1.

For Children
1. Red Ball on the Floor
The ball is on the floor. It is a red ball. It is a rubber ball. The baby looks at the ball. The
cat looks at the ball. The cat is black. The cat walks over to the ball. The cat hits the ball
with its paw. The ball rolls on the floor. The baby smiles.

2. Warm Air and a Sandwich

The window is open. Air comes through the window. It is warm air. It is a warm day. The
air smells like bread. It smells like fresh bread. It smells good. It makes the boy hungry.
The boy goes to the kitchen. He makes a sandwich. He sits down. He eats the sandwich.

3. He Gets Dressed, Sees His Friend

The boy puts on his socks. He puts on his shoes. He ties his shoelaces. He walks to the
front door. He turns the doorknob. He pulls the door open. He steps outside. He closes
the door behind him. He walks to the corner. He sees his friend. He waves to his friend.

4. Noisy Animals, Quiet Animals

The dog barks. It likes to bark. The bird sings. It likes to sing. The dog and bird are noisy.
The cat meows. It meows when it is hungry. It meows when it is angry. The fish says
nothing. The turtle says nothing. The mouse says nothing. The lizard says nothing. They
are quiet.

5. They Play Catch

Bob picks up the ball. He throws the ball. Bill catches the ball. Bill throws the ball back.
Bob catches the ball. Bob throws the ball to Bill. Bill drops the ball. Bill picks it up. He
throws it over Bob’s head. Bob runs back. He jumps up. He catches the ball.

6. Cookie on the Floor

She takes a cookie out of the package. She drops the cookie. It falls on the floor. The
cookie breaks. It breaks into four pieces. Four pieces are on the floor. She picks up the
pieces. She takes them to the kitchen. She throws them into the trashcan. She takes
another cookie out of the package.

7. A Cat and a Dog

The cat licks its paws. The cat licks its belly. The dog licks its paws. The dog licks its belly.
The cat lies in the grass. The dog lies in the grass. The cat rolls onto its back. The dog
rolls onto its back. The cat and dog do things together.

8. Hungry for Hot Dogs

He opens the refrigerator. He looks inside the refrigerator. He is hungry. He wants
something to eat. He sees a package. It is a package of hot dogs. Six hot dogs are in the
package. He takes two hot dogs out of the package. He closes the refrigerator. He puts
the hot dogs on a plate.

9. Her Book and Her Cats

She picks up the book. It is her favorite book. It has a red cover. It has 52 pages. It has
many pictures. It has pictures of many animals. She likes animals. She has two cats. She
likes her cats. Their names are Fluffy and Muffy. She shows them the pictures in the
book.

10. Kids and Their Teacher

He has a job. He is a teacher. He teaches kids. He teaches them how to read. He teaches
them how to spell. The kids are fast learners. They learn how to read quickly. They learn
how to spell quickly. He likes his job. He likes kids. He likes to teach kids new things.

11. Parents Save Babies from Fire

The house is on fire. Flames come out of the windows. Smoke comes out of the
windows. A man runs out of the house. He carries a baby in his arms. A woman runs out
of the house. She carries a baby in her arms. A fire truck arrives at the house.

12. A Young Girl Knows How

She is six years old. She knows how to walk. She knows how to run. She knows how to
swim. She knows how to play soccer. She knows how to ride a horse. She knows how to
walk her dog. She knows how to read. She knows how to write.

13. A Baby Goes to Sleep

The baby crawls on the floor. It stops. Then it crawls some more. Then it stops again.
Mama looks at the baby. She picks up the baby. She carries the baby to the crib. She
puts the baby in the crib. She puts a blanket on the baby. The baby falls asleep.

14. He Eats a Candy Bar

He picks up the candy bar. He reads the label. The label says Baby Ruth. He unwraps the
candy bar. He throws the wrapper into the trashcan. He bites into the candy bar. He
chews it. He swallows it. He bites into the candy bar again. It is delicious. He loves candy
bars.

15. A Backpack and a Bus

It is time to go to school. He puts his books into his backpack. He puts his arms through
the straps. He puts his backpack on his back. He walks outside. He goes to the bus stop.
He stands at the bus stop. He waits for the bus. He sees the bus.

16. An Airplane in the Sky

The boy hears a sound. He looks up. He sees an airplane. The airplane is in the sky. It is a
silver airplane. It has two wings. It has a tail. It has two jet engines. There is a pilot on
the airplane. He flies the airplane. He lands the airplane.

17. Let’s Go to Disneyland

She loves Disneyland. She wants to live at Disneyland. She wants to visit Disneyland
every day. Her parents take her to Disneyland every year. She has fun at Disneyland. She
sees Mickey Mouse. She goes on many rides. She has fun on the rides. She wants to ride
them again and again.

18. His First Roller Coaster Ride

He gets on the roller coaster. His mom sits next to him. This is his first roller coaster ride.
The roller coaster starts up. It is fast. It goes up and down. It goes around and around.
He looks at his mom. His mom looks at him. They both laugh. The roller coaster is fun!

19. Birthday Cake and Candles

It is her birthday. She is six years old. She looks at the birthday cake. It has white icing.
There are six candles on top. Her mom and dad sing Happy Birthday. Her dad lights the
candles. She makes a wish. She blows out the candles. She claps her hands. Her mom
and dad clap their hands.
20. A Boat in the Tub
He fills the tub. He fills it with warm water. He gets in the tub. He plays with his rubber
boat. The rubber boat floats on the water. He pushes the boat down. He pushes it to the
bottom. He lets it go. It pops up to the top. It floats on top of the water.

21. Her Doll Is Like Her

Sharon is four years old. She is pretty. She has a doll. It is pretty. Sharon has blonde hair.
The doll has blonde hair. Sharon has short hair. The doll has long hair. Sharon gets a pair
of scissors. She cuts the doll’s long hair. She finishes. Now the doll has short hair too.

22. A Fork, Spoon, Plate, and Carrot

He picks up his fork. He picks up his spoon. He hits the plate with his fork. He hits the
plate with his spoon. His mom says Stop. He stops. His mom puts a carrot on the plate.
He looks at the carrot. He picks up the spoon. He hits the carrot with the spoon.

23. She Sees a Worm

The worm crawls on the ground. It crawls slowly. She watches it. She picks it up. It
wiggles in her hand. She puts it in her mouth. It wiggles in her mouth. She takes it out of
her mouth. She puts it back on the ground. It crawls into a hole.

24. He Talks to Mom

The phone rings. He hears the ringing. He picks up the phone. He says hello. The other
person says hello. The other person is his mom. She talks to him. He talks to her. She
finishes talking. She says goodbye. He says goodbye. They hang up. He waits. The phone
rings again.

25. Car in a Car Wash

She sits in the car. Her dad drives the car. He drives to a car wash. The car goes through
the car wash. Water sprays onto the car. Soap sprays onto the car. Soft brushes scrub
the car. More water sprays onto the car. The car is clean. Men dry the car with clean
rags. The car is dry.

26. Monkeys at the Zoo

She goes to the zoo. There are many animals at the zoo. She likes the monkeys. They
have funny faces. They have long tails. They jump around a lot. She goes to the monkey
cage. There are six monkeys in the cage. She looks at them. She waves to them. She says
hello to them.

27. He Is a Chocolate Lover

He loves chocolate. He loves milk chocolate. He loves dark chocolate. He eats chocolate
candy bars. He eats chocolate fudge. He eats chocolate chip cookies. He eats chocolate
cake. He eats chocolate cupcakes. He eats chocolate ice cream. He eats chocolate
pudding. He drinks chocolate milk. He eats chocolate every day. Chocolate is the best!

28. The Circus Is in Town

She loves the circus. The circus has elephants. Elephants are so big. The circus has tigers.
Tigers are so pretty. The circus has clowns. Clowns are funny. They drive funny cars.
They wear funny costumes. They have funny faces. They make her laugh. The circus is in
town this week. She tells her dad and her mom.

29. Is There Life on the Moon?

The moon is in the sky. He looks at the moon. It is round and white. It is bright. It has
mountains. It has valleys. It has rocks. It has dirt. He thinks about the moon. He wonders
about it. Maybe there is water on the moon. Maybe tiny animals live on the moon.

30. A Penny Collector

She collects pennies. She likes pennies. She likes their color. They are brown. They are
shiny brown. They are dull brown. Pennies are everywhere. She finds them on the
sidewalk. She picks them up. She takes them home. She puts them in a jar. She has a big
jar. It is full of pennies.

31. Red Trees and Red Cats

He likes to color. He colors with his crayons. His crayon box has many crayons. Each
crayon is a different color. He opens his coloring book. His favorite color is red. He colors
the trees dark red. He colors the cats light red. He colors the sidewalks medium red. His
mom buys extra red crayons for him.

32. Comics in the Newspaper

She opens the newspaper. She turns the page. She turns another page. She finds the
comics. She likes the comics. They are fun to read. They are easy to read. They are
pictures with words. The pictures are pretty. Sometimes they are in color. She looks at
the pictures. She reads the words.

33. Bright Stars in the Night Sky

It is nighttime. The sky is black. There are tiny lights in the sky. They are stars. There are
many stars. She looks all over the sky. She sees stars everywhere. A few stars are big.
Most stars are small. She counts the stars. She counts 86 stars. She tells her mom.

34. A Water Fountain in the Park

It is summertime. The park has many trees. It has a baseball field. It has a water
fountain. The water is cool. Kids play in the water fountain. Their feet get wet. Their
clothes get wet. They sit down in the fountain. They run around in the fountain. They
splash in the fountain. They have fun.

35. She Feeds Her Cats

She has two cats. One cat is black. The other cat is white. The black cat’s name is Blacky.
The white cat’s name is Whitey. She feeds her cats. She puts their food in dishes. She
puts each dish on the floor. She calls her cats. They come into the kitchen. They eat the
food.

36. He Builds a Snowman

It is a winter day. It is cold outside. The snow falls. It covers the ground. Snow falls for six
hours. Finally it stops. He puts on his heavy jacket. He goes outside. He builds a
snowman. It is a fat snowman. It is a tall snowman. He goes back inside.

37. She Swims Every Day

She is a good swimmer. Her school has a swim team. She is on the swim team. She
practices every day. She swims in the pool every day. She swims two hours every day.
She is a strong swimmer. She wins races. She wants to swim in the Olympics. She wants
to swim for her country.

38. She Rides Her Skateboard

She looks at her skateboard. It is almost 3 feet long. It has four plastic wheels. It is about
6 inches wide. She loves her skateboard. It takes her everywhere. It takes her to school.
It takes her to dance class. It takes her to her friend’s house. It takes her home.
39. He Gets a Weekly Allowance
He gets an allowance. He gets $5 a week. His dad gives it to him. His dad gives $5 to him
every Friday. He spends his allowance every weekend. He usually spends it on Friday
night. He spends it at the mall. He spends it on ice cream. He buys three scoops of
vanilla ice cream.

40. She Plays Basketball

She plays basketball. She plays basketball almost every day. There is a basketball court
in the park. The park is near her house. She goes to the park after school. She plays with
the boys. She is a good player. She makes a lot of shots. She scores a lot of points.

41. Everyone Loves Babies

Babies cry. Babies smile. Babies drool. They look at everything. They look at everyone.
They kick their feet in the air. They make fists with their hands. Babies are curious. They
put everything into their mouths. They ride around in baby strollers. They get a lot of
attention. They have an easy life.

42. He Rides an Old Bicycle

He looks at his bicycle. It is an old bike. It is three years old. The paint is scratched. The
fenders are dented. The seat is torn. The chain is rusty. But it is a good bike. He has a
good time on his bike. It is fun to ride. He rides it almost every day.

43. Ants in the Kitchen

She watches the ants. They are very small. There are very many of them. They are in the
kitchen sink. They are thirsty. They drink the drops of water. The drops are on the
bottom of the sink. She turns on the faucet. Water flows into the sink. The ants go down
the drain.

44. A Popsicle House

He builds a house. He uses popsicle sticks. He uses glue. He glues one stick to another.
He builds a kitchen. He builds a living room. He builds a bedroom. He builds a bathroom.
He builds a garage. He adds a roof. He paints the house white. He shows the house to
his dad.
45. A Boxer Dog Named Duke
She has a dog. Her dog is a boxer. It is a male. His name is Duke. He is five years old. He
is brown all over. He has a short tail. He weighs about 50 pounds. He snores when he
sleeps. She feeds him twice a day. She feeds him breakfast. She feeds him dinner.
46. Two Boys and a Baseball
Billy plays catch with a baseball and a baseball glove. He plays catch with his friend. His
friend has a glove too. Billy throws the ball to his friend. His friend catches the ball in his
glove. His friend throws the ball back to Billy. Billy catches the ball in his glove. The ball
goes back and forth.

47. The Snow Melts on the Ground

It is early afternoon. She looks out the window. She sees the snow. The snow falls from
the sky. There are many snowflakes. They fall fast. They hit the ground. They melt on
the ground. She is unhappy. She wants to make a snowman. But there is no snow on the
ground.

48. An Orange and Black Butterfly

He sees a butterfly. It is near a flower. It leaves the flower. It goes to another flower. He
watches the butterfly. It is pretty. It has orange and black wings. It has little white spots
on the wings. Its wings are thin. He tries to grab the butterfly. But it flies away.

49. Camping in the Woods

She goes camping. She camps in the woods. She camps with her family. They set up a
tent. It is a big tent. It sleeps three people. She sleeps with her mom and dad in the tent.
They sit around a campfire at night. The campfire keeps them warm. They cook food in
the campfire.

