

C HERE’S HOW B
Reading Focus C
This is one of the headings
in this magazine article.
The headings will help me
to know what each section
is about. As I read, I will look D
for more headings in the text.

D YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
An invention is something

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

that has been created that
did not exist before. Why is IN OTHER WORDS In 1879, a girl named Maria found
writing a recent invention?
paintings of animals in a cave. Since then, other paintings
have been found in many caves in Spain and France. We do
not know what these drawings mean, but they may have been
used to tell stories. Maria and her father also found tools,
shells, and bones. These items were probably left behind by
people that lived a very long time ago. Because these people
used stone tools, the time that they lived is called the Stone
Age. People in the Stone Age did not write like we do. But
they had stories. Maybe they stood in a cave and used pictures
to tell a story.

134 Making It Up as We Go: The History of Storytelling

 E READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
The author has given us
many facts here. What is the
point of this information?

E
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS Illustrations can help a reader picture

the information in an article. Here, the table shows some
examples of Sumerian writing. Instead of writing words, the
Sumerians used drawings. They had different drawings for
different things. These drawings changed over time.
How new is writing? People lived for many thousands
of years without writing. Even today, people speak many
different languages that are never written down.

Making It Up as We Go: The History of Storytelling 135

 C

A HERE’S HOW A
Vocabulary
The word detailed is an
adjective meaning “having
many features or facts.” This
tells me that the Sumerians’
records were well kept and
had a lot of information.

B YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
How do headings like this
one help you read the
article?

C YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Circle the caption for this
photograph.

D HERE’S HOW

Language Coach

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

My teacher told me the
word origin of the word
IN OTHER WORDS One of the first groups of people to
intriguing. Intriguing comes
start writing was the Sumerians. The Sumerians started a
from the Latin root word
intricare. Intricare means writing system called cuneiform (KYOO nih form). They used
“to tangle up.” I know that
intriguing means “causing
marks in business and in the government. They also used
great interest.” I think marks to write down stories. Before they started writing,
something that is “tangled
up” and not easily figured Sumerians told stories out loud. Groups of people that tell
out can be very interesting. stories from person to person have an oral tradition. Written
stories stay the same. But oral stories change every time a
different storyteller tells them. We still tell stories by word of
mouth. Think about when you tell a story to a friend. The
story always changes when someone new tells it.

136 Making It Up as We Go: The History of Storytelling

 Applying Your Skills

Making It Up As We Go:
The History of Storytelling
COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. The author talks about both written and oral, or spoken, communication.
What are some other types of communication that we use today?

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF POPULAR

MEDIA: MAGAZINES
DIRECTIONS: Think of a popular story that gets repeated in your family or
group of friends. Imagine that you are writing this story for a magazine
article. Write a title and a subtitle for the story. Then come up with at least
two headings that will give the reader an idea of the main parts of the story.
Title:

Subtitle:

Heading 1:

Heading 2:

VOCABULARY REVIEW
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. Something that is written down becomes

because it cannot be changed.
prehistoric
2. people drew pictures to tell stories because
permanent
they did not have a written language.
intriguing
3. I found this article very because I learned
about something I am interested in.

Making it Up as We Go: The History of Storytelling 137

Preparing to Read

Iraqi Treasures Hunted

By Barbara Bakowski
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF POPULAR
MEDIA: NEWSPAPERS
All newspapers are divided into special parts. Each part helps readers
understand certain information. When you read a newspaper, look for:
• The different sections. One section may have stories about events around
the world. Another might have stories about sports.
• A headline calls attention to a news article. The words in a headline
usually appear in large, dark letters. A good headline explains what the
article will tell you.
• A byline under the headline tells who wrote the story. Sometimes a
dateline will begin the article. A dateline tells the place where the news
happened. A dateline often tells the date when the article was written.
• The beginning of a news article is called the lead. A news lead often
answers these questions: Who, What, When, Where, How? The most
important information in a news article appears in the lead.
• Some articles have pictures. Words that explain the pictures in an article
are called captions. Some articles may have special boxes with extra

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

information. These boxes are called sidebars.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
recovered (RIH KUHV UHRD) v.: got back something that was lost.
civilizations (SIHV UH LUH ZAY SHUHNZ) n.: advanced way of life of a large group
of people.
Reading
Standard 2.1 authorities (UH THAWR UH TEEZ) n.: people with responsibility for something.
Identify the
structural
features INTO THE ARTICLE
of popular
media (e.g., In March 2003, troops from the United States and other countries invaded
newspapers, Iraq. In April, after many hard battles, those troops reached Baghdad, Iraq’s
magazines,
online capital. Troops were ordered to guard important government buildings,
information)
and use the but one building was overlooked. It was the National Museum. Inside the
features museum were thousands of valuable objects from the ancient land. These
to obtain
information. objects included some of the nation’s greatest treasures.

138 Iraqi Treasures Hunted

 Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Iraqi Treasures Hunted

139
 A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
What does the author’s
A
lead tell us about the Iraqi
treasures in the headline?
I will answer the questions
below to help me understand. D
Who?–looters, or thieves
What?–stole thousands of
items
When?–four years ago
Where?–Iraq
B
C
B HERE’S HOW

Language Coach
I know the definition of
the word civilization– “the
advanced ways of life of a
large group of people.” The
word civilized is very similar
to civilization. From my
definition of the base word
civilization, I can guess that
civilized means “a person or
culture that is advanced.”

C HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I know from the first two
paragraphs that looters have
removed and stolen items
from places in Iraq. Looters

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

must be thieves, or people
that steal. IN OTHER WORDS Thieves stole thousands of items from
Iraq’s National Museum. People are stealing from dig sites,
D READ AND DISCUSS
where scientists look for buried objects. Some of these objects
Comprehension come from the world’s earliest cities. Iraq is in a land called
What do the inventions of
people in Mesopotamia tell Mesopotamia. The world’s first cities started in Mesopotamia.
us about early civilization Long ago, people in this land improved farming, measured
there?
time, wrote laws, and invented a vehicle with wheels. They
also invented one of the earliest types of writing in the
world. Iraq’s National Museum held important objects from
Mesopotamia. In the confusion after U.S. soldiers arrived,
people stole many statues and coins from the museum.

140 Iraqi Treasures Hunted

 E YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Why do you think that the
writer put this information
in a sidebar?

E
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS This is a full-page sidebar. It is separate

from the rest of the article. This sidebar gives the reader more
information about which items were found, and which are
still missing.

Iraqi Treasures Hunted 141

 A
A YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
A policy is an official course
of action. What other word
in this paragraph looks like
the word policy?

B HERE’S HOW B
C
Vocabulary
I am not sure what the word
public means. I think I can
D
figure it out by looking at
the surrounding sentences.
The author says the National
Museum is “closed to the
public.” I think the public are
all the people that will visit
the museum. I checked my
dictionary, and public means
“all the people of a city or
nation.” This is very close to
my definition!

C HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
I can see how the headlines
help me read this article. Just
by looking at the headlines,
I learn that objects were
stolen and returned, but that

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the stealing continues. IN OTHER WORDS Officials said that they would not
arrest anyone that turned in a missing item. Some items were
D READ AND DISCUSS turned in or found in Iraq. Other items have been found in
Comprehension other countries and returned to Iraq. It will take a long time to
Why have Iraqi officials
find more of the objects. The National Museum is still closed.
made it against the law to
remove objects from dig sites People are still stealing from dig sites in Iraq. It is illegal in
without permission?
Iraq to take objects from dig sites. But thieves are still able to
take expensive items out of the country. It is easy for people
to sell these items because the items have not been officially
photographed yet.

142 Iraqi Treasures Hunted

 Applying Your Skills

Iraqi Treasures Hunted

COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. Why do history professors think the loss of these Iraqi treasures is a loss
for the whole world?

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF POPULAR MEDIA:

NEWSPAPERS
DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following questions.
1. In which part of the newspaper would you find this article?
A. Comics B. Sports C. World News
2. One thing you cannot tell from the headline is
A. that things of value are lost. B. that people are looking for the items.
C. when the valuable items were stolen.
3. The byline of the article tells you
A. the most important information. B. who wrote the article.
C. how the treasures were stolen.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. The decided to make it illegal to remove

anything from dig sites without permission.
recovered
civilizations 2. Thankfully, officials many of the lost objects.

authorities 3. All have some form of communication.

Iraqi Treasures Hunted 143

Preparing to Read

CAVE Online
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF POPULAR
MEDIA: WEB SITE
At one time, writers who needed information about a subject could only
look in books, magazines, or newspapers. Today, we all have another
important place we can go to find information–the Internet.

There are many ways to find information on the Internet. You can go to a
Web site. But first you need to know the URL (uniform resource locator).
The URL is the address of the site. Sometimes you may need to use a search
engine to find information. This will give a long list of Web sites that have
the information you are searching for. You can click on the site name and
go to the one you have chosen.

Most Web sites are alike in certain ways. Here’s how:

• Most of the information that can be found on a Web site is explained on
the site’s home page. The home page often has words in the middle of
the screen or to the side explaining what the site has to offer.
• A table of contents may also appear. It shows the other pages on the site.
You can usually get to those pages by clicking on the title.
• Look for links at a site’s home page. You can click on links to visit other
pages.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY
With a partner, practice saying these words out loud.
techniques (TEHK NEEKS) n.: ways of doing activities.
Reading projection (PRUH JEHKT SHUHN) n.: display of an image made by shining light
Standard 2.1
Identify the through a small version of the image.
structural
features vivid (VIHV IHD) adj.: producing strong, clear images.
of popular
media (e.g.,
newspapers,
magazines,
INTO THE ARTICLE
online What would you do if you had to write a paper for school about art in
information)
and use the prehistoric caves? What if your library did not have books or magazines
features about the subject? One thing you could try is to use a search engine. From
to obtain
information. there, you will find many Web sites like the one that follows.

144 CAVE Online

 A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
This is the CAVE homepage.
To learn more about CAVE,
I can click the “ABOUT” link
on the bar next to “HOME.”

A
B READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
How does technology fit into
the world of prehistoric art?

C YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Look at the table of contents
on this page. Circle it. What
other articles are in this issue
of CAVE?

© Gianni Dagli/Corbis
B C D

D HERE’S HOW

Language Coach
When you learn to
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

pronounce unfamiliar words,

pay attention to which
syllable is stressed. Projection
has three syllables. The
IN OTHER WORDS This is the CAVE homepage. Here we second syllable (JEHKT) is
stressed.
see an article about cave paintings. Imagine a group of artists
copying art from a cave in France. These artists use technology
to make the copy look like the original paintings.

CAVE Online 145

 © Petit Philippe/Paris-Match/GAMMA/Newscom
A HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I am not sure what replica
means. I know from the
paragraph that the artists are
making a copy. I think that a
replica is a copy. I looked up
replica in the dictionary, and
it means “an exact copy,” so
I was right.

B HERE’S HOW A

Vocabulary
Even though I do not know
what bison or stags are, I can
look at context clues to help B C
me. I know that the rock
paintings also show horses
and other animals, so bison
and stags must be kinds of
animals.

C YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
Talents are skills that people
have. An artist who has
talents can draw really well.
What other talents might an
artist have?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS This copy will go to cities around
the world to show people what cave art looks like. The first
showing will be in Paris in 2008. Paintings in the Lascaux cave
in France show many different animals. The cave also has
images from a hunt. The artists were very skilled. So many
people used to visit the caves that the paintings were being
damaged. Today the cave is closed to visitors, but a professor
has created life-like photographs that let people see what the
caves look like. These photos created a “virtual visit” of the
caves. This means that people do not have to visit the caves to
see the art on the wall–they can look at the photos!

146 CAVE Online

 © Sisse Brimberg/National Geographic Images/
E YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Circle the links to other Web

Getty Images
sites on this page.

E
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS This page has a list of links on the left.

These links will take you to other Web sites. These other Web
Sites have information that may be interesting to people on
the CAVE homepage.

CAVE Online 147

Skills Practice

CAVE Online
USE A WEB SITE TABLE
DIRECTIONS: Use a search engine to find the official home page for your home
city or state. Fill in the table below with information about the Web site you
have visited.

Search engine used:

URL of Web site:

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Describe what the
home page looks like:

Is there a table of contents?

What is listed in the table of contents?

Are there links to other Web sites?

What are some of the links?

148 CAVE Online

 Applying Your Skills

CAVE Online
COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. Why might it be surprising to find modern technology linked to prehistoric
works of art?

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF POPULAR

MEDIA: WEB SITE
DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of the best answer to each question below.
1. The main purpose of this Web site is to
A. warn people to be careful when they go into prehistoric caves.
B. tell more about the teens who discovered Lascaux Cave.
C. explain how modern tools are being used to copy prehistoric paintings.
D. tell people how to find the Lascaux cave.
2. Where would you go on the Web site if you wanted to learn about other
information on the site?
A. the blank search box B. the home page
C. the caption D. the outside links box
3. Suppose a Web site has the following items in its table of contents. Which
one will you click on to find out what topics have already been covered on
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the Web site?

A. IN THIS ISSUE B. ABOUT
C. PAST ISSUES D. NEWS BOARD

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm One of the words will not be used.

techniques 1. The bright colors and strong pictures created a __________ picture.
projection 2. Writers use different ____________ to express different ideas.
vivid

CAVE Online 149

Skills Review

Chapter 4
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Circle the correct example for each of the vocabulary words.
1. recovered
Joyce told us our snake was lost.
Joyce told us she had found our snake.

2. duo
Ben and Peter performed the song together.
Ben, Miriam, and Peter performed the song together.

3. intriguing
The explorer described the exciting details of his travels.
The explorer told a long, boring story about his travels.

4. rural
Scott’s family bought a farm in the country.
Scott’s family bought an apartment in the city.

5. cast
Allison and Abe decided to write their own play.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Allison and Abe had important parts in the school play.

DIRECTIONS: Match each vocabulary word with its definition. Write the letter of
the each word on the line next to the correct definition.

1. important parts or features a. interpret

2. idea of how something is or could be b. characteristics
3. show or express c. indicate
4. decide on the meaning of something d. concept

150 Forms of Fiction

 Skills Review

Chapter 4
LANGUAGE COACH: PRONUNCIATION AND FLUENCY
DIRECTIONS: Practice pronouncing the following words: day, face, wait. Do
you notice that you say the “a” sound the same way for all three words? This
is called a long “a” sound. Say the words below aloud, and circle any words
with the long “a” sound.

damage Cadillac talented making ancient

jammed paintings cave cast laser

ORAL LANGUAGE ACTIVITY

DIRECTIONS: As you have learned, people used to tell stories even before there
was a written language. With a partner, practice telling a story. Your story can
be about something you have read or watched on TV. Your story can be a fam-
ily story passed down from your relatives. Once you have practiced telling your
story to your partner, tell it to the class.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Review 151
 5
Chapter

Poetry
Elements of

© Greg Pease/Getty Images

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 5

LITERARY VOCABULARY
rhyme (RYM) v.: end with the same vowel or vowel-consonant sound.
The words “clown” and “noun” rhyme; they both end in an “ow”
sound followed by an “n” sound.
free verse (FREE VERS) n.: poetry that does not have a regular meter
or rhyme.
Gary Soto’s “Ode to Mi Gato” is a poem written in free verse.
metaphor (MEHT UH FAWR) n.: comparison of two unlike things.
“The moon is a pearl on the dark cloth of night” is an example of a
metaphor.
simile (SIHM IH LEE) n.: comparison between unlike things using like or as.
“The football player was built like a brick wall” is an example of a
simile.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
appreciate (UH PREE SHEE AYT) v.: understand and enjoy the good parts of
something.
I can appreciate the rhyming words and deeper meanings in Dr. Seuss’s
poetry.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

detect (DIH TEHKT) v.: find something that is not easy to see or hear.
I am going to re-read this poem to see if I can detect a deeper meaning.
device (DIH VYS) n.: way of achieving a certain purpose.
Using imagery in writing is a device for creating poetry.
visual (VIHZH U UHL) adj.: having to do with seeing or sight.
A writer can give many details to help readers get a visual for what he
or she is writing about.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 153

Literary Skills Focus

How Does Poetry Make You See?

The sounds and words in a poem can help you see things the way the poet does. Here are some of the
sounds and language of poetry that express the poet’s meaning and tone, or attitude toward his or her
subject or audience.
• The rhythm in a poem is the repeated sound pattern. In poetry the rhythm is called meter. Meter is a
regular pattern of hard and soft beats. The hard beats are called stressed syllables. The soft beats are
called unstressed syllables. The following lines from a poem are marked with stressed and unstressed
syllables. The symbol ‘ shows the stressed syllables. The symbol ˘ shows the unstressed syllables.

• Words rhyme when they end with the same vowel or vowel-consonant sound. Most rhymes in poetry
are end rhymes, in which the last word of one line of the poem rhymes with the last word of another
line. Sometimes poets do not rhyme any of the lines in a poem. This is called free verse.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

• A rhyme scheme is the pattern of end rhymes in a poem. You can mark a rhyme scheme in a poem
by labeling words that rhyme with the same letter of the alphabet. In the example from “The
Sneetches” that you read above, the rhyme scheme is a-b-a-b.
• Rhythm and rhyme are forms of repetition. There are other kinds of repetition in poetry. A group
of lines that repeats is called a refrain. A consonant sound that repeats in nearby words is called
alliteration.
• Sometimes poets compare two very different ideas or objects in creative ways. A comparison of two
different things is called figurative language. One type of figurative language in poetry is metaphor.
A metaphor compares two different things without using comparison words, such as like and as.
A simile also compares two things, but it does use comparison words.

154 Title
Literary Skills Focus
 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Analyze Sounds, Metaphor,

and Tone
Think of your favorite song. Complete the chart below with examples from
that song. Then use that chart to describe the tone of your favorite song.

Title of the song

Description of the rhythm: Is it fast or
slow?

Some rhymes from the song

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Tone of the song (for example, happy, sad,

angry, fearful)

Literary Skills Focus 155

Reading Skills Focus

How Do You Read Poetry?

The way you read a poem is different from the way you read
a short story or novel. Here are some steps for reading a poem.
1. Pay attention to the title. Think about the images and the feelings
it expresses.
2. Read the poem silently. Pause briefly at commas and semicolons. Pause
longer at periods. If there is no punctuation at the end of a line, do not
pause.
3. Read the poem aloud to hear how it sounds. Feel the poem’s rhythm.
Listen for the poem’s rhyme and repetition of lines, words, and sounds.
4. Pay attention to word choice. Poets choose each word for a reason.
5. Visualize the poem’s images. Think about the feelings they express.
6. Identify figurative language. Look for metaphors and similes. Ask
yourself what feelings these comparisons create.
7. Finally, think about how all of these elements come together in the
poem. Ask yourself: What is the poem’s tone? What message or meaning
does the poem express?

After you read the poem once silently, read it again. When you re-read
the poem, read it aloud. Listen carefully to the sounds. Focus on figurative
language and images. Think about how the sounds and words express the

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

meaning of the poem.

Another way to understand a poem is questioning. Questioning is a reading

strategy that is like having a conversation with the poet. You ask questions
about what you read and record your observations. Use a chart like the one
below to record your observations and questions about a poem.

156 Title
Reading Skills Focus
 Reading Skills Focus

Your Turn: Read Poetry

Work with a partner. Choose a song that you both know. Use a copy of the
lyrics, or words, from the song to answer the following questions.
1. Read the song lyrics silently using the steps for reading a poem. What is
the meaning and tone of the song?

2. Choose one person to re-read the lyrics aloud. What sounds do you hear
that help convey the meaning and tone of the song?

3. Have the other partner re-read the lyrics aloud. As a pair, fill in a
Questioning chart about the song.

Observations Questions Answers

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading Skills Focus 157

Preparing to Read

The Sneetches
By Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: RHYTHM AND RHYME
Rhythm is the musical quality made by repeated sound patterns. Meter is
a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Words with endings
that sound alike are called rhymes. For example, nose and rose are words
that rhyme. Dr. Seuss uses rhythm and rhyme to help make this poem
move quickly along. As you read, though, think about the serious tone, or
attitude, and meaning that this poem has.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: READING A POEM

Dr. Seuss uses fun and entertaining language in his poetry. His poetry is
meant to be read aloud. So, the first time you read a Dr. Seuss poem—or
any poem—just read to enjoy it! Then you can go back and read more
closely. In many poems, the last word in one line will rhyme with the last
word in another line. This is called an end rhyme. The pattern of end
rhymes is called the rhyme scheme. An easy way to figure out the rhyme
scheme of any poem is shown below:
1. Mark the first line of a poem and all other lines that rhyme with it
with an a.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

2. Then mark the next line and all the lines that rhyme with it with a b.
3. Keep doing this whenever there is a new rhyme.

To scan a poem, or identify its meter, mark each stressed syllable with the
symbol ‘. Then mark each unstressed syllable with the symbol ˘.

VOCABULARY
keen (KEEN) adj.: eager; very excited.
guaranteed (GAIR EN TEED) adj.: certain.
peculiar (PEH KYOOL YUR) adj.: strange.

INTO THE POEM

Dr. Suess is the well-known pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel. He wrote
and drew many children’s books. In this poem, he uses funny language
to make a serious point. Dr. Seuss was known for this style of writing.

158 The Sneetches

 The Sneetches
By Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)

Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches

Had bellies with stars.
A HERE’S HOW
The Plain-Belly Sneetches
Reading Focus
Had none upon thars. A I want to figure out the
rhyme scheme for this poem.
5 Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small I see that stars in line 2
You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all. rhymes with thars in line 4.
These are called end rhymes.
But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches
Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.” B READ AND DISCUSS
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort Comprehension
10 “We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!” What has Dr. Seuss set up
as the conflict between
And whenever they met some, when they were out walking, Sneetches? Follow-up: What
They’d hike right on past them without even talking. B does the way the Star-Belly
Sneetches treat the Plain-
When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball, Belly Sneetches show us
about them?
Could a Plain-Belly get in the game . . .? Not at all.
15 You only could play if their bellies had stars
C HERE’S HOW
And the Plain-Belly children had none upon thars. C
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Literary Focus
When I read a poem, I
IN OTHER WORDS In this poem there are two types of know how important it is
creatures, called Sneetches. One group has stars on their to understand every word.
I know that thars is not an
stomachs. The other does not. This difference has led those actual word. Dr. Seuss has
made it up it to rhyme with
with stars to believe that they are “better” than Sneetches
“stars.” But I can tell from
without stars. Those feelings have been passed on to the the words around thars that
it means “theirs.”
children Sneetches, as well.

“The Sneetches” from The Sneetches and

Other Stories by Dr. Seuss. Copyright
© 1953, 1954, 1961 and renewed © 1989
by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. Reproduced
by permission of Random House Children’s
Books, a division of Random House,Inc.
and electronic format by permission of
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.

The Sneetches 159

 When the Star-Belly Sneetches had frankfurter roasts,
A HERE’S HOW Or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts,
Reading Focus They never invited the Plain-Belly Sneetches
The rhyme scheme in lines 20 They left them out in the cold, in the dark of the beaches.
17–22 is as follows:
Line 17—A They kept them away. Never let them come near.
Line 18—A And that’s how they treated them year after year. A
Line 19—B
Line 20—B When ONE day, it seems . . . while the Plain-Belly Sneetches
Line 21—C
Line 22—C Were moping and doping alone on the beaches,
25 Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars . . .
B HERE’S HOW A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars!
Language Coach “My friends,” he announced in a voice clear and keen,
The word guaranteed is
often spelled wrong because “My name is Sylvester McMonkey McBean.
it has tricky vowel sounds. And I’ve heard of your troubles, I’ve heard you’re unhappy.
Guaranteed also has a long
-e- sound. The only way to 30 But I can fix that. I’m the Fix-it-Up Chappie.
spell and pronounce words
And I’ve come here to help you. I have what you need.
like this correctly is to
memorize them. And my prices are low. And I work at great speed.
And my work is one hundred per cent guaranteed!” B
C YOUR TURN Then, quickly, Sylvester McMonkey McBean
Reading Focus 35 Put together a very peculiar machine.
Lines 27–37 can be great And he said, “You want stars like a Star-Belly Sneetch . . . ?
fun when read aloud! The
language Dr. Seuss uses My friends, you can have them for three dollars each!” C

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

is playful and fun to say.
Read these lines out loud “Just pay me your money and hop right aboard!”
and listen to the “music” of
Dr. Seuss’s poetry!
So they clambered inside. D Then the big machine roared
40 And it klonked. And it bonked. And it jerked. And it berked
D HERE’S HOW And it bopped them about. But the thing really worked!

Vocabulary
When the Plain-Belly Sneetches popped out, they had stars!
I am not sure what They actually did. They had stars upon thars!
clambered means. From the
context of the word, I think it
IN OTHER WORDS The Plain-Belly Sneetches are unhappy
might mean “climbed,” since
the Sneetches clambered that they are not treated equally. One day, a stranger arrives
inside the car. I checked my
dictionary to be sure, and it and promises them that he can solve their problem. He builds
says “climbed quickly using
a machine that puts stars on the Plain-Belly Sneetches.
the hands and feet.”

