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Date Monday, October 3

A New Puppy By Kathleen W. Redman

Lacey was so excited! Today her father was taking her to an animal shelter. He was going to help Lacey adopt a puppy. It would be her very first puppy. She just knew that she would find the best dog in the world! After breakfast, Lacey and her father put on their jackets and walked to the corner. Soon the bus to the shelter came. Lacey and her father got on the bus. "Good morning," the man driving the bus said. "Where are you going this bright and beautiful day?" "We're going to the shelter," Lacey answered. "Why are you going to the shelter, young lady?" Lacey's eyes sparkled with joy. "I'm going to adopt a puppy. It will be the best puppy in the world!" The bus driver laughed and said, "He will have the best owner in the world!" Lacey and her father found a seat and sat down. All the way to the shelter Lacey talked about the new puppy. "What color will he be? Will it be a girl dog or a boy dog? Will my new puppy like me? What if none of the puppies like me? Will the new puppy be a big puppy or a little puppy?" Lacey's father answered all the questions the same way. "Just wait and see." Finally, the bus came to a stop by the shelter, and Lacey and her father got off. "Good luck!" the driver said. Lacey smiled and waved at him. Inside the shelter, a woman sitting at a desk took Lacey's name and asked what

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Date Monday, October 3

kind of puppy she wanted. "Oh, I just want a puppy that will love me," Lacey said. "Do you want a male or a female?" the woman asked. "It doesn't matter as long as the puppy loves me," Lacey said. The woman smiled at Lacey and her father. "I am sure we can find one for you." "Oh, and I forgot to tell you something. The puppy has to be the best puppy in the world," Lacey said. The woman smiled and took Lacey's hand. "Come with me," she said, "and we will find a puppy that loves you and is the best puppy in the world." The woman took Lacey and her father into a pretty room with some soft chairs and a lot of sunlight. "Please have a seat," she said. "I will be right back." Lacey and her father sat down and just like she said, the woman came right back. In her hands was the tiniest, fluffiest, whitest puppy Lacey had ever seen! "Oh, what a beautiful puppy!" Lacey said. "May I hold him?" "Yes, you may hold her," the woman said. "She is a girl." She put the puppy in Lacey's arms. The puppy squirmed around and looked at Lacey with her bright black eyes. She licked Lacey's face. She nipped at Lacey's ears. She wiggled and wiggled. "Do you like her?" the woman asked. "Oh, yes," Lacey said. "Papa, may I keep her, please, please, please?" "Yes, of course," her father said. The puppy wiggled in Lacey's arms and licked her face again. She seemed very happy. "I think your name should be Wiggles," Lacey said as she hugged the puppy. "You are the best puppy in the world!"

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Date Monday, October 3

A New Puppy

Questions 1. Who is going to get a new puppy? A. Lacey B. Jonathan C. Tom D. the bus driver 2. Where are they going to get the puppy? A. pet store B. a friend's house C. animal shelter D. veterinarian 3. How did Lacey and her father get to the shelter? A. They rode in a car. B. They walked. C. They rode a bus. D. They rode bicycles. 4. What kind of puppy did Lacey want? A. a brown one B. one that loved her C. a white one D. a big one 5. Where did the woman at the shelter take them? A. to a pretty room B. outside C. to a hospital D. to the puppy cages 6. What color is Lacey's new puppy? A. gray B. brown C. white D. black

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Date Monday, October 3

7. What did Lacey name her new puppy? A. Wiggles B. Cuddles C. Fluffy D. Baby 8. Lacey said that her new puppy was the ______. A. nicest dog she ever had B. prettiest dog at the shelter C. best puppy in the world D. tiniest dog she had ever seen