50. Ride a Carousel Horse

A carousel has big, plastic horses. Each horse is a different color. She likes the white
horse. She gets on the white horse. It has a black tail. She sits in the saddle. She holds
onto the pole. The music starts. The carousel starts. It goes round and round. Her horse
goes up and down.

51. A One-Mile Race

There is a race today. He puts on his shorts. He puts on his sneakers. He goes to the
track. It is a one-mile race. Other boys show up at the starting line. The race starts. All
the boys run fast. They run around the track four times. The race ends. He comes in
third place.

52. Good Soldiers, Bad Soldiers

He plays war with his plastic soldiers. The good soldiers attack the bad soldiers. The
good soldiers have big tanks. They have fast jeeps. They have big guns. They shoot at the
bad soldiers. The good soldiers march forward. The bad soldiers march backward. The
good soldiers win the war. The bad soldiers lose the war.

53. A Mirror at Dance School

She goes to dance school. She wears special shoes. She stands in front of a mirror. It is a
big mirror. It goes from one wall to the other. She holds onto a bar. She stretches her
leg. She stretches the other leg. She points her toes. She bends over. She touches her
toes.

54. A Job on the Farm

Andy’s uncle is a farmer. Andy goes to the farm. He milks the cow. He feeds the pig. It is
always hungry. He collects the eggs. The chickens lay many eggs. He finishes his three
jobs. He says goodbye to his uncle. His uncle thanks him. He gives Andy two dozen eggs.

55. Dress Up Like Her Mom

She dresses up. She dresses like her mom. She puts lipstick on her lips. She puts a
necklace around her neck. She puts a pretty hat on her head. She puts high heels on her
feet. She sprays perfume on her neck. She looks in the mirror. She sees a little woman.

56. Fire Truck Saves House

He has a little fire truck. It is a red, plastic fire truck. He sees a fire. He calls 911. A house
is on fire. Please hurry! He pushes the fire truck. The fire truck goes to the house. The
fire truck sprays water on the house. The fire is out. Everyone is safe.

57. Polar Bears Need Help

She worries a lot. She worries about polar bears. They are big, white bears. They live in
the north. They need snow. They need ice. They need cold weather. There is too much
pollution. Pollution heats up the Earth. Heat melts the ice. The ice is the polar bears’
home. No ice means no home.
58. He Fishes with His Dad
He has a fishing rod. He fishes with his dad. They drive to a lake. There are fish in the
lake. His dad gives him a worm. He puts the worm on a hook. The worm wiggles. He
drops the worm into the lake. A fish sees the worm. The fish bites the worm.
59. A Soccer Goalie
She plays soccer. She has a uniform. She wears her uniform every Saturday. Her team
plays every Saturday. Her team wins sometimes. Her team loses sometimes. She is the
goalie. She stands in front of the goal. She blocks shots. Sometimes she misses. Then the
other team scores. That makes her unhappy.

60. A Soft, Wet Frog

Frogs are outside his house. They are quiet in the daytime. They are noisy at night. It is
nighttime. The frogs are singing. He grabs a flashlight. He goes outside. He shines the
light on a frog. It hops. He picks it up. It is soft and wet. It kicks its legs. He puts it down.

61. A Turtle Has Its Own Home

A turtle is a funny animal. It carries its home on its back. It never stops at a hotel. It
never rents an apartment. It never buys a house. A turtle is a homeowner. It is always
next to its home. It is never far from its home. Home is always on its back.

62. A Doll for Her Birthday

It is her birthday. She gets a doll for her birthday. The doll is in a box. She takes the pink
ribbon off the box. She takes the white wrapper off the box. She takes the doll out of
the box. The doll is pretty. It has white hair. It has a pink dress. It has red shoes.

63. The Tree and the Clouds

He looks at the tree. The wind blows the leaves. A squirrel runs up the tree. He looks at
the street. A woman parks her car. She gets out of her car. He looks at the sky. He looks
at the clouds in the sky. They are big clouds. They are dark clouds. It looks like rain.

64. Grandma and Grandpa Are Nice

Her grandma is short and fat. Her grandpa is tall and thin. They are both old. They have
white hair. They smell funny. They always hug her. They always kiss her. They always
bring her gifts. They always bring her chocolates. They always visit for a few days. They
are nice to her. She loves them.
65. They Play Monopoly for Fun
Monopoly is a popular board game. He plays Monopoly with his friends. There are two
dice. They throw the dice. They move their tokens around the board. He always uses the
car token. His best friend always uses the horse token. They all have fun. They play after
school. They play on the weekend.

66. She Does Many Things After School

She is busy after school. She comes home after school. She does her homework. She
takes the dog for a walk. She feeds the dog. She eats dinner. She clears the table. She
brushes her teeth. She watches TV. She watches for two hours only. Her parents allow
her only two hours. She goes to bed.

67. He Has NY Caps

He has two baseball caps. One says NY Yankees. The other says NY Mets. He has a golf
cap. It says Silver Lake GC. He has a football cap. It says NY Giants. He has a ski cap. It
says Song Mountain. He wears his caps to baseball and football games. He wears them
after school.

68. She Practices Flips for the Olympics

She does handstands. She does cartwheels. She does flips. She does back flips and front
flips. She does somersaults. She trains every day. She is a gymnast. She practices for the
Olympics. The Olympics take place every four years. She practices her handstands and
cartwheels. She practices her flips and somersaults. Practice makes perfect.

69. Hide and Seek

She plays hide and seek. She plays with her brothers and sisters. She plays with her
friends. They play after school. They play outdoors. One person is ‘it.’ He or she closes
his or her eyes. He or she counts to 100. The other players hide somewhere nearby.
Then the ‘it’ person tries to find the others.

70. Watch the Magician Closely

A magician is cool. He makes things disappear. He makes them reappear. He changes
things into other things. He changes a bunny into a scarf. He changes a scarf into a bird.
He gives you a deck of cards. You secretly pick a card. He knows which card! He knows
so many cool tricks.
71. A Pony Ride in a Corral
She likes pony rides. She goes to the corral. She picks out a pony. She gives a carrot to
the pony. She gets up on the pony. She sits in the saddle. She pats the pony’s head. She
pats the pony’s neck. The pony walks around the corral. She holds on to the reins. She
enjoys the ride.

72. Puddles Are Fun

He likes the rain. Rain makes puddles. He likes puddles. He jumps into puddles. He
jumps across puddles. He slides on his back in puddles. He sits in puddles. He gets wet in
puddles. His shoes get wet. His clothes get wet. He gets dirty. His clothes get dirty. He
goes home. His mom yells at him.

73. Ride on the School Bus

He waits for the school bus. He sees the yellow bus. It stops in front of him. The door
opens. He climbs up the steps. He says hello to the driver. The driver says good morning.
He walks to the back of the bus. He sits next to the window. The bus starts. He looks out
the window.

74. She Does Her Homework

The teacher asks a question. She raises her hand. Other students raise their hands. The
teacher calls on her. She answers the question. The teacher says she is correct. She feels
good. She smiles. She knows most of the answers. She does her homework at night. She
knows the answers for the next day.

75. A Math Problem

She reads the math problem. “John has three apples. He gives one apple to Mary. He
gives another apple to Billy. How many apples does John have?” She thinks. Three
apples minus two apples is one apple. John has one apple. The answer is one. She shows
her answer to the teacher. Her teacher smiles.

76. A Noise in the Night

She says her prayers. She gets into bed. She turns out the light. She hears a noise. She
turns on the light. She looks around her room. Everything looks okay. She turns out the
light. She hears the noise again. She turns on the light. She looks around. She is scared.
She calls her dad.
77. A Stick and a Dog
He takes the dog for a walk. He picks up a stick. He throws the stick. The dog chases the
stick. It brings back the stick. It gives him the stick. He throws it again. The dog brings
the stick back. The dog walks over to a tree. It pees on the tree. He takes the dog home.

78. The Pizza Is Hot

The man delivers the pizza. Her dad pays the man. He gives the man a tip. The man
leaves. Dad takes the pizza to the living room. He puts it on the coffee table. He opens
the box. Everybody grabs a slice of pizza. Her dad bites into his pizza. He burns the roof
of his mouth. Ouch!

79. A Farm Puzzle

The puzzle has 200 pieces. It is a puzzle of a farm. There are animals on the farm. There
are buildings on the farm. There are white clouds in a blue sky. There is a bright sun. He
sees a yellow piece. It is part of the sun. He sees a blue piece. It is part of the sky.

80. The Playground in the Park

They go to the park. They like the park. The park has a playground. The playground has a
slide. They slide down the slide. The playground has a sandbox. They play in the sand.
The playground has a seesaw. They go up and down on the seesaw. The playground has
swings. They swing on the swings.

81. The Tree Climber. title

He climbs a tree. He climbs from limb to limb. He climbs higher and higher. The ground
gets farther away. The top of the tree gets closer. He sees a squirrel. It “barks” at him.
He looks down at the people on the ground. His mother looks up in the tree. “Get down
here right now!”

82. Read a Book in Bed

The book is on the nightstand. She gets into bed. She picks up the book. She opens the
book. She reads ten pages. She likes the story. She turns to page eleven. Her dad comes
in. He says good night. She kisses her dad. She closes the book. She turns off the lamp.
She goes to sleep.

83. Many Fish in the Ocean

The ocean is blue. The ocean is big. There are many fish in the ocean. There are big fish.
There are small fish. There are fast fish and slow fish. The big fish eat the small fish. The
fast fish eat the slow fish. The fishermen catch all the fish. The people eat all the fish.

84. Her Baby Brother

She has a baby brother. She loves him. She talks to him every day. She pushes him in the
stroller. She changes his diapers. She feeds him his bottle. She burps him. She puts him
in the highchair. She feeds him dinner. She wipes the food off his mouth. She is a good
sister.

85. A 3D Movie
It is movie time! He puts on his 3D glasses. The movie begins. The car comes right at
him. He yells. The car gets so close to him! It looks so real with 3D glasses. He enjoys the
whole movie. 3D is just like real life. It is even better than real life. It is more exciting.

86. Peel and Eat an Orange

She grabs a sharp knife. She holds the orange. She cuts the skin of the orange. She cuts
the skin in four equal sections. She peels the skin off the orange with her fingers. She
throws the skin in the trash. She separates the orange into sections. She eats the
sections one by one. They are sweet and juicy.

87. She Has Dreams at Night

She dreams at night. She dreams while she sleeps. She dreams about many things. She
dreams about her parents. She dreams about school. She dreams about her friends. She
dreams about her dog and cat. She dreams about the future. She dreams about the
past. She dreams about monsters. Those dreams wake her up.

88. The Teacher Yells at Him

He asks a question. The teacher rolls his eyes. The teacher yells loudly at him. The
teacher hurts his feelings. The teacher is mean. The teacher has bad manners. He hates
the teacher. He asks no more questions. He drops out of the class. He never forgets that
teacher. That teacher is his worst teacher ever.

89. Mom Is Sick in Bed1. title

She calls her mom. Her mom is sick. She has the flu. She is in bed. She is old. She is
alone. Her husband is dead. Nobody takes care of her. She does her own shopping. She
drives her own car. She says that she is okay. She says she feels better. She thanks her
daughter for calling.

90. The School Bully

He is a bully. He picks on other kids. He picks on smaller kids. He pushes them. He trips
them. He punches them. He calls them names. He takes their money. He takes their
lunches. He is mean. Everyone is afraid of him. Five students tell the principal about the
bully. The principal kicks the bully out of school.

91. School Is Out for Summer

Summer vacation starts this afternoon. It starts at 3 o’clock. She is so happy. She looks
at the clock. It is almost 3 o’clock. She is ready for a summer of fun. She is ready for fun
at the beach. She looks at the clock again. In only five minutes, she goes home until
September.

92. Tell Kids a Good Story

Kids love a good story. A good story has a problem. A good story has a hero. The hero is
a girl or a boy. Sometimes the hero is an animal. The hero is brave. The hero looks
danger in the eye. The hero saves others from danger. The hero solves the problem. The
story has a happy ending.

93. He Rides His Bike

His left foot is on the pedal. His right foot is on the ground. He pushes down on the
pedal. He takes his right foot off the ground. He puts it on the pedal. The pedals start to
go around. They go around in a circle. His knees go up and down. The bicycle rolls
forward.

94. They Call Him Four Eyes

He wears glasses. Some kids at school call him Four Eyes. He feels bad. He takes his
glasses off. But it is hard to read. He puts the glasses back on. Now he sees the words in
his books. Now he sees the words on the blackboard. He keeps his glasses on. He
ignores those kids.

95. Hot Day, Cool Pool

She puts on her swimsuit. She walks to the swimming pool. It is a hot day. The sky is
blue. There are a few white clouds in the sky. She gets to the pool. She looks at the
water. It is blue. It is cool. She jumps into the water. It feels so good.

96. A Book and a Phone

He puts on his glasses. He needs his glasses to read. He opens a book. He reads the first
page. The phone rings. He picks up the phone. It is his wife. He talks with his wife. Then
she says goodbye. He says goodbye. He puts down the phone. He picks up the book.

97. Where’s the Itch?

He feels an itch. The itch is on his arm. He scratches his arm. The itch goes away. He
feels another itch. The itch is on his leg. He scratches his leg. The itch goes away. He
feels another itch. The itch is on his foot. He scratches his foot. The itch goes away.

98. Her New Blue Dress

She walks into the store. She looks at the dresses. There are many dresses. She wants a
blue dress. She sees a blue dress. She takes it to the dressing room. She tries the blue
dress on. It fits. She likes it. She takes it off. She takes it to the cashier. She buys it.