160 The Sneetches

 Then they yelled at the ones who had stars at the start.
45 “We’re exactly like you! You can’t tell us apart, E READ AND DISCUSS
We’re all just the same now, you snooty old smarties! Comprehension
And now we can go to your frankfurter parties.” How are the original Star-
Belly Sneetches reacting to
“Good grief!” groaned the ones who had stars at the first. the news? Follow-up: The
original Star-Belly Sneetches
We’re still the best Sneetches and they are the worst. say they are still the best
50 But, now, how in the world will we know,” they all frowned, Sneetches and the others
are the worst, even though
“If which kind is what, or the other way around?” E they all have stars now. What
does this thinking tell us
Then up came McBean with a very sly wink about the situation?
And he said, “Things are not quite as bad as you think.
So you don’t know who’s who. That is perfectly true. F YOUR TURN

55 But come with me, friends. Do you know what I’ll do? Vocabulary
I’ll make you again, the best Sneetches on beaches What do you think the word
contraption means? Read the
And all it will cost you is ten dollars eaches.” surrounding sentences to get
an idea of the definition, and
“Belly stars are no longer in style,” said McBean. write it below. You can check
What you need is a trip through my Star-Off Machine. a dictionary to make sure
your definition is correct.
60 This wondrous contraption will take off your stars F
So you won’t look like Sneetches who have them on thars.”
And that handy machine
Working very precisely
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Removed all the stars from their tummies quite nicely.

65 Then, with snoots in the air, they paraded about
And they opened their beaks and they let out a shout,
“We know who is who! Now there isn’t a doubt.
The best kind of Sneetches are Sneetches without.”

The Sneetches 161

 IN OTHER WORDS The first Star-Belly Sneetches are upset
A HERE’S HOW because they are no longer different. It is hard to tell who is
Vocabulary “better.” The stranger sees a chance to make more money.
Synonyms are words that He offers to remove the stars from the Star-Belly Sneetches.
have the same or nearly
the same meaning. A good Now the first Star-Belly Sneetches say that it is better not to
synonym for frightfully here
have a star.
is terribly—wearing a star
would be terribly bad.
Then, of course, those with stars all got frightfully mad.
B YOUR TURN
70 To be wearing a star now was frightfully bad. A
Then, of course, old Sylvester McMonkey McBean
Reading Focus
What is the rhyme scheme in Invited them into his Star-Off Machine. B
lines 69–72?
Then, of course from THEN on, as you probably guess,
Things really got into a horrible mess.
75 All the rest of the day, on those wild screaming beaches,
The Fix-it-Up Chappie kept fixing up Sneetches.
Off again! On again!
In again! Out again!
Through the machines they raced round and about again,
80 Changing their stars every minute or two.
They kept paying money. They kept running through
Until neither the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Whether this one was that one . . . or that one was this one
Or which one was what one . . . or what one was who.

IN OTHER WORDS Soon the new Star-Belly Sneetches copy

the old Star-Belly Sneetches and have their stars removed. The
Sneetches cannot keep track of who is “better.” Meanwhile,
the stranger with the machine continues to make money.

85 Then, when their last cent

Of their money was spent,
The Fix-it-Up Chappie packed up
And he went.
And he laughed as he drove
90 In his car up the beach,

162 The Sneetches

 “They never will learn,
No. You can’t teach a Sneetch!” C READ AND DISCUSS

But McBean was quite wrong, I’m quite happy to say Comprehension
How does McBean influence
That the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day.
the behavior of the
95 The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches Sneetches? Follow-up: How
do the Sneetches react when
And no kind of Sneetch is the best at the beaches. McBean finally leaves?
That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars
And whether they had one, or not, upon thars. C

IN OTHER WORDS The stranger finally packs up his

machine and leaves. He thinks the Sneetches are foolish
to care about differences, but he has made a great deal of
money from their foolishness. However, the Sneetches soon
understand that none of the trouble would have happened if
they had not made such a big deal about stars. They decide
that all Sneetches are the same.

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. Talk about the way the clothes we wear might make
others think about us. What does this poem teach us about
thinking in those terms?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

2. Talk about the character of McBean and the different ways

people like him show up in everyday life.

The Sneetches 163

Skills Practice

The Sneetches
USE A RHYME SCHEME CHART
DIRECTIONS: Use the charts below to figure out rhyme schemes from “The
Sneetches.”

In the first blank space under “Rhyme,” you will see the letter “A.” Now,
write an “A” next to any other word that rhymes with “Sneetches.” When a
new word comes up, write a “B,” and so on. Fill in both charts, below.

Lines 7–12 Rhyme

But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches A

Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.”

With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and

they’d snort
“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”
And whenever they met some, when they were
out walking,
They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Lines 85–92 Rhyme
Then, when their last cent

Of their money was spent,

The Fix-it-Up Chappie packed up

And he went.

And he laughed as he drove

In his car up the beach,

“They never will learn,

No. You can’t teach a Sneetch!”

164 The Sneetches

 Applying Your Skills

The Sneetches
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: RHYTHM AND RHYME
DIRECTIONS: What are some words that rhyme with the words below? For
each word, think of a word that rhymes and write it on the line. If you cannot
think of a word that rhymes, then make one up, like Dr. Seuss!
1. faces
2. dreams
3. sky
4. smile
Now that you have some rhymes, try to write two lines of poetry!

READING SKILLS FOCUS: READING A POEM

DIRECTIONS: With a partner, take turns reading parts of “The Sneetches” out
loud. Choose five to ten lines of text that you really like, and read them to a
partner. Then, answer the following questions.
1. What are some of the differences between reading the poem to your self
and hearing it read out loud?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

2. Was it fun to read the text out loud to a partner? Explain your answer.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Decide if the word pairs below are synonyms (words with nearly
the same definition) or antonyms (words with opposite definitions). Write your
answers on the blanks.
1. guaranteed & certain:
2. peculiar & normal:
3. keen & eager:

The Sneetches 165

Preparing to Read

John Henry
by an anonymous African American
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: REPETITION AND REFRAIN
In poetry, some words, phrases, and stanzas may be repeated again and
again. This is called repetition. Poets use repetition to call attention to
important ideas and create a tone. Tone is the speaker’s attitude towards a
subject. One kind of repetition is a refrain—a group of words or lines that is
repeated throughout a poem. In music, for example, the refrain of a song is
sometimes called its chorus. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most famous speech is
built on the refrain ”I have a dream.”

READING SKILLS FOCUS: QUESTIONING

As you read, write down any questions you have about the poem.
Questioning a poem is one of the best ways to understand and enjoy what
you read. Sometimes you may ask questions that you can answer right away.
Other times you will have to finish reading the poem before the answers to
your questions become clear. Writing your questions down is a good way to
review a poem after you have read it. Here are examples of some questions
to ask while reading a poem:
• What just happened?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

• What does that mean?
• Why does the poet say that?

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
captain (KAP TUHN) n.: person in charge of others.
whop (HWOP) v.: strike forcefully.
locomotive (LOH KUH MOH TIV) n.: steam-powered railroad car that pulls the rest
of the train.

INTO THE POEM

Nobody knows for sure if John Henry was a real person or not. People
began singing this song about him in the 1870s—over a hundred years ago!
This poem is an example of a ballad, or a poem, about a hero or important
event that is meant to be sung.

166 John Henry

 John Henry
by an anonymous African American

California, Palmer C. Hayden Collection, gift of Miriam A. Hayden.

C. Hayden. The Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles,
John Henry on the Right, Steam Drill on the Left, by Palmer
A HERE’S HOW

Language Coach
These first five lines are a
good example of hyperbole.
Hyperbole stretches the truth
in order to make a point
about something—it’s an
exaggeration. The poem says
“John Henry was about three
days old” when he picked
up a hammer. This cannot be
true—three days old is too
young! I will look for other
examples of hyperbole as I
read on.

John Henry was about three days old

B HERE’S HOW
Sittin’ on his papa’s knee.
He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel Vocabulary
I know that captain means
Said, “Hammer’s gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord! “person in charge of others.”
5 Hammer’s gonna be the death of me.” A There can be captains on
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

boats or sports teams. In this

case, the captain is in charge
IN OTHER WORDS As a baby, John Henry picked up a of John Henry’s worksite.

hammer and a piece of steel. He then guessed that a hammer

C HERE’S HOW
would cause his death someday.
Literary Focus
The captain said to John Henry, I can see the refrain in this
poem. In each section, the
“Gonna bring that steam drill ‘round fifth line repeats some of the
Gonna bring that steam drill out on the job fourth line.

Gonna whop that steel on down, Lord, Lord! B

10 Whop that steel on down.” C

IN OTHER WORDS John Henry is an adult now. His boss

(the captain) tells him that he is getting a steam drill. The drill
will pound steel against rock to dig holes in mountains. This is
the same job that John Henry does with a hammer.
John Henry 167
 John Henry told his captain,
A READ AND DISCUSS “A man ain’t nothin’ but a man
Comprehension But before I let your steam drill beat me down
What have you learned I’d die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord!
about John Henry so far?
15 I’d die with a hammer in my hand.” A

B YOUR TURN
IN OTHER WORDS John Henry tells his boss that he is only
Literary Focus
human, but he believes he can do his job as well as the machine.
What effect does the
repetition of “listen to John Henry promises to beat the machine or die trying.
that cold steel ring” have
in lines 19–20?
John Henry said to his shaker,1
“Shaker, why don’t you sing?
I’m throwing thirty pounds from my hips on down2
Just listen to that cold steel ring, Lord, Lord!
20 Listen to that cold steel ring.” B

IN OTHER WORDS John Henry works with a shaker, a man

that holds a steel drill in place for him to strike with a hammer
and dig into the rock. Henry tells the shaker that he should
C HERE’S HOW sing along to the sound of the hammer striking the steel.

Reading Focus
John Henry said to his shaker,
At this point I am

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

questioning what “buryin’ “Shaker, you’d better pray
day” means. Because John ‘Cause if I miss that little piece of steel
Henry is swinging the
hammer so hard, he could kill Tomorrow be your buryin’ day, Lord, Lord!
the shaker if he strikes him.
So I think that John Henry
25 Tomorrow be your buryin’ day.” C
means that the shaker’s
funeral could be tomorrow. IN OTHER WORDS John Henry says that the shaker should
pray while he holds the drill. If John Henry misses with his
hammer, he could hit the shaker and kill him.

The shaker said to John Henry,

“I think this mountain’s cavin’ in!”
John Henry said to his shaker, “Man,

1. shaker: worker who holds the drill for John Henry to strike.
2. throwing thirty pounds from my hips on down: a description of John
Henry’s movement as he swings the thirty-pound hammer.

168 John Henry

 The Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles, California.
Palmer C. Hayden Collection, gift of Miriam A. Hayden.
D YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Do you have any questions
about what is happening
in the poem? Write them
below.

That ain’t nothin’ but my hammer suckin’ wind, Lord, Lord!

30 Nothin’ but my hammer suckin’ wind.” D

IN OTHER WORDS The shaker thinks that the whole

mountain is caving in. John Henry says it just feels that way
because he is swinging his hammer so hard.

The man that invented the steam drill E READ AND DISCUSS
Thought we was mighty fine Comprehension
But John Henry made fifteen feet What has happened?
The steam drill only made nine, Lord, Lord!
35 The steam drill only made nine. E
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS The inventor of the steam drill is proud

of his invention. However, when John Henry has dug fifteen
feet, the steam drill has only dug nine feet.

John Henry hammered in the mountain

His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard, he broke his heart
He laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord!
40 He laid down his hammer and he died.

IN OTHER WORDS John Henry swings his hammer so

hard that sparks fly. Eventually, his heart just cannot keep up
with how hard he is working. John Henry lays his hammer
down and dies.

John Henry 169

 John Henry had a little woman
A READ AND DISCUSS Her name was Polly Ann
Comprehension John Henry took sick and went to his bed
How do things turn out? Polly Ann drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord!
45 Polly Ann drove steel like a man.
B HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus IN OTHER WORDS After John Henry dies, his wife Polly
I have a question: How did Ann takes over his job. She does it just as well as a man.
John Henry know that the
hammer would be his death?
I think some of this story John Henry had a little baby
might not be real—babies
cannot even talk when they
You could hold him in the palm of your hand
are just “three days old.” The last words I heard that poor boy say,
“My daddy was a steel-driving man, Lord, Lord!
C YOUR TURN 50 My daddy was a steel-driving man.” A B C
Language Coach
Underline an example of IN OTHER WORDS John Henry leaves behind a young son,
hyperbole in lines 46–50.
who is proud that his father was “a steel-driving man.”
D YOUR TURN
They took John Henry to the graveyard
Literary Focus
And they buried him in the sand
Does the final repetition
in lines 59 and 60 make the And every locomotive comes a-roaring by
poem end on a happy note
or a sad one? Explain your
Says, “There lies a steel-driving man, Lord, Lord!

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

answer. 55 There lies a steel-driving man.”

IN OTHER WORDS John Henry is buried in a graveyard.

Whenever a train passes by, the people aboard remember
John Henry as a legendary steel driver.

Well, every Monday morning

When the bluebirds begin to sing
You can hear John Henry a mile or more
You can hear John Henry’s hammer ring, Lord, Lord!
60 You can hear John Henry’s hammer ring. D

IN OTHER WORDS Even after he dies, the sound of

pounding steel reminds everyone of John Henry.

170 John Henry

 Applying Your Skills

John Henry
COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. Talk about reasons for the repetition of phrases and lines in the poem.
How does the story benefit from that repeating?

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: REPETITION AND REFRAIN

DIRECTIONS: On a separate sheet of paper, write your own stanza of poetry about
John Henry. Use the same style and repetition the author uses.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: QUESTIONING

DIRECTIONS: Now that you have completed the poem, answer the following
questions that a reader may ask while reading “John Henry.”
1. How is it that John Henry can talk when he is a baby? Why would he think
that a hammer would cause his death?

2. How does John Henry swing his hammer so hard that his shaker thinks the
entire mountain is caving in?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

3. It sounds like John Henry was probably a big guy. Why is his baby son so small
that you can hold him in the palm of your hand?

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Decide if the word pairs below are synonyms (words with nearly the
same definition) or antonyms (words with opposite definitions). Write “synonym”
or “antonym” on the blank lines.
1. captain & chief:
2. whop & slam:
3. locomotive & caboose:

John Henry 171

Preparing to Read

Ode to Mi Gato
By Gary Soto
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE AND TONE
Language that explains something in terms of something else is called figurative
language. A simile is a kind of figurative language. Similes use the words like
and as to describe something. For example, you can say that “her eyes are blue
like the sky.” This is a simile. Another example of a simile is “the boxer’s punches
are as fast as lightning.” Gary Soto uses similes in his poem, “Ode to Mi Gato.”

The tone of a poem is the mood that it creates. Look closely at the words in a poem.
For example, if the speaker uses words like “cloudy” and “dark,” you can probably
guess that the speaker is feeling sad. Pay attention to the words that Gary Soto
uses in this poem to see how the speaker is feeling.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: RE-READING

Read a poem from start to finish. Then, go back and re-read, or read the poem
again. When you re-read a poem, you can pick up on words and events that you
may have missed the first time.

As you read “Ode to Mi Gato,” make a chart like the one below. Mark down any
lines or words from the poem that might be confusing. When you re-read the
poem, pay close attention to those parts and try to find out what the poet is

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

trying to say.

Ode to Mi Gato

Lines 17–26 are pretty confusing.

Line 27–I am not sure what “porque” means.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words as you read the selection.
dribble (DRIHB UHL) n.: drops of liquid that flow slowly.
dangled (DANG GUHLD) v.: held something or swung it loosely.
abandoned (UH BAN DUND) adj.: not used.

172 Ode to Mi Gato

 Ode to Mi Gato1
By Gary Soto

INTO THE POEM A HERE’S HOW

This poem by Gary Soto is called “Ode to Mi Gato,” or “Ode
to My Cat.” An ode celebrates and expresses feelings about Reading Focus
someone or something. Many times, odes are poems written in I am going to read this poem
very high language. Here, Soto plays with the ode a little and one time, all the way to the
uses fun, everyday words to write about his cat. end. I will note any words
or lines that are confusing.
Then, I will go back and
re-read the poem to get
a better understanding of
He’s white A what is happening.

As spilled milk,
B READ AND DISCUSS
My cat who sleeps
With his belly Comprehension
What is the speaker telling
5 Turned toward you about his cat?

The summer sky.

C HERE’S HOW
He loves the sun,
Literary Focus
Its warmth like a hand. B C
The word like tells me that
He loves tuna cans
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the speaker is using a simile

to describe his cat. The
10 And milk cartons speaker is saying that the cat
loves the sun. The speaker
With their dribble
compares lying in the sun to
Of milk. He loves the warmth of a hand that
pets the cat.
Mom when she rattles
The bag of cat food, D HERE’S HOW
15 The brown nuggets Literary Focus
Raining into his bowl. D I can tell that the tone of
this poem is playful and not
too serious. The speaker
IN OTHER WORDS The author has a white cat. The cat uses short lines and everyday
events to describe his cat.
likes to sleep on its back so its belly can feel the warmth of
the sun. The cat likes to eat tuna fish from cans and drink
milk. The cat runs to its food bowl when it hears the speaker’s “Ode to Mi Gato” adapted from Neigh-
borhood Odes by Gary Soto. Copyright
mother pouring food from the bag into the bowl. © 1992 by Gary Soto. Retold by Holt,
Rinehart and Winston. Reproduced by
1. Mi Gato means “my cat” in Spanish. permission of Harcourt, Inc.

Ode to Mi Gato 173

 And my cat loves
A HERE’S HOW Me, because I saved
Vocabulary Him from a dog,
I do not know what dangled
means. I can picture the 20 Because I dressed him
cat standing on its hind, or
back, legs for the food in the In a hat and a cape
sock. I checked my dictionary
and it said dangled means
For Halloween,
“swung or hanged down Because I dangled
loosely.” So, the speaker
lightly swung the sock above A sock of chicken skin
the cat.
25 As he stood on his
B READ AND DISCUSS Hind legs. I love mi gato, A
Comprehension Porque2 I found
What have you learned about
the relationship between the
Him on the fender
speaker and his cat?
Of an abandoned car. B
30 He was a kitten,

IN OTHER WORDS The speaker explains that his cat

loves him because he saved the cat from a dog. His cat loves
him because they play together. Finally, his cat loves him
because the speaker rescued the cat from a car where it was

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

left alone.

2. Porque means “because” in Spanish.

Leana Alagia/Getty Images

174 Ode to Mi Gato
 With a meow
Like the rusty latch C YOUR TURN

On a gate. C I carried Vocabulary

What does rusty mean?
Him home in the loop How did you come to this
definition?
35 Of my arms. D
I poured milk
Into him, let him
Lick chunks of
Cheese from my palms,
40 And cooked huevo3
D YOUR TURN
After huevo
Literary Focus
Until his purring
Underline the simile that the
Engine kicked in speaker uses in lines 30–35.

And he cuddled
E READ AND DISCUSS
45 Up to my father’s slippers.
Comprehension
That was last year. What point is the speaker
making about his cat?

IN OTHER WORDS The author explains what he did to

help the cat become healthy. He treated the cat with love.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

He fed the cat milk and eggs to help it grow. He knew that
the cat was feeling better when it began to make a happy
sound that cats make—a purr. All of this has happened in the
last year.

This spring,
He’s excellent at sleeping
And no good
50 At hunting. E At night
All the other cats
In the neighborhood
Can see him slink

3. huevo means “egg” in Spanish.

Ode to Mi Gato 175

A YOUR TURN

Literary Focus
Can you picture the color of
the cat when the speaker
uses the simile “Like a splash
of Milk?” Think of another
simile that could have been
used here. Write your simile
on the lines below.

© SuperStock, Inc.

Around the corner,

55 Or jump from the tree
B HERE’S HOW
Like a splash of
Language Coach
Milk. A We lap up
Some words have multiple,
or more than one, meanings. His love and
Lap can be used as a verb
and a noun. As a noun, a He laps up his welcome. B

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

lap is “the area at the top
parts of one’s legs when
sitting down.” As a verb, lap IN OTHER WORDS The author makes fun of his cat. He
means “flick liquid into one’s says that his cat sleeps a lot and is not very good at hunting
mouth, as animals do.”
mice. Other cats pick on his cat, who sneaks away and hides
in trees. The author ends by saying that even though his cat
is not perfect, his family loves the cat. And the cat is happy in
its new home.

176 Ode to Mi Gato

 Applying Your Skills

Ode to Mi Gato
COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. The last line of the poem reads, “We lap up his love and he laps up
his welcome.” What is the poet trying to tell us about the relationship
between the speaker and his cat?

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE AND TONE

DIRECTIONS: Gary Soto uses several similes in his poem, “Ode to Mi Gato.”
Now, it is your turn to be the poet! On the lines below, come up with a simile
to describe each of the things listed.
1. A day at the beach:

2. A small dog that runs fast:

3. A girl with blue eyes:

READING SKILLS FOCUS: RE-READING

DIRECTIONS: Look at the chart you made as you read “Ode to Mi Gato.” Now,
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

go back and re-read the poem. Try to answer any questions you may have had
when you first read the poem. Write your answers on the lines, below.

When I first read the poem, these lines were confusing:

Now that I have re-read the poem, here is what I think they mean:

LdgY7dm VOCABULARY REVIEW

dribble DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.
dangled Not all words will be used.
abandoned 1. The car was left alone in the garage.
2. The speaker a sock over the cat’s head.

Ode to Mi Gato 177

Skills Review

Chapter 5
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Answer the questions below in complete sentences. Use the
vocabulary word in italics in each answer.

1. Would an electric train use a locomotive? Why or why not?

2. What might an abandoned building look like?

3. Describe a time when something peculiar happened to you.

4. What sports are you keen to play?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

5. List at least three examples of substances that could form a dribble if they
spilled.

DIRECTIONS: List at least three examples of each of the following:

1. Things you appreciate in your life:

2. Electronic devices:

3. Things that are visual:

178 Elements of Poetry

 Skills Review

Chapter 5
LANGUAGE COACH: HYPERBOLE
DIRECTIONS: Hyperbole is exaggerated language. For example, if a friend says “I just ate a mountain
of food,” you know this is not true. Hyperbole stretches the truth to make a strong point. Look at the
sentences below. Put a check next to each sentence that is an example of hyperbole.

I caught a fish the size of a house!

James is 5 feet, 3 inches tall.
I know a football player who is stronger than a bull.

WRITING ACTIVITY
Now that you have read several poems, here is a chance to write one of your own! Try to write five lines
of free verse using similes. Here is how it works:

Line 1: Write an emotion (angry, sad, happy, tired, love) on the line below

Line 2: This emotion smells like . . .

Line 3: This emotion tastes like . . .

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Line 4: This emotion looks like . . .

Line 5: This emotion makes me feel . . .

You can use these five lines in your poem. Look at the example, below:
Line 1 Nervous
Line 2 Nervous smells like food burning on the stove.
Line 3 Nervous tastes like a chewed pencil.
Line 4 Nervous looks like birds suddenly flying away.
Line 5 Nervous makes me feel like my stomach is a twisting snake.

Now, write your own poem on the lines below.

Line 1:

Line 2:

Line 3:

Line 4:

Line 5: Review 179

Chapter

6 Biography and
Autobiography

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Walking to the Sky by Jonathan Borofsky/
© Stephen Chernin/Getty Images
 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 6

LITERARY VOCABULARY
first-person narration (FURST PUR SUHN NAYR AY SHUN) n.: a way of telling a
story in which the author uses pronouns such as I, me, my and we.
An autobiography uses first-person narration.
third-person narration (THURD PUR SUHN NAYR AY SHUN) n.: a point of view in
which the author uses pronouns such as he, she, theirs, and they.
In a biography, the author uses third-person narration.
speaker (SPEE KUHR) n.: the voice talking to you in a work of nonfiction or
poetry.
The speaker in an autobiography is the author.
autobiography (AWTO BY AH GRAH FEE) n.: writing in which the author tells
about his or her life.
In her autobiography, Maya Angelou wrote about growing up in
Arkansas.
biography (BY AH GRAH FEE) n.: a person’s life story written by someone else.
Russell Freedman wrote a biography of Abraham Lincoln.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
contribute (KUHN TRIHB YUT) v.: give or add something.
Reading an autobiography will contribute much to your understanding
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

of its author.
distinct (DIHS TIHNGKT) adj.: cleary different.
Autobiographies are distinct from biographies.
perspective (PUHR SPEHK TIHV) n.: a way of thinking.
An autobiography of a person may change your perspective on that
person.
uniform (YOO NUH FAWRM) adj.: having the same shape, size, quality or other
characteristics.
Many articles are uniform in the way they are set up.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 181

Literary Skills Focus

What Are the Elements of Nonfiction?