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Date Tuesday, October 4

World Space Week By Kathleen W. Redman

In 1999, the United Nations declared that World Space Week would be celebrated each year from October 4-10. The UN members chose October 4 for the first day of World Space Week for a very special reason. On October 4, 1957, the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik I, was launched. At last, space exploration had begun! Anybody can celebrate World Space Week. Schools, teachers, countries, businesses, and governments can decide what they want to do. Even one person can put together an activity for World Space Week! Would you like to know what people in other places have done for World Space Week? The people of Algeria hold an astronomy fair every year. There are many things to see at the fair. There are classes to help people learn about space. Many people come to the fair to learn about new discoveries. In Austria, school children got a special treat. Children from six to ten years old were able to drive a small Mars rover! There were programs about humans and robots working together. Two young "astronauts" got to try on spacesuits. In Bulgaria, there was a contest. Students drew pictures about space. There were prizes awarded. An astronomer talked about black holes, dark matter, and antimatter. He made the stories very interesting. He wanted students to get excited about space. In Vietnam, many people made sky lanterns for World Space Week. The sky lanterns were like small paper hot air balloons. Many people wrote things that they were sad about on strips of paper. The strips of paper were attached to the balloons. Up in the air they went! A school in Greece had a whole week of things for their students to do. They learned about gravity. They drew pictures. They pretended to be astronauts. They watched videos. They worked with magnets. They learned a song about flying to the moon. They made spaceships out of straws. They made astronauts out of foil. All the children had a good time learning about space!

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Date Tuesday, October 4

At the Amber Space Festival in Russia, there was a lot of art. There was music, painting, sculpture, and film. The students used art to tell about space. They made everyone very proud of what they had done. Since 2000, people all over the world have celebrated World Space Week in many different ways. Each country has its own way to celebrate World Space Week. All of them help people learn more about space. And that's why we have World Space Week! World Space Week

Questions 1. What happened on October 4, 1957? A. World Space Week began. B. Sputnik I was launched. C. The United States launched Challenger I. D. The first astronauts were chosen. 2. Where is World Space Week celebrated?

3. In which country could children drive a small Mars rover? A. Bulgaria B. Austria C. Greece D. Algeria 4. What group chose the date for World Space Week? A. Congress B. the United Nations C. the World Court D. INTERPOL

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Date Tuesday, October 4

5. In Vietnam, people wrote things they were sad about on ______. A. cards B. strips of paper C. their arms D. leaves 6. Sky lanterns were like small ______. A. flashlights B. cups C. boats D. hot air balloons 7. The students in which country used art and music to tell about space? A. Russia B. Austria C. Romania D. Vietnam 8. Why do we have World Space Week?

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Date Tuesday, October 4

Ready, Aim, Shoot that Arrow! By Colleen Messina

People have shot arrows for a long time. Arrows were used for hunting. They were also used in war. Archers were in many stories. Greek heroes carried bows. Robin Hood was a great shot, too! These heroes knew how to shoot well. Some people found old arrowheads in Africa. They were thousands of years old. Some people think that the bow and arrow were invented there. People found old bows in Denmark. The Egyptians liked bows and arrows. They used them in war. Their archers rode on chariots. They used arrows made from reeds. They made arrowheads from flint. Pharaohs liked to shoot. Pictures on tomb walls showed them shooting bows and arrows. Chinese rulers also liked bows and arrows. They learned how to shoot in school. One emperor made warriors out of terra cotta. Some of them were archers. His workers made about 8,000 warriors. They were buried in pits. He wanted to use them after death. Maybe it was his after-life insurance plan! Archery became popular in the United States after the Civil War. Two brothers from the South helped this happen. They could not own guns after the war. They used bows and arrows. They hunted with them. Then, they formed a group. They named it the National Archery Association. The group helped people learn about this sport. Later, this sport became part of the Olympics. Archers compete in four events. Olympic arrows can go 150 miles per hour! The goal of the contest is to hit a target with the arrow. The archer gets points for a good shot. The person or team who gets the most points wins. Archers have been in history. Archers have been in stories. Many archers were strong. They worked hard. Then, both real and storybook archers could get ready, aim, and shoot that arrow! Bulls-eye!

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Date Tuesday, October 4

Ready, Aim, Shoot that Arrow!

Questions 1. What did people find in Africa? A. arrowheads B. bows C. bones D. none of the above 2. What did Egyptian archers ride in? A. camels B. tanks C. chariots D. jeeps 3. Pharaohs liked to shoot arrows. A. True B. False 4. How many terra cotta warrior figures did the workers for the Chinese emperor make? A. 80 B. 80,000 C. 800 D. 8,000 5. How many archery events are in the Olympics? A. one B. two C. three D. four 6. How fast do some Olympic arrows go? A. 50 mph B. 100 mph C. 15 mph D. 150 mph

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Date Tuesday, October 4

7. Which part of the country did the two brothers in the article come from? A. the East B. the North C. the West D. the South 8. Which war did the two brothers fight in? A. the Civil War B. the Revolutionary War C. the War of 1812 D. World War II