99. He Takes Care of His Cold

He has a cold. He coughs. He sneezes. He grabs a tissue. He blows his nose. He grabs
another tissue. He blows his nose again. He puts nose drops into his nose. He puts a
cough drop in his mouth. He drinks cough syrup. He takes cough medicine. He feels
better.

100. The Alarm Wakes Him Up

It is early morning. He is asleep. The alarm goes off. He hears the alarm. He wakes up.
He turns off the alarm. He goes back to sleep. He sleeps for 15 minutes. Then he wakes
up. He sits up. He stretches. He yawns. He gets out of bed. He walks to the bathroom.

101. Red Rubber Ball

Fred had a red rubber ball. He kicked the ball. It flew through the air. He picked it up. He
threw it against a wall. The ball came back to Fred. He kicked it with his foot again. The
ball flew over the wall. He picked it up again. He bounced it on the street. The ball
bounced up and down. Then it stopped bouncing up and down. It didn’t move. Fred’s
dog barked at the ball. Fred kicked the ball. His dog ran after the ball.

102. Barking Dog

Bobby woke up because he heard a dog. He heard a dog barking outside his window.
Bobby woke up when he heard the dog barking. Bobby got out of bed. He got out of bed
and walked to the window. He looked out the window. He saw a big brown dog. It was
barking very loud. Bobby opened his window. He looked at the barking dog. "Why are
you barking so loud?" he asked the dog. The dog looked at Bobby. Then it stopped
barking.

103. A Long Life

Nancy wants to live a long time. She wants to live for one hundred years. She is five
years old now. She wants to live 95 more years. Then she will be 100. Her father is 30
years old. He wants to live a long time, too. He wants to live for one hundred years. He
wants to live for 70 more years. "Daddy, we will grow old together, okay?" Nancy said to
her father. "Yes, honey, we will grow old together," he said to Nancy. Then Nancy
smiled. She gave her daddy a big hug.

104. The Jumper

Johnny jumped over the dog. The dog was lying on the ground. Johnny jumped over it.
The dog saw Johnny jump over it. The dog got up. The dog got up and barked at Johnny.
Johnny laughed. He laughed while the dog barked. Johnny ran over to the fence. The
dog chased him to the fence. Johnny jumped over the fence. He turned around and
looked at the dog. The dog stopped at the fence. The dog could not jump over the
fence. Johnny said, "Jump, jump!" The dog barked, but did not jump.

105. Red Berry

Mary ate a blueberry. She loved blueberries. Then she ate a blackberry. She loved
blackberries. Then she ate a strawberry. She loved strawberries. Mary was confused. A
blueberry is blue, so you call it a blueberry. A blackberry is black, so you call it a
blackberry. A strawberry is red. So, why don’t you call it a red berry? Mary asked her
mom. Her mom didn’t know. She asked her dad. Her dad didn’t know. She asked her
little brother. "Because a red berry is a cherry!" her brother said.

106. His New Book

Louis got a new book. The book was about animals. Louis loved animals. The book had
lots of pictures. It had pictures of dogs and cats. It had pictures of cows and pigs. It had
pictures of chickens and rabbits. It had pictures of squirrels and birds. Louis looked at
the pictures on the first page. Then he turned the page. He looked at the pictures on the
second page. Then he turned the page again. The book had 30 pages in it. Louis looked
at all the pictures on all the pages.

107. Bug in a Bottle

Charles found a glass bottle. He found the glass bottle in his back yard. It was a pretty
glass bottle. It was dark green. He looked inside the dark green bottle. He couldn’t see
anything. He shook the bottle. Something came out of the bottle. It landed on the
ground. It was a bug. Charles picked up the bug. He looked at it. The bug looked at
Charles. Charles put the bottle back on the ground. He put the bug on the ground, next
to the bottle. The bug crawled back into the bottle.

108. Hungry Birds

The baby birds sat in the nest. There were two baby birds. They were in the nest. The
nest was in the tree. The baby birds were waiting for mama bird. They were hungry.
When would mama bird be back? Then they saw mama bird. She landed on the nest.
She had two worms in her mouth. She gave one worm to each baby bird. The worms
were delicious. The baby birds ate the worms very fast. Then they opened their mouths.
They wanted another worm. Mama bird flew away. She went to get more worms.

109. Row Your Boat

Brenda sang a song. She sang the song while she walked to school. The name of the
song was "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Brenda liked to sing this song. It was her favorite
song to sing. She sang it every day while she walked to school. Sometimes she sang it
with her best friend. Sometimes her best friend walked to school with Brenda. Then
they both sang the song together. Brenda liked the song because it was easy to
remember the words. "Row, row, row your boat" are easy words to remember.

110. Add Numbers

Maria was learning to add numbers. She liked to add numbers. It was easy to add
numbers. She could add one and one. She knew that one and one are two. She knew
that two and two are four. She knew that three and three are six. But that was it. She
didn’t know what four and four are. She asked her mom. Her mom told her that four
and four are eight. "Oh, now I know," Maria said. "I am four years old now. In four more
years, I will be eight." Maria was a fast learner. She wasn’t a slow learner.

111. Clean Hands

Elizabeth washes her hands every day. She likes to wash her hands. She washes her
hands with soap and water. She uses soap and water to wash her hands. She uses warm
water and soap. She washes her hands for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds she stops
washing her hands. She turns off the water. She dries her hands on a clean towel. Every
few hours she turns on the water and washes her hands. Elizabeth has very clean hands.
She does not have many germs on her hands. Germs cannot live on her clean hands.

112. The Farm

Daniel wanted to visit a farm. He asked his parents to take him to a farm. His teacher
told him about the animals on a farm. There are lots of animals on a farm. Daniel
wanted to see the animals. He wanted to see the cows. He wanted to see the chickens.
He wanted to see the pigs. He wanted to pet the animals. He wanted to feed the
animals. He loved animals. He wanted to live on a farm. He wanted to live with cows
and chickens and pigs. They would be his friends. He didn’t have any friends in school.

113. A Funny Story

Barbara likes funny stories. She likes to hear funny stories. She likes to tell funny stories.
She told her mom a funny story. When she finished, she waited for her mom to laugh.
"Mom, why aren’t you laughing? That was a funny story," Barbara said. "Oh, I’m sorry,"
her mom said. "Sometimes you think something is funny, but someone else thinks it
isn’t funny." So, Barbara’s mom did not laugh at Barbara’s story. Barbara told the same
story to her younger sister. Her younger sister laughed at the story.

114. Horse Rider

"Can I ride my horse, Mommy?" Sara asked her mom. Sara loved to ride her horse. She
rode her horse almost every Saturday. "Okay, honey, get ready to go," her mom said.
Sara was happy. She went into her bedroom. She put her pink socks on. She put her pink
sneakers on. She grabbed her pink hat. She went to the front door. "I’m going to wait in
the car," she told her mom. "Okay, I’ll be there in a minute," her mom said. Sara opened
the car door. She sat down in the front seat. She put on her hat. She was excited.

115. A Happy Cat

Bruce picked up the cat. The cat meowed. The cat didn’t like most people. The cat liked
to be alone. It liked to sleep on the sofa. It liked to sleep in the fruit bowl. It liked to
sleep on top of the TV. It liked to chase bugs in the front yard. It liked to chase lizards in
the back yard. It liked to chase flies in the kitchen. Bruce put the cat on the floor. He
rubbed the cat’s stomach. The cat liked that. The cat licked his hand. Bruce rubbed the
cat’s stomach some more. The cat meowed. The cat was happy.
116. Little Girl
Margaret was a small girl. She was a little girl. All her friends were taller than her. She
was shorter than all her friends. She wanted to be tall. Her mom told her not to worry.
One day Margaret would be tall. One day she would be taller than her friends. One day
all her friends would be shorter than her. She was happy to hear that. She only had one
question for her mom. When would she be taller than her friends? Would it be next
year? She hoped it would be next year. She was tired of being the shortest girl.

117. Swimming Pool

Sharon jumped into the water at the swimming pool. She held her nose. She went under
the water. Then she came back up. She swam to the ladder in the pool. She climbed out
of the pool. She stood at the edge of the pool. She held her nose. She jumped in again.
Sharon liked to jump into the pool. The water felt good. It was a hot day. The water was
cool. The water felt so good. Sharon’s mother had brought her to the pool. Her mother
was sitting in a chair. She was watching Sharon. She wanted Sharon to have fun.

118. Lulu’s Letter

Lulu’s mom gave Lulu a pencil. It was a yellow pencil. It was a number two pencil. It had
a pink eraser. The eraser was small and round and pink. Lulu’s mom gave Lulu a piece of
paper. It was a white piece of paper. There were blue lines on the white paper. Lulu
wrote a letter to her grandma. Her letter said, "Dear Grandma, Hello, I love you." Lulu
told her mom she was done. Her mom looked at the letter. "This is a short letter," her
mom said. Lulu said, "Yes, Mom, it is a short letter. It is short but sweet."

119. The Flu

Larry has the flu. His nose is running. He coughs a lot. He sneezes a lot. When he coughs,
he covers his mouth. When he sneezes, he covers his mouth. When his nose is running,
he wipes his nose with a tissue. Larry’s mother is taking care of him. She makes hot soup
for him. She gives him fresh orange juice. She makes him comfortable in his bed. She
turns on the TV so he can watch TV in his bed. She turns out the light so he can sleep in
his bed. She gives him medicine so he will get better. Larry will get better soon.

120. A New Car

Mark bought a new car last week. He is happy with his new car. He got a good deal on
his new car. It was on sale. His new car is green. The four tires are black. His new car has
four doors. It has one trunk. The spare tire is in the trunk. All new cars have a spare tire.
His new car has one hood. The engine is under the hood. All new cars have an engine.
His new car has two big seats. One seat is in the front. One seat is in the back. Mark sits
in the front seat when he drives his new car. He always buckles his seat belt.

121. Birthday Card

Dora wanted to buy a card for her mother. Her mother’s birthday was next week. Dora
loved her mom. She wanted to get a nice birthday card. She wanted a card that was
pretty. She wanted a card that said the right thing. What was the right thing? The card
must say, "I love you, Mom." It must say, "Mom, you are the best mother in the world."
It must say, "I’m so happy that you are my Mom." Those are all the right things for the
card to say. But there was one more thing the card must say. It must say, "Happy
Birthday!"

122. Chocolate Milk

James took the milk out of the refrigerator. He put the carton of milk on the counter. He
took the cap off the carton of milk. He opened the kitchen cabinet. He took a glass out
of the cabinet. He put the glass on the counter next to the milk. He poured some milk
into the glass. He put the cap back on the carton of milk. He put the milk back into the
refrigerator. He took the chocolate syrup out of the refrigerator. He poured some
chocolate syrup into the glass of milk. He stirred the milk with a spoon. He licked the
spoon.

123. A Summer Job

Maria is 18. She will go to college in September. She will be a college student in
September. But right now it is summer time. It is June. Maria needs a job. She needs
money for college. She needs money to buy books for college. She wants a job. Maria
went to a restaurant. "Can I have a job?" she asked. The restaurant manager said, "I’m
sorry. I don’t need anyone right now." Maria went to a book store. "Will you give me a
job?" she asked. The book store manager said, "I’m sorry. I don’t need new workers
right now."

124. His Red Bike

Paul has a red bicycle. He loves his red bicycle. He got the red bicycle for his ninth
birthday. His parents gave him his bike when he was nine. He takes care of his bike. He
puts air in both tires. He puts air in the front tire. He puts air in the rear tire. He puts oil
on the bike chain. He wipes dirt off the bike with a damp rag. He puts water on the rag
and wipes all the dirt away. He rides his bike everywhere. He rides it to school. He rides
it to the library. He rides it to his friend’s house. He really loves his bike.

125. Good Teacher

Jeff sat down. He was in class. He was at school. He was in English class. He liked his
English class. He liked his teacher. His teacher was friendly. His teacher helped all the
students. His teacher answered everyone’s questions. Jeff asked a new question every
day. Yesterday he asked his teacher a spelling question. He asked his teacher how to
spell "myself." His teacher told him how to spell it. Jeff thanked his teacher. His teacher
said, "You’re welcome. Ask me anything anytime. That’s what I’m here for, to help you."

126. Trust God

Don has cancer. He is 12 years old. But he is lucky. The doctor knows how to fix Don’s
cancer. The doctor told Don’s mom to bring him to the hospital. Don’s mom said no. She
will let God fix Don’s cancer. God will fix Don’s cancer. She does not trust the doctor.
She doesn’t trust the hospital. She only trusts God. The doctor said Don will die. He said
Don must come to the hospital. Don’s mom ran away. She ran away with Don. The
police are looking for Don and his mom. They want to save Don’s life. Only the doctor
can save Don’s life.

127. The Swimmer

Karen is on the swim team. She is on the swim team at school. She is a good swimmer.
All the swimmers on the swim team are good swimmers. She swims every day. She goes
to the pool after her last class. Her last class is her English class. After English class she
walks over to the pool. She changes into her swim suit. She dives into the water. She
swims for two hours. Her coach watches her swim. He gives her advice. He tells her how
to swim better. Her coach is her swim instructor. He is a good instructor. She will win a
race one day.
128. A New Name
Herman didn’t like his first name. He had never liked it. He wanted to change it. He
asked his mother. She said it was too late to change his name. She said he could use his
middle name. She would call him by his middle name. She asked him if that was okay.
Herman said yes. "From now on," he said, "please call me by my middle name. From
now on, please call me Adam." His mother said that was no problem. "Goodbye,
Herman," she said, "and hello, Adam." When Adam’s father came home from work,
Adam’s mom said, "Guess what? We have a new son."