Nonfiction is writing that is based on facts, or real events. There are many
kinds of nonfiction, such as newspaper articles, books about subjects from art
to zoos, textbooks, and even documentary movies.

When you read nonfiction, it is important to identify the speaker—the person

who is speaking, or telling the story. The speaker often tells us something
about his or her own opinions or experiences.

An autobiography is a writer’s story of his or her own life. In an

autobiography, the writer is the speaker. This is called first-person narration.
In first-person narration, the writer uses words like I, me, we, us, our, my, and
mine. The writer tells you his or her thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Example: When I grew older, I went away to study to become a teacher. I
planned to return to my village. But the war ended those plans. The land I
loved was lost forever.

These stories are my memories….

from The Land I Lost (adapted) by Huynh Quang Nhuong

In a biography, the writer tells the story of another person’s life. The writer
does not use words like I or me, because the writer is not the subject of the
biography. Instead, the writer uses third-person narration. In third-person
narration, the writer uses words like he, she, they, them their, hers, and his.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Example: Garrett was not a rich man, but he used his own money to cover
his costs. Other people who believed it was wrong to keep slaves also gave
him money.

from “All Aboard with Thomas Garrett” (adapted) by Alice Miller

182 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Analyze Nonfiction

Choose an important event from your life. Write one or two paragraphs about
the event using first-person narration.

Now share your autobiography with a partner. Describe each other’s events
using third-person narration.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Literary Skills Focus 183

Reading Skills Focus

What Skills Help You Read Nonfiction?

While reading a nonfiction text, look out for its topic and main idea. The topic
is what the text is all about, while the main idea is the writer’s most important
point.

A fact is information that can be proved. An opinion is a person’s belief,

feeling, or attitude. Nonfiction may include both types of information. For
example, a biography might include the opinions of other people about the
subject. It is important to distinguish between the two as you read to help you
analyze a nonfiction text.

When you read a statement in nonfiction, ask yourself: “Can this statement be

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

proved true?” Think about whether you would be able to find the information
in a reference source, like an encyclopedia. Also look for words that signal
opinions: believe, think, seem, may, and probably. Opinions sometimes contain
strong emotional words like best or greatest.

Identifying the author’s purpose is a useful skill for reading and analyzing
nonfiction texts. An author’s purpose is his or her reason for writing. An
author may have more than one purpose for writing. One purpose of a
nonfiction text is usually to inform. However, an author may also want to
entertain or persuade you about his or her opinions. The following are some
examples of an author’s purpose:
• To inform
• To persuade, or convince the reader of an opinion
• To express feelings
• To entertain

184 Literary Skills

Reading Skills Focus
Focus
 Reading Skills Focus

Your Turn: Analyze Nonfiction

Think of a book or movie that contains both facts and opinions. Write a brief
paragraph explaining how you were able to distinguish, or tell the difference
between, facts and opinions in that book or movie.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading
Literary Skills Focus 185
Preparing to Read

from The Land I Lost

Based on the story by Huynh Quang Nhuong
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: SPEAKER
The speaker is the person or voice talking to us in a work. Sometimes the
speaker tells us about his or her own feelings and experiences. Other times
the speaker tells us about the experiences of other people. In The Land I
Lost, the speaker is the writer. He describes his childhood and also tells a
story about two other people, Lan and Trung.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Authors write for different reasons, or purposes. They write to inform
(to tell or to teach), to persuade (to win over), to express feelings, or to
entertain.
As you read this selection, think about the author’s purpose in the different
parts of the story. As you read, make a chart like the one below to keep a
record of the different purposes.

Express
Inform Persuade Entertain
Feelings

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

He describes He writes, “The
his village in land I loved was
Vietnam. lost forever.”

VOCABULARY
With a partner, practice saying these words out loud.
ancestors (AN SES TURS) n.: family members who lived long ago.
altars (ALL TUR) n.: platforms or tables used for worship.
persuade (PUHR SWADE) v.: to make someone do or believe something by
giving the person good reasons.

INTO THE STORY

Many people think of the country of Vietnam as a place in which there
were many years of war. But in this story, the author describes his life as
a child in a small, peaceful village.

186 from The Land I Lost

 from The Land I Lost
Based on the story by Huynh Quang Nhuong

A HERE’S HOW

Literary Focus
I can tell that the author
is the speaker in first
paragraph. I can tell because
the author uses pronouns—
words that take the place of
nouns—such as I and we.

B READ AND DISCUSS

© John William Banagan/Getty Images Comprehension

What have we learned so
I was born in the highlands of Vietnam. We lived in a small far about the author and his
childhood?
village on a riverbank. There was a jungle on one side of the
village and high mountains on the other. Across the river, were
C HERE’S HOW
rice fields. A
Reading Focus
There were fifty houses in our village. They were made of Lines 15–17 have words like
bamboo and covered with coconut leaves. There were no shops war, ended, loved, and lost.
Those are words that can be
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

or marketplaces. If we needed medicine, cloth, soaps, or candles used to describe feelings of

we traveled by river to a town nearby. sadness. I think the author’s
purpose here is to show that
My father was a farmer and a hunter. But he also had a he misses the village.
10 college education. In the evenings he taught the children in our
village. The village was too small to pay for a schoolteacher.
My mother ran the home. During harvest season she helped
my father get the crops home. She knew how to care for wounds
and took care of my father and his hunting dogs. B
When I grew older, I went away to study to become a
teacher. I planned to return to my village. But war ended those
plans. The land I loved was lost forever. C
These stories are my memories....
From The Land I Lost by Huynh Quang
So Close
Nhuong. Copyright © 1982 by Huynh
My grandmother liked cookies made of banana, egg, Quang Nhuong. Reproduced by
permission of Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
20 and coconut. My mother and I always stopped at Mrs. Hong’s
from The Land I Lost 187
 house to buy these cookies for her on our way back from the
A READ AND DISCUSS marketplace. My mother had been friends with Mrs. Hong since
Comprehension grade school. While my mother talked with her friend, I talked
How does the author start with Mrs. Hong’s daughter, Lan. Lan planned to marry a young
the “So Close” section of this
story? man named Trung who lived next door.
Lan was a pretty girl. All the young men in our village liked
B YOUR TURN her. Trung was a skillful fisherman who often brought fish to
Literary Focus Lan’s mother. Finally, she decided that Trung would make a good
The author no longer uses the husband for her daughter. A
words I, my, and me. Circle
the words in lines 30–32 that 30 Trung’s mother did not want her son to give away good fish.
tell you the speaker is now But she liked the cookies Lan brought her from time to time. The
talking about other people.
girl also helped Trung’s mother repair her son’s fishing net. B

C
One day Trung’s mother heard her son call Lan’s name in his
HERE’S HOW
sleep. She decided it was time to speak to the girl’s mother about
Reading Focus
In lines 40–52, I learned all marriage. Lan’s mother agreed they should be married. The two
about how weddings are widowed mothers quickly set the dates for the wedding ceremony.
celebrated in some villages in
Vietnam. I think the author’s On their wedding day, friends and relatives arrived in the
purpose in writing this was
morning to celebrate. They brought gifts of ducks, chickens,
to inform his readers about
something they may not baskets filled with fruits, rice wine, and colorful fabrics.
have known about.
40 The two mothers followed all the wedding day traditions.
First, Trung and his friends and relatives came to Lan’s house. He
D HERE’S HOW

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

and Lan prayed to her ancestors. Then they joined everyone for
Vocabulary
a luncheon. After lunch there was a farewell ceremony for the
The words ancestors and
altars in line 50 are new bride. Lan joined the group that was to walk with her to Trung’s
to me. Many times, I can
figure out the meaning
home. A bride was expected to express sorrow at leaving her
of a word by reading the parents behind. In some villages the bride was even supposed
sentences around it. By
reading line 50, I know that to hang on to her mother until friends pulled her away. But Lan
an altar is a place to pray, smiled. She asked herself, why should she cry? The two houses
but I still do not know what
ancestors means. I checked were separated by only a garden. She could see her mother
my dictionary, and it says
50 anytime. Lan followed Trung and prayed at his ancestors’ altars.
“family members who lived
long ago.” This tells me that Then they joined the big welcome dinner at Trung’s house that
Lan and Trung are praying
at an altar, or platform, that ended the day’s celebration. C D
was made for their family Later in the evening, Lan went to the river to take a bath.
members who have died.
The people of our village had chopped down trees and put them
into the river to make areas where crocodiles could not reach.

188 from The Land I Lost

 E YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
Based on context clues, write
a definition for the word
relatives, on the following
lines. You can check your
dictionary to see if your
definition is right.

© Owen Franken/Getty Images

But that evening, a crocodile had crawled onto the riverbank

around the trees. It came up behind Lan and grabbed her.
F READ AND DISCUSS
Trung soon became worried when Lan did not return. He
Comprehension
went to the river. Her clothes were there, but she was not. Trung
Now what is happening
60 yelled for his relatives. They rushed to the riverbank with torches. with Lan and Trung? Follow-
up: What are the relatives
There they saw crocodile claw-prints on the wet soil.
doing?
No one could do anything for the girl. Trung’s relatives
returned to the house. E They told him he should do the same. G YOUR TURN
But the young man just stood there, crying and staring at his Reading Focus
bride’s clothes. F G Circle any words in lines
62–65 that relate to the
Suddenly he heard Lan calling his name. Trung rushed back
author’s purpose showing
to the house and woke his relatives. Nobody doubted that he how Trung is feeling.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

thought he had heard her call. But they tried to make him see
that nobody could survive when snapped up by a crocodile. H HERE’S HOW

70 The young man rushed back to the river. Once again, he Vocabulary
I am not sure what the word
heard his bride calling him. Again he rushed back and woke his
persuade means. By reading
relatives. Again they tried to persuade him that it was just a trick lines 71–73, I can see that
Trung’s relatives are trying
in his mind. H Some older folks said that it was the ghost of the to tell him that he is only
young girl. imagining Lan’s voice. I
checked my dictionary, and
Trung refused to stay inside. Alone, he returned to the river. persuade means “to make
He listened to the wind and held Lan’s clothes. But he did not someone do or believe
something by giving the
hear any more calls. Still he had no doubt that the voice he had person good reasons.” This
makes sense in this sentence.
heard earlier was real.
At dawn, he again heard Lan calling for help. Her voice
80 came from an island in the river. Trung cried out, “You were
good when you were still alive, now be a good soul. Please
protect me. I will kill the beast to free you from its spell.”

from The Land I Lost 189

 Suddenly, he saw a little tree moving on the island. The tree
A YOUR TURN was jumping up and down. He squinted to see better. The tree
Language Coach had two hands that were waving at him.
The author uses the word Trung woke his relatives and they all rushed to his side again.
smashed in line 98. Think
of a synonym, a word with They tried to lead him back to his house, but he pointed at the
a similar definition, for strange tree on the island. Finally his relatives saw the waving tree.
smashed. Write your answer
on the following lines. Trung got into a boat along with two other men. They paddled to
90 the island and discovered that the moving tree was Lan. She had
covered herself with leaves because she had no clothes.
Lan held on to Trung and cried. Finally, when she could talk
she explained what had happened.
Lan had fainted when the crocodile grabbed her. If she had
B READ AND DISCUSS fought back, the crocodile surely would have drowned her before
Comprehension carrying her to the island. There the crocodile had tossed her in
What is Lan explaining about
her plan to get home?
the air. At one point while being tossed in the air, she woke up.
When the crocodile smashed her against the ground, Lan played
C READ AND DISCUSS dead. A Luckily, the crocodile returned to the river to drink. At
Comprehension 100 that moment Lan ran to a small tree nearby. She climbed up into it.
How does this story end? Lan was afraid that the crocodile would find her and shake
her out of the tree. She stayed frozen until the crocodile gave
up and went back to the river. Then she started calling Trung to

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

come rescue her. B
Lan was covered with bruises because crocodiles soften up
big prey before swallowing it. They smash it against the ground
or against a tree or toss it into the air. But she had no broken
bones or serious cuts.
Trung carried his tired bride home. She slept for hours. At
110 times she cried out for help. But within three days she was almost
recovered.
And the families celebrated the wedding again because Lan
had come back from the dead. C

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. How does the sad title relate to this funny story?
2. Lan faced a big problem, but she was able to solve her
problem in a very smart way. How do you think Lan’s fast
thinking might apply to our own lives?
190 from The Land I Lost
 Applying Your Skills

from The Land I Lost

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: SPEAKER
DIRECTIONS: After reading this story, you know that a speaker can tell a story
about himself or herself, or about other people. Re-read lines 94–100. In those
lines, we learn about Lan’s escape. Imagine that Lan is the speaker for this part
of the story. Rewrite these lines from Lan’s point of view. Try to imagine how
she would feel as you write.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

DIRECTIONS: Look back at the chart on the Preparing to Read page. Of all
the purposes you found, which purpose do you think was the author’s main
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

purpose? Why?

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. Family members from long ago are called .

persuade 2. Many religious places have an where

people can pray.
ancestors
3. The main point of the article was to
altar
the reader into thinking like the author.

from The Land I Lost 191

Preparing to Read

Storm
By Gary Paulsen
LITERARY FOCUS: IMAGERY
Good writers use literary devices, or words as tools. One of these devices is
called imagery—“word pictures” that focus our senses. “A red sun melting
into the glassy ocean at sunset” is an example of imagery. Imagery helps us
see what the scene looks like by appealing to our sense of vision. Writers of
nonfiction use imagery to re-create real-life experiences. They use imagery
to share their point of view on these experiences. This imagery helps make
things real for us as readers.

READING FOCUS: ANALYZING AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

An author’s purpose, or reason, for writing a story is usually one of these
four options: to inform, to persuade, to express feelings, or to entertain.
As you read “Storm,” think about what the author is trying to accomplish.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
resembled (RI ZEM BUHLD) v.: looked like; was similar to.
innocent (IN UH SENT) adj.: free of blame.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

gratified (GRAT UH FAHYD) adj.: pleased.

INTO THE STORY

“Storm” is part of the book, Woodsong, which is Gary Paulsen’s well-known
autobiography. In this selection, Paulsen lives in northern Minnesota, a
place where winters are long and cold. He spends most of his time training
a team of sled dogs for the Iditarod (IH DIT UH ROD), a famous dog sled race
in Alaska. Read more to learn about Paulsen’s special dog named Storm.

192 Storm
 Storm
From the autobiography Woodsong by Gary Paulsen

A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
From the first paragraph,
I think the author’s purpose
could be to express feelings
or to inform. I will keep
reading to learn more.

B READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
Courtesy of Scott Kennedy What has the author told us
so far about Storm?
It is always possible to learn from dogs, and in fact the longer
I’m with them, the more I understand how little I know. But C HERE’S HOW
there was one dog who taught me the most. Just one dog. Storm. Literary Focus
First dog. . . . A The author compares Storm
to a bear cub. This imagery
Joy, loyalty, toughness, peacefulness—all of these were part helps me picture what Storm
of Storm. Lessons about life and, finally, lessons about death looks like.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

came from him. B

D HERE’S HOW
He had a bear’s ears. He was brindle colored1 and built like
a truck, and his ears were rounded when we got him, so that Vocabulary
I have not seen the word
10 they looked like bear cub ears. C They gave him a comical look resembled before. My
when he was young that somehow hung on to him even when he teacher says it means
“looked like.” This makes
grew old. He had a sense of humor to match his ears, and when sense; I guess Storm looked
he grew truly old, he somehow resembled George Burns.2 D like George Burns.

At peak, he was a mighty dog. He pulled like a machine.

Until we retired him and used him only for training puppies,

1. Brindle colored means “gray or brown and streak or spotted with a

darker color.”
2. George Burns (1896–1996) was an American comedian and actor
with large ears.

Excerpt (retitled ”Storm”) from Woodsong by Gary Paulsen. Copyright © 1990 by Gary Paulsen.
Reproduced by permission of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon
& Schuster Children’s Publishing Division and electronic format by permission of Flannery
Literacy Agency.

Storm 193
 until we let him loose to enjoy his age, he pulled, his back over
A READ AND DISCUSS in the power curve, so that nothing could stop the sled.
Comprehension
What new information has IN OTHER WORDS The author believes that dogs are
the author given us about
smart creatures—especially his first dog, Storm. Storm looked
Storm?
funny and even had a sense of humor. He was great at pulling
B YOUR TURN a sled and loved doing so.

Reading Focus
In his fourth or fifth year as a puller, he started doing tricks.
Why does the author include
this part about Storm pulling First he would play jokes on the dog pulling next to him. On
pranks? What purpose does
it serve?
20 long runs he would become bored, and when we least expected
it, he would reach across the gang line and snort wind into the
ear of the dog next to him. I ran him with many different dogs
and he did it to all of them—chuckling when the dog jumped
and shook his or her head—but I never saw a single dog get mad
at him for it. Oh, there was once a dog named Fonzie who nearly
took his head off, but Fonzie wasn’t really mad at him so much
as surprised. A Fonzie once nailed me through the wrist for
waking him up too suddenly when he was sleeping. I’d reached
down and touched him before whispering his name.
30 Small jokes. Gentle jokes, Storm played. He took to hiding
things from me. At first I couldn’t understand where things were

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

going. I would put a bootie down while working on a dog, and
it would disappear. I lost a small ladle3 I used for watering each
dog, a cloth glove liner I took off while working on a dog’s feet,
a roll of tape, and finally, a hat.
He was so clever. B
When I lost the hat, it was a hot day and I had taken the hat
off while I worked on a dog’s harness. The dog was just ahead of
Storm, and when I knelt to work on the harness—he’d chewed
40 almost through the side of it while running—I put the hat down
on the snow near Storm.

IN OTHER WORDS After a few years as a sled dog, Storm

began pulling small pranks—snorting in other dogs’ ears or

3. A ladle is a cup-shaped spoon for scooping liquids.

194 Storm
 hiding the author’s things. Storm was very clever in the ways
he tricked the author. C HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
Or thought I had. When I had changed the dog’s harness, My dictionary says that
I turned and the hat was gone. I looked around, moved the dogs, innocent means “free of
blame.” This makes sense
looked under them, then shrugged. At first I was sure I’d put because Storm is trying
the hat down; then, when I couldn’t find it, I became less sure, to look like he did not do
anything wrong.
and at last I thought perhaps I had left it at home or dropped it
somewhere on the run. Storm sat quietly, looking ahead down D READ AND DISCUSS
the trail, not showing anything at all.
Comprehension
I went back to the sled, reached down to disengage the How does this new
50 hook, and when I did, the dogs exploded forward. I was not information add to what we
already know about Storm?
quite on the sled when they took off, so I was knocked slightly
off balance. I leaned over to the right to regain myself, and when E YOUR TURN
I did, I accidentally dragged the hook through the snow.
Literary Focus
And pulled up my hat. The author says that Storm
It had been buried off to the side of the trail in the snow, looked innocent and that
he seemed to smile. How
buried neatly with the snow smoothed over the top, so that it was does this imagery help you
understand what Storm was
completely hidden. Had the snow hook not scraped down four or
like?
five inches, I never would have found it.
I stopped the sled and set the hook once more. While
knocking the snow out of the hat and putting it back on my head,
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

60
I studied where it had happened.
Right next to Storm.
He had taken the hat, quickly dug a hole, buried the hat
and smoothed the snow over it, then gone back to sitting, staring
ahead, looking completely innocent. C D
When I stopped the sled and picked up the hat, he looked
back, saw me put the hat on my head, and—I swear—smiled.
Then he shook his head once and went back to work pulling. E

IN OTHER WORDS One time Storm took the author’s hat,

buried it in the snow, and even smoothed out the snow to
make it look natural. When the author happened to find the
hat, he swore that Storm was smiling.

Storm 195
 Along with the jokes, Storm had scale eyes. He watched as
A HERE’S HOW 70 the sled was loaded, carefully calculated the weight of each item,
Language Coach and let his disapproval be known if it went too far. A
I know that attaching One winter a friend gave us a parlor stove with nickel trim.
the prefix dis- to a word
usually reverses that word’s It was not an enormous stove, but it had some weight to it and
meaning. I think that some bulk. This friend lived twelve miles away—twelve miles over
disapproval must be the
opposite of approval. two fair hills followed by about eight miles on an old, abandoned
I checked my dictionary
railroad grade.4 We needed the stove badly (our old barrel stove
and I was right.
had started to burn through), so I took off with the team to pick
B HERE’S HOW it up. I left early in the morning because I wanted to get back that
same day. It had snowed four or five inches, so the dogs would
Literary Focus
I can really picture Storm 80 have to break trail. By the time we had done the hills and the
looking at the sled, opening railroad grade, pushing in new snow all the time, they were ready
one eye and then the
other. This is an example for a rest. I ran them the last two miles to where the stove was and
of imagery.
unhooked their tugs so they could rest while I had coffee.
We stopped for an hour at least, the dogs sleeping quietly.
When it was time to go, my friend and I carried the stove outside
and put it in the sled. The dogs didn’t move.
Except for Storm.
He raised his head, opened one eye, did a perfect double
take—both eyes opening wide—and sat up. He had been facing

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

90 the front. Now he turned around to face the sled—so he was
facing away from the direction we had to travel when we left—
and watched us load the sled. B
It took some time, as the stove barely fit on the sled and had to
be jiggled and shuffled around to get it down between the side rails.
Through it all, Storm sat and watched us, his face a study
in interest. He did not get up but sat on his back end, and
when I was done and ready to go, I hooked all the dogs back in
harness—which involved hooking the tugs to the rear ties on
their harnesses. The dogs knew this meant we were going to
100 head home, so they got up and started slamming against the tugs,
trying to get the sled to move.
All of them, that is, but Storm.

4. A railroad grade is a rise in a railroad track.

196 Storm
 Storm sat backward, the tug hooked up but hanging down.
The other dogs were screaming to run, but Storm sat and stared C READ AND DISCUSS
at the stove. C D Comprehension
What is going on with
IN OTHER WORDS One winter the author traveled twelve Storm?

miles by sled to pick up a new stove. Once it was loaded onto

D YOUR TURN
the sled, Storm refused to move because he could tell that the
Reading Focus
stove was very heavy.
What purpose is the author
addressing in sharing this
Not at me, not at the sled, but at the stove itself. Then he information about Storm?
raised his lips, bared his teeth, and growled at the stove. E
When he was finished growling, he snorted twice, stood,
turned away from the stove, and started to pull. But each time we
110 stopped at the tops of the hills to let the dogs catch their breath
after pulling the sled and stove up the steep incline, Storm turned
and growled at the stove.
The enemy.
The weight on the sled.
I do not know how many miles Storm and I ran together.
E YOUR TURN
Eight, ten, perhaps twelve thousand miles. He was one of the
Literary Focus
first dogs and taught me the most, and as we worked together, he
How does this imagery of
came to know me better than perhaps even my own family. He Storm with his lips raised
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

and his teeth bared help you

could look once at my shoulders and tell how I was feeling, tell picture him?
120 how far we were to run, how fast we had to run—knew it all.
When I started to run long, moved from running a work
team, a trap line team, to training for the Iditarod, Storm took it
in stride, changed the pace down to the long trot, matched what
was needed, and settled in for the long haul.
He did get bored, however, and one day while we were
running a long run, he started doing a thing that would stay F READ AND DISCUSS
with him—with us—until the end. We had gone forty or fifty Comprehension
miles on a calm, even day with no bad wind. The temperature How does the fact that Storm
became bored connect with
was a perfect ten below zero. The sun was bright, everything was what we already know about
130 moving well, and the dogs had settled into the rhythm that could him?

take them a hundred or a thousand miles.

And Storm got bored. F

Storm 197
 IN OTHER WORDS The author remembers how Storm
A YOUR TURN growled at the heavy stove. He then begins thinking about
Literary Focus their time together, the thousands of miles that they ran, and
Circle the imagery in this other things Storm did on long runs.
paragraph that helps you
picture what Storm is doing.
At a curve in the trail, a small branch came out over the
B READ AND DISCUSS path we were running, and as Storm passed beneath the limb, he

Comprehension
jumped up and grabbed it, broke a short piece off—about a foot
How does Storm solve his long—and kept it in his mouth.
problem? Follow-up: What
All day.
was the meaning of the
stick? And into the night. He ran, carrying the stick like a toy, and
when we stopped to feed or rest, he would put the stick down,
140 eat, then pick it up again. He would put the stick down carefully
in front of him, or across his paws, and sleep, and when he
awakened, he would pick up the stick, and it soon became a thing
between us, the stick. A
He would show it to me, making a contact, a connection
between us, each time we stopped. I would pet him on top of the
head and take the stick from him—he would emit a low, gentle
growl when I took the stick. I’d “examine” it closely, nod and
seem to approve of it, and hand it back to him.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Each day we ran, he would pick a different stick. And each
150 time I would have to approve of it, and after a time, after weeks
and months, I realized that he was using the sticks as a way to
communicate with me, to tell me that everything was all right,
that I was doing the right thing. B

IN OTHER WORDS During one long run Storm grabbed

a stick and held it in his mouth. From that point on, he
continued carrying sticks to let the author know that he was
not pushing the dogs too hard.