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Date Tuesday, October 4

The Walrus and the Whale By Joyce Furstenau

Title: Teachers may want to use a map of North America to point out the location of the Bering Sea to children and discuss the climate of that region in relation to the habitat of the walrus and whale. Walrus waved goodbye and twitched his whiskers. He was off to sea for the summer. Walrus had been watching and waiting for the weather to bring the right currents for summer feeding. Walrus wanted to be ready for winter. Walrus had to eat when the sea worms and clams were plentiful. While out swimming, Walrus met a white whale. White whales are sometimes called beluga whales. They became friends and wandered the Bering Sea together that summer. Walrus and Whale played water games. Walrus watched as Whale breached and spyhopped through the seawater. Walrus loved to play diving games even though Whale always won. Walrus used his tusks to haul himself out of the sea when he was tired. Whale used his tail to lobtail when Walrus was resting. Walrus and Whale had wonderful times together. They swam in wide circles. They swam through an old shipwreck that had been lost on the deep northern sea floor. Whale and Walrus swam in the sea waves, catching snails, sea worms, and crabs together. Walrus and Whale had become great friends. When summer was over, Walrus headed south to be with his walrus family. Whale swam south to join his pod. Walrus and Whale remained friends. Each summer they met in the Bering Sea. They greeted each other with a watery wave and went out to sea for more summer seawater fun.

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Date Tuesday, October 4

The Walrus and the Whale

Questions 1. What time of year was it when Walrus left home? A. It was spring. B. It was summer. C. It was winter. D. It was autumn. 2. What is another name for a white whale? A. a great gray whale B. a great white shark C. a dolphin D. a beluga whale 3. What was one game that Whale played? A. Whale liked to play tag. B. Whale like to play hopscotch. C. Whale liked to breach. D. Whale liked to play chess. 4. What did Whale and Walrus like to eat? A. They both liked sea soup. B. They both liked potatoes and gravy. C. They both liked wires and nails. D. They both liked snails and sea worms. 5. Where did Whale go when summer was over? A. Whale headed east to join his grandparents. B. Whale headed west to join the wagon train. C. Whale headed north to join the army. D. Whale headed south to join his pod. 6. What happened to Whale and Walrus after that summer? A. They met in Hawaii for Christmas. B. They never saw each other again. C. They saw each other every summer after that. D. They made a date to come back in September.

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Date Wednesday, October 5

Rachel Interviews Aaron the Desert Locust By Kathleen W. Redman

"Good morning, boys and girls. I'm Rachel Scott, the host of Bugs Beyond Belief. Today I have with me one of the most feared insects in the entire world. He usually travels with thousands of his buddies, but today he's here alone. His name is Aaron, and he's a desert locust. Good morning, Aaron." "Good morning, Rachel. Glad to be here." "So the big question first: Why is everyone afraid of you?" "The truth is, Rachel, no one's afraid of me. By myself, I'm a really nice guy. I promise. It's when I get around my friends that things go bad." "Really? Can you explain?" "Here's the thing. We locusts are actually born to be pretty shy. When we're alone, we don't do much damage. But at some point, we start bumping into each other. Usually, it's when we all have to be at the same place to eat." "Okay, so things get crowded and you get a little angry, right?" "You have no idea, Rachel. We get so fired up that we actually change colors. My green color turned to the yellow and black you see today. Because of the change, I now can't stand to be by myself. I have to be with my friends." "So where are you from?" "I'm from North Africa, but you can find desert locusts like me all the way from Africa through the Middle East into parts of Asia. We've been known to travel as far north as Russia and as far south as Kenya. We love to travel." "And how do you do that?" "We fly. We get together in what's called a swarm. In these swarms, millions and sometimes billions of us fly together. We can fly hundreds of miles in a day. One time, a swarm of us flew all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the

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Date Wednesday, October 5

Caribbean." "I bet that looks scary, millions of you guys flying together." "Yeah, and you should see what we do when we land. We are hungry practically all the time. On an average day, I'll eat my body weight in leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Could you imagine eating as much food as you weigh?" "Sometimes I get hungry, but I don't think I could ever eat that much in a day. I actually am getting a little sick thinking about it. So you guys show up uninvited and eat people's food?" "Yes. We destroy crops, and in much of the world, people starve when we show up. And what we don't eat, we destroy with