129. Chicken Soup

William looked at his bowl of soup. It was chicken soup. There was white rice in the
soup. William liked rice. There were pieces of chicken in the soup. William loved
chicken. The pieces of chicken were white. They were small and square. They weren’t
big and round. There were pieces of orange carrots in the soup. William didn’t like
carrots. He picked up a piece of carrot with his fingers. He put it on the table next to his
bowl. He took all the pieces of carrots out of the bowl. He put them all on the table.
Then he ate his soup.

130. Dear God

Peggy went to church every Sunday. She loved to go to church. At church she was with
her family and friends. At church she was with the saints. She was with the angels. And
most of all, Peggy was with God. She always talked to God in church. She always asked
God to stop war. She asked God to stop hate. She asked God to stop sickness. But war
and hate and sickness did not stop. There were war and hate and sickness every day.
"Mommy, why doesn’t God stop war and hate and sickness?" Peggy asked. "God will,"
her mom said, "when more people ask."

131. Yellow Corn

Brian sat down for dinner. He sat down in the chair. He sat down at the table. He looked
at his white plate. He looked at his silver fork. He looked at his silver spoon. His dad said,
"Pass me your plate, Brian." His dad put white rice on the plate. His dad put yellow corn
on the plate. His dad put green peas on the plate. He gave the plate back to Brian. "This
looks delicious," Brian said. "It is delicious," his dad said. Brian wondered why corn was
yellow. He wondered why peas were green. He wondered if there were yellow peas and
green corn.
132. Patty’s Doll
Patty got a doll for Christmas. It is her favorite doll. It is a rag doll. It has a yellow dress.
It has a blue blouse. The name of the doll is Molly. Molly has bright red hair. She has red
lips. She has blue eyes. She has a pink ribbon in her hair. Molly is wearing red shoes.
She’s wearing white socks. Molly has a purse. Her purse is pink. The purse is empty.
There is nothing in the purse. There was a little mirror in the purse. But Patty lost the
mirror. When she lost the mirror, she said, "I’m sorry, Molly. I will get you another
mirror."

133. Bug Lover

Anthony went to the book store. He wanted to buy a book. He wanted to buy a book
about bugs. He liked bugs. He picked up bugs in his yard. He took them to school. He
showed the bugs to his teacher. His teacher told him the name of each bug. Then
Anthony took the bugs home. He showed them to his parents. His mom told him to take
the bugs out of the house. His dad liked to see the bugs. He said Anthony did a good job.
He gave Anthony money to buy a book. So Anthony took the money to the book store.
He looked for a book with lots of pictures of bugs.

134. Girl Fight

Sharon was five years old. Her best friend was Pam. They played games together. They
played all kinds of games. They had fun together. But one day Pam pushed Sharon.
"Why did you push me?" Sharon asked. "Because," Pam said. Sharon told Pam not to
push her again. So, Pam pushed Sharon again. Sharon pushed Pam back. Then Pam
pulled Sharon’s hair. Then Sharon pulled Pam’s hair. Both of them started crying.
Sharon’s mom came into the room. She told Pam to go home. Pam ran out of the house.
"Sharon, you can’t play with Pam anymore," Sharon’s mother said.

135. A Wild Cat?

The cat was not moving. It was lying in the grass. The cat was black and white. It was a
pretty black and white cat. It was cold outside. The cat was lying on its stomach. It was
dark outside. The porch light shined on the cat. The cat looked at Sissy. "Mom, can I
have the cat?" she asked her mom. Her mom came outside on the porch. She looked at
the cat. "That is a pretty cat," her mom said. "Can I have it?" Sissy asked. Her mom said
no. Maybe the cat belonged to another family. Maybe the cat was wild. If it was wild, it
might bite Sissy.
136. Collect Coins
Tom was bored. He didn’t have anything to do. He wasn’t interested in doing anything.
He didn’t want to watch TV. Tom didn’t want to listen to the radio. He didn’t want to
play sports. He didn’t want to use the computer. He didn’t want to read books. "I’m
bored," Tom said. "What can I do? I want to do something interesting." Tom’s father
had an idea. "I have an idea," his father said. "Why don’t you collect coins? Coins are fun
to collect. And coins are everywhere. You see coins every day. Some coins are valuable.
They will make you rich."

137. Apple for the Teacher

Andrew was in the third grade. He loved his teacher. His teacher was young. She was
pretty. She was friendly. She helped Andrew add numbers. She helped Andrew draw
dogs and cats. She helped Andrew learn to spell. Andrew gave his teacher an apple one
day. He gave her an orange another day. He gave her a peach another day. His teacher
thanked him. "Thank you for the apple," she said the first day. "Thank you for the
orange," she said the second day. "Thank you for the peach," she said the third day.
Each day Andrew said, "You’re very welcome."

138. A Good Boy

Billy always listens to his mother. He always does what she says. If his mother says,
"Brush your teeth," Billy brushes his teeth. If his mother says, "Go to bed," Billy goes to
bed. Billy is a very good boy. A good boy listens to his mother. His mother doesn’t have
to ask him again. She asks him to do something one time, and she doesn’t ask again.
Billy is a good boy. He does what his mother asks the first time. She doesn’t have to ask
again. She tells Billy, "You are my best child." Of course Billy is her best child. Billy is her
only child.

139. Who Is It?

Joseph never opens the front door. When someone knocks on the front door, Joseph
says, "Who is it?" But he does not open the door. His parents told him to keep the door
closed. His parents want him to be safe. He will be safe if he doesn’t open the door.
Yesterday someone knocked on the front door. "Who is it?" Joseph asked. "It’s the
mailman," the person said. "I cannot open the door," Joseph said. "Okay, I will come
back tomorrow," the mailman said. "Goodbye," Joseph said. Joseph is a good boy. He
listens to his parents. He doesn’t open the door for any person.
140. The Moon
He looked at the rising moon. It was rising above the houses. It was big and orange. It
looked bigger than the rising sun. How could it be so big? How could it be so orange?
Several hours later, he looked at the moon again. Now it was high in the sky. Now it was
smaller. It wasn’t orange anymore. Now it was white. What happened? It changed size.
It changed color. Before, it was big and orange. It was like a big pumpkin. Now, it was
smaller and white. It was like a light bulb. But it was still pretty. It was still bright. It was
the brightest light in the sky.

141. Use Soap

Kathy finished her sandwich. She had a chicken sandwich for lunch. She got up from her
chair. She took her plate to the kitchen sink. She put the plate in the sink. She turned on
the cold water faucet. She rinsed the plate. She picked up a paper towel. She wiped the
plate dry. She put the plate on the counter. Her mother walked into the room. "Did you
wash that plate with soap?" she asked Kathy. Kathy said no. "I couldn’t find the soap,"
she said. Her mom said, "What’s this right next to the cold water faucet?" Kathy said,
"Soap." Her mom told her to wash the plate again.

142. What’s Behind the Door?

Dotty looked at the door. It was a closet door. The door had a silver handle. The silver
handle was round. The round, silver handle was a doorknob. One day she tried to turn
the doorknob. She tried to open the closet door. But the doorknob didn’t turn. She
couldn’t open the closet door. The closet door wouldn’t open. The door was locked.
"Why is the door locked?" Dotty asked her mom. Her mom said it was locked for her
safety. "What’s behind the door?" she asked her mom. Her mom said a rifle was behind
the locked door. Daddy kept a rifle in the closet.

143. Go to Your Room

Alice told her son Jesse to go to his room. He didn’t want to go to his room. "Why do I
have to go to my room?" he said. "You were a bad boy," she said. "You hit your sister."
He said, "No, I didn’t. She hit me first." Alice said, "But you shouldn’t hit your sister,
even if she hits you first. She is younger than you are. And she’s a little girl. Boys should
never hit little girls." Jesse said, "Okay, I won’t ever hit little girls again. Now do I have to
go to my room?" Alice said yes, he still had to go to his room. "When she’s a big girl, I’m
going to hit her again," he said.
144. The Birthday Cake
It was Jenny’s fourth birthday. She was four years old. Her mom baked a cake for her.
Her mom baked a chocolate cake for her. The cake had two layers. Her mom put vanilla
frosting on the bottom layer. Her mom put vanilla frosting on the top layer. Her mom
put vanilla frosting all around the cake. Now the chocolate cake was completely white.
Her mom put four pink candles on top of the cake. Her dad lit the four pink candles. The
four pink candles were lit. Jenny’s mom and dad sat down next to Jenny. They sang
Happy Birthday to her. "Happy birthday to you," they sang. Jenny sang with her mom
and dad. "Happy birthday to me," she sang. Her mom said, "Now make a wish and blow
out the candles." Jenny made a wish. Then she blew out all four pink candles.

145. Tenth Birthday

Dorothy will be ten years old next month. She is excited. Ten years old is very old. She
will not be a little kid anymore. A nine-year-old kid is just a little kid. A ten-year-old kid is
almost an adult. Nine is only one number, but 10 is two numbers. Nine is a little kid
number, but 10 is an adult number. When she is ten, she will be an adult almost. She
will be a young woman. She will wear lipstick. She will wear nail polish. She will have a
boyfriend. He will be handsome and polite. He will open doors for her. He will buy her
birthday presents. Dorothy can’t wait until next month.

146. Lost Pencil

David lost his yellow pencil. He could not find it. "Where is my yellow pencil?" he asked
his sister. His sister did not know. "I don’t know where your pencil is," she said. David
thought about it. He thought and thought. He used his yellow pencil before lunch. He
used it to write a note to his teacher. The note said, "Dear teacher, Thank you for
helping me. David." He put the note in an envelope. Where was the envelope? He
looked in the kitchen. He looked on the kitchen counter. He found the envelope. It was
next to the toaster. He found the pencil. It was under the toaster.

147. Feed the Pigeons

She liked to feed popcorn to the pigeons. The pigeons liked to eat her popcorn. She put
popcorn in her hand. A pigeon ate the popcorn in her hand. She put popcorn on her
shoulder. A pigeon ate the popcorn on her shoulder. She put popcorn in her hair. A
pigeon ate the popcorn in her hair. She sat down on a bench. It was a wooden bench in
the park. She put popcorn all over the bench. She put popcorn all over her clothes. She
put popcorn on her head. She put popcorn on her lap. Many pigeons landed on the
bench. Many pigeons landed on her. Nobody could see her. Nobody could see the
bench.

148. A Growing Baby

A baby has arms and legs. It has a mouth and eyes. It looks at everything. It eats
everything. It smiles a lot. It cries a lot. It eats a lot. It drools a lot. It pees a lot. It poops a
lot. It sleeps a lot. It tries to talk. It makes funny sounds. It says "Googoo" and "Gaga." It
waves its arms and legs. It doesn’t do much else. It doesn’t sit up. It doesn’t stand up. It
doesn’t talk. It lies on its back. It lies on its stomach. After a year, it will do many things.
It will crawl. It will stand up. It will walk. It will talk. But in the beginning, it just grows. It
grows bigger and bigger.

149. They Fly So Well

He looked at the bird. It was a blackbird. It was walking on the grass. It was looking for
food. Birds have a funny walk. Why do they walk so funny? Because they don’t have
arms. Arms help people walk. People walk well. Birds don’t have arms. They don’t walk
well. They look funny when they walk. Birds have wings. Wings help birds fly. They use
their wings to fly. They fly very well. They are beautiful to watch when they fly. They
belong in the sky. They don’t belong on the ground. The blackbird found something to
eat. It flew up into a tree. It ate the food in the tree. Then it flew away.

150. Copycat Copycat

Lucy had a cat. His name was Pirate. Pirate was 14 years old. Fourteen is old for a cat.
"What can I do?" Lucy asked her dad. "Pirate is old. He will die soon. I will miss him so
much." Dad said, "Why don’t you clone him? They will make a brand new Pirate for you.
It will look like Pirate. It will walk like Pirate. It will meow like Pirate. It will love you like
Pirate. But it will be a kitten. It won’t be an old cat. It will be a new kitten. You can have
a new Pirate for 14 more years." "Dad," said Lucy, "that’s a great idea. Then, when my
new Pirate is 14, I can get another new Pirate!"

151. Circus Clowns

She went to the circus with her parents. She was excited. She had never been to a
circus. There were many clowns at the circus. She liked the clowns. They had funny
faces. They had big, red noses. They wore funny hats. They wore big shoes. Their shoes
were much bigger than her dad’s shoes. They were twice as big as her dad’s shoes. The
clowns had loud horns. They honked their horns at each other. They didn’t talk. They
used their horns to talk. Honk, honk! She laughed at the clowns. They were so funny.
They made her laugh. She told her dad, "Daddy, guess what? When I grow up, I’m going
to be a clown!"

152. The Pistol

Don had a pistol. It was a small pistol. He offered it to his brother Tony. Tony looked at
the pistol. It was a beautiful pistol. It was black. It had a silver trigger. Tony put his finger
on the silver trigger. He put the pistol in his pocket. He took it out of his pocket. He
walked outside. He saw a bird on a wire. He aimed the pistol at the bird. He pulled the
trigger. He said, "If the gun was loaded, I would have killed the bird." Don said, "I’m glad
it wasn’t loaded. You shouldn’t kill birds." Tony thanked Don for the pistol. "I like this
pistol. Thank you," Tony said. He took the pistol home with him.