Once, when I pushed them too hard during a pre-Iditarod

race—when I thought it was important to compete and win (a
feeling that didn’t last long)—I walked up to Storm, and as I
came close to him, he pointedly dropped the stick. I picked it up

198 Storm
 C HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I bet the narrator was happy
when Storm finally picked
up the stick, so I think that
gratified means “pleased.”

D HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
I think the author included
this story about Storm
carrying the stick to
entertain and to inform the
reader. It seems like writing
and held it out, but he wouldn’t take it. He turned his face away.
can address more than one
I put the stick against his lips and tried to make him take it, but of the four purposes.
160 he let it fall to the ground. When I realized what he was doing, I
stopped and fed and rested the team, sat on the sled, and thought
about what I was doing wrong. After four hours or so of sitting—
watching other teams pass me—I fed them another snack, got
ready to go, and was gratified to see Storm pick up the stick. C
From that time forward I looked for the stick always, knew when
I saw it out to the sides of his head that I was doing the right
thing. And it was always there. D
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Through storms and cold weather, on the long runs, the

long, long runs where there isn’t an end to it, where only the sled
170 and the winter around the sled and the wind are there, Storm had
the stick to tell me it was right, all things were right.

IN OTHER WORDS One day Storm dropped his stick

during a race. When the author tried to give it back to him,
Storm refused to take it. Eventually the author realized that
the race was too tiring for the dogs, so he let them take a
long break. After that, the author learned to listen to Storm
whenever they were sledding together.

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. Talk about Storm’s actions and behavior. How do they help
to make him a special dog?

Storm 199
Skills Practice

Storm
USE A CHART
DIRECTIONS: Record images and details from “Storm” that support the purpose
written in each quarter of the chart below.

1. Inform 2. Persuade

3. Entertain 4. Express Feelings

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

200 Storm
 Applying Your Skills

Storm
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: IMAGERY
DIRECTIONS: Write a paragraph about a pet you have had or an animal you
have seen using imagery. Remember, imagery uses words to help readers see
or imagine what something is like.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: ANALYZING AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

DIRECTIONS: Recall the four purposes that authors usually have for writing:
to inform, to persuade, to entertain, and to express feelings. Decide which
purpose the author was addressing when he included the information below
in the story. There may be more than one correct response, so include a brief
explanation of your answer.

Selection Purpose and Explanation

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

On long runs, Storm would pull 1.

pranks on the other dogs.

The narrator felt that Storm knew 2.

him even better than his family
members.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. The narrator was when he finally found his

hat after Storm buried it in the snow.
resembled
2. Because of his ears, Storm a bear cub.
innocent
gratified 3. After pulling a prank, Storm would always look
to avoid drawing suspicion to himself.

Storm 201
Preparing to Read

The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln

Based on the biography by Russell Freedman
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Remember that literary devices are tools writers use to grab your attention
and expand your imagination. Figurative language is one literary device
writers use to “build” their writing. Writers use figurative language to
make three main kinds of comparisons. A simile makes a comparison using
like or as. “The turkey was as cold as ice” is a simile. A metaphor says one
thing is something else. For example, “My mom is a rock” is a metaphor.
Personification makes something that is not human act human: “The angry
sea slapped the sailboat.”

READING SKILLS FOCUS: DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION

When you read nonfiction, it is important to distinguish between facts and
opinions. Facts can be proved true with evidence. For example, a fact is that
Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. Opinions are
personal beliefs and attitudes. An example of an opinion is that Abraham
Lincoln was the greatest President in the history of the United States.
Writers often use figurative language to help express their opinions.

VOCABULARY

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

With a partner, practice using these words in complete sentences.
gawky (GAW KEE) adj.: awkward; clumsy.
folksy (FOHK SEE) adj.: friendly and informal.

INTO THE BIOGRAPHY

You probably already know a lot about Abraham Lincoln. He was President
of the United States of America. He freed the slaves and he led the Union
during the Civil War. However, you might not know much about what he
was like as a person. The following selection is based on a biography about
Lincoln, written by Russell Freedman.

202 The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln

 The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln
Based on the biography by Russell Freedman

A HERE’S HOW

Language Coach
The word lean can have
multiple meannings, or more
than one possible definition,
depending on its part of
speech. I know that lean can
be a verb, but I can see from
the footnote that it is used
as an adjective here.

© The Corcoran Gallery of Art/George Peter Alexander Healy/Corbis

Abraham Lincoln wasn’t the kind of man who could get lost in
a crowd. After all, he stood six feet four inches tall. His high silk
hat made him seem even taller.
Much of his height was in his long, bony legs. When
sitting in a chair, he seemed no taller than other people. It was
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

only when he stood up that he towered above1 others.

Most people thought that Lincoln was homely.2 He
agreed. He once called his face poor and lean.3 He learned to
laugh at his own gawky looks. A One time a man called him
10 “two-faced.”4 Lincoln replied: “I leave it to my audience. If I
had another face, do you think I’d wear this one?”
Those who knew him called Lincoln a man of many faces.
He sometimes looked sad and gloomy. The photo process of
his day may have added to this look. Taking photos took a long
time. The person being photographed had to “freeze” for
several seconds. So in photos, Lincoln looks stiff and serious.
We never see him laughing. In person, though, he was lively “The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln” adapted
from Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell
1. Here towered above means “was much taller than.” Freedman. Copyright © 1987 by Russell
Freedman. Retold by Holt, Rinehart and
2. Homely means “plain” or “unattractive.”
Winston. All rights reserved. Reproduced
3. Lean means “skinny” or “too thin.” by permission of Clarion Books/Houghton
4. Here two-faced means “dishonest.” Mifflin Company.

The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln 203

 and witty. When he smiled, his face changed. Suddenly he
A READ AND DISCUSS could look quite handsome. A
Comprehension 20 When artists and writers tried to show the “real” Lincoln, they
What is the author telling us always missed something. No one seemed able to capture him. B
about Lincoln?
Today it’s hard to imagine Lincoln as he really was. Even
his closest friends never fully understood him. To many people,
B HERE’S HOW
Lincoln was a mystery. He was a talker, but he kept his feelings
Reading Focus
I can tell that this paragraph
to himself. Lincoln’s life story has been told many times. He has
is the author’s opinion. It become an American legend. But the legend partly hides the
would be impossible to
prove whether or not the flesh-and-blood5 man.
artists and writers were able The legendary Lincoln was called Honest Abe, a man of the
to portray Lincoln’s real
qualities. people. We know that Lincoln was a poor boy who made good.6
30 He went from a log cabin to the White House. C His manners
always were folksy. He called his wife “mother.” He wore slippers
C HERE’S HOW
when he greeted important people. He invited guests to “stay a
Literary Focus
spell.”7 He told jokes at cabinet meetings.8 D
Based on this information
about Lincoln, I can use Lincoln seemed to be a common man, but he was not. He
figurative language to
describe him. I will write a
worked hard all his life to get ahead. By the time he ran for
simile: The young Lincoln president, he had become wealthy. He earned a large income
lived like a pioneer on the
American frontier. from his law practice and from investments. Lincoln was proud
of his success. E

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

D YOUR TURN He hated the nickname Abe. People who knew him well did
Vocabulary 40 not call him that to his face. His friends called him Lincoln or
Review the description of Mr. Lincoln.
Lincoln in this paragraph.
Then, write a definition for Some writers described Lincoln as a sloppy dresser.
the word folksy. That was not true, either. In fact, he bought two suits a year from
the best tailor9 in Springfield, Illinois. In those days, many men
lived, died, and were buried in the same suit.
Lincoln attended school for only a short time. He taught
himself almost everything he learned. The way he said certain
words sounded funny to some people. He’d say “git” for get and
E READ AND DISCUSS
“thar” for there. However, he became one of the world’s great
Comprehension
5. Flesh-and-blood means “living; real.”
What is this part about? 6. Made good is an expression that means “rose above poverty and
became successful.”
7. Stay a spell means “stay for a while.”
8. Cabinet meetings are meetings with official advisors to the President.
9. A tailor is someone who makes and repairs clothes.

204 The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln

 50 speakers. Everyone listened
when he spoke. Today people F YOUR TURN
still remember his carefully Reading Focus
chosen words. Is the author sharing facts or
opinions in this paragraph?
Lincoln was famous for
his funny stories. But often he
was sad and moody. A friend
said Lincoln told tall tales to © Alan Schein Photography/Corbis

“whistle down sadness.”10

He showed a lawyer’s cool logic. He faced problems with
60 common sense. Yet he believed that dreams could tell the
future. F
Today, we admire Lincoln as an American folk hero. But
during the Civil War many disliked him. His enemies called him a
hick11 and a stupid baboon who did not deserve to be president. G G YOUR TURN
Others praised him, saying he had saved the United States.
Literary Focus
Lincoln is known for freeing the slaves. But he did not start Which kind of figurative
language were Lincoln’s
with that goal in mind. At first, he wanted only to save the Union.
enemies using when
As the war went on, his ideas changed. He felt that owning people they called him “a stupid
baboon”? Explain your
was wrong. He believed that the Union had to win to wipe out the answer.
70 sin of slavery.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Early in the war, Frederick Douglass, a black leader and

writer, was critical of Lincoln. Douglass, a former slave who had
escaped to the North, called Lincoln the “white man’s president.”
He thought Lincoln did not care about the slaves. Later, Douglass
changed his mind.
After the war, Douglass said that Lincoln had done two
things. First, he had saved the Union. Second, he had freed the
United States from slavery. Douglass said there was no one in the
H READ AND DISCUSS
world “better fitted for his mission than Abraham Lincoln.” H
Comprehension
Comprehesion Wrap-up How do Douglass’s opinions
of Lincoln in this part
1. How does the title, “The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln,” relate to connect to this selection
the selection? as a whole?

10. Whistle down sadness means “make himself happy.”

11. Hick is a slang word for a hillbilly or country bumpkin.

The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln 205

Skills Practice

The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln

USE A COMPARISON TABLE
DIRECTIONS: On the chart below, write whether each of the following
parts of “The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln” is a fact or an opinion. Include an
explanation for each answer as well.

Portion of Text Fact or Opinion and Explanation

Lincoln looks “stiff in serious” in pictures 1.
because it was difficult for photographers
of the time to capture his real personality.

Lincoln wore slippers around the White House and 2.

used phrases like “stay a spell.”

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

During the Civil War many people disliked Lincoln, but 3.
today we admire him as “an American folk hero.”

206 The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln

 Applying Your Skills

The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
DIRECTIONS: Using what you learned in the Preparing to Read section and
from the selection itself, complete the activity below. For each type of
figurative language given, write a sentence about Lincoln or his life using
that literary device.
1. simile

2. metaphor

3. personification

READING SKILLS FOCUS: DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION

DIRECTIONS: Write one fact about Abraham Lincoln that you learned from this
biography. Then write one opinion about the biography. Did you think it was
interesting or well-written? Did you think the author made good points?
Fact:
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

My Opinion:

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Decide if the word pairs below are synonyms (words with nearly
the same definition) or antonyms (words with opposite definitions). Write your
answers on the blanks.

1. gawky & graceful:

2. folksy & familiar:

3. gawky & lanky:

The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln 207

Preparing to Read

What Do Fish Have to Do

With Anything?
By Avi
LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: SYMBOLISM
Remember that good writers use literary devices to make their writing even
better. Avi is no exception. He uses literary devices, like symbolism, or the
use of symbols. A symbol is a person, place, thing, or action that stands for
something else. For example, a dove is often a symbol of peace. A rose is
usually a symbol for love. Writers do not always tell you directly what their
symbols mean, or even what the symbols are. However, you can identify
details and figure out their meanings based on clues in the text. Look for
items that appear more that once in the text. A writer will often build a
symbol’s meaning by including it several times in a work. Pay attention to
the details each time the item appears. These details can help you figure
out the larger meaning the author is trying to give the symbol.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: SEQUENCING: CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

The order of events in a story is called sequence. Understanding when events
take place is important to understanding the plot of a story. Often the events

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

in a story are told in chronological order, or time order. That is, events are
told in the order they happened—the earliest event first, the next second,
and so on. Writers use words such as before and after to show the sequence
of events.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
begging (BEHG ING) v.: asking for money or help.
spare (SPAYR) v.: give away.
urgency (UR JUHN SEE) n.: pressure; insistence.
ashamed (UH SHAYMD) adj.: embarassed; feeling shame.

INTO THE STORY

The “fish” of the title are a strange kind of creature. In this story, you will
read about “cave fish.” In the United States, these fish are found in eastern
and southern states. These fish all have a white color and they do not have
eyes!

208 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 What Do Fish Have to Do
With Anything?
By Avi

A HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
The word stole can have
different meanings. When
I check my dictionary, I see
that stole can mean “taken
away without any right”
and also “did in a sneaky
manner.” Here, I think that
when Willie stole a look, he
looked at the man without
his mother knowing.
© Mark Preston/HRW Photo

B HERE’S HOW
Every day Mrs. Markham waited for her son, Willie, to come out
of school when it was over. They walked home together. If asked Literary Focus
I think the man Willie sees
why, Mrs. Markham would say, “Parents need to protect their may be a symbol. I can tell
children.” from this description that
the man is very different
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

One Monday afternoon as they approached their apartment from Willie and his mother.
I will try to figure out what
building, she suddenly tugged at Willie. “Don’t look that way,”
this symbol means as I keep
she said. reading.

“Where?”
“At that man over there.”
10 As they walked, Willie stole a look back over his shoulder.
A A man Willie had never seen before was sitting on a red
plastic milk crate near the curb. His matted, streaky gray hair
hung like a ragged curtain over a dirty face. His shoes were torn.
Rough hands lay upon his knees. One hand was palm up. B

IN OTHER WORDS Mrs. Markham walks her son, Willie,

home from school every day. One day they see a man outside From What Do Fish Have To Do With
Anything? by Avi, illustrated by Tracy
of the building in the city where they live. The man appears Mitchell. Copyright ©1997 by Avi.
Reproduced by permission of Candle-
dirty and poor. He is holding out his hand, asking for money. wick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 209

 “What’s the matter with him?” Willie asked.
A HERE’S HOW Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Mrs. Markham said, “He’s
Reading Focus sick.” She pulled Willie around. “Don’t stare. It’s rude.”
I can tell that the writer “What kind of sick?”
is telling the story in
chronological order. Mrs. Markham searched for an answer. “He’s unhappy,”
Mrs. Markham gives 20 she said.
Willie cake “when they
got home.” That means “What’s he doing?”
this happens after they see
“Come on, Willie; you know. He’s begging.”
the strange man.
“Did anyone give him anything?”
B READ AND DISCUSS “I don’t know. Now come on, don’t look.”

Comprehension “Why don’t you give him anything?”

What do you think the “We have nothing to spare.”
author is telling us about
Mrs. Markham and Willie?
IN OTHER WORDS Willie wants to know why the man is
there. His mother explains that the man is asking for money.
When Willie asks his mother to help the man, she replies that
they have no extra money to give.

When they got home, Mrs. Markham removed a white

cardboard box from the refrigerator. It contained poundcake.
Using her thumb as a measure, she carefully cut a half-inch-thick
30 piece of cake and gave it to Willie on a clean plate. The plate lay on

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

a plastic mat decorated by images of roses with diamondlike dew-
drops. She also gave him a glass of milk and a folded napkin. A
Willie said, “Can I have a bigger piece of cake?”
Mrs. Markham picked up the cake box and ran a manicured
pink fingernail along the nutrition information panel. “A half-inch
piece is a portion, and a portion contains the following nutrients.
Do you want to hear them?”
“No.”
“It’s on the box, so you can accept what it says. Scientists
40 study people and then write these things. If you’re smart enough,
you could become a scientist. Like this.” Mrs. Markham tapped
the box. “It pays well.” B

210 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 IN OTHER WORDS Mrs. Markham serves Willie a snack.
She follows the directions on the box to make sure the piece C YOUR TURN

of cake is just the right size. When Willie asks for a bigger Reading Focus
piece, Mrs. Markham says that scientists have decided how What is the sequence of
events that happen after
much cake one person should have. She also says that, if he is Willie and Mrs. Markham
arrive home? Write at least
smart enough, Willie can become a scientist one day. three events. Number them
in the correct order.

© Mark Preston/HRW Photo

Willie ate his cake and drank the milk. When he was done,
he took care to wipe the crumbs off his face as well as to blot the
milk moustache with the napkin.
His mother said, “Now go on and do your homework.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

You’re in fifth grade. It’s important.”

Willie gathered up his books that lay on the empty third chair.
At the kitchen entrance he paused. “What kind of unhappiness
50 does he have?”
“Who’s that?”
“That man.”
Mrs. Markham looked puzzled.
“The begging man. The one on the street.”
“Could be anything,” his mother said, vaguely. “A person can
be unhappy for many reasons.” C
“Like what?”
“Willie . . .”
“Is it a doctor kind of sickness? A sickness you can cure?”
60 “I wish you wouldn’t ask such questions.”
“Why?”

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 211

 “Questions that have no answers shouldn’t be asked.”
A READ AND DISCUSS “Can I go out?”
Comprehension “Homework first.”
What are Willie and his Willie turned to go.
mother talking about here?
“Money,” Mrs. Markham suddenly said. “Money will cure a lot
of unhappiness. That’s why that man was begging. A salesperson
once said to me, ‘Maybe you can’t buy happiness, but you can rent a
lot of it.’ You should remember that.” A

IN OTHER WORDS While Willie eats his cake, he asks his

mother many questions about the man they have seen. He
also asks his mother about the reason the man is unhappy.
At first Willie’s mother tells him he asks too many questions.
Then she says that money is the best cure for unhappiness.

70 The apartment had three rooms. The walls were painted

mint green. Willie walked down the hallway to his room, which
was at the front of the building. By climbing up on the windowsill
and pressing against the glass, he could see the sidewalk five
stories below. The man was still there.
It was almost five when he went to tell his mother he had
finished his school assignments. She was not there. He found her

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

in her bedroom, sleeping. Since she had begun working the night
shift at a convenience store—two weeks now—she took naps in
the late afternoon.

IN OTHER WORDS Willie walks to his room to do his

homework. From his window he can see the man outside
begging for money. Mrs. Markham sleeps in the afternoon
because she works at a store at night.

80 For a while Willie stood on the threshold, hoping his mother

would wake up. When she didn’t, he went to the front room and
looked down on the street again. The begging man had not moved.
Willie returned to his mother’s room.
“I’m going out,” he announced softly.

212 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 Willie waited a decent interval for his mother to waken.
When she did not, Willie made sure his keys were in his pocket. B READ AND DISCUSS
Then he left the apartment. Comprehension
Standing just outside his door, he could keep his eyes on the What is Willie up to here?

man. It appeared as if he had still not moved. Willie wondered

90 how anyone could go on without moving for so long in the chilly C HERE’S HOW

October air. Was staying in one place part of the man’s sickness? Literary Focus
In this story it seems like
During the twenty minutes that Willie watched, no one who money is a symbol for
passed looked in the beggar’s direction. Willie wondered if they happiness. I will keep
reading to see if this symbol
even saw the man. Certainly no one put any money into his open continues.
hand.
A lady leading a dog by a leash went by. The dog strained
in the direction of the man sitting on the crate. The dog’s tail
wagged. The lady pulled the dog away. “Heel!” she commanded.
The dog—tail between its legs—scampered to the lady’s
100 side. Even so, the dog twisted around to look back at the beggar.
Willie grinned. The dog had done exactly what he had done
when his mother told him not to stare.
Pressing deep into his pocket, Willie found a nickel. It was
warm and slippery. He wondered how much happiness you could
rent for a nickel.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Squeezing the nickel between his fingers, Willie walked

slowly toward the man. When he came before him, he stopped,
suddenly nervous. The man, who appeared to be looking at the
ground, did not move his eyes. He smelled bad.
110 “Here.” Willie stretched forward and dropped the coin into
the man’s open right hand. B
“Bless you,” the man said hoarsely, as he folded his fingers
over the coin. His eyes, like high beams on a car, flashed up at
Willie, then dropped. C

IN OTHER WORDS Willie waits until his mother falls

asleep. Then he goes down to the street and watches the man
from a distance. Many people pass by, but no one gives the
man any money. Willie walks over to the man and gives him
money. The man thanks him.

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 213

 Willie waited for a moment, then went back up to his room.
A HERE’S HOW From his front room he looked down on the street. He thought
Literary Focus he saw the coin in the man’s hand but was not sure.
I see that the author breaks After supper Mrs. Markham got ready to go to work. She
from chronological order
when he mentions the lesson kissed Willie good night. Then, as she did every night, she said,
from Willie’s teacher earlier 120 “If you have regular problems, call Mrs. Murphy downstairs.
that day.
What’s her number?”
B HERE’S HOW
“274–8676,” Willie said.
“Extra bad problems, call Grandma.”
Literary Focus
I think that these fish with “369–6754.”
no eyes might be a symbol “Super-special problems, you can call me.”
for a character in this story.
At this point, I am not sure “962–6743.”
who the fish are a symbol
“Emergency, the police.”
for. I will make sure to pay
close attention and try to “911.”
figure it out as I read on.
“Don’t let anyone in the door.”
130 “I won’t.”
“No television past nine.”
“I know.”
“But you can read late.”
“You’re the one who’s going to be late,” Willie said.
“I’m leaving,” Mrs. Markham said.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

After she went, Willie stood for a long while in the hallway.
The empty apartment felt like a cave that lay deep below the
earth. That day in school Willie’s teacher had told them about
a kind of fish that lived in caves. These fish could not see. They
140 had no eyes. The teacher had said it was living in the dark cave
that made them like that. A B
Before he went to bed, Willie took another look out the window.
In the pool of light cast by the street lamp, Willie saw the man.

IN OTHER WORDS Willie’s mother makes sure he knows

how to get help when she is away. She leaves for work. Willie
is alone. He thinks about a lesson in school that day. It was
about fish that lived in water in a cave. The fish did not have
eyes. Willie thinks his apartment is like the cave. Before he

214 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 goes to bed, he looks out the window. The man is across the
street under a light. D READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
On Tuesday morning when Willie went to school, the man What does it say about Willie
was gone. But when he came home from school with his mother, that he keeps thinking about
the homeless man?
he was there again.
“Please don’t look at him,” his mother whispered with some E HERE’S HOW
urgency.
Language Coach
During his snack Willie said, “Why shouldn’t I look?” Closely related words are
150 “What are you talking about?” members of the same
word family. For example,
“That man. On the street. Begging.” D unhappy belongs to the
same word family as the
“I told you. He’s sick. It’s better to act as if you never saw
word happy.
them. When people are that way, they don’t wish to be looked at.”
“Why not?” F YOUR TURN
Mrs. Markham thought for a while. “People are ashamed of Reading Focus
being unhappy.” E Underline the words in lines
163–164 that help show the
“Are you sure he’s unhappy?”
sequence of events related
“You don’t have to ask if people are unhappy. They tell you to this story.

all the time.”

160 “Is that part of the sickness?”
“Oh, Willie, I don’t know. It’s just the way they are.” G READ AND DISCUSS
Willie contemplated the half-inch slice of cake his mother
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Comprehension
had just given him. He said, “Ever since Dad left, you’ve been How do these conversations
add to what we have already
unhappy. Are you ashamed?” F been thinking about Willie
Mrs. Markham closed her eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t ask that.” and his mother?

Willie said, “Are you?”

“Willie . . .”
“Think he might come back?”
“It’s more than likely,” Mrs. Markham said, but Willie
170 wondered if that was what she really thought. He did not think
so. “Do you think Dad is unhappy?”
“Where do you get such questions?” G
“They’re in my mind.”
“There’s much in the mind that need not be paid
attention to.”
“Fish that live in caves have no eyes.”

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 215

 “What are you talking about?”
A READ AND DISCUSS “My teacher said it’s all that darkness. The fish forget to see.
Comprehension So they lose their eyes.” A
What was that about a fish? 180 “I doubt she said that.”
“She did.”
“Willie, you have too much imagination.”

IN OTHER WORDS The man is in front of the building

the next day when Willie comes home from school. Willie
keeps asking his mother about why the man is unhappy. Then
he asks his mother if she is unhappy because his father has
left. He asks if she feels the way the man in the street feels.
His mother says he asks too many questions. Willie tells his
mother about the fish in the caves that cannot see.