153. A Lazy Dog

The fox was brown. The fox was quick. The dog was brown. The dog was lazy. "You are a
lazy dog," said the fox. "Yes, I am a lazy dog," said the dog. "Why are you a lazy dog?"
asked the fox. "Why not?" asked the dog. "My owner feeds me. My owner takes me out
for walks. My owner loves me. I eat. I go out for walks. I sleep. I’m a lazy, happy dog."
"But don’t you have any ambition?" asked the fox. "Ambition? Ambition to do what? I’m
just a dog," said the dog. "Lassie was a dog. She saved people’s lives," said the fox. "I’m
too lazy to save people’s lives," said the dog. "Let Lassie save people’s lives."

154. Piano Player

He played the piano. He played it very well. He started playing the piano when he was
six years old. That was seven years ago. Now he was 13 years old. He was very good. He
won one piano contest after another. A famous piano teacher heard him play the piano.
The teacher said, "I want to bring you to New York. I will teach you how to be even
better. I will teach you how to be the best piano player in the whole world." He didn’t
like that idea. He wanted to stay at home. He wanted to stay with his parents and his
friends. His parents wanted him to go. They said they would visit him in New York every
weekend.

155. The Man in the Moon

She looked at the moon. It was big. It was round. It was white. It was big and round and
white. It was much bigger than all the stars. The stars were little lights. The moon was a
big, bright light. She looked around. She could see other houses. She could see the
sidewalk. She could see the street. The moon was bright. It was not as bright as the sun.
But it was much brighter than the stars. She looked at the moon. Her dad said there is a
man in the moon. She looked for the man in the moon. She looked for his eyes. She
looked for his nose. She looked for his mouth. She did not see the man in the moon.

156. A Bad Babysitter

She was a babysitter in her home. She took care of 10 little children. They were not her
little children. They were the sons and daughters of other people. She did not have a
son. She did not have a daughter. She was not a mother. She was a babysitter. The
children were 1 to 4 years old. She babysat them all. She kept them in her house all day.
They all stayed in her living room. She gave them toys to play with. She gave them books
to look at. She gave them pillows and blankets. Some kids played with the toys. Some
kids looked at the books. Some kids slept. She usually didn’t watch the kids. She usually
watched the TV.

157. A New Pet Store

It was a new pet store. Brian walked into the new pet store. He said hello to Paul, the
owner. Paul said hello to Brian. Brian said, "This is a clean pet store. This is a quiet pet
store. This pet store doesn’t smell." Brian looked around the store. Brian walked around
the store. He didn’t see any pets. He didn’t see one pet. "Where are the pets?" he
asked. "The pets are right here," said Paul. Paul opened a catalog. The catalog was full of
pictures. It was full of pictures of pets. "Just pick any pet you like," said Paul. "We will
mail it to you." "What if I don’t like it?" asked Brian. "Just mail it back," said Paul.

158. I Want All of Them

Betty was excited. It was December 1. Christmas Day was only 24 days away. She was
looking at a magazine. It was a magazine for little girls. There were many pictures in the
magazine. There were many pictures of dolls. The dolls were from many countries.
There were dolls from Mexico. There were dolls from China. There were dolls from
France. There were dolls from everywhere. There were so many dolls. She showed the
pictures to her mom. "Mommy, will Santa bring me all these dolls?" she asked. "No,
honey," her mom said, "Santa will bring you only one doll. So pick the one you like best."
"But, Mommy," she said, "I like them ALL the best."
159. A Famous Painter
His dad was reading one section of the newspaper. His mom was reading another
section of the newspaper. His older sister was reading another section of the
newspaper. He had the comics section of the newspaper. That was the best part of the
newspaper. He didn’t understand the words. He wasn’t able to read. But he liked the
comics. He liked the drawings. They were all different. All the animals were different. All
the people were different. All the drawings were black and white. He colored the
drawings with his crayons. He showed the colored drawings to his mom. She liked them.
"Those are beautiful colors," his mom said. "Someday you will be a famous painter."

160. The Baseball Game

Dad took his son Chris to the baseball game. The Los Angeles Dodgers were playing the
San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers were the home team. The Giants were the visiting
team. Dad and Chris walked into Dodger Stadium. Many people were there. Most of
them wanted to see the Dodgers win. They wanted to see the Giants lose. Dad and Chris
found their seats. They sat down. The game had already started. Chris told his dad he
was hungry. His dad bought two bags of peanuts for Chris. He bought two hot dogs for
Chris. He bought a big soda for Chris. A foul ball came their way. People dived for the
foul ball. They knocked Chris’s soda over. His dad bought him another soda.

161. Visit the Park

Nancy took her daughter Donna to the park. The park had lots of trees. It had lots of
squirrels and birds. The squirrels ran up and down the trees. The squirrels chased one
another. The squirrels played with one another. The birds flew around. They flew down
to the ground. They flew up into the trees. The squirrels and birds were good neighbors.
Nancy sat down on a bench. She took a magazine out of her purse. She turned the pages
of the magazine. Donna ran over to a squirrel. She tried to catch the squirrel. Then she
tried to catch a bird. Donna chased the squirrels and birds. She never caught one
squirrel. She never caught one bird. But she had a lot of fun.

162. Sleep In or Get Up?

They drove to the park. They got in line. Many cars were in front of them. They should
have gotten up earlier. "We should have gotten up earlier," said Mom. "I know," said
Dad. "We should not have slept in." "I know," said Mom. "But sometimes it’s nice to
sleep in, especially on the weekend. Weekends are for sleeping in." The line moved
slowly. Finally they were at the front of the line. "I’m sorry," said the park ranger.
"We’re closed." "What?" said Dad. "It’s not even noon. How can you be closed?" The
ranger said the parking lot was full. There was no place to park. He said to come back
tomorrow. "Don’t sleep in," said the ranger. "The early bird gets the worm."

163. Where Did She Go?

Debby was in the first grade. Her brother Tommy was in the second grade. They lived in
Florida. They lived in a small town in Florida. They walked to school in the morning. They
walked home from school in the afternoon. On Monday Debby and Tommy were
walking home. They were walking with a couple of Tommy’s friends. Tommy told his
friends that Debby still sucked her thumb. "She still sucks her thumb," he said. His
friends laughed. Debby started to cry. She ran away from Tommy and his friends. When
Tommy got home, his mom asked, "Where’s Debby?" Tommy said he didn’t know. He
thought she was already home. "No, she’s not home," his mom said. She called the
neighbors. Then she called the police.

164. A Baby and a Sock

The mother gave her baby a red apple. The baby tried to eat the apple. His mouth was
too small. And he didn’t have any teeth. His brother took the apple. His brother ate the
apple. The baby cried. His brother gave the baby a blue ball to play with. The baby
smiled. His brother took the ball from the baby. He rolled the ball on the floor. The
brown and white dog picked up the ball. The dog chewed on the ball. The baby cried
again. His brother picked up the cat. He put the cat on the bed with the baby. The baby
pulled the cat’s tail. The cat jumped off the bed. The dog chased the cat. The baby cried
again. His brother let the baby hold a sock. The baby played with the sock. The baby was
happy.

165. Make a Sandwich

The boy opened a jar of peanut butter. He spread the peanut butter onto a slice of
bread. Then he opened the refrigerator and took out a jar of grape jelly. He spread the
jelly on top of the peanut butter. He put the jar back into the refrigerator. He put
another slice of bread on top of the peanut butter and grape jelly. Now he had a
sandwich. He opened the refrigerator again. He poured himself a big glass of milk, and
put the milk back into the refrigerator. He put the sandwich on a plate. He carried the
plate and the glass of milk over to the dining room table. He sat down. He turned on the
TV and took a big bite out of his sandwich.

166. Thank You, Mom

I love my mom. She took care of me when I was very young. She took care of me when I
was sick. She taught me how to read. She taught me how to get dressed. She taught me
how to button my shirt. She taught me how to tie my shoes. She taught me how to
brush my teeth. She taught me to be kind to others. She taught me to tell the truth. She
taught me to be polite. She took me to school on my first day of school. She held my
hand. She helped me with my homework. She was nice to all my friends. She always
cheered me up. Next year I will graduate from high school. I will go to college. I will do
well in college. I will do well after college. My mom has taught me well.

167. Visit the Ocean

Dad took Beth to the ocean. This was her first visit to the ocean. This was her first visit
to the beach. This was the first time she saw the sandy beach. She loved the sand. She
dug holes in the sand. She filled up the holes. She held the sand in her hands. She
dropped the sand out of her hands. She picked up the sand. She threw the sand. Her
dad picked her up. She held onto him. He carried her to the edge of the water. He held
both her hands. He let her stand in the water. Her feet got wet. She stood in the water.
She watched the water cover her feet. She bent down. She picked up some wet sand.
She threw the wet sand. She sat down in the water. She dug holes in the wet sand. Dad
sat down next to her.

168. Does It Hurt?

Jenny went to the lake. She went to the lake with her dad. It was a big lake. It was a big,
blue lake. It had a lot of water in it. It had a lot of fish in it. Big fish were in the lake. Little
fish were in the lake. Jenny didn’t see any fish. "I don’t see any fish. Where are the fish,
Daddy?" she asked. "They’re swimming around. They’re looking for food," her dad said.
Dad put a worm on a hook. "Does the hook hurt the worm?" Jenny asked. "No, the hook
doesn’t hurt the worm," her dad said. "How do you know?" she asked. "How do I
know?" her dad asked. "Well, the worm doesn’t say anything. So I guess the hook
doesn’t hurt it." Jenny said, "But how can the worm say anything, Daddy? The worm
can’t talk!"

169. A Quiet Pet

Lisa liked to visit her friends. All her friends had pets. Her friends had dogs. Her friends
had cats. Her friends had birds. Lisa didn’t have any pets. She didn’t have a dog. She
didn’t have a cat. She didn’t have a bird. "Can I have a dog, Daddy?" Lisa asked. Daddy
said no. He said a dog barked too much. "Can I have a cat, Daddy?" Lisa asked. Daddy
said no. He said a cat meowed too much. "Can I have a bird, Daddy?" Lisa asked. Daddy
said no. He said a bird sang too much. "All my friends have pets. Can’t I have just one
pet?" she asked. "Okay," Daddy said. "But it must be a quiet pet. I’ll buy you a quiet
pet." He went to the pet store. He bought a pet. He gave Lisa her new pet. "Daddy, it’s a
goldfish!" Lisa said.

170. School Starts

It was the first day of school. Pete was in the first grade. He got on the school bus. It was
a big yellow school bus. He did not know the kids on the bus. The kids on the bus did not
know him. Many kids were talking. They were talking with one another. Pete sat in a
seat by himself. He sat alone. He looked out the window. His mom was standing outside
the window. He waved goodbye to his mom. She waved goodbye to him. The bus took
off. The bus was going to school. Another boy sat down next to Pete. He said hello to
Pete. Pete said hello to him. The boy’s name was Eddie. He was in the first grade. He
said he was a new student. He didn’t know anyone. Pete said he was a new student, too.
He didn’t know anyone, either.

171. Go to the Park

Chuck wanted to go to the park after dinner. His mom wanted him to stay home after
dinner. She didn’t want him to go to the park. She said it was dark at the park. But Chuck
said it wasn’t dark at the park. "There are lights at the park, Mom," he said. But she said
there were only a few lights at the park. She said there were many dark places in the
park. "Bad people go to the park at night," she said. "Bad people do bad things. They do
bad things to good people. You are a good person. I don’t want something bad to
happen to you." Chuck said, "Nothing bad will happen to me. I will go with my two
friends. We will be together. All three of us will be together. We will stay away from the
dark places. We will stay under the lights."

172. A Good Meal

The children were hungry. They looked out the window. Where was their mother? She
walked into the house. The children ran over to her. "Mama, we’re so hungry," they
both said. She said lunch was coming. She walked into the kitchen. She opened a can of
chicken soup. She poured the soup into a pot. She added water. She put the pot on the
stove. She made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She sliced an apple. The soup
was hot. She poured it into two bowls. She put the sandwiches on two plates. She put
apple slices on each plate. She put the bowls and plates on the table. The children ran to
the table. "Thank you, mommy!" they said. Then they started eating. The cat and the
dog watched them eat.

173. Birds and a Baby

The baby was lying on her back. A blue bird flew in through the window. The blue bird
had blue eyes. It sat on the baby’s crib. The bird had a bell around its neck. The bell
rang. The baby smiled. The baby reached for the bell. The bird shook its head. The bell
fell off the bird’s neck. It fell next to the baby. The baby picked up the bell. The baby
rang the bell. Another blue bird flew in through the window. This blue bird also had blue
eyes. The baby had brown eyes. The birds looked at the baby. The baby looked at the
birds. The baby rang the bell again. Both birds flew away. The baby started to cry. His
mama came into the room. The baby smiled. Mama saw the bell. She asked the baby
where the bell came from. The baby pointed at the window.

174. Her 10th Birthday

It was Emily’s 10th birthday. She was 10 years old. She was so happy. "I’m so happy,"
she said. "I’m finally 10. Ten is two numbers. Ten is an adult number. Ten is a grown-up
number. I’m an adult now. I’m a grown-up. I used to be nine. Nine is a kid number. Nine
is for kids. I’m not a kid anymore." Her sister Irene said, "Of course you’re still a kid.
Teenagers are kids. You’re not even a teenager yet. You’re in fifth grade. Fifth grade is
for kids. Twelfth grade is for kids, too. When you are 18, you will be in twelfth grade.
You will still be a kid. You will be a kid for eight more years." Emily said, "No, you’re a
kid. You’re only seven. Seven is a kid." Irene said she wasn’t seven. She said she was
seven and a half.

175. Dinner Chores

"Annie, set the table, please," said Mom. "It’s time for dinner." Annie said it wasn’t her
week to set the table. It was her week to clear the table. She said it was Lisa’s week to
set the table. Lisa was in the living room. Lisa was playing with the dog in the living
room. Lisa was having fun with the dog. "Lisa," Mom said, "come here and set the table.
It’s dinner time." Lisa said it wasn’t her week to set the table. It was Mark’s week to set
the table. It was Lisa’s week to feed the dog. "Where is Mark?" Mom asked. Lisa said,
"He’s riding his bike." Mark was outside riding his bike. Mom asked Annie, "Do you want
extra dessert tonight?" Annie said yes. "What do I have to do?" she asked. Her mom said
all she had to do was set the table.

176. Who Sits in the Front?

The boys were going to the beach. Dad was going to drive them to the beach. The drive
to the beach would take an hour. Dave and Dick loved the beach. They also loved the
drive to the beach. They loved to look out the window. They loved to stick their heads
and arms out the window and feel the breeze. They also loved to be in the front seat.
They both preferred the front seat. They both hated the back seat. "Let’s go, boys," Dad
said. "Let’s go to the beach." Both boys ran out of the house. They ran straight to the
front door of the car. Dave got there first. Dick got there second. Dave pulled the door
open. Dick fell to the ground. Dave got into the front seat and shut the door. "Guess
what? You can sit in the back seat," he said to Dick.

177. Walk the Dog

"Tommy, the dog is scratching at the door," his mom yelled. "Take him for a walk. Make
sure you take a plastic bag with you." Tommy said he didn’t hear the dog scratching. He
said the dog did not need to go for a walk. He said there were no plastic bags in the
house. His mom said, "Take the dog for a walk right now, please." Tommy got the dog
leash, a plastic bag, and a little plastic shovel. "How can I finish my homework when I
have to walk the dog?" he asked his mom. "You can finish your homework when you get
back," his mom said. He put the leash around the dog’s neck and walked outside. It was
cold outside. The dog walked to a tree. It pooped. Tommy put the poop into the plastic
bag. "Yuck," he said. "This is worse than doing homework."

178. In the Garden

Mama was in the garden. "What are you doing?" Johnny asked. She said she was
planting roses. Roses are flowers. They are very pretty. They are usually red. Roses have
thorns. His mama said, "Thorns will stick you. Be careful around thorns." Johnny went to
the front yard. His dog Rex was waiting for him. Johnny picked up a stick and threw it.
Rex chased the stick. He brought the stick back. Johnny ran around the house. Rex
chased him. Johnny ran through the garden. Rex ran through the garden. Mom yelled at
Johnny and Rex. She told them to play somewhere else. She told them to stay out of the
garden. Johnny apologized to his mom. He went to the garage and got his bike. He went
for a bike ride. Rex ran next to the bike.

179. Her Meow Book

Lulu couldn’t find her favorite book. Her favorite book was about a cat. The name of the
cat was Meow. The name of the book was "How Is Meow?" Lulu asked her mom,
"Mommy, where is my Meow book? Where is ‘How Is Meow?’” Her mom didn’t know.
"Where did you leave it? Do you remember where you left it?" Lulu didn’t remember. "I
don’t remember," she said. They looked in the kitchen. They looked in the living room.
They looked in the bedroom. They couldn’t find her favorite book. That night Lulu got
ready for bed. She brushed her teeth. She put on her pajamas. She got into bed. She put
her hand under her pillow. She felt something under her pillow. "Mommy," she yelled. "I
found my book. I found ‘How Is Meow?’" It was under my pillow. Come read it to me,
please."

180. Cross the Street

Jimmy wanted to cross the street. He was on the south side of the street. He wanted to
get to the north side of the street. He was in the middle of the block. His father always
told him to cross at an intersection. His father always said never cross in the middle of
the block. Jimmy walked to the intersection. There was a traffic light at the intersection.
It had three colors--red, green, and yellow. Red was at the top. Green was at the
bottom. Yellow was in the middle. He looked at the crosswalk sign. It was red. It was a
red hand. The red hand meant Don’t Walk. He waited for the red hand to change. It
changed to a white figure walking. The white figure walking meant Walk. Jimmy looked
both ways. Then he walked across the street. He walked in the crosswalk.

181. A Cat and a Dog

The black cat jumped up onto the chair. It looked down at the white dog. The dog was
chewing on a bone. The cat jumped onto the dog. The dog kept chewing the bone. The
cat played with the dog’s tail. The dog kept chewing the bone. The cat jumped back onto
the chair. It started licking its paws. The dog stood up. It looked at the cat. It licked the
cat’s fur. The cat licked the dog’s nose. The dog went back to its bone. A boy ran
through the room. He was wearing a yellow shirt. He almost ran into the chair. The cat
jumped off the chair. The cat jumped onto the sofa. The chair fell onto the floor next to
the dog. The dog stopped chewing the bone. The dog chased the boy. The boy ran out
to the street. He threw a stick. The dog chased the stick. The dog lay down. It chewed on
the stick.

182. A Cat and a Squirrel

Evelyn had a cat. Her cat’s name was Red. Red was a red cat. Red liked to chase things.
He chased balls. He chased butterflies. He chased squirrels. Evelyn had a yard. A tree
was in the middle of her yard. A squirrel lived in the tree. Red climbed the tree. He saw
the squirrel. The squirrel saw Red. The squirrel raised its tail. It chattered at Red. It said,
"Click, click, click." It told Red to go away. "This is my tree," the squirrel said. "Get out of
my tree." Red didn’t understand the squirrel. Red didn’t speak "squirrel." Red was a cat.
He spoke "cat." Red said, "Meow, meow, meow." He said, "Let’s play. I will chase you.
Then you will chase me." The squirrel chattered some more. "Leave me alone, you crazy
cat. Go play with the other cats," it said.

183. The Baby Bear

The baby bear followed his mama. Mama bear walked through the woods. She was
looking for berries to eat. She found some black berries. She started eating them. The
baby started eating them, too. They ate all the berries. Baby bear was full. Mama bear
was still hungry. She started walking again. She wanted to find more berries to eat. Baby
bear lay down. He was full. He wanted to take a nap. But mama bear came back. She
growled at baby bear. He understood mama’s growl. When mama growled, he obeyed.
He got up and followed his mama. Someday he would take a nap after a meal. A squirrel
ran up a tree with a nut. It dropped the nut and ran back down to the ground. It picked
up the nut and looked at baby bear. Then it ran back up the tree. Baby bear did not like
nuts. They were too hard to open.

184. Sugar for Sugar

Mom took Carol to the stable. Their horse was in the stable. They walked over to Sugar.
Sugar was their horse. "Say hello to Sugar," Mom said. Carol said, "Hello, Sugar." Mom
gave a carrot to Sugar. Sugar ate the carrot. He ate the carrot fast. Mom gave a carrot to
Carol. Mom said, "Now, you feed Sugar." Carol gave the carrot to Sugar. Sugar ate the
carrot. "He ate it so fast," said Carol. Mom said, "Yes, Sugar eats carrots very fast." Carol
said, "We should give him a new name. We should call him Carrot. Why is his name
Sugar?" Mom said, "He likes sugar, too. Watch this." Mom took some sugar cubes out of
her pocket. She held them in her hand. She gave them to Sugar. Sugar ate the sugar
cubes. He ate them fast. "Let me give some sugar to Sugar," Carol said.

185. A Birthday Dress

It was Ellen’s 12th birthday. Ellen was 12 years old. Her mom took her shopping. They
went shopping at the mall. "You can pick out a dress. You can pick out a pretty dress,"
Mom said. "I will pick out a pretty, blue dress," Ellen said. They went into JC Penney. JC
Penney sells lots of dresses. Ellen saw a blue dress that she liked. "I like that dress,
Mom," she said. She took the dress into the dressing room. She put on the dress. It fit
her well. She walked out of the dressing room. "The dress fits you well," said Mom. "Can
I have it?" Ellen asked. "Of course you can have it, dear. It’s your birthday present," said
Mom. "But it’s not on sale," said Ellen. "We always buy everything on sale." "It’s your
birthday, dear. On your birthday, we can pay full price," said Mom.

186. Don’t Do This, Mommy Says

Don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve. Don’t pick your nose. Don’t interrupt me. Don’t
talk with food in your mouth. Don’t go swimming right after eating. Don’t forget to feed
the dog. Don’t forget to take the dog for a walk. Don’t hit your sister. Don’t make your
brother cry. Don’t chew with your mouth open. Don’t make fun of other people. Don’t
slam the door. Don’t play in the street. Don’t be late. Don’t bother me now. Don’t shout.
Don’t yell. Don’t scream. Don’t litter. Don’t be rude. Don’t drop out of school. Don’t talk
while you eat. Don’t make a mess. Don’t talk so loud. Don’t fight with your brother.
Don’t worry. Don’t give up. Don’t eat that. Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t play with
matches. Don’t play with fire.

187. The Moon and the Sun

"How far away is the moon?" Chris asked his dad. His dad said that was a good question.
He said the moon was not as far away as the sun. "How far away is the sun?" Chris
asked. His dad said that was a good question. He said the sun was farther away than the
moon. "Did you have to learn this in school?" Chris asked. Dad said, "Yes, I had to learn
this in school." Chris asked, "But you forgot it?" Dad said, "Yes, I forgot it." Chris asked,
"Why did you forget it?" Dad said, "I forgot it because it isn’t important." Chris asked, "If
it isn’t important, why are we learning it?" His dad said that was a good question. He
said, "You’re learning it because your teacher thinks it’s important." Chris asked, "Can’t
you call my teacher? Can’t you tell her that this isn’t important?"

188. He Hates Carrots

"Eat your vegetables, Mikey," Mom said. "I am eating my vegetables," Mikey said. He
was eating the sliced carrots. He was eating the sliced carrots one by one. He was eating
them one at a time. He picked up one sliced carrot with his fork. He looked at it. He
slowly put it in his mouth. He slowly chewed it. Finally, he swallowed it. Then he drank
some water. Then he picked up another sliced carrot with his fork. Mom watched him.
"Why do you hate vegetables, Mikey?" He said, "I don’t hate vegetables. I hate carrots."
"Why do you hate carrots?" Mom asked. "Because they don’t taste good," Mikey said.
"But they are good for you," Mom said. "They are good for your eyes. They help you to
see well. Don’t you want to see well?" "Not if I have to see carrots," Mikey said.

189. Today’s Mail

The mailman put the mail in the mailbox. Dad went outside. He said hello to the
mailman. The mailman said hello. Dad opened the mailbox and took out a magazine and
two letters. One letter was from his sister. The other letter was from his brother. The
magazine was for his wife. It was a garden magazine. His wife liked to work in the
garden. She grew flowers and vegetables in the garden. Dad went back into the house.
He opened both letters. His sister invited him to a birthday party. His brother invited
him to a wedding. Dad enjoyed reading the letters. He enjoyed getting the invitations.
He picked up the phone. He left a message for his sister. He would come to the birthday
party. He also called his brother. He said he would come to the wedding.

190. He Will Go to Heaven

Adam was doing his homework. He stopped doing his homework. He was bored. He
didn’t like homework. "Dad, what happens when we die?" Adam asked. "You will go to
heaven," Dad said. "Does everyone go to heaven?" Adam asked. "No, only good people
go to heaven," Dad said. "What is heaven like?" Adam asked. "It is a happy place," Dad
said. "Everyone is happy. Everyone is your friend. Everyone likes you. You like
everyone." He told Adam to be polite. He told Adam to be honest. "If you are polite and
honest, you will go to heaven," Dad said. Adam said, "I want to go to heaven. I will be
polite and honest." Dad said there was one more thing. Adam had to do one more thing
to go to heaven. "What’s that?" Adam asked. "If you want to go to heaven, you have to
do your homework," Dad said.

191. The World Map

Jerry was looking at a map. It was a map of the world. The map showed many countries.
It showed all the countries in the world. All the countries were different colors. There
were red countries, green countries, and blue countries. Jerry pointed at one country.
"Daddy, why is this country red? Is it on fire? Did someone paint the ground red? Does it
have a lot of tomatoes?" Jerry pointed at another country. It was a green country.
"Daddy, why is this country green? Does it have a lot of grass? Did someone paint the
ground green?" Jerry pointed at another country. It was a blue country. "Daddy, why is
this country blue? Is it full of blue water? Does it have a lot of bluebirds? Did someone
paint the ground blue?" His daddy said, "No, the colors make the map pretty. They don’t
mean anything."

192. School Fight

One day at school Harry pushed Scott. Scott pushed Harry back. Harry punched Scott in
the face. Scott went home with a bruise on his face. He had a red bruise on his face. His
mom said, "Who did this to you? Who hit you?" His dad asked, "Did you hit him back? I
hope you hit him back. Don’t be a chicken. You must not be a chicken." Scott said he had
pushed Harry back. His dad told him to punch Harry next time. Scott went to school the
next day. Harry pushed him to the floor. Scott got up and punched Harry in the face.
Harry fell down. His nose was bleeding. A teacher walked by. He picked up Harry off the
floor. The teacher called Scott’s dad. "Scott punched Harry," he said. "Harry’s nose is
bleeding." Scott’s dad said, "That’s my boy!"

193. Drive the Car

Charley wanted to drive the car. "Can I drive the car, Dad?" he asked. "You can drive the
car," his dad said. Charley followed his dad out to the car. His dad opened the driver’s
door. "You are the driver," he said. Charley got into the car. His dad closed the driver’s
door. His dad walked around the car. He opened the passenger door. He sat next to
Charley. He gave Charley the key. Charley put the key into the ignition. Charley turned
the key. The car started. Charley was so excited. He turned the steering wheel left. He
turned the steering wheel right. Left, right, left, right. He honked the horn. He honked
the horn again. Honk! Honk! He turned on the left blinker. He turned on the right
blinker. Blink! Blink! He asked, "Am I a good driver, Dad?" His dad said, "Son, you’re a
very good driver."