After his mother went to work, Willie gazed down onto the
street. The man was there. Willie thought of going down, but he
knew he was not supposed to leave the building when his mother
worked at night. He decided to speak to the man tomorrow.
Next afternoon—Wednesday—Willie said to the man, “I
don’t have any money. Can I still talk to you?”
The man’s eyes focused on Willie. They were gray eyes with

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

190 folds of dirty skin beneath them. He needed a shave.
“My mother said you were unhappy. Is that true?”
The man studied Willie. Then he said, “I think you should
go home, kid.”
“I am home.” Willie pointed toward the apartment. “I live
on the fifth floor. Where do you live?”
“Around.”
“Are you unhappy?” Willie asked again. “I’m trying to learn
about unhappiness.”
“Could be,” the man said.
200 “What are you unhappy about?”
The man’s eyes narrowed as he studied Willie intently. He
said, “How come you want to know?”
Willie shrugged.

216 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 “I think you should go home, kid.”
“I am home.” Willie gestured toward the apartment. “I live B HERE’S HOW
right here. Fifth floor. Where do you live?” Vocabulary
“Around.” I know the word right can
have different meanings.
“Are you unhappy?” Willie persisted. It can mean “correct” or
The man ran a tongue over his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed. it can be a direction (the
opposite of left), but here
210 Willie said, “I’m trying to learn about unhappiness.” I think it means “power”
“Why?” or “freedom.” I can replace
right with freedom, and I
“I don’t think I want to say.” understand what the man is
saying.
“A man has the right to remain silent,” the man said and
closed his eyes. B
C HERE’S HOW
Willie remained standing on the pavement for a while
Reading Focus
before walking back to his apartment. Once inside his own room,
I can tell that the author is
he looked down from the window. The man was still there. At telling this part of the story
in chronological order. The
one moment Willie was certain he was looking at the apartment words “the next day” and
building and the floor on which Willie lived. “after” help me follow the
sequence of events.

IN OTHER WORDS The next afternoon, Willie talks to

the man. He asks many questions about why the man is
unhappy. The man does not want to answer the questions.
He tells Willie to go home. Willie explains that he lives in the
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

apartment building on the same street. Willie says he wants

to learn about unhappiness. When the man asks why, Willie
does not want to tell him.

220 The next day—Thursday—after dropping a nickel in the

man’s palm, Willie said, “I’ve decided to tell you why I want to
learn about unhappiness.” C
The man gave a grunt.
“See, I’ve never seen anyone look so unhappy as you do. So I
figure you must know a lot about it.”
The man took a deep breath. “Well, yeah, maybe.”
Willie said, “And I need to find a cure for it.”
“A what?”
“A cure for unhappiness.”

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 217

 230 The man pursed his lips and blew a silent whistle. Then he
A HERE’S HOW said, “Why?” A
Vocabulary “My mother is unhappy.”
I have never seen the word “Why’s that?”
pursed before. I can try to
find out the meaning of the “My dad left.”
word by reading the words “How come?”
around it. All I can figure
out is that the man did “I don’t know. But she’s unhappy all the time. So if I found a
something to his lips in
cure for unhappiness, it would be a good thing, wouldn’t it?”
order to whistle. I will check
a dictionary to find out just “I suppose.”
what pursed means. It says
“to fold or pucker.” I know Willie said, “Would you like some cake?”
what it means to pucker 240 “What kind?”
your lips. The man is making
his mouth into a small “O” “I don’t know. Cake.”
shape so he can whistle. “Depends on the cake.” B
On Friday Willie said to the man, “I found out what kind of
B READ AND DISCUSS
cake it is.”
Comprehension
“Yeah?”
What is going on between
the man and Willie? “Poundcake. But I don’t know why it’s called that.”
“Probably doesn’t matter.”
For a moment neither said anything. Then Willie said, “In
school my teacher said there are fish that live in caves and the
250 caves are dark, so the fish don’t have eyes. What do you think?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Do you believe that?”
“Sure.”
“You do? How come?”
“Because you said so.”
“You mean, just because someone said it you believe it?”
“Not someone. You.”
Willie said, “But, well, maybe it isn’t true.”
The man grunted. “Hey, do you believe it?”
Willie nodded.
260 “Well, you’re not just anyone. You got eyes. You see. You
ain’t no fish.”
“Oh.”
“What’s your name?”
“Willie.”
“That’s a boy’s name. What’s your grownup name?”

218 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 Willie thought for a moment. “William, I guess.”
“And that means another thing.” C YOUR TURN
“What?” Literary Focus
“I’ll take some of that cake.” What is the man’s request for
a piece of cake a symbol for?
270 Willie smiled. “You will?”
“Just said it, didn’t I?” C
“I’ll get it.”
Willie ran to the apartment. He took the box from the
refrigerator as well as a knife, then hurried back down to the
street. “I’ll cut you a piece,” he said.

IN OTHER WORDS The next day Willie explains to the man

why he wants to learn about unhappiness. He tells the man his
mother is unhappy. He wants to find the cure. Willie tells the
man about the fish in the cave. He offers the man some cake.
When the man says yes, Willie runs home to get it.

As the man looked on, Willie opened the box, then held
his thumb against the cake to make sure the portion was the
right size. With a poke of the knife he made a small mark for the
proper width.
280 Just as he was about to cut, the man said, “Hold it!”
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Willie looked up. “What?”

“What were you doing with your thumb there?”
“I was measuring the right size. The right portion. One
portion is what a person is supposed to get.”
“Where’d you learn that?”
“It says so on the box. You can see for yourself.” He held out
the box.
The man studied the box, then handed it back to Willie.
“That’s just lies,” he said.
290 “How do you know?”
“William, how can a box say how much a person needs?”
“But it does. The scientists say so. They measured, so they
know. Then they put it there.”
“Lies,” the man repeated.

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 219

 Willie studied the man. His eyes seemed bleary. “Then how
A READ AND DISCUSS much should I cut?” he asked.
Comprehension The man said, “You have to look at me, then at the cake, and
What happened between the then you’re going to have to decide for yourself.” A
man and Willie?
“Oh.” Willie looked at the cake. The piece was about three
300 inches wide. Willie looked up at the man. After a moment he cut
B YOUR TURN
the cake into two pieces, each an inch and a half wide. He gave
Language Coach
List three words that are in
one piece to the man and kept the other.
the same word family as the “Bless you,” the man said, as he took the piece and laid it in
word bless.
his left hand. B He began to break off pieces with his right hand
and one by one put them into his mouth. Each piece was chewed
thoughtfully. Willie watched him piece by piece.
When the man was done, he dusted his hands of crumbs.
C READ AND DISCUSS “Now I’ll give you something,” the man said.
Comprehension “What?” Willie said, surprised.
What did we learn here? 310 “The cure for unhappiness.”
Follow-up: How does
Willie respond to the man’s “You know it?” Willie asked, eyes wide.
answer?
The man nodded.
“What is it?”
“It’s this: What a person needs is always more than they say.”
Willie thought for a while. “Who’s they?” he asked.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The man pointed to the cake box. “The people on the box,”
he said.
Willie thought for a moment; then he gave the man the
other piece of cake.
320 The man took it, saying, “Good man,” and then ate it. C

IN OTHER WORDS Willie cuts the man a piece of cake.

It is the same size as his mother usually cuts. When the man
asks for a larger piece, Willie explains what the box says about
the serving size. The man says that people far away cannot tell
you how much cake a person should eat. He explains that that
is the cure for unhappiness. People’s needs cannot be decided
by other people who do not know them.

220 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 The next day was Saturday. Willie did not go to school. All
morning he kept looking down from his window for the man, D YOUR TURN
but it was raining and he did not appear. Willie wondered where Literary Focus
he was but could not imagine it. Mother’s answer here makes
me think about the symbol
Willie’s mother woke about noon. Willie sat with her while of the blind fish. Do you
she ate the breakfast he had made. “I found the cure for think that the blind fish is a
symbol for Willie’s mother?
unhappiness,” he announced. Explain your answer.
“Did you?” his mother said. She was reading a memo from
the convenience store’s owner.
330 “It’s, ‘What a person needs is always more than they say.’”
His mother put her papers down. “That’s nonsense. Where
did you hear that?”
“That man.”
“What man?”
“On the street. The one who was begging. You said he was
unhappy. So I asked him.”
“Willie, I told you I didn’t want you to even look at that man.”
“He’s a nice man . . . ”
“How do you know?”
340 “I’ve talked to him.”
“When? How much?”
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Willie shrank down. “I did, that’s all.”

“Willie, I forbid you to talk to him. Do you understand me?
Do you? Answer me!”
“Yes,” Willie said, but in his mind he decided he would talk
to the man one more time. He needed to explain why he could
not talk to him anymore.
On Sunday, however, the man was not there. Nor was he
there on Monday.
350 “That man is gone,” Willie said to his mother as they walked
home from school.
“I saw. I’m not blind.” D
“Where do you think he went?”
“I couldn’t care less. And you might as well know, I arranged
for him to be gone.”
Willie stopped short. “What do you mean?”

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 221

A HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I have not seen the word
nuisance before. Willie’s
mother says that she does
not want a nuisance
bothering kids in her neigh-
borhood. Using that context
clue, I think nuisance means © Dante Fenolio/Photo Researchers, Inc.
“pest” or “troublemaker.”
“I called the police. We don’t need a nuisance like that
B READ AND DISCUSS around here. Pestering kids.” A B
Comprehension “He wasn’t pestering me.”
What is the author letting us 360 “Of course he was.”
know here?
“How do you know?”

C READ AND DISCUSS

“Willie, I have eyes. I can see.”
Willie stared at his mother. “No, you can’t. You’re a fish. You
Comprehension
What are Willie and his live in a cave.”
mother trying to say to each “Willie, don’t talk nonsense.”
other?
“My name isn’t Willie. It’s William.” Turning, he walked back
to the school playground. C
Mrs. Markham watched him go. “Fish,” she wondered to
herself; “what do fish have to do with anything?”

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

370
IN OTHER WORDS The next day, Willie tells his mother
what the man said about unhappiness. Mother is very angry
that Willie has been talking to the man. Willie agrees not to
speak to the man anymore. But he wants to see the man
one last time. On Monday, the man is gone. Mrs. Markham
explains that she has called the police to make the man move.
Willie is angry with his mother. He tells her that his name is
not Willie; it is William. Willie is tired of being treated like a
child. Then he tells his mother she is like the fish in the cave
who cannot see. Mrs. Markham does not understand what
Willie means.

222 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

 Applying Your Skills

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. How does the cure for unhappiness, “What a person needs is always more
than they say,” connect to the ending of this story?

LITERARY SKILLS FOCUS: SYMBOLISM

DIRECTIONS: Write a sentence that explains the meaning of one symbol from
the story.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: SEQUENCING: CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

DIRECTIONS: Number the following events from the story in the correct
sequence.
Willie gives poundcake to the man on the street.
Willie’s teacher tells the class about a fish with no eyes.
William tells his mother that is like the fish because she can’t see.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

DIRECTIONS: Fill in each blank with the correct word from the Word Box. Not
all of the words will be used.

LdgY7dm 1. Willie was willing to some cake for the man

on the street.
begging
2. Willie felt bad when he saw the man for
spare
money.
urgency
ashamed

What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? 223

Preparing to Read

All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

Based on the article by Alice P. Miller
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: CONNECTING MAIN IDEAS ACROSS TEXTS
Keep track of the main ideas—the major points that the author is
making—as you read “All Aboard with Thomas Garrett.” Here are some
questions to ask while looking for the main idea:
• What are the characters doing?
• What does the author think about this?
• What is the big picture?

Many times, different authors will write on the same topic and come up
with the same main ideas. Keep that in mind as you read “All Aboard
with Thomas Garrett” and “Harriet Tubman: Moses of Her People.”

VOCABULARY
Practice saying these words out loud.
elderly (EL DUHR LEE) adj.: old.
vowed (VOWD) v.: promised.
bands (BANDZ) n.: groups of people.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

INTO THE ARTICLE
You may never have heard of Thomas Garrett, but you probably know
someone else in this article. Harriet Tubman is well known. What can you
remember about her?
Reading
Standard 2.3 • She was born a slave.
Connect
and clarify • She got away to freedom.
main ideas by
identifying their • Later, she helped many other slaves get away.
relationships to
other sources Before you begin reading this article, think about what else you know
and related
topics. about slavery in the United States and about the antislavery movement.

224 All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

 All Aboard with
Thomas Garrett
Based on the article by Alice P. Miller

A HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I have not seen the word
elderly before. My teacher
says it is just another way
of saying “old.”

Courtesy of the Historical Society of Delaware

Two elderly people walked down the front steps of the red brick
house. A Their clothing showed that they were respectable1
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

people. The small lady wore a long gray dress. She carried a
snow-white handkerchief. Her bonnet had a veil that hid her
face. The tall gentleman wore a long black coat and a hat.
When they reached the sidewalk, the gentleman and lady
got into a coach2 that waited at the curb. At first, the driver
drove the horses slowly. Outside Wilmington,3 the coach moved
along at a faster pace. Finally, they crossed into the free state4 of
10 Pennsylvania.
1. Respectable (RIH SPEHK TUH BUHL) means “correct in behavior” or
“worthy of trust.”
2. A coach (KOCH) is an old-fashioned carriage pulled by horses.
3. Wilmington (WIHL MIHNG TUHN) is a town in Delaware, which was a
slave state at that time.
4. A free state was a state that did not allow slavery.

“All Aboard with Thomas Garrett” by Alice P. Miller adapted from Cobblestone, vol. 2, no. 2,
February 1981. Copyright © 1981 by Alice P. Miller. Retold by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Reproduced by permission of the Estate of Alice P. Miller.

All Aboard with Thomas Garrett 225

 The tall white man was Thomas Garrett. For many years he
A READ AND DISCUSS had broken the law by helping runaway slaves. The little lady was
Comprehension runaway slave Harriet Tubman, wearing clothes borrowed from
What is the author showing Garrett’s wife. It was Tubman’s first visit to Garrett, but she would
us with Harriet Tubman and
Thomas Garrett’s actions? return many more times. A
Garrett’s house was a station on the Underground Railroad.
B HERE’S HOW Runaway slaves stayed there a day or two until it was safe to
Reading Focus move on. Garrett gave them food, clothing, and new shoes from
So far I think the main idea his shoe store. He made fake passes that gave the runaway slaves
of this article has to do with
fighting against slavery and 20 written permission to move about freely. The passes helped them
the risks people took to do get past the police and the slave hunters. B
so. I will keep reading to see
if I am right. Garrett was not a rich man, but he used his own money to
cover5 his costs. Other people who believed it was wrong to keep
slaves also gave him money.

5. Here, cover means “pay for.”

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

© The Granger Collection, New York

226 All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

 However, there was never enough money. Yet Garrett never
turned away a runaway slave. He never refused food to anyone. C YOUR TURN
He would rather have gone hungry himself. Vocabulary
Garrett, who was born in Pennsylvania, had been helping Knowing what you do about
Garrett, what do you think
slaves since 1822. That year, he helped a young black woman who the word vowed means?
30 was trying to escape from her master. At that time he vowed to Use a dictionary to check
your answer.
spend the rest of his life helping slaves. He remained faithful to
that promise. C
Garrett ran the best station on the Underground Railroad.
It was the station that was used most often. It was also the most
dangerous because Wilmington was so close to Pennsylvania,
which was a free state. D There were many slave catchers D HERE’S HOW
in Wilmington. They watched all roads going north to Language Coach
Pennsylvania. The word dangerous is part
of a “family” of related
words. In my dictionary,
I can find the related words
danger and endangered.
I can improve my vocabulary
by using a dictionary to find
words related to words
I already know.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

© Louie Psihoyos/Corbis

All Aboard with Thomas Garrett 227

 Helping slaves escape was against the law, but Garrett got
A READ AND DISCUSS 40 away with it for a long time. He knew many ways to help slaves
Comprehension hide from the slave catchers. Sometimes he disguised a slave, as
How do things turn out in he had done with Harriet Tubman. Sometimes he dressed a man
court?
in woman’s clothing or a woman in man’s clothing. Other times
he would show a young person how to appear to be old and bent
B YOUR TURN
over with age. Another reason for his success was that he had
Reading Focus
many friends who would hide runaway slaves under a wagonload
In your own words, what do
you think this reading’s main of vegetables or in a secret compartment6 in a wagon.
idea is so far?
However, in 1848, two slave owners took him to court.
A 1793 law punished people who helped runaways. The jury7
50 decided in favor of the owners. Garrett had to pay $5,400 in
fines. A B
After the trial ended, Garrett stood up and told the court he
would never stop. He said he had already helped fourteen hundred
slaves. He promised to double the help he’d given. He had no
money left. Even without money, he would go on helping slaves
gain freedom.
C YOUR TURN Garrett sold all his furniture, but that was not enough to pay
Vocabulary the fine. He borrowed money from his friends and was able to
The word bands can have pay the heavy fines. He went on helping slaves reach freedom.
many different meanings.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

It can mean “musical groups” 60 As time went on, Garrett’s business grew and he had more
or “groups of people.” money. He paid the money back to his friends. In 1863, slavery
Which definition makes more
sense here? in America ended. By then, Garrett had helped more than 2,700
slaves.
Garrett and Harriet Tubman met many times during those
years. Tubman made many trips to the South and returned with
bands of slaves. C Garrett always helped them escape. Garrett
wrote many letters to Harriet Tubman. We know much about
Tubman from his letters.
Garrett admired Tubman. He wrote that he’d never met
70 anyone like her. He said that Tubman was never afraid because
she trusted God and went where He sent her.

6. A compartment (KUHM PAWRT MUHNT) is a place for storing things.

7. A jury (JU REE) is group of people in a law court who decide whether
someone is guilty or not guilty.

228 All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

 In April 1870, the United States passed a law that said that
black citizens and citizens who had been slaves could vote. Their D READ AND DISCUSS
right to vote could not be taken away. Comprehension
Joyful black people pulled Garrett through the streets in an What does this celebration
show us?
open carriage. On its side, they had written, “Our Moses.”8 D

Comprehension Wrap-up
1. How do you think a person makes the choice to spend his
life helping other people, even if he could put himself in
great danger by doing so?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

8. Moses (MO ZUHS) was a strong leader of ancient times who helped
the Jewish people gain freedom from slavery in Egypt.

All Aboard with Thomas Garrett 229

Skills Practice

All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

USE AN ORGANIZATION MAP
DIRECTIONS: Complete the map below by deciding what information is the
most important in “All Aboard with Thomas Garrett.” Write the four most
important details from the selection in the bubbles. This will help you figure
out what the main idea is.

Main Idea

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

230 All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

 Applying Your Skills

All Aboard with Thomas Garrett

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: CONNECTING MAIN IDEAS ACROSS TEXTS
DIRECTIONS: Look at the information you wrote in the bubbles on the previous
page. Use that information to help you write a short paragraph summarizing
the main idea of “All Aboard with Thomas Garrett.”

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.

LdgY7dm 1. Tubman and Garrett helped thousands of of

slaves escape and find freedom.
elderly
2. Sometimes Garrett taught escaping slaves to pretend to be
vowed
, or old, people.
bands
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

3. Although she sometimes felt like giving up, Tubman kept on because
she had to lead the escaped slaves to safety.

All Aboard with Thomas Garrett 231

Preparing to Read

from Harriet Tubman:

The Moses of Her People
Based on the biography by Sarah Bradford
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: CONNECTING MAIN IDEAS ACROSS TEXTS
As you read the next selection, think about how its main idea, or most
important point, compares to that of “All Aboard with Thomas Garrett.”
Here is a short outline of the two stories to help you keep track of your
thoughts.

“All Aboard with Thomas

“from Harriet Tubman”
Garrett”
• Talks about how Garrett and • Talks about how Tubman felt
Tubman helped thousands when she was first free.
escape from slavery.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
imagined (IH MA JIHN) v.: dreamed up; pictured.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

glory (GLOH REE) n.: beauty; wonder.
slavery (SLAY VUH REE) n.: the practice of forcing people to work for no pay.
damp (DAMP) adj.: wet or moist.

INTO THE BIOGRAPHY

Have you ever wanted something so much that it was all you thought
about? Have you even gotten what you wanted but found that it was
not all you had hoped it would be? That is what this short selection is
Reading
Standard 2.3 about. Harriet Tubman was one of the most famous African Americans
Connect of the mid-1800s. She escaped to freedom from slavery. However, she
and clarify
main ideas by then continued to return to slave areas to lead other slaves to freedom.
identifying their
relationships to This short selection is part of a biography—a life story—of Tubman.
other sources In it, the author explains how Harriet Tubman felt when she first reached
and related
topics. freedom. Her feelings may surprise you.

232 from Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People

 from Harriet Tubman, the
Moses of Her People
Based on the biography by Sarah Bradford

After many long days, she had passed the magic line between
the land of slavery and the land of freedom. But where were the
A HERE’S HOW
lovely white ladies she had imagined? Who was waiting to
Reading Focus
welcome her to their homes? All these visions proved false. I can see already that this
Harriet was more alone than ever. But she had crossed the reading is about escaping
slavery to find freedom.
line. No one could take her now. She would never call another It may share some main
white man “Master.” A ideas with “All Aboard with
Thomas Garrett.”
“I looked at my hands, to see if I was the same person now
that I was free,” she said. B “There was such a glory over B HERE’S HOW
10 everything. The sun came like gold through the trees and over
Language Coach
the fields…. I felt like I was in heaven.” I know that a related word
for free is the word freedom.
Freedom means “the state
of being free.”
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

© Folio Inc/Alamy
from Harriet Tubman, the Moses of Her People 233
 But then came sad knowledge. She was alone, and others
A READ AND DISCUSS remained in slavery. Not one of them had the courage to do what
Comprehension she had done. Unless she made the effort to free them, she would
What do Harriet Tubman’s never see them again. She told this story. A
actions tell you about her?
Why would it take courage “I knew of a man who was sent to the State Prison for
to do what she had done? twenty-five years,” she said. “He was always thinking of his home
and counting the time till he should be free, and see his family
B HERE’S HOW
and friends. The years roll on, the time of imprisonment is over,
Vocabulary 20 the man is free. He leaves the prison gates, but his old home is
I checked my dictionary to
look up the word damp. It not there. His family were gone, their very name was forgotten,
means “wet.” Now I know there was no one to take him by the hand to welcome him back.”
that Harriet Tubman prayed
on the cold, wet ground. “So it was with me;” said Harriet. “I was free; but there
was no one there to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was
C YOUR TURN a stranger in a strange land. My home after all was with the old
Reading Focus folks and my brothers and sisters. But I was free, and they should
Underline the sentence in be free also. I would make a home for them in the North, and
this paragraph that you feel
is most important to the I would bring them all there. Oh, how I prayed then, lying all
reading’s main idea.
alone on the cold, damp ground.” B C

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. Talk about what you think it might have been like for

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Harriet Tubman to do the things that she did. Do you
think it was hard?

234 from Harriet Tubman, the Moses of Her People

 Applying Your Skills

from Harriet Tubman:

The Moses of Her People
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: CONNECTING MAIN IDEAS ACROSS TEXTS
DIRECTIONS: On the chart below, compare the main ideas of “All Aboard
with Thomas Garrett” and “from Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People.”
Support your answers with lines from the texts.

“All Aboard with Thomas Garrett” “from Harriet Tubman”

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

LdgY7dm VOCABULARY REVIEW

imagined DIRECTIONS: Write “Yes” on the blank after each sentence if the vocabulary
glory word is being used correctly. Write “No” if it is not being used correctly.
slavery 1. Being free was not how Harriet Tubman imagined it.
damp 2. Tubman explained how she felt when she reached the North by telling
a glory about a man who was in jail for twenty-five years.
3. Tubman hoped to free everyone from slavery.
4. The sun beat down on Harriet; she felt damp from its rays.

from Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People 235

Skills Review

Chapter 6
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: How surprised would you be if each of these things happened? Number
them on a scale from 1 to 5. Explain your decision for each event on the lines below.

How surprised would you be if. . .

everything you imagined turned out to be true?

an elderly person won a city marathon?

a gawky friend stepped on your toes?

your best friend vowed to stop eating chocolate?

you saw a millionaire begging for money?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

DIRECTIONS: Circle the vocabulary word that best fits each example.
1. I see things one way, but you see them totally differently.
third-person narration perspective
2. Sarah decided to give three hours a week to volunteer at the animal shelter.
contribute speaker
3. The first movie was full of action, while the second one was quiet and thoughtful.
distinct uniform
4. The race-car driver’s story of his life became a bestselling book.
biography autobiography

236 Biography and Autobiography

 Skills Review

Chapter 6
LANGUAGE COACH: SYNONYMS
DIRECTIONS: Decide if the following word pairs are synonyms (words with the same
meanings) or antonyms (words that are opposites). Write your answers on the blank
lines.
1. left; right
2. persuade; convince
3. shout; whisper
4. snort; grunt
5. innocent; guilty

WRITING ACTIVITY
When we read a story that uses third-person narration, we get an idea of what
the author thinks has happened. It is also useful to imagine how an event might be
told using first person narration. Read the scenes describing what happened to Lan
in The Land I Lost. Rewrite each scene as if it were from her point of view. Use first-
person narration.
1. A bride was expected to express sorrow at leaving her parents behind. In some
villages the bride was even supposed to hang on to her mother until friends
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

pulled her away. But Lan smiled. She asked herself, why should she cry?