194. Easter Eggs

It was Easter Sunday. Mom gave a little basket to Michelle. Mom told her to look for
Easter eggs. The Easter eggs were in the back yard. "What do Easter eggs look like?"
Michelle asked. Mom said, "They look just like regular eggs. But they are colored. They
are red. They are blue. They are yellow. They are many different colors." "Why are they
red? Do they come from red hens?" Michelle asked. "No," Mom said. "They are red
because Daddy and I colored them red. They are blue because we colored them blue.
They are yellow because we colored them yellow." Michelle asked, "Why did you color
the eggs?" Mom said, "It’s an Easter tradition. A tradition is something people do every
year." Michelle went into the back yard. She found six Easter eggs. "Next year you can
help us color the eggs," Mom said. "Oh, yes!" said Michelle.

195. The Top Bunk

He and his brother slept in a bunk bed. He had the bottom bunk. His brother had the top
bunk. The top bunk had a guard rail. The rail kept the sleeper safe. His brother didn’t like
the rail. He always left it down. One time his brother fell out of the top bunk. He hit the
carpet and woke up. He said, "Ouch!" Then he climbed back into the top bunk. When he
woke up the next day, his back was sore. Mom took him to see the doctor. The doctor
examined him. The doctor said he was okay. He said to keep the guard rail up. His
brother said he would do that. That night his brother climbed into the top bunk again.
He left the guard rail down. He said the guard rail was like jail. He didn’t want to feel like
he was in jail. He fell asleep. Then he fell out of the top bunk again.

196. A Small Apartment

The big family lived in a one-bedroom apartment. Their apartment had only one
bedroom. Mom and Dad slept in the bedroom. The two babies also slept in the
bedroom. Four people slept in the bedroom. Four children slept in the living room. Two
sisters slept in the living room. Two brothers slept in the living room. All four of them
slept in the living room. They slept on air mattresses. They leaned the air mattresses
against the wall in the daytime. They put the air mattresses on the floor in the
nighttime. They all liked to sleep on the air mattresses. But the girls didn’t like to sleep
next to the boys. "Daddy, we don’t like to sleep next to the boys. We want our own
bedroom. When will we get our own bedroom?" asked one girl. "You’ll get your own
bedroom when I get a better job," Daddy said.

197. I Have a Question

How high is up? Why is the sky blue? Do fish sleep? Where do babies come from? How
do ships float? How do planes stay in the air? Why are you laughing? Why are you
crying? Are we there yet? What do I care? Who’s there? Who’s calling? Who’s at the
door? Where are you from? Where do you live? Where is my pencil? Who won? Who
lost? Who’s playing? Do I know you? Have we met? What was your name again? Do you
have the time? What time is it? What day is it? What is the date? How are you? How do
you do? What do you do? How old are you? How tall are you? How much do you weigh?
Are you married? Do you have any children? Do you love me? Can you hear me? Can
you see me? What’s that smell? What are you cooking? Can I borrow your pencil? Can I
borrow $5? What are you watching? What’s on TV?

198. An Impolite Bird

A robin is a pretty bird. It has a red breast. It has black wings. It sings a pretty song. A
crow is pretty, too. It is completely black. It is shiny black. A crow is a big bird. It is a
smart bird. It is a lazy bird. It watches people. People have food. They throw food into a
garbage can. The crow flies down to the garbage can. It walks around the edge of the
can. It looks for something tasty. It hops into the can. It picks out a potato chip. It flies
into a tree. It eats the potato chip. Then it flies back to the garbage can. The robin sees
the crow. The robin is hungry. It flies down to the garbage can. The crow yells at the
robin. It says, "Get out of here. This can is my can." The robin flies back into the tree.
The crow is a greedy bird. It doesn’t like to share with others.

199. Cookies for Students

Cindy’s teacher was Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones was old. But she didn’t walk slow. She
walked fast. She didn’t have white hair. She had black hair. She wasn’t bent over. Her
back was straight. All the students liked Mrs. Jones. They especially liked her on Friday.
On Friday she brought cookies to class. She gave cookies to all the students. The cookies
were delicious. All the students liked the cookies. All the students ate the cookies. Today
was Friday. Mrs. Jones gave cookies to all the students. All the students said thank you.
Then they ate the cookies. But Cindy didn’t eat her cookie. Mrs. Jones asked, "Why
aren’t you eating your cookie, Cindy?" She said, "I’m not eating my cookie because I will
take it home. I will share it at home with my sister." Mrs. Jones said, "You’re so sweet.
Here’s a cookie for your sister."

200. A Cat Scratch

Kenny was crying. "Why are you crying?" Mom asked Kenny. "The cat scratched me,"
said Kenny. The cat had scratched Kenny on his hand. Kenny showed his hand to his
mom. The scratch didn’t look too bad. It wasn’t a deep scratch. Mom went to the
kitchen. Kenny went with her. She turned on the water. She put his hand under the
water. She washed the scratch with soap. She rinsed off the soap. She took a Band-Aid
out of the kitchen cabinet. She put the Band-Aid on the scratch. She said he would be
okay. "Why did the cat scratch you?" she asked. Kenny said he didn’t know why the cat
scratched him. Just then, Kenny’s little sister walked into the kitchen. She knew why the
cat scratched Kenny. "I know why Tiger scratched him, Mommy," she said. "He was
pulling Tiger’s tail!"

201. Daddy Likes Beer

The little girl was thirsty. She wanted something to drink. She opened the refrigerator.
She looked inside. She saw milk. She saw soda. She saw orange juice. She saw beer. She
wondered what beer tasted like. Her daddy drank beer every day. Beer must be good. If
Daddy likes it, it must taste good. She grabbed a can of beer. She opened the beer. She
smelled it. She couldn’t smell anything. She swallowed some. "Yuck!" she said. The beer
was horrible. How could Daddy drink that stuff? She put the can back into the
refrigerator. Daddy could finish it when he got home. She grabbed the milk. She poured
some into a glass. She added chocolate syrup to the milk. She stirred the milk. Now she
had chocolate milk. She loved chocolate milk. Poor Daddy, she thought. He likes beer
more than chocolate milk.

202. Ask Santa

It is December. That means it is Christmas time. Christmas time means Santa Claus is
coming. Sara and Billy love Christmas. They love Santa Claus. They love the gifts from
Santa. Last year they got nice gifts. Sara got a teddy bear and a rubber duck. Billy got a
green boat and a rubber duck. The rubber ducks float. When Sara takes a bath, her pink
duck floats in the water. When Billy takes a bath, his blue duck floats in the water. One
time Billy put a goldfish into the tub. It swam for a while. Then it died. He buried it in the
back yard. He was sad. This year Sara and Billy want bicycles. Sara wants a red bike. Billy
wants a blue bike. Mama said she would talk to daddy. Sara asked mama, "Why don’t
you talk to Santa?" Mama said, "That’s a good idea. When daddy comes home, he and I
will talk to Santa."

203. A Christmas Present

"What do you want for Christmas?" Daddy asked Anthony. Anthony wanted a little
brother. "Can I have a little brother for Christmas?" Anthony asked. "Well, I’ll have to
talk to your mother," said Daddy. "Why do you have to talk to Mommy?" Anthony
asked. "Who’s going to change the diapers?" Daddy asked. "You’re right, Daddy. We
need Mommy to change the diapers." Mommy walked into the room. Anthony told
Mommy that he wanted a little brother for Christmas. Mommy said, "Well, I’ll have to
talk to your father." "Why do you have to talk to Daddy?" Anthony asked. "Who’s going
to pay the doctor?" asked Mommy. "You’re right, Mommy. We need Daddy to pay the
doctor." Mommy and Daddy walked out of the room. A little later, they came back into
the room. Mommy said, "You can’t have a little brother for Christmas. But if you can
wait, you can have a little brother in April."

204. An Old Dog

"Rex is very sick," Lucy’s mom said. "Is he going to die?" Lucy asked. "Yes, I’m afraid so,"
mom said. "I’m going to take him to the vet." Lucy wanted to go along. "Okay, but try
not to cry, okay?" mom asked. Lucy said she wouldn’t cry. Mom carried Rex out to the
car. She put him in the back seat. He was a little dog. He was 12 years old. He was the
same age as Lucy. They drove to the vet. The vet looked at Rex. He said he could not do
anything for Rex. "Rex is on his last legs," the vet said. He told mom she could take Rex
home and wait for him to die. Or the vet could simply put Rex to sleep. "Let’s put him to
sleep," Lucy said. "That way he won’t suffer." Mom said that was a good idea. They left
Rex with the vet. "We can get another dog for you if you want," mom told Lucy on the
way home. "Can we get a kitten instead?" Lucy asked.

205. Daddy Is Watching

"Let’s go to the beach, Daddy," Susan suggested. "That sounds like a good idea," her
daddy replied. It was a hot, sunny day. The ocean was only two blocks away. Susan went
into her room. She put on her swimsuit. She grabbed a big beach towel. She put on a hat
and grabbed her sunglasses. She put on her flip-flops. "I’m ready, Daddy," she said. "Do
you have any sunscreen?" he asked. "No, I forgot. Where is it?" she asked. He told her it
was in the top drawer in the bathroom. She went into the bathroom and opened the
drawer. "I’ve got it," she said. They walked outside. The sun was bright. Susan put on
her sunglasses. She loved to wear her sunglasses. They made her look like an adult. She
gave the beach towel to her dad. She grabbed her dad’s hand and they started walking.
Ten minutes later they were at the beach. It was crowded. Dad found a spot. He put the
beach towel on the sand. Susan took off her hat and sunglasses. She ran into the water.
Dad watched her play in the water. She was having fun. Suddenly a wave knocked her
over. She went under water. Dad ran into the water. He pulled her up. "Daddy, I almost
drowned," Susan said. "No, you didn’t," he said. "That wave only knocked you over.
Don’t worry. I’m watching you."

206. Bears and a Pig

The three bears left their cave. They lived in a beautiful cave. The cave was big. The cave
was warm in winter. The cave was cool in summer. It was a quiet cave. It was a dark
cave. They loved their cave. Today was Sunday. They liked to pick berries on Sunday. So
they left their cave. They walked through the woods. They found a field of berries.
Mama bear had a basket. They filled the basket with blackberries and blueberries. Then
they walked back to their cave. When they got inside the cave, they heard a noise. "Who
is that?" papa bear asked. "It’s only me," said a pig. "What are you doing here?" asked
papa bear. "I’m hiding from the farmer," said the pig. "I think he wants to eat me." Papa
bear told the pig he could stay in the cave as long as he wanted. The bears shared their
berries with the pig. Then the pig and baby bear took a nap together.

207. A School Day

School starts at 8:00 in the morning. His mom woke him up at 6:30. He yawned and got
out of bed. He got dressed. He ate breakfast. He ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. His
favorite cereal was Cheerios. He also ate a banana. Bananas are yellow outside and
white inside. He drank a glass of orange juice. Oranges are orange outside and orange
inside. He ate a piece of toast with butter on it. Brown toast, yellow butter. He drank a
glass of milk. Then he brushed his teeth. He kissed his mom goodbye. He walked outside
to the school bus stop. It was two blocks away. He met his friend Bobby. They talked
while they waited for the bus. The bus arrived. He said hello to the bus driver. He and
Bobby sat together on the bus. They talked about baseball. The bus ride took 20
minutes. They got to school at 7:30. The bus driver said, "Have fun in school." They
always did.

208. A Pizza
"Daddy, let’s order a pizza," Billy said. "That sounds like a good idea," said his dad. They
looked at a menu they had at home. "What kind do you want?" his dad asked. Billy
wanted a large pizza. He wanted a pizza with four toppings. He wanted cheese,
pepperoni, ham, and pineapple. His dad said that sounded good. He called the pizza
place. "They don’t have any pineapple," dad told Billy. "What do you want instead?"
Billy wanted sausage instead. His dad ordered sausage instead of pineapple. About 30
minutes later, there was a knock on the door. It was the pizza man. "Here’s your pizza,"
he told Billy’s dad. "That’ll be $16." Dad paid the pizza man. He also gave him a tip. Dad
took the pizza to the living room. A baseball game was on TV. Billy and his dad started to
eat the pizza in the living room. "I hope the Yankees lose," Billy told his dad. "I hope the
Yankees lose, too," his dad said.

209. He Climbs Trees

"It’s time to go to bed," Danny’s mom said. "But I’m not sleepy," Danny complained. He
wasn’t sleepy because he had taken a nap before dinner. He had slept for almost one
hour. Before his nap, he was in the park. He liked to go to the park. The park was full of
trees. He loved to climb the trees. His mom told him not to climb the trees. He might fall
and hurt himself. He didn’t obey his mom. It was fun to climb trees. It was fun to climb
higher and higher. It was fun to be taller than adults. It was fun to look down on the
adults. One time he found a bird’s nest. It was empty. He would visit it again in spring
time. Maybe baby birds would be in the nest. Danny always went to the park after
school. The trees in the park were like a second home to him. His mom said that maybe
he was part monkey. He kissed his mom and said good night. Once in bed, he counted
trees so that he could go to sleep.