2. But that evening, a crocodile had crawled onto the riverbank around the trees. It
came up behind Lan and grabbed her.

3. When the crocodile smashed her against the ground, Lan played dead. Luckily,
the crocodile returned to the river to drink. At that moment Lan ran to a small
tree nearby. She climbed up into it.

Review 237
Chapter

7 Expository Critique:
Persuasive Texts
and Media

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

© Todd Gipstein/CORBIS
 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 7

LITERARY VOCABULARY
persuasion (PUHR SWAY ZHUHN) n.: the use of words or images to get people
to believe or to do something.
Television commercials are examples of persuasion.
statistics (STUH TIH STIHKS) n.: information expressed as numbers.
Statistics show that there are more than 6.6 billion people living
on Earth.
anecdotes (AN EHK DOHTS) n.: short personal stories that illustrate a point.
Douglas has many anecdotes about what it is like to fix machines.
evidence (EH VUH DEHNS) n.: information that supports or backs up a claim.
The pile of dirty clothes on the floor was evidence that I had not
cleaned my bedroom.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
adequacy (AD UH KWIHT) n.: quality of being enough to meet a need or
requirement.
An argument’s strength depends partly on the adequacy of the
evidence.
authority (UH THAWR UH TEE) n.: someone who is respected because of his or
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

her knowledge about a subject.

Professor Hoover has studied the Civil War for 20 years, and now he is
an authority on the subject.
conclude (KUHN KLOOD) v.: decide something after considering all the
information you have.
After reading this book, you will be able to conclude which story is
your favorite.
crucial (KROO SHUHL) adj.: very important.
It is crucial that you pay attention in class so you can do well on exams.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 239

Literary Skills Focus

What Is Expository Critique?

Sometimes a writer’s purpose is to try to make readers believe something
or do something. When a writer tries to convince us, then he or she is using
persuasion. A writer who wants to persuade argues that his or her opinions
are correct.

Writers use logic in persuasion. Logic is good, correct thinking.

Writers who use logic to persuade state an opinion. Then they support
their opinion with reason and evidence. A reason is why an author holds an
opinion. Evidence is proof or a fact that backs up a reason.

Types of Evidence Here are some common types of evidence that writers use as
proof in persuasive writing.
• Facts are statements that can be proved true.
• Quotations are comments from others that are written down. They
appear in a text with quotation marks.
• Statistics are numbers that give information.
• Examples are specific illustrations of a general idea.
• Anecdotes are brief, personal stories that someone tells about his or her
own experiences.

Logical and Emotional Appeals Writers use two types of appeals, or

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

arguments, in persuasive writing:
• Logical appeals aim at the reader’s thinking ability. Logical appeals use
facts and statistics.
• Emotional appeals aim at the reader’s emotions or feelings. Emotional
appeals try to make readers feel emotions like sadness or anger about an
opinion.

240 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Analyze Persuasion

Commercials use persuasion to try to make viewers buy certain products. Work
with a partner. Think of a commercial that you have both seen. In the chart
below, describe what types of logical or emotional appeals your commercial
used. Explain the evidence the commercial used. Describe how the commercial
tried to make you feel.

Product in the commercial

Logical appeals
Evidence: Facts, quotations, Statistics,
Examples, anecdotes

Emotional appeals
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

How the commercial tried to make us feel

Literary Skills Focus 241

Literary Skills Focus

What Skills Help You Read an Expository Critique?

When you critique a persuasive text, you decide how well the writer presented
his or her arguments.

Read a persuasive text carefully. Evaluate the evidence by asking yourself if

the facts are strong enough to support the writer’s opinions.
• Ask yourself if there is adequate, or enough, evidence.
• Make sure the writer uses appropriate, or related, evidence. The evidence
should directly support the writer’s claims.
• Check that the writer’s evidence is accurate, or correct. The evidence
should come from a source that you trust.
A writer’s conclusions are his or her judgments or opinions. The conclusions
in persuasive writing should be based on the evidence. One way to check
whether the evidence adds up is to summarize the evidence. Use a chart like
the one below to help you summarize evidence.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing between fact and opinion can help you evaluate evidence and
the writer’s conclusion. Remember these differences between fact and opinion:
• Fact: information that can be proved true
• Opinion: personal beliefs or attitudes

The overall purpose for a persuasive text is to persuade. Ask yourself if the
author is trying to persuade you by appealing to your:
• sense of logic
• emotions
• sense of what’s right or wrong
• desire to fit in with other people
• desire to be special or important

242 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Apply Reading Skills

Work with a partner. Choose a magazine or newspaper advertisement. Use the
ad to answer the following questions.
1. What claims, or conclusions, does the advertisement make?

2. What evidence does the ad use to support these claims?

3. Evaluate the evidence: is it adequate, appropriate, and

accurate? Why or why not?

4. Write one fact from the ad (if there is one). Write one
opinion.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

5. Look at the artwork or graphics from the ad. Circle the way that the
artwork is trying to persuade you:
• Appeal to our sense of logic
• Appeal to our emotions
• Appeal to our desire to be special or important
• Appeal to our desire to fit in with others
• Appeal to our sense of what’s right and wrong

Literary Skills Focus 243

Preparing to Read

A Surprising Secret to a Long

Life: Stay in School
Based on the newspaper article by Gina Kolata
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PERSUASION
Each day, companies air television commercials telling us to buy their
product over someone else’s. This is an example of persuasion. Persuasion
is the use of words or images to get us to believe or to do something. In
persuasive texts, writers present an opinion or claim about a product or
an idea. Then the writer uses reasons and evidence, or supporting details,
to build an argument. For example, television commercials might tell you
about the benefits of a certain product in order to convince you to buy it.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: EVALUATING EVIDENCE

Some newspaper articles are written to present a conclusion, or a final
thought. Writers will use evidence, or supporting details, to reach a
conclusion. For example, a writer may tell about a baseball team that is
losing many games. The writer may point out examples from the season.
These examples might lead to the conclusion that the team is losing games
because the coach has made bad choices. As a reader, it is your job to look
closely at evidence a writer gives you. Then, you can come to a decision as

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

to whether or not you agree with the writer.

VOCABULARY
expert (EHKS PUHRT) n.: person who knows a great deal about a topic.
education (EHJ OO KAY SHUHN) n.: learning or time spent in school.
isolated (Y SUH LAY TEHD) adj.: separated, or away, from others.
insurance (IHN SHUHR UHNS) n.: protection against damage, harm, or sickness.

INTO THE ARTICLE

Sometimes an author has a purpose for choosing the title of an article.
Reading In this case, you might wonder how staying in school can help you live
Standard 2.6
Determine the a longer life. Wondering that might make you want to read the article.
adequacy and
appropriateness The author’s purpose is to make you want to learn more, or to make you
of the evidence curious. Think about the connection between school and a long life as
for an author’s
conclusions. you read.

244 A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School

 A Surprising Secret to a
Long Life: Stay in School
Based on the newspaper article by Gina Kolata

A HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
James Smith is a health
expert. I am not sure what
an expert is. However,
I think that expert is an
important word to know
for this article. I decided
to check my dictionary. An
expert is “a person who
knows a great deal about
a topic.” This tells me that
James Smith knows a lot
about people’s health.

© Hans Neleman/Getty Images B READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
James Smith, a health expert, has heard many ideas about how How does the title tie into
what you have read in the
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

people can live longer. A Those ideas include having money

first two paragraphs?
and having few worries. They also include having a loving family
and lots of friends. Smith’s job is to study these ideas. Some C HERE’S HOW
people live longer than others. But Smith is not sure why.
Reading Focus
Most countries keep records of the usual length of life for all So far, a conclusion the
of their people. Sometimes they also keep records based on race, writer may draw is that
education has a great effect
where people live, and how much education people have. Smith on the amount of years a
person lives. I will look for
and other experts have learned that one fact is part of living
evidence of this as I read
10 longer in every country—education. B on. Then, I will think about
the evidence and decide if I
“If you were to ask me what affects health,” says one health agree with the writer or not.
expert, “I would put education at the top of my list.” C

“A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School,” by Gina Kolata adapted from The New
York Times, January 3, 2007. Copyright 2007 by The New York Times Company. Retold by Holt,
Rinehart and Winston. Reproduced by permission of the copyright holder.

A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School 245

 Student Finds One Answer
A YOUR TURN
In 1999, Adriana Lleras-Muney was a student at Columbia
Vocabulary University. She found information about a study from 1969
What do you think the
word wealthy means?
that showed a link between education and health. Did good
Read the next sentence to education make people healthy? Lleras-Muney wasn’t sure.
try and figure it out. Write
your definition below. You Maybe sick children did not go to school or dropped out,
can use a dictionary to check she thought. Often, the best education was found in wealthy
your answer.
communities. A So maybe richer parents raised children with
20 better food, medical care, and education. And those children
lived longer, thought Lleras-Muney.
Lleras-Muney decided to find out more. Certain states
B HERE’S HOW forced children to go to school for longer periods in the 1900s.
Language Coach She decided to study length of life of people in those states.
My teacher says that the
When she finished, Lleras-Muney says, “I was really
adjective educated is in the
same word family as the surprised.” People could add as much as one and a half years to
noun education. I think
that an educated person is their life simply by going to school for one extra year.
someone who has received
an education.
Lessons Learned
C YOUR TURN Lleras-Muney and other experts studied education and length
Reading Focus of life in several countries. In every country, forcing children to
Underline evidence that

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

30 spend more years in school meant that they lived longer lives.
the author gives on this page
that backs up the point that The experts finally agreed on one possible reason. In general,
education affects health.
people with less education had difficulty planning for the future.
How can that change the length of life? Some less educated
young people might take up smoking. B Poorly educated people
are more likely to smoke even though it is widely known that
smoking is deadly. They might make other unhealthy choices as
well because they do not understand what can happen later in
life. C

Other Reasons for Long Life

In the late 1970s, Lisa Berkman, a college professor, worked at
40 a health care center in San Francisco. She noticed something
interesting. In some parts of the city, older people came into

246 A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School

 their medical appointments with younger people. In other areas,
Berkman says, “People were really isolated.” D D HERE’S HOW
Not spending time with other people turned out to be risky, Vocabulary
Berkman learned. People with few social connections were more I have never seen the word
isolated before. I think I can
than twice as likely to die as people with family or community figure out what it means by
support. Berkman found that being isolated can increase worry. reading on a bit. The next
sentence starts out with “Not
It also makes it harder to get health care and other needed help. spending time with other
people.” I think this is a clue
Researchers have also learned that the lowest death rates are
to the meaning of isolated.
50 found in the wealthiest places. In other words, say researchers, I checked my dictionary to
make sure, and I was right!
wealth buys health. Poor people, at least in the United States, are Isolated means “separated,
less likely to have health insurance. But the differences between or away, from others.”

rich and poor also happen in countries where everyone has

E YOUR TURN
health care. Researchers believe this is because sick people often
are unable to work or work full time. Reading Focus
In the final paragraph,
James Smith studies U.S. households with at least one the author changes from
person between the ages of 51 and 61. When someone in that age trying to explain to trying
to persuade. She draws the
group developed cancer, heart disease, or lung disease, his or her conclusion that staying in
household income fell by about $37,000. school plays an important
role in how long someone
60 It is not just education that makes a difference in how long lives. She also states that
learning about health and
a person lives. But staying in school definitely helps. Learning
nutrition are important.
about health and nutrition in early life can become important for Based on the evidence that
was laid out in this article,
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

adults. Educated people can often control some risks for heart do you agree? Explain your
disease. And it seems increasingly likely that education plays answer.

a major role in gaining that control—and adding years to

life. E F

Comprehension Wrap Up
1. Why is it important that you understand the information
from this article at this point in your life?

F READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
What did you learn from this
article about lengthening
your life?

A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School 247

Skills Practice

A Surprising Secret to a Long

Life: Stay in School
USE A COMPARISON CHART
One way to keep track of how evidence in an article leads to a conclusion is
by making a chart like the one below.

DIRECTIONS: Read through the article again and fill in the chart with evidence
that backs up the conclusion that education has an effect on the length of a
person’s life.

Evidence Conclusion
1.

2. In general, people with less education had difficulty

planning for the future.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Education may have an effect on the length of a person’s
3. life.

4.

248 A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School

 Applying Your Skills

A Surprising Secret to a Long

Life: Stay in School
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PERSUASION
DIRECTIONS: Is there a toy, videogame, or MP3 player that you just know is the
best being sold in stores today? On the lines below, use what you have learned
about persuasion to write a paragraph about a product that you think people
should own. Be sure to use words and reasons that will make your readers
believe that your product really is the best!

READING SKILLS FOCUS: EVALUATING EVIDENCE

DIRECTIONS: Look back at the evidence you gathered on the Skills Practice
page. Based on this evidence, do you think the writer’s conclusion that
education may have an effect on the length of a person’s life is correct?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Write a short paragraph to explain your answer.

LdgY7dm VOCABULARY REVIEW

expert DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.
education Not all words will be used.
isolated 1. It is important to go to school and get a good .
insurance 2. Alex spent the whole day alone in his office, working on his computer.
He felt from other people.
3. James Smith is a health , which means he
knows a lot about people’s health.

A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School 249

Preparing to Read

Oprah Talks About Her South

African “Dreamgirls”
Based on the article by ABC News
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: LOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL APPEALS
To persuade us that their ideas are right, writers often use logical appeals
that appeal to our sense of reason. Facts are one kind of logical appeal.
Statistics, or information in the form of numbers, are another kind. For
example, the school newspaper writer may state that 90% of the students
agree with the president’s plan. The writer is using this statistic to show
how many people agree with the plan. Writers also use emotional appeals
to affect our feelings about a topic. Sometimes emotional appeals include
personal stories. Other times they include loaded words, or words that are
linked to strong feelings. For example, the word Thanksgiving might make
people think about happy celebrations with friends or relatives.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: EVALUATING EVIDENCE

How do you decide whether or not to accept people’s opinions and
conclusions? You can start by asking yourself the following questions: Has
the author given enough evidence, or supporting details? Is the writer

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

relying too much on emotional appeals? Is the evidence on the right topic,
and does it really support the writer’s points?
Reading
Standard 2.6
Determine the
VOCABULARY
adequacy and resistance (REE ZIHS TUHNS) n.: opposition; refusal to accept.
appropriateness
of the evidence embarrassed (EHM BAR UHSD) adj.: ashamed; uncomfortable.
for an author’s
conclusions. opportunity (AH PUHR TOON IH TEE) n.: chance.

250 Oprah Talks About Her South African “Dreamgirls”

 Oprah Talks About Her
South African “Dreamgirls”
Based on the article by ABC News

INTO THE ARTICLE

Oprah Winfrey is a well-known TV star. She is also one of the
wealthiest women in the world. She is an African American who
grew up during a time of racial prejudice in the United States.
Black South Africans have also faced prejudice for many years.
This report shows what Oprah Winfrey is doing to help poor
South African girls do well. It all begins with education.

In South Africa on Tuesday, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership

Academy for Girls opened. TV star Oprah Winfrey had kept her
A READ AND DISCUSS
promise to South African leaders that she would pay to build
Comprehension
the school. What have you learned
The 152 girls at the school come from difficult backgrounds. about the Oprah Winfrey
Leadership Academy?
Half the people in South Africa live in poverty. One quarter of
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the people have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Violence is not
B HERE’S HOW
unusual in the lives of many South African girls. A
Vocabulary
For some South Africans, Winfrey’s school seems like “too I am not sure what designed
10 much.” People inside and outside the country have asked why she means. I checked my
dictionary for the word
was spending more than $40 million on just one school? design. It says “draw some-
Winfrey said people disagreed with her idea from the thing that could be built or
made.” I think that the peo-
beginning. Even the people who designed the school questioned ple who designed the school
are the people who drew the
her. B
plans for the school.
“The resistance was too much,” Winfrey said. “ ‘What are
you doing? What do they need all that room for? Why does a girl
need all that closet space when she has no clothes?’ That’s what
they first said to me.”

“Oprah Talks About Her South African ‘Dreamgirls’” adapted from ABC News Web site,
accessed October 1, 2007 at http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2767103&page=1&CMP=
OTC-RSSFeeds0312. Copyright © 2007 by ABC News. Retold by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Reproduced by permission of the copyright holder.

Oprah Talks About Her South African “Dreamgirls” 251

 © Denis Farell/AP Photo
“And my idea was to understand, yes, you come from
20 nothing, but oh, what a something you will become, if given the
A HERE’S HOW
opportunity,” Winfrey said. A B
Reading Focus
I think Winfrey is making
Most of the girls at the school have come from poor homes.
an emotional appeal for the They had no running water or electricity. Many girls studied by
importance of her school.
candlelight. But they were the best in their classes.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

She is using stories and her
personal ideas to convince At Tuesday’s opening ceremony, one excited girl named
people, not facts and
statistics. Losego said, “I went to a lot of effort to come to this school.”

B YOUR TURN
Diamonds and Dreams
Vocabulary
Winfrey plans to play an important part in the school. She will
Write a definition for the
word opportunity. Look at teach leadership classes. No matter what people say, she believes
the sentences that come
before the word is used. the future is bright for the girls.
This will help you get a 30 Winfrey dressed up for the school’s opening ceremony
better understanding of its
meaning. Use a dictionary to wearing diamonds. The girls had seen them in pictures. Winfrey
check your definition. said she wore them to show that this was an important celebration.
“One of the things that’s very important for me is for the
girls to be proud of themselves and to be proud of the way they
look. . . . A lot of them in the beginning were very embarrassed
about being poor,” Winfrey said.

252 Oprah Talks About Her South African “Dreamgirls”

 Winfrey asked some girls why they wanted to come to the
school. Many said they wanted to take care of their families. C READ AND DISCUSS
“And some of them would say, ‘I want to come to this school Comprehension
40 because I am a poor girl,’ and then they would drop their heads,” What did we find out about
the girls that are going to
Winfrey said. “I was a poor girl, too. So there’s no shame in being the academy?
a poor girl. It’s not who you are.” C D
The school’s courses are hard. Rules are strict. Winfrey says D HERE’S HOW
her school is for leaders. Reading Focus
“I said to the girls, ‘I’m going to take care of you. I’m going This quotation from Winfrey
in lines 39–42 seems very
to . . . make sure you . . . have a good life and the best opportu- important. I think it relates
nity to go to the best schools in the world so when you leave this to the overall message of the
article. I will read on to find
school you will choose universities all over the world.” she said. out if I am right.

E HERE’S HOW
A Responsibility to Her New Daughters
Vocabulary
Winfrey has often been asked one question: Why doesn’t she
I have not seen the word
50 build a school like this in the United States? She says that South improve before. But I
know that the young
Africa is different from the United States. South African young
South Africans have gone
people want to learn and improve their lives. E Most young through hard times. I think
that improve means “make
people in the United States do not feel as strongly about getting better.” I checked my
a good education. dictionary, and I was right.

“And I don’t know a South African mother or father who

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

F YOUR TURN
didn’t understand what a value, what a gift, what an opportunity
an education is,” Winfrey said. Reading Focus
Now that you have read
Winfrey understands that she is taking a chance on the the whole thing, did the
school and the girls. She promised to care for the new students as evidence convince you that
this school is important?
60 if they were her own daughters. Explain why or why not.
“It’s not just about using your money wisely and . . . invest-
ing in the future of young girls, but now I have a lot of responsi-
bility,” she said. “I feel it.” F

Comprehension Wrap Up
1. Oprah Winfrey says “I was a poor girl, too. So there’s no
shame in being a poor girl. It’s not who you are.” Discuss
what she means by that quote and how it relates to those
who believe that money does define who you are.

Oprah Talks About Her South African “Dreamgirls” 253

Skills Practice

Oprah Talks About Her South

African “Dreamgirls”
USE A LOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL APPEALS CHART
DIRECTIONS: Read through the article again. Fill in the chart with
logical appeals and emotional appeals that support Oprah’s views on the
school. Write each appeal in the correct column of the chart below.

Logical Appeals Emotional Appeals

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

254 Oprah Talks About Her South African “Dreamgirls”

 Applying Your Skills

Oprah Talks About Her South

African “Dreamgirls”
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: LOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL APPEALS
DIRECTIONS: Write a logical appeal and an emotional appeal for the following
issue: Your town needs a new park.

1. Logical appeal:

2. Emotional appeal:

READING SKILLS FOCUS: MAKING AND SUPPORTING ASSERTIONS

DIRECTIONS: Suppose you are reading an article about the Cougars baseball
team. The writer thinks the Cougars will win the state championship this
year. The article includes the evidence below. Evaluate how well this evidence
supports the author’s opinion.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Evidence: The Cougars baseball team won the state championship last year.
This year, the Cougars have many of the same players as they did last year.
They also have two great new pitchers.

My Evaluation:

LdgY7dm VOCABULARY REVIEW

resistance DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.
embarrassed Not all words will be used.
opportunity 1. Having the chance to go to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy is
a great for young students.
2. At first, many people showed to the idea, but
finally people came to the decision that the school was a good idea.

Oprah Talks About Her South African “Dreamgirls” 255

Preparing to Read

Start the Day Right!

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
Persuasion is the use of words and pictures to get you to believe or
do something. There are different ways for a writer to talk his or her
readers into believing or doing something. These different ways are called
persuasive techniques. Persuasive techniques can use both logical appeals
and emotional appeals.
As you have learned, a logical appeal is when a writer uses evidence, or
supporting details, and reasons to back up his or her opinion. An emotional
appeal is when a writer tries to have an effect on the way his or her readers
feel inside. As you know, a writer making an emotional appeal will use
loaded words, or words with good or bad meanings.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: EVALUATING EVIDENCE

Public service announcements and advertisements depend on both logical
appeals and emotional appeals to get their messages across. How do you
decide whether to accept their claims? To start with, you need to evaluate
the evidence, or decide whether the reasons given are persuasive. Ask
yourself: Are there enough logical appeals? Are the facts accurate? Do
they really support the claim? Do the announcements or ads use emotional
appeals instead of supporting their messages with facts?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words as you read the selection.
engaged (EHN GAYJD) adj.: busy and interested in something.
Reading
Standard 2.6 nutritious (NOO TRIHSH UHS) adj.: full of nourishment; healthy.
Determine the
adequacy and irritable (IHR UH TUH BUHL) adj.: in a bad mood.
appropriateness
of the evidence
for an author’s
conclusions. INTO THE STORYBOARD
Note instances You are about to read a storyboard for a public service announcement
of unsupported
inferences, that will be shown on television. A storyboard helps advertisers map out
fallacious
reasoning, what they are going to say and do in an advertisement by using pictures
persuasion, and and words. Later, actors will play the parts of the children in the drawings
propaganda
in text. and an announcer will speak the words as the commercial runs.

256 Start the Day Right!

 A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
The announcer is talking
about how most kids do
not eat a healthy breakfast.
I think the announcer is
using loaded words in this
sentence. By using negative
words like tired and irritable,
the announcer is showing us
the down sides of not eating
a healthy breakfast.

1 1

Photo credits: © UntitledOne productions inc./Getty Images; © David Toase/Getty Images;

© Digital Vision/Getty Images
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS AUDIO 1 Announcer: Many kids eat

unhealthy food for breakfast. Some do not eat anything at all.
Then the kids come to school tired. They cannot pay attention
in class.

Start the Day Right! 257

A READ AND DISCUSS
2 2
Comprehension
What is going on in this
classroom?

B HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary A
B C
I am not sure what the
word variety means. When
I read the next sentence,
I see that it lists different 3 3
health problems. I can use
that information to figure
out that variety means “a
selection of different things.”

C YOUR TURN

Language Coach
The word energy has multiple
meanings, or several possible D
definitions. Based on the
context of this sentence,
circle the correct meaning
of energy as it is used here:
(A) power that makes
machines work.
(B) the strength to do active
things without getting tired.

D YOUR TURN

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading Focus
Go back through these IN OTHER WORDS AUDIO 2 Announcer: People learn their
two pages. Underline the
persuasive techniques that eating habits when they are young. If kids do not learn to eat
are logical appeals. Circle
the techniques that are healthy foods, they can grow up to have serious health problems
emotional appeals. and diseases.

IN OTHER WORDS AUDIO 3 Announcer: Your kids do their

homework. They should also have a good breakfast. Even if you
are busy, you can find time for a healthy breakfast. For more
information, look at our Web site.

258 Start the Day Right!

 Applying Your Skills

Start the Day Right!

COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. Did this ad do a good job of getting its message across? If you had bad eating
habits, would this ad make you want to eat healthier?