210. The Birthday Party

It was Susan’s birthday party. She was seven years old. She was born July 18. She was in
second grade. She had many friends. She had friends in school. She had friends at
church. She had friends in swim class. She had friends in dance class. Nancy was her best
friend. Nancy and Susan did everything together. Susan invited all her friends to her
party. All her friends came to the party. It was a pool party. The pool party was in her
back yard. About 30 kids came to her pool party. There was a lot to eat. They had
hamburgers and hot dogs. They had oranges, apples, and bananas. They had cake,
candy, and marshmallows. They had soda and juice. There was a lot to do. They swam in
the pool. They dove off the diving board. They floated on the floats. They played many
different games. Everyone had fun. Everyone had a good time. No one wanted to go
home. No one could wait until Susan turned eight.

211. A Birthday Bike

January 7 is Benny’s birthday. He will be eight years old. He is in the third grade. He goes
to Park Elementary School. An elementary school is for kids. It is only one mile away. He
walks to school. It only takes 20 minutes. When it rains, he wears a raincoat. He used to
take an umbrella. But he lost the umbrella. His mother gave him another umbrella. He
broke that one. His mom said, "You and umbrellas don’t get along." For his eighth
birthday, Benny wants a bicycle. He can ride the bike to school. After school he can ride
with his friends. He can ride the bike to the swimming pool. He can ride the bike to the
library. His mom and dad took him to the bike store. They asked him to look at the
bikes. He looked at all the bikes. He chose a red bike. He showed his parents. Dad said it
cost too much. He told Benny to choose another bike. Benny chose a blue bike. Dad said
the blue bike was the right price.

212. Do This, Daddy Says

Look both ways before you cross the street. Wear clean underwear. Do your homework.
Be polite. Obey your parents. Go to school. Stay in school. Wash your hands. Wipe your
nose. Wipe your feet. Wash your face. Brush your teeth. Take the dog for a walk. Clean
the cat’s litter box. Be a good boy. Be a good girl. Turn down the TV. Turn off the TV.
Stand up straight. Chew with your mouth closed. Close the door. Do as I say, not as I do.
Mind your manners. Be nice to your brother. Be nice to your sister. Watch your brother.
Play with your sister. Be patient. Study. Listen to your teachers. Keep trying. Sit down on
the bus. Buckle your seat belt. Try this. Try these. Change your clothes. Put on a clean
shirt. Get dressed. Get into your pajamas. Go to your room. Clean up your room. Make
your bed. Go to bed. Kiss your mommy good night. Say Thank You. Say Please. Say
You’re Welcome. Say your prayers.

213. Farm Animals

The chicken and the duck were friends. They lived on a farm. They walked around
together. They swam in the pond together. They talked about many things. They talked
about the cat. They thought the cat was tricky. They thought the cat was dangerous. The
cat looked at them a lot. They didn’t trust the cat. "We must always keep our eyes open
when the cat is around," they both agreed. They talked about the dog. The dog was very
friendly. The dog wanted to play. The dog had lots of energy. It barked a lot. It ran
around a lot. They both liked the dog. They talked about the farmer. The farmer brought
them food. The farmer took care of them. The farmer took care of all the animals. He
fed the cow. He fed the pig. He fed the goat. He fed the sheep. He fed the rabbit. They
liked the farmer. He took good care of everyone. He was a nice man. "Farmers are
good," said the chicken. "We need farmers," said the duck.

214. She’s So Hungry

She likes magazines. She likes to look at the pretty photos. Magazines have photos of
people. They have photos of animals. They have photos of clothes. They have photos of
food. She sees a photo of a hamburger. It looks so delicious. The photo of the
hamburger makes her hungry. She goes to the refrigerator. She opens it. She wants a
hamburger. But there is no hamburger in the refrigerator. The hamburger is at
McDonald’s. But she is a little kid. She can’t drive to McDonald’s. She can’t call
McDonald’s, because they don’t deliver. A hamburger place is not like a pizza parlor. A
pizza parlor delivers. Her mom was at work. She would have to wait until mom came
home. Mom would drive her to McDonald’s. She sat down again. She turned the page.
There was a photo of chocolate ice cream. The ice cream was in a cone. Oh, what a
beautiful photo. She licked her lips. It looked so delicious. Mom, please come home
soon, she thought.

215. Roses Are Red

Roses are red, violets are blue. I’m in a house, the tiger’s in a zoo. Roses are red, oceans
are blue. I have a cold, you have the flu. Roses are red, pencils are blue. I lost my hat,
you lost your shoe. Roses are red, the sky is blue. Pigs say Oink, cows say Moo. Roses are
red, whales are blue. I don’t have to pee, I don’t have to poo. Roses are red, birds are
blue. You love me, and I love you. Roses are red, ink is blue. When people sneeze, they
say A-choo! Roses are red, mouthwash is blue. I like soup, and you like stew. Roses are
red, paint is blue. Dogs like to bite, dogs like to chew. Roses are red, stamps are blue.
You pound a nail, you turn a screw. Roses are red, sweaters are blue. I love my daddy
and my mama, too. Roses are red, crayons are blue. When people get married, they say
I Do. Roses are red, paper is blue. My car is old, your car is new.

216. New Kittens

Mama cat had six new kittens. Three kittens were black, and two were white. One kitten
was black, with white feet and a white face. Nancy asked, "Mom, can we keep all the
kittens?" Her mom said no. "We can’t afford to keep six kittens," she said. "When the
kittens are three months old, we will give them away." Nancy asked if she could keep
one kitten. Her mom said okay. Nancy decided to keep the kitten with white feet. She
called him Boots. When the other five kittens were three months old, Nancy’s mom took
pictures of them. Nancy took the pictures to school. She showed the pictures to her
friends. All her friends wanted a kitten. They came to her house the next day. They took
all the kittens except Boots. "Boots is my kitten," Nancy told her friends. Then her mom
said, "We have to take mama cat to the cat doctor." Nancy asked why. "We have to fix
her," her mom said. "We don’t want her to have more kittens. The doctor will fix her."
217. She Wants to Ride
The girl got up on the horse. It was a brown and white horse. It was a big horse. She sat
on the horse’s back. She was taller than her father. She looked down at her father.
"Daddy, you are shorter than me," she said. Her daddy said, "Yes, you are taller than
me. You are taller than your mother. You are taller than the horse." The horse started
walking around in a circle. The girl held onto the reins. Her daddy held onto the horse.
She was having fun. She liked to ride the horse in a circle. Someday she would ride the
horse fast. Someday she would ride it straight and far and fast. Her daddy told her to be
patient. "You must crawl before you walk. You must walk before you run. First, ride a
slow horse. Then, ride a fast horse." She agreed with her daddy. "You are right, daddy,"
she said. "I will be patient. Today I am riding a slow horse. But someday I will ride a fast
horse. I will ride my fast horse all day, every day."

218. A Bad Boy

He was a bad boy. He didn’t obey his mother. Once he slapped his mother. Another time
he twisted her arm. Another time he pushed her down. She fell to the floor. He was a
bad boy. He dropped out of school. He played games on the computer. He played games
day and night. He cheered loudly when he won a game. He cursed loudly when he lost a
game. He didn’t care if his mom was trying to sleep. She asked him to please be quiet.
He told her to drop dead. But he loved her cooking. She cooked delicious meals. "Mom,
I’m hungry," he said every day. She spent hours every week cooking for him. He never
said thank you. He never said the meals were delicious. He finished his meals and went
back to his computer. His mom washed the dishes by hand. She took out the garbage.
She did all the shopping. She worked, while he played. One day she decided enough was
enough. When he was 19 years old, she left her son. She got into her car and drove
away.

219. My Best Friend

Laura is my best friend. We are in the third grade. We do everything together. We walk
to school together. We eat lunch together at school. Laura’s mother gives her tuna
sandwiches for lunch. My mother gives me peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. We
share our sandwiches with each other. Sometimes Laura gets apples for lunch.
Sometimes I get peaches. We share our fruit with each other. We help each other with
our homework. She helps me with history. I help her with arithmetic. We spend the
weekends together. Her parents invite me to their house, or my parents invite her to
our house. We sleep over. I spend the night at her house, or she spends the night at my
house. We talk about everything. We talk about our brothers. They are so silly. We talk
about our teachers and our parents. We love them. We talk about the boys in class. We
don’t like them. They are so silly. Why in the world do some girls like boys? Boys never
grow up. We will never like boys.

220. Brown and Blue Eyes

She had big brown eyes. Her sister had big blue eyes. Her brother had big green eyes.
Her mother had a gray eye and a green eye. Her father had black eyes. "Why are our
eyes different?" she asked her mom. "Who knows?" said her mom. "Life is strange. It is
full of mystery. This is a mystery to all of us." She asked her teacher. She asked the
doctor. She asked the nurse. She asked the mailman. Nobody knew why her family had
different color eyes. Finally she asked the librarian. A librarian reads a lot. A librarian
works in the library. A librarian is surrounded by books. Books have information. Lots of
information. The librarian looked in all her books. She called other librarians. They
looked in all their books. Still, nobody knew the answer. "I’m sorry, little girl," the
librarian said. "Maybe someone will invent a computer someday. Then I will give you an
answer. But for now, your big brown eyes and your sister’s big blue eyes are a big
mystery."

221. My Dad
I love my dad. He was a good man. He taught me to work hard. He taught me to keep
trying. He taught me to do things right or don’t do them at all. He grew up on the streets
of New York City. His parents didn’t speak English. He had three brothers and one sister.
His brothers ended up in jail. His sister died in a car crash. My dad married my mom
when they were both 19. My dad joined the army. He jumped out of airplanes. Then he
became a military policeman. He did this for 20 years. He liked his job. He was a hard
worker. He went to college while he was in the army. He got two college degrees. One
college degree is good. Two college degrees is very good. He retired from the army and
became a teacher. He taught high school kids. He taught high school kids for 20 years.
He had a lot of patience. Teachers need a lot of patience. Then my dad retired. He
traveled around the world with my mom. They both died in a plane crash. That was bad.
But they died together. That was good.

222. She Writes Letters

She will write a letter to her grandma. She will write about her day at school. She will
write about her classmates. She will write about her teacher. She will write about the
classroom. She will write about her school bus. She will write about her school bus
driver. She won’t write about her pets. She won’t write about her fat black cat. She
won’t write about her little red dog. She won’t write about her soft white rabbit. She
won’t write about her big brown horse. That’s because she doesn’t have a big brown
horse. Not yet. She wants a big brown horse for her birthday. She will write a letter to
her daddy about the horse. She will ask her daddy for a big brown horse. A big brown
horse will be a perfect birthday gift. She will never want another birthday gift. A horse
will make her happy forever. The letter to her daddy will ask for a horse. Maybe daddy
will give her a horse. Then she will write a new letter to her grandma. She will tell
grandma about the new brown horse.

223. A Hard Head

A woodpecker is a bird. It is red, white, and black. It has a long sharp beak. This is a
special beak. It is stronger than a tree trunk. The woodpecker makes holes in tree
trunks. It hits the tree trunk with its sharp beak, again and again. Peck, peck, peck. Peck,
peck, peck. It makes a hole in the tree trunk. Then it makes the hole bigger. It makes the
hole big enough to sit in. It makes the hole big enough for two birds to sit in. It makes a
nest in the hole. It prepares the nest for two baby birds. The mama woodpecker lays
two eggs in the nest. She sits on the eggs. Papa woodpecker brings her food. The eggs
hatch. Then mama and papa feed the babies. The babies grow up and fly away. Then
they find other trees. They make holes in other trees for new baby birds. They make
new holes in different trees. Peck, peck, peck. Peck, peck, peck. Why don’t the
woodpeckers get headaches? They hit their beaks against a tree trunk all day long. But
you never see a woodpecker take aspirin. They must have very hard beaks. They must
have very hard heads.

224. Boys Will Be Boys

The two brothers loved each other. But sometimes they argued with each other.
Sometimes they yelled at each other. Sometimes they pushed each other. Sometimes
they hit each other. Sometimes they got into a fight with each other. Bobby was the
older brother. Billy was the younger brother. Bobby was older than Billy. Billy was
younger than Bobby. Bobby climbed into a tree. His kite was in the tree. He could not
reach his kite. He fell out of the tree. Billy laughed. He laughed when he saw Bobby fall
to the ground. Bobby was not hurt. But he was angry. "Why are you laughing?" he asked
Billy. "That was funny!" Billy said. Bobby said it wasn’t funny. Billy said it was funny.
Bobby pushed Billy. Billy pushed Bobby. Bobby punched Billy in the stomach. Billy
punched Bobby in the stomach. They put their arms around each other. They wrestled
on the ground. They rolled around and around. Their mom came outside. "What are you
two doing?" she asked. She separated them. She said, "You shouldn’t hit each other.
That’s not nice. Wait till your father gets home." She sent them to their rooms.

225. Violets Are Blue

Violets are blue, roses are red. I sleep on the couch, you sleep in your bed. Violets are
blue, apples are red. One twin is Ted, and the other is Fred. Violets are blue, turtles are
green. My grandma is nice, my uncle is mean. Violets are blue, baseballs are white.
Some people are rude, but most are polite. Violets are blue, toilets are white. Babies
have no teeth, but they still try to bite. Violets are blue, the sun is yellow. Girls want to
marry a rich, handsome fellow. Violets are blue, flowers are pink. A car will crash, and a
boat will sink. Violets are blue, tires are black. You have a mansion, I have a shack.
Violets are blue, grass is green. My room is dirty, your room is clean. Violets are blue,
eggs are white. I say Good Morning, you say Good Night. Violets are blue, stop signs are
red. Shoes are on my feet, a cap is on my head. Violets are blue, hair is gray. I like to
work, you like to play. Violets are blue, pajamas are pink. What do I know? What do you
think? Violets are blue, flowers are yellow. I say Goodbye, you say Hello.