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES

DIRECTIONS: Fill in the chart below with information about the public service
announcement that you just read.

What is the main message of this

selection?

Does the author use logical appeals or

emotional appeals to get the message
across? If the author uses both, which
do you think worked better?
What is the author trying to persuade
his audience into doing?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: EVALUATING EVIDENCE

DIRECTIONS: Evaluate the evidence in “Start Your Day Right!” Based on the
evidence, did you find the article persuasive? Why or why not?

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Word Box.
Not all words will be used.

LdgY7dm 1. Junk food is not because it is not good for you.

engaged 2. Michael was in an mood this morning. It was clear
nutritious that he did not eat a good, healthy breakfast!

irritable

Start the Day Right! 259

Preparing to Read

Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That

Really Works!
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: FALLACIOUS REASONING
As you have learned, persuasive texts try to make you go along with a message.
Logic is correct reasoning. A persuasive message shows logical reasoning when
there are facts and evidence—things that can be proven—to back up the message.
Reasoning is a way of thinking. When writers do not provide evidence for their
opinions or ideas, they are making unsupported inferences. The word fallacious
(FUH LAY SHUHS) means “faulty” or “wrong.” The term fallacious reasoning means a
wrong way of thinking. Here is a hint: when you see the word fallacious, think of
the word false, which means “wrong.”

READING SKILLS FOCUS: EVALUATING CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions are ideas people come to based on evidence. Fallacious conclusions seem
to make sense at first, but when you look closer you see that there is something that
does not make sense. Look out for these three types of fallacious reasoning:

Type of Fallacy Description Example

Hasty, or thoughtless, Broad statement based “I ate a bad hamburger

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

generalization on a small number of at a diner one time. All
experiences. Look out diners make bad
for words like all, always, hamburgers.
every, never.
Circular reasoning Reasons that say the “This bicycle is the best
same thing over and because there are no
over again, but use other bikes that are as
different words. good. This bike is better
than any other!”
Only-cause fallacy Shows a situation as “Our baseball team started
having only one cause, winning when we got new
or a wrong cause. uniforms. Those uniforms
are going to make us win
the championship!”
Reading
Standard 2.6
TK
VOCABULARY
guarantee (GAR UHN TEE) v.: promise.
unique (YOO NEEK) adj.: one of a kind; rare or special.

260 Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really Works!

 INTO THE ADVERTISEMENT
The advertisement you are about to read makes a claim about a
special kind of hair care product. The advertisement will try to
persuade you to buy the product.
A HERE’S HOW

Language Coach
The word guarantee means
“promise.” I can tell that this
is a loaded word—a word
with a strong emotional
connotation. By using the
word guarantee, this company
is giving you their word that
their product will work.

B READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
What is the goal of this
advertisement?

C HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I am not sure what
ingredients are, but I think
this word may be important
here. I checked my dictionary,
and ingredients are items
C that something is made
from.
D
D YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

According to the
advertisement, what do
nutrients do?
A B

IN OTHER WORDS Shine-n-Grow shampoo will make your

hair grow fast. Our shampoo has special ingredients. Scientists
developed these ingredients to make hair grow faster. When
hair is dirty, it grows slowly. Our special ingredients clean your
hair better. You will love Shine-n-Grow.
Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really Works! 261
 A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
The photo does not provide
any facts or evidence to
support the claims of the
advertisement. But, I think
the point of the photo is
to get people to buy the
product. I know better than
to buy something based
on a photo. Before I make
a conclusion, I will keep
reading to see if there is any
evidence of Shine-n-Grow
working.

© Allana Wesley White/Corbis

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

262 Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really Works!

 B HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
B I think the information
here is an example of
logical reasoning. The
author talks about a study
with test subjects. The claims
made by these test subjects
can be checked out and
proven to be true.

C
C HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I am not sure what bacteria
are. I know they can be
killed. This means they must
be alive, but too small to
D see them. The dictionary
says bacteria are “tiny living
things that live all around.”
E

D YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Is what the customer says
about having more friends
and getting more dates an
example of fallacious
reasoning? Explain your
answer.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS People who use Shine-n-Grow say that

their hair grows faster than when they use other shampoos.
Their hair looks and feels better. One customer says she feels
better and has more friends because she uses our shampoo.
This is the only shampoo you will ever need!
E READ AND DISCUSS

Comprehension
How do “secret” formulas
and happy customers affect
the way you think about this
product?

Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really Works! 263

Skills Practice

Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That

Really Works!
USE A REASONING CHART
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the chart below with an example of each type of fallacious
reasoning. You can come up with your own examples, or you can use examples
from the selection you just read.

Type of Fallacy Example

Hasty, or thoughtless,
generalization

circular reasoning

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

only-cause fallacy

264 Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really Works!

 Applying Your Skills

Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That

Really Works!
COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. Do you find this advertisement to be persuasive? Would you buy this product
based on this advertisement?

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: FALLACIOUS REASONING

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. What is the difference between logical reasoning and fallacious reasoning?

2. What does it mean for writers to make unsupported inferences?

READING SKILLS FOCUS: EVALUATING CONCLUSIONS

DIRECTIONS: Read each quotation below. Think about the three types of fallacious
reasoning. On the blank line, write which type of fallacious reasoning each quotation uses.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

1. “I just bought a new video game. It is the greatest video game ever made! I have
played many other video games, but they are not as good as this one. This game
is just the best there is!”
2. “Yesterday, I wore my red hat and I had a really great day. If I keep my red hat on,
I will have great days all the time!”
3. “I found a hair in my soup at a restaurant in the mall. All restaurants in malls
are dirty.”

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Draw a line from each vocabulary word to its synonym, or word that
has the same meaning.
1. guarantee uncommon
2. unique promise

Now, use one of the words above in a complete sentence.

Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair That Really Works! 265

Preparing to Read

Brain Breeze
INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PROPAGANDA
You have been reading about persuasion. Propaganda is an extreme kind of
persuasion. Propaganda is usually one-sided. Writers using propaganda will
make emotional appeals rather than logical appeals.

READING SKILLS FOCUS: ANALYZING AN AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Look at the chart below for some examples of propaganda. Analyze the
author’s purpose, or goal, for using each technique. What feelings is the
author trying to stir up in you?

Types of Propaganda Examples:

The bandwagon appeal is aimed “Everyone else is doing it!”
at people who want to be popular
and part of a group.
A stereotype is an idea about all “No politician can be trusted.”
the members of a certain group.

Name-calling is the use of “The new class president is doing

negative, loaded words to make a a bad job. His ideas are stupid and

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

person, group, or thing seem bad. no one should listen to him.”

VOCABULARY
Look for these words as you read the following selection.
concentration (KAHN SUHN TRAY SHUHN) n.: focusing of your thoughts and
attention on something.
enhance (EHN HANS) v.: increase, improve, make bigger or better.
complexity (KUHM PLEHK SUH TEE) n.: complication; difficulty.

Reading
Standard 2.6 INTO THE ADVERTISEMENT
Note instances The advertisement you are about to read makes a claim about a product
of unsupported
inferences, that is supposed to make you smarter. Brain Breeze is described as a
fallacious
reasoning, “Mental Power Booster.” The author also says that this product will help
persuasion, and you with studying and schoolwork. As you read, be sure to look out for any
propaganda
in text. propaganda techniques the writer may use to get you to buy Brain Breeze.

266 Brain Breeze

 A HERE’S HOW

Reading Focus
I see the word everyone. I
know that this is an example
of the bandwagon appeal
technique. I have to be care-
ful to not believe everything
that is said in this ad.

B HERE’S HOW

Language Coach
I think concentration
comes from the word
concentrate. Concentrate is
a verb that means, “focus.”
Concentration is a noun
meaning “the act of focus-
C ing.” I can understand new
vocabulary better when I
relate it to other words in
A the same word family.

C YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
B A device is “a piece of
equipment made to serve a
purpose.” What is the device
that the author is talking
about in this sentence?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS Do you have a big test? Are you

stressed? Brain Breeze can help. Brain Breeze is an amazing
new technology that uses music and air flow to make you
more productive, less stressed, and smarter. Brain Breeze is so
small and easy that anyone can use it. It was developed by a
professor and scientifically proven to work.

Brain Breeze 267

A YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
What does the word
portable mean? Read the
surrounding sentences to
come up with a definition.
Use a dictionary to check
your definition.

B YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Underline a word or phrase
on this page that shows
this propaganda is trying to
make an emotional appeal.
What is the author’s purpose
in including this appeal? A

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

IN OTHER WORDS Brain Breeze is light and comes in five
different colors. The music is loud and the air flow is silent.
You can return Brain Breeze if you are not completely happy
with it.

268 Brain Breeze

 C READ AND DISCUSS
F
Comprehension
What have we learned about
Brain Breeze? Why does the
C author include Tony Fine’s
comment?

D HERE’S HOW

Vocabulary
I see the word improve, and
I am not sure what it means.
I know that earlier in the ad,
D E the author said Brain Breeze
will increase, or add to, a
user’s concentration. Here,
the word improve is used
to mean “increase.” I think
they mean the same thing.
I checked my dictionary,
and improve means “make
something better.” So, I was
right to say that improve and
increase are similar words.

E YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
Underline the sentence in
this paragraph that is an
example of a stereotype.

F YOUR TURN
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Reading Focus
IN OTHER WORDS Many successful people use Brain What type of propaganda is
Breeze. Brain Breeze comes with music tracks scientifically being used here?

proven to make you concentrate better. There are five different

fan settings to choose from, depending on the work you are
doing. Go to www.gobrainbreeze.com to get your free trial of
Brain Breeze. Do not be the last person to try it!

Professor Gary Fract studies how people think when

listening to different types of music. Right Idea Labs has
tested thousands of people in studies of how air flow affects
the brain.
Brain Breeze 269
Skills Practice

Brain Breeze
USE A PROPAGANDA CHART
DIRECTIONS: Look at the different examples of propaganda in the chart below.
Decide which type of propaganda is being used. Write your answer in the column
to the right.

Example Type of Propaganda

She is the worst babysitter I have ever had. No one
should ever ask her to baby-sit!

No talk show host can be trusted.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Everyone else is going to the pizza party, so why
don’t you?

270 Brain Breeze

 Applying Your Skills

Brain Breeze
COMPREHENSION WRAP-UP
1. The purpose of this advertisement is to give information about the Brain Breeze
and to convince readers to try the product. Has this ad been successful in
convincing you that the Brain Breeze is worth a try? What details in the ad
helped you to reach your conclusion?

INFORMATIONAL TEXT FOCUS: PROPAGANDA

DIRECTIONS: Answer the questions below about propaganda.
1. How is propaganda different from other forms of persuasion?

2. What are some situations in which people use propaganda?

READING SKILLS FOCUS: ANALYZING AN AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

DIRECTIONS: Fill in the chart with your own examples for each type of propaganda.

Type of Propaganda Example

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

The bandwagon appeal is aimed at 1.

people who want to be popular and
part of a group.
A stereotype is an idea about all the 2.
members of a certain group.

Name-calling is the use of negative, 3.

loaded words to make a person, group,
or thing seem bad.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Write a short advertisement for Brain Breeze using the words
concentration and enhance.

Brain Breeze 271

Skills Review

Chapter 7
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Write a sentence to make or explain a connection between each
pair of vocabulary words below.
expert authority
1.

nutritious guarantee
2.

enhance concentration
3.

opportunity education
4.

irritable isolated

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

5.

272 Expository Critique: Persuasive Texts and Media

 Skills Review

Chapter 7
LANGUAGE COACH: WORD FAMILIES
DIRECTIONS: For each word below, list as many words as you can think of in
the same word family. One word has been provided as an example.
1. concentrate: concentration, concentrating, concentrated.

2. complete:

3. nation:

4. enhance:

ORAL LANGUAGE ACTIVITY

Now that you have read many examples of persuasion, it is your turn to
persuade someone else. Review all the skills you learned in this chapter,
then form a group of three people.

DIRECTIONS: Together, choose an idea that you want to persuade someone to

believe. For example, you could persuade someone to buy a new computer,
watch a television show, go see a play, work at a zoo… be creative! The first
person will say why you should believe this idea. Then, the second person will
say why you should not believe this idea. The third person will ask questions
about the ideas and decide which person to believe. Here is an example of
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

how you might complete one part of this activity:

FIRST PERSON: “I think the cafeteria should only serve healthy foods. That
way, we can all be healthy.”

SECOND PERSON: “No, I disagree. There are other things we can do to stay
healthy. Also, some healthy foods taste terrible!”

THIRD PERSON: “How can we still stay healthy, even if the cafeteria serves
unhealthy foods?”

Review 273
Chapter

8 Literary Criticism

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Object (Le Dejeuner en fourrure) (1936) by Meret
Oppenheim. Fur-covered cup, saucer and spoon/Digital
Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/
Art Resource, NY. The Museum of Modern Art, New York,
NY, U.S.A. © 2008 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/
ProLitteris, Zürich, Switzerland.
 Literary and Academic Vocabulary for Chapter 8

LITERARY VOCABULARY
literary criticism (LIHT UHR AHRY CRIH TIHC ISM) n.: the practice of making a
judgment about a text based on what you like and do not like.
The book reviewer practices literary criticism every time he writes a
review for the newspaper.
credibility (CREHD UH BIHL UHTY) n.: believability.
Before I read a biography, I make sure that the author has credibility,
so I know that the material will be accurate.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
contrived (KUHN TRYVD) adj.: unnatural; artificial.
Critics evaluate whether a story’s plot is contrived or realistic.
correspond (KAWR UH SPOND) v.: be similar to.
In credible stories, characters’ reactions correspond to those of real
people.
insight (IHN SYT) n.: clear understanding of the true nature of something.
Stories can give you insight into aspects of life.
perceive (PUHR SEEV) v.: grasp mentally; understand.
You might perceive a character differently than a friend does.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Literary and Academic Vocabulary 275

Literary Skills Focus

What Is Literary Criticism?

The practice of making a judgment about a text based on what you like and
what you do not like is called literary criticism. Good literary criticism
includes support for your opinions. Below are examples of good literary
criticism.
• “This is a great book. It is fun in parts and sad in parts, and the plot has a
lot of exciting action.”
• “I did not like this book. I did not think it was realistic that a young child
would travel by himself all over the country.”
The word credible means “believable.” The characters in a work of fiction
should be believable. When you critique the characters’ credibility, you
decide whether they act the way real people do. Ask the following questions
to determine if characters are credible:

• Do the characters have weaknesses as well as strengths? Is a character

too good to be true? too strong? too kind? too evil?
• Do the characters talk and act like real people?
• Do the characters grow and change through what happens in the story?
The plot of a literary work should be realistic. There should not be too many

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

unbelievable events, like chance meetings or heroic feats. Ask the following
questions to determine if a plot is credible:
• Do the events in the plot seem like realistic results of the characters’
decisions and actions?
• Do many of the events happen because of chance or luck, or are there
believable causes and effects?
• Do events happen the way they would in real life?

276 Literary Skills Focus

 Literary Skills Focus

Your Turn: Literary Criticism

Work with a partner. Think of the characters in a TV show, movie, story, comic
book, or video game that you both know.
1. Draw an idea web like the one below to record your ideas about whether
or not the characters you have chosen are credible. Write the title in the
center circle. Then write details about how the characters are or are not
credible in the outer circles.

Credible:

Credible: Credible:
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Not credible: Not credible:

Not credible:

2. Write a paragraph in which you critique the characters you have chosen.
Use the ideas from your idea web. Also use at least one word or phrase
from the previous page.

Literary Skills Focus 277

Reading Skills Focus

What Skills Help You Critique a Literary Work?

There are two skills that can help you critique a literary work: reading for
details and making generalizations.
1. Reading for Details When you read a work of fiction, you have to read
carefully and pay attention to key details. The details in a story will help
you form and support your opinions. Reading for details will help you
decide if a character seems like a real-life person. As you read, look for
details about the characters’ qualities, thoughts, words, and actions.
Ask yourself:
• Do these details make the characters seem believable?
• Has the writer included enough details to bring the characters to life, or
do the characters seem boring or poorly described?
Reading for details will also help you decide if a story’s plot is realistic or
unbelievable. As you read, ask yourself:
• Are plot details based on actual things that might happen in real life?
• If the plot details are not based on real life, do they still seem believable
within the world the writer has created in the story?
2. Making Generalizations A generalization is a conclusion based on

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

several examples or pieces of evidence. To make a generalization about a
literary work, follow these steps:
1. First, look at the details in the text.
2. Then, think about your own related knowledge.
3. Finally, make a statement about what you read and what you know.

Here is how might make a generalization based on the short story “The Dog
of Pompeii”:

Evidence in text My knowledge Generalization

Bimbo, a dog, Guide dogs help Dogs can serve as
takes care of Tito, people who are valuable compan-
a boy who is blind. visually impaired. ions and helpers
for people.

278 Reading Skills Focus

 Reading Skills Focus

Your Turn: Critique a Literary Work

Work in a small group. Have one member of the group read aloud the following
passage from “The Dog of Pompeii”:
Tito saw none of Pompeii’s wonders because he had been blind from
birth. No one remembered his parents. People remembered seeing Tito and
Bimbo together for about thirteen years.
Bimbo was not only Tito’s dog. He was Tito’s mother, father, nurse,
pillow, and playmate. Bimbo left Tito only three times a day. Every morning,
while Tito still slept, Bimbo disappeared. When Tito woke, Bimbo would be
back, sitting quietly. At his feet, he’d have a large roll of fresh-baked bread.
Then, Tito and Bimbo would have breakfast.
Bimbo would also leave Tito at lunchtime. He always came back with
a scrap of bread, meat, or fruit. Sometimes he’d bring a raisin-and-sugar cake
that Tito especially loved. At suppertime, Bimbo brought the smallest meal.
Food was harder to get when many people were around.

As a group, use the details in the passage to complete the following chart:
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Detail about character or plot Is this detail believable or not? Why? (based on our own
knowledge)

Reading Skills Focus 279

Preparing to Read

The Dog of Pompeii

Based on the story by Louis Untermeyer
LITERARY FOCUS: LITERARY CRITICISM: EVALUATING A STORY’S
CREDIBILITY
When reading fiction, it is important to decide if the plot and characters are
credible, or believable. For a story to be credible, the characters must act in
ways that make sense. The plot also needs to be logical. If a story is credible,
we can “believe” it, even if parts of it seem far-fetched. As you read “The
Dog of Pompeii,” use what you read and your own knowledge to decide if
the story is credible. One example of deciding credibility is given below.

Detail about Credible or Why? (based on

plot or character not credible? my own knowledge)
Tito is a blind orphan, Credible Dogs can help blind
so his dog Bimbo people.
takes care of him.

READING FOCUS: MAKING GENERALIZATIONS

A generalization is a conclusion you reach after thinking about something
you have read or learned. While reading “The Dog of Pompeii,” you can

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

make generalizations about the plot, characters, or any other element of
the story—as long as you can back up your generalizations with your own
knowledge and examples from the text.

VOCABULARY
Look for these words and their context as you read the selection.
forum (FOHR UHM) n.: marketplace or public square of an ancient Roman city.
thumping (THUHM PING) adj.: pounding.

INTO THE STORY

This story takes place a long time ago in Pompeii (PAHM PAY), a city in Italy.
Almost 2,000 years ago, Pompeii was destroyed by a volcano. In two days,
volcanic ash buried the city. Years later, this same ash helped scientists find
houses, artwork, and streets that had been buried so long ago. If you go
to Italy today, you can still see these things preserved, or kept the way they
were, on the day the volcano erupted.

280 The Dog of Pompeii

 The Dog of Pompeii
Based on the story by Louis Untermeyer

Tito and his dog Bimbo lived in the old town of Pompeii.
Pompeii was a happy place. The streets were lively with shining
A READ AND DISCUSS
chariots.1 The open-air theaters and all sports events were
Comprehension
free. Every year, Caesar, the Roman emperor,2 visited the city. What is the author letting us
Fireworks honored him for days. know about Bimbo the dog?

Tito saw none of Pompeii’s wonders3 because he had

B HERE’S HOW
been blind from birth. No one remembered his parents.
People remembered seeing Tito and Bimbo together for about Language Coach
Baked is the past tense form
thirteen years. of the verb bake.
10 Bimbo was not only Tito’s dog. He was Tito’s mother, father,
nurse, pillow, and playmate. A Bimbo left Tito only three times C HERE’S HOW
a day. Every morning, while Tito still slept, Bimbo disappeared. Literary Focus
When Tito woke, Bimbo would be back, sitting quietly. At his I am not sure if a dog could
really find three meals every
feet, he’d have a large roll of fresh-baked bread. B Then, Tito day. I will keep reading to
and Bimbo would have breakfast. decide how credible Bimbo is
as a character.
Bimbo would also leave Tito at lunchtime. He always came
back with a scrap of bread, meat, or fruit. Sometimes he’d bring D HERE’S HOW
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

a raisin-and-sugar cake that Tito especially loved. At suppertime,

Reading Focus
Bimbo brought the smallest meal. Food was harder to get when From this paragraph, I can
20 many people were around. C make the generalization that
blind people use their other
Tito didn’t feel sorry for himself. He couldn’t see Pompeii, senses to take the place of
seeing.
but his ears and nose told him what was happening. D
The forum in the center of town was the best place to find
news. Many kinds of shops, the biggest temples, and the town

1. Chariots (CHA REE UHTS) are two-wheeled carts pulled by horses.

Chariots were used a long time ago for war, races, and parades.
2. The emperor (EHM PUH RUHR) was the highest ruler of a government.
3. Wonders are things that cause surprise and admiration.

“The Dog of Pompeii” adapted from The Donkey of God by Louis Untermeyer. Copyright
1932 by Harcourt Brace & Company. Retold by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Reproduced by
permission of Laurence S. Untermeyer on behalf of the Estate of Louis Untermeyer, Norma
Anchin Untermeyer, c/o Professional Publishing Services Company.

The Dog of Pompeii 281

A YOUR TURN

Vocabulary
Re-read lines 23–25 and then
write a definition of the
word forum. You may want
to check a dictionary to see if
you are right.

B YOUR TURN

Reading Focus
No one in the story seems
to know what causes
earthquakes. Based on this,
what generalization can you hall were there. A All of these public buildings were new. They
make about the people of had replaced buildings that an earthquake had brought down.
ancient Pompeii?
Tito did not remember the earthquake because it had
happened years ago when he was a baby. That earthquake had
been a light one. Weak buildings had fallen down, but a more
30 beautiful Pompeii had replaced the old one.
People wondered what caused earthquakes. Some said
they happened to teach people a lesson. Others said that the

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

earth shook when the gods showed their anger. Everyone had
C READ AND DISCUSS
a different explanation. B
Comprehension
What is going on at the
This afternoon, people in the forum were talking again
forum? about the earthquake. Tito’s ears led him to where the talk was
loudest.
D YOUR TURN
“I’ll tell you, there won’t be another earthquake in my
Literary Focus lifetime. Earthquakes are like lightning. They never strike twice
Today’s scientists understand
Mount Vesuvius and what
40 in the same place,” one voice said. C
volcanoes are. In ancient A stranger’s voice answered, “Do they not? Remember those
times, people did not. Does
the confusion about Vesuvius two towns that were ruined three times? And were the people
make the characters more or not warned? Does that column of smoke above Vesuvius mean
less credible? Why?
nothing?”
“That?” said another voice. “That smoke is always there.” D

282 The Dog of Pompeii

 “Yes, yes,” cut in the stranger’s voice. “But the column of
smoke seems higher than usual. It’s thick, and it spreads like a E READ AND DISCUSS
tree. We have a saying where I come from. It’s this: Those who will Comprehension
not listen to men must be taught by the gods. I say no more. But What is this telling us about
Tito and Bimbo?
50 I leave a last warning. Notice when the smoke tree above Vesuvius
grows to the shape of a pine. Then, watch out for your lives.”
F HERE’S HOW
Tito heard the stranger walk quickly away. He wondered
Vocabulary
what the stranger meant. Bimbo tilted his head as if he were
I have not seen the word
also thinking about it. But by nightfall the argument had been thumping before, but the
dictionary says it means
forgotten. The town was celebrating Caesar’s birthday. Everyone “pounding.” Bimbo is
was in a holiday mood. Tito and Bimbo went to the theater. Tito probably pounding his tail
on the ground or against
listened to the play. Then they went to the city wall where people Tito.
watched a pretend sea battle with ships on fire. The cheers and
shouts excited both Tito and Bimbo. E G HERE’S HOW

60 The next morning, Bimbo brought Tito two raisin-and- Literary Focus
sugar cakes for breakfast. Bimbo’s thumping tail seemed to be True-to-life characters are
not perfect. Like real people,
trying to tell Tito something. F But Tito did not know what it they sometimes show poor
was. He felt sleepy. A thick fog stuck in his throat and made him judgment. For example, Tito
makes a mistake when he
cough. He walked all the way to the sea gate4 to breathe in the does not pay attention to
Bimbo’s strange behavior. I
sea air. But even the salty air seemed smoky.
would probably have made
That night, Tito did not sleep well. He dreamed of ships the same mistake. I think this
makes Tito more credible.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

in the forum and of being lost, with people marching over him.
Finally, he was being pulled over rough pavement. He woke to
find that Bimbo was pulling him. The dog had dragged Tito
70 to his feet and was pushing the boy along. Where, Tito did not
know. He was still half asleep. The hot, heavy air was hard to
breathe. Powder stung his nose and burned his eyes. G
Then Tito began to hear sounds. Hisses, groans, and cries
came from under the earth. They sounded like a dying animal.
Now he could feel the earth jerk. Tito fell against a fountain.
Hot water from the fountain splashed in Tito’s face. He was
more awake now. Helped up by Bimbo, Tito hurried on. Now
they heard louder, human sounds. A few people, then many,
rushed by. Then Tito could hear a roar like the fall of a forest

4. The sea gate was the gate in a city wall that led to the sea.

The Dog of Pompeii 283

A YOUR TURN

Language Coach
Look at the words splashed,
hurried, rushed, escaped,
and rested in this paragraph.
What word ending do these
words have in common?
What form are these verbs
in? Are they in the present
or past form?

80 of trees. He could hear the crash of thunder and houses falling

B YOUR TURN around them. By a miracle, Tito and Bimbo escaped to the
Reading Focus forum. It was safer here, and they rested awhile. A
What generalizations can Tito had no idea of the time of day. His empty stomach told
you make about what an
erupting volcano must be him it was past noon, but hunger didn’t matter. Nothing seemed
like?
to matter. Tito was too tired to walk, but Bimbo pulled him on.
And it was just in time. The ground of the forum had begun to
split. The columns of the temple to Jupiter5 came down. The

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

world seemed to be ending. Walking was not fast enough. They
must run. But Tito was lost and didn’t know where to go. Bimbo
90 pulled him so hard his clothes nearly came off. Had Bimbo gone
mad? What did he want?
Then suddenly Tito understood. Bimbo was telling him
the way out. They had to get to the sea gate. That was the only
place away from the falling buildings and shaking ground. Bimbo
guided Tito through the streets. They ran through the screaming
crowds toward the sea gate.
But everyone was headed that way. And it was getting
harder to breathe. The air was all dust. Pebbles the size of beans
fell on Tito’s head. The mountain of Vesuvius had been turned
100 inside out. B Tito remembered what the stranger had said:
“Those who will not listen to men must be taught by the gods.”

5. Jupiter (JOO PIH TUHR) was the highest god in the religion of the
284 The Dog of Pompeii Romans.
 The people of Pompeii had not listened. Now they were being
taught—if it was not too late. C HERE’S HOW
Suddenly it seemed too late for Tito. He fell at the side of Literary Focus
the road. Bimbo licked Tito’s face and hands, but Tito did not Bimbo bites Tito to wake
him up. I do think that
move. Then Bimbo did the last thing he could—the last thing he Bimbo is credible. Dogs can
wanted to do. He bit Tito deep in the arm. Tito cried in pain and do amazing things in times
of need.
jumped up. C Then he pounded on with Bimbo barking at his
heels. At last Tito reached the sea gate and felt the sand under
D READ AND DISCUSS
110 him. Then he fainted.
Comprehension
He awoke to feel someone carrying him. “Bimbo!” he called. If Tito was saved, why does
“Bimbo!” But Bimbo was gone. it say that “no one could
comfort him”?
Tito heard voices saying, “The poor boy must be crazy.”
They put Tito into a boat. He could hear oars splash as
E READ AND DISCUSS
the boat rode over the waves. Tito was safe, but he kept calling,
Comprehension
“Bimbo!” He cried and cried, but no one could comfort him. D
What is this part about? The
Eighteen hundred years passed. Scientists were digging up scientists are wondering why
the dog would want a rai-
the ancient city of Pompeii. The eruption had killed over two sin cake at such a bad time.
thousand people, but many things had been saved in the ashes. What strikes you about this?

120 “Look here,” one scientist called to his assistant. “I think

F YOUR TURN
we’ve found what is left of a building that looks like a bakery.
And what do you think I found under this heap of ashes? It’s the Literary Focus
Do you find what Bimbo did
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

bones of a dog!” credible? Why or why not?

“Amazing,” said his assistant. “You’d think a dog would have
known enough to run away. Is that a stone between his teeth?
“No,” the scientist answered. “It must have come from this
bakery. It looks to me like a cake. And those things that look like
pebbles are raisins. It’s a raisin cake over two thousand years old!
I wonder what made the dog want it at such a moment.”
130 “I wonder,” murmured6 the assistant. E F

Comprehension Wrap-Up
1. Talk about how hard you think it might be for a writer to
tell about a world from so long ago.

6. Murmured (MUHR MUHRD) means “said in a voice so quiet it could

barely be heard.”

The Dog of Pompeii 285

Skills Practice

The Dog of Pompeii

USE A CHARACTER EVALUATION CHART
In the chart below, answer the questions about Tito’s character to help evaluate his
credibility. Give examples from the story as you answer each item. Finally, talk with
a partner about whether or not you each found Tito’s character credible.

Tito
Question Example from the Story
Does the character have both strengths and weaknesses? 1.
Explain.

Does the character talk and act as a real person would? Explain. 2.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Does the character grow and change as a result of story events? 3.
Explain.

286 The Dog of Pompeii

 Applying Your Skills

The Dog of Pompeii

LITERARY FOCUS: LITERARY CRITICISM: EVALUATING A STORY’S CREDIBILITY
DIRECTIONS: Answer the questions below about the credibility of this story.
1. Did you find it believable that Mount Vesuvius erupted shortly after the warnings
of the strange man in the forum, or was it a little too far-fetched?

2. Was Bimbo believable as a character? Do you know any dogs that are as helpful
as Bimbo?

READING FOCUS: MAKING GENERALIZATIONS

DIRECTIONS: Complete the chart below by making a generalization based on each of
the details provided from the text.

Story Detail My Generalization

Tito is an orphan and depends on 1.
Bimbo’s help to survive. No one besides
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Bimbo gives him food.

When Tito first collapses on the street, 2.
Bimbo bites his arm to wake him.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Write “Yes” after each sentence if the boldfaced vocabulary word
is being used correctly. Write “No” if it is not.

1. Every morning, Bimbo would leave and forum breakfast.

2. Everyone was confused when Mount Vesuvius started thumping.

3. Tito enjoyed listening to the sounds of the forum, where people met
to do business and discuss important matters.

The Dog of Pompeii 287

Skills Review

Chapter 8
VOCABULARY REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Would you rather read a story with a contrived or realistic plot? Explain your answer.

2. Do you think a biography should provide insight about the life of its subject? Why or
why not?

3. How do you perceive the main character in “The Dog of Pompeii”?

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

288 Literary Criticism

 Skills Review

Chapter 8
LANGUAGE COACH: VERB FORMS
DIRECTIONS: Adding –ed to the end of a verb makes that word into its past tense
form. For example, the verb watch can be turned into the past tense watched.
Look at the verbs below. Make each word into its past tense form by adding –ed.

call

shout

walk

play

wait

ORAL LANGUAGE ACTIVITY

DIRECTIONS: With a partner, have a discussion about “The Dog of Pompeii.”
Were the characters in the story credible? Even though they are from another
time period, can you relate to the characters in the story? What details about
the characters make you feel the way you do?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Review 289
Glossary
benefit (BEHN UH FIT) v.: gain an advantage
A from something.
abandoned (UH BAN DUHND) adj.: not used. bitter (BIT UR) adj.: having a sharp or harsh
abstract (AB STRAKT) adj.: based on a quality or taste.
idea rather than an actual person or thing. bravery (BRAY VUH REE) n.: being courageous.
accurate (AK YUH RUHT) adj.: correct; true.
adapt (UH DAPT) v.: change in order to fit into
C
a new situation.
adequate (AD UH KWIHT) adj.: good enough. calculated (KAL KYUH LAYTEHD) adj.: planned by
affection (UH FEHK SHUHN) n.: a feeling of liking careful thought.
or caring for someone or something. captain (KAP TUHN) n.: person in charge of
altars (AWL TURS) n.: platforms or tables used others.
for worship. capture (KAP CHUR) v.: attract; hold.
ancestors (AN SEHS TURZ) n.: family members cast (KAST) n.: group of performers in a play or
who lived long ago. event.
ancient (AYN SHUHNT) adj.: very old. celebration (SEL UH BRAY SHUHN) n.: a gathering,
anger (AYN GUR) n.: strong feeling of usually to mark a major event.
annoyance. ceremony (SEHR UH MOH NEE) n.: a service or
animators (AN IH MAY TURZ) n.: people who ritual.
draw cartoons. champion (CHAMP EE UHN) n.: person who wins
appreciate (UH PREE SHEE AYT) v.: understand a sports event.
and enjoy something. character (KAR IHCK TUR) n.: person or
apprehensively (AP RIH HEHN SIHV LEE) adv.: human-like animal in a story, movie, or
fearfully, uneasily. cartoon.
arrange (UH RAYNJ) v.: put in order. characteristics (KAR IHK TUH RIS TIKS) n.: typical
ashamed (UH SHAYMD) adj.: embarrassed; qualities or features.
feeling shame. citizens (SIT UH SUHNS) n.: members of a state
athletes (ATH LEETS) n.: people who take part in or nation who are loyal to and protected by
sports. the government.
attitude (A TIH TOOD) n.: opinions and feelings civilizations (SIHV UH LUH ZAY SHUHNZ) n.:
you have about someone or something. advanced way of life of a large group of
authorities (UH THAWR UH TEEZ) n.: people who people.
are responsible for something. claim (KLAYM) n.: a piece of land that a miner
authority (UH THAWR UH TEE) n.: someone who takes as his own; v.: say something is true.
is respected because of his or her knowledge clutch (KLUHCH) n.: pedal or lever of some cars
about a subject. used to change gears in a motor.
awkward (AWK WURD) adj.: clumsy; comfort (KUHM FURT) v.: make someone feel
embarrassing. better.
communication (KUH MYOO NIH KAY SHUHN) n.:
an exchange of information.
B communities (KUH MYOO NUH TEES) n.: groups
bands (BANDZ) n.: groups of people. of people who live in the same area or who
barren (BAR UHN) adj.: not producing crops or have something in common.
fruits. companion (KUHM PAN YUHN) n.: a friend.
begging (BEHG IHNG) v.: asking for money or compensate (KOM PUHN SAYT) v.: make up for
help. something.

290 Glossary
Glossary
concentration (KAHN SUHN TRAY SHUHN) n.: a disagreed (DISS UH GREED) v.: differed in
focusing of your thoughts and attention on opinions.
something. disappoint (DIHS UH POYNT) v.: let someone
concept (KAHN SEHPT) n.: idea of how down by failing to meet their expectations.
something is or could be. dishonest (DIHS AHN IHST) adj.: not honest.
conclude (KUHN KLOOD) v.: decide something distinct (DIHS TIHNGKT) adj.: clearly different.
after considering all the information you distinguish (DIHS TIHN GWISH) v.: tell the
have. difference between things.
conclusion (KUN KLOO SHUN) n.: final thought or dribble (DRIHB UHL) n.: drops of liquid that
judgment about something. flow slowly.
condition (KUHN DIHSH UHN) n.: general state of duo (DOO OH) n.: group of two people, often
a person, an animal, or a thing. performing together.
confusion (KUHN FYOO SHUHN) n.: being dusk (DUHSK) n.: period of time when the sky
uncertain. darkens as the sun goes down.
consequence (KAHN SUH KWEHNS) n.: result of an
action.
conspire (KUHN SPYR) v.: plot, or secretly plan to E
commit an illegal act.
education (EHJ OO KAY SHUHN) n.: learning or
contribute (KUHN TRIHB YOOT) v.: give or add
time spent in school.
something.
elderly (EHL DUHR LEE) adj.: old.
convey (KUHN VAY) v.: tell or communicate.
elect (IH LEKT) v.: select someone or decide
convince (KUHN VIINS) v.: make a person believe
something by voting.
or agree by arguing or showing.
embarrassed (EHM BAR UHSD) adj.: ashamed;
courage (KUR IJ) n.: bravery.
uncomfortable.
critical (KRIHT UH KUHL) adj.: find fault with
emit (IH MIT) v.: release or give off something,
something.
such as heat, light, or sound.
crucial (KROO SHUHL) adj.: very important.
encourage (EN KUR IJ) v.: give someone
custom (KUHS TUHM) n.: a tradition that is part
confidence.
of a culture or society.
engaged (EHN GAYJD) adj.: interested in
something.
D engine (EN JUHN) n.: a machine that changes a
source of energy into movement.
damp (DAMP) adj.: wet or moist. entirely (EHN TYR LEE) adv.: completely.
dangled (DANG GUHLD) v.: held something or envied (EHN VEED) v.: felt jealously.
swung it loosely. equality (IH KWAHL UH TEE) n.: same rights for
dawn (DAWN) n.: beginning of the day; sunrise. everyone.
demand (DIH MAND) v.: ask with authority. equipment (IH KWIHP MUHNT) n.: machines or
detailed (DEE TAYLD) adj.: having many features tools needed for a specific purpose.
or facts. eruption (IH RUHPT SHUHN) n.: explosion.
detect (DIH TEHKT) v.: find something that is evident (EHV UH DUHNT) adj.: easily seen or
not easy to see or hear. understood; obvious.
determination (DIH TUR MUH NAY SHUHN) n.: will exaggerate (IHG ZAJ UH RAYT) v.: make
to do something. something seem bigger, more important
device (DIH VYS) n.: a piece of equipment made than it actually is.
to serve a purpose. exhibit (IHG ZIHB ITH) v: show something to the
devotion (DIH VOH SHUHN) n.: dedication to public.
something or someone.

Glossary 291
Glossary
expert (EHKS PURT) n.: person who knows a image (IHM IJ) n.: a representation, such as a
great deal about a topic. picture.
explanation (EHK SPLUH NAY SHUHN) n.: statement imagined (IH MA JIHND) v.: dreamed up; pictured.
that makes something clear. imply (IHM PLY) v.: suggest something without
saying it.
income (IHN KUHM) n.: money that someone
F earns or receives on a regular basis.
indicate (IHN DUH KAYT) v.: show; express.
faithful (FAYTH FUHL) adj.: loyal; trustworthy.
infant (IHN FUHNT) n.: a newborn child.
features (FEE CHUHRZ) n.: parts or qualities.
influence (IHN FLOO UHNS) n.: ability or power to
festival (FEHS TIH VUHL) n.: a fair, celebration, or
affect thought, behavior, or development.
party.
information (IHN FUR MAY SHUHN) n.: facts and
flourish (FLUR IHSH) n.: sweeping movement.
knowledge.
folksy (FOHK SEE) adj.: friendly and informal.
injustice (IHN JUHS TIHS) n.: unfairness.
forbid (FUR BIHD) v.: order someone not to do
innocent (IHN UH SENT) adj.: free of blame.
something.
insurance (IHN SHUR UHNS) n.: protection against
forum (FOHR UHM) n.: marketplace or public
damage, harm, or sickness.
square of an ancient Roman city.
intelligent (IHN TEHL UH JUHNT) adj.: someone
frail (FRAYL) adj.: not very strong; easily broken.
who is smart, quick to learn.
frequently (FREE KWENT LEE) adv.: often; regularly.
intently (IHN TEHNT LEE) adv.: carefully.
interest (IHN TRIHST) v.: attract; hold attention of.
G internment (IHN TURN MEHNT) adj.:
imprisonment.
gawky (GAW KEE) adj.: awkward; clumsy. interview (IHN TUR VYOO) n.: a meeting where
glory (GLOH REE) n.: beauty; wonder. questions are asked.
gratified (GRAT UH FAHYD) adj.: pleased. intriguing (IHN TREE GIHNG) adj.: causing great
gravel (GRAV UHL) n.: small pieces of rock and interest.
stone. invented (IHN VEHNT TEHD) v.: created
guaranteed (GAR UHN TEED) v.: promised. something new.
irritable (IHR UH TUH BUHL) adj.: in a bad mood.
isolated (Y SUH LAY TEHD) adj.: separated, or
H away, from others.
habits (HAB IHTS) n.: something that a person
does regularly.
harnessed (HAHR NUHSD) v.: tied together.
K
headline (HEHD LYN) n.: title of a newspaper keen (KEEN) adj.: eager; very excited.
article.
hike (HYK) n.: a long walk.
hopeful (HOHP FUHL) adj.: confident; optimistic. L
however (HOW EHV UR) adv.: in whatever way
labor (LAY BUR) v.: work hard.
or manner.
legend (LEJ UHND) n.: story handed down from
humor (HYOO MUR) n.: the funny or amusing
the past.
quality of something.
locomotive (LOH KUH MOH TIHV) n.: steam-
powered railroad car that pulls the rest of
I the train.
loyal (LOY UHL) adj.: faithful.
ignorance (IHG NUHR UHNS) n.: lack of knowledge. lurk (LURK) v.: lie hidden.

292 Glossary
Glossary
precious (PRESH UHS) adj.: rare and valuable.
M precisely (PRIH SYS LEE) adv: exactly.
member (MEHM BUR) n.: an individual who prehistoric (PREE HIHS TAWR IHK) adj.: having to
belongs to a group. do with the time before written history.
mighty (MY TEE) adj.: powerful; strong. prejudice (PREHJ UH DIHS) n.: an unfair opinion
miracle (MIHR UH KUHL) n.: an extraordinary or based on a person’s race, religion, or other
unexpected event that cannot be explained. characteristic.
moccasins (MAHK UH SUHNS) n.: soft leather preserve (PRIH ZURV) v.: protect something so
shoes first used by Native Americans. that it stays in its original form.
mysterious (MIS TIHR EE UHSS) adj.: difficult to prey (PRAY) n.: an animal that is hunted or
explain or understand. killed by another animal for food.
principles (PRIHN SUH PUHLZ) n.: general truths,
laws, or beliefs.
N progress (PRUH GREHS) v.: move forward.
projection (PRUH JEHKT SHUHN) n.: display of an
nervous (NUR VUHS) adj.: fearful; worried. image made by shining a light through a
nonsense (NAHN SEHNS) n.: foolish behavior or small version of the image.
action. protect (PROH TEHKT) v.: keep safe from harm.
nutritious (NOO TRIHSH UHS) adj.: full of
nourishment; healthy.
Q
O qualities (KWAHL UH TEEZ) n.: characteristics of
someone or something.
occupation (AHK YUH PEY SHUHN) n.: work;
business; job.
opportunity (AH PUHR TOON IH TEE) n.: a chance R
to do something.
overslept (OH VUR SLEHPT) v.: slept longer than ragged (RAG IHD) adj.: torn, worn out.
planned. rarely (RAYR LEE) adv.: not often.
rattles (RAT UHLS) v.: makes a series of short,
sharp noises.
P recovered (RIH KUHV UHRD) v.: got back
something that was lost.
peculiar (PEH KYOOL YUR) adj.: strange. reference (REHF UH REHNS) n.: a written
permanent (PUR MUH NUHNT) adj.: lasting; statement about someone’s abilities and
unchanging. character.
permission (PUR MISH UHN) n.: consent of an refuse (RIH FYOOZ) v.: turn down; decline.
authority figure. rehearse (RIH HURS) v.: practice for a
perspective (PUR SPEHK TIHV) n.: a way of thinking. performance.
persuade (PUR SWAYD) v.: make someone do rejection (RIH JEKT SHUHN) n.: the act of refusing
or believe something by giving the person or denying something.
good reasons. relaxes (RIH LAK ZES) v.: rests.
pester (PEHS TUR) v.: annoy or bother. remain (RIH MAYN) v.: continue being.
popular (PAHP YUH LUR) adj.: liked by many replica (REHP LUH KUH) n.: an exact copy.
people. represent (REHP RIH ZEHNT) v.: stand for
portion (POR SHUHN) n.: a piece of something. something.
possibility (PAHS UH BIHL IH TEE) n.: opportunity. reproduce (REE PRUH DOOS) v.: make a copy of
practice (PRAK TIHS) v.: perform, or constantly something.
work at in order to become skilled.

Glossary 293
Glossary
require (RIH KWYR) v.: have a need for technology (TEK NAHL UH JEE) n.: use of science
something. and engineering to solve problems.
research (REE SURCH) v.: study and find out thumping (THUHMP IHNG) adj.: pounding.
information about a subject. tradition (TRUH DIH SHUHN) n.: handing down of
resembled (RIH ZEHM BUHLD) v.: looked like; was customs, beliefs, and ideas from generation
similar to. to generation.
resistance (RIH ZIHS TUHNS) n.: opposition; transform (TRANZ FAWRM) v.: change completely.
refusal to accept.
responsible (RIH SPAHN SUH BUHL) adj.: held
accountable. U
risky (RIHSK EE) adj.: dangerous.
uncover (UHN KUHV UR) v.: reveal something.
rituals (RIH CHOO UHLZ) n.: traditions, ceremonies.
underground (UHN DUR GROWND) adj.: below the
roar (ROHR) v.: make a loud, deep noise.
ground.
rotten (RAHT UHN) adj.: bad-smelling.
understanding (UHN DUR STAND IHNG) n.:
rural (RUR UHL) adj.: having to do with country
supportive; sympathetic.
life.
uniform (YOO NUH FAWRM) adj.: having the
same shape, size, quality, or other
S characteristics.
unique (YOO NEEK) adj.: one of a kind; rare or
savored (SAY VUHRD) v.: delighted in. special.
sensitive (SEHN SUH TIHV) adj.: easily affected by until (UHN TIHL) prep.: up until the time of.
the slightest change. unusual (UHN YOO ZHOO UHL) adj.: not common
separate (SEHP UH RAYT) adj.: not together. or ordinary.
sequence (SEE KWUHNS) n.: the order that things urgency (UR JUHN SEE) n.: pressure; insistence.
are connected, related, or dated.
settlement (SEHT UHL MUHNT) n.: a small village
or group of houses. V
single (SIHNG GUHL) adj.: unmarried.
vague (VAYG) adj.: not clear.
slavery (SLAY VUH REE) n.: the practice of
valiant (VAL YUHNT) adj.: determined; brave.
forcing people to work for no pay.
various (VAYR EE UHS) adj.: different; numerous.
slink (SLINGK) v.: move sneakily; creep.
vision (VIZH UHN) n.: sense of sight.
sly (SLY) adj.: cunning; secretive.
vital (VY TUHL) adj.: necessary for life; very
spare (SPAYR) v.: give away.
important.
splendor (SPLEHN DUR) n.: great or magnificent
vivid (VIHV IHD) adj.: producing strong, clear
beauty.
images.
strict (STRIHKT) adj.: firm; harsh.
voluntary (VAHL UHN TUR EE) adj.: willing;
striking (STRAHY KIHNG) adj.: noticeable;
controlled by one’s free will.
attracting attention.
volunteer (VAHL UHN TIHR) v.: offer to perform
supervisor (SOO PUR VY ZUR) n.: a person who
a job.
watches over and directs people.
vowed (VOWD) v.: promised.
surged (SURJD) v.: moved forward, as if in a wave.

W
T
whop (WAHP) v.: strike forcefully.
techniques (TEHK NEEKS) n.: ways of doing
wisely (WYZ LEE) adv.: sensibly; intelligently.
activities.

294 Glossary
Index of Authors and Titles

All Aboard With Thomas Garrett. . . . . . . . . .225 Ode to Mi Gato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

All Summer in a Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Olympic Glory: Victories
Avi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 in History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Oprah Talks About Her South
Bakowski, Barbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
African “Dreamgirls” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Blanca Flor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Bradbury, Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Paulsen, Gary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Bradford, Sarah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Pet Adoption Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Brain Breeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
Quang Nhuong, Huynh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
CAVE Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Seuss, Dr. (Theodor Geisel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Day, Nancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Shine-n-Grow: Hair Repair
Dog of Pompeii, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281 That Really Works! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261
Sneetches, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Freedman, Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Soto, Gary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103, 173
Gold Cadillac, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Start the Day Right! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her Storm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193
People, from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Surprising Secret to a Long Life:
Henderson, Sheri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Stay in School, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Iraqi Treasures Hunted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 Ta-Na-E-Ka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Taylor, Mildred D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
John Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Untermeyer, Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
King of Mazy May, The. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Kolata, Gina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Vigil, Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Kroll, Jennifer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime
La Bamba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Apologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Land I Lost, from The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187 What a Character: Iwao
London, Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Takamoto and His Toons . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
What Do Fish Have to Do
Making It Up As We Go: With Anything?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209
The History of Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Where the Heart Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Miller, Alice P. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Whitebird, Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Mysterious Mr. Lincoln, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203

Index of Authors and Titles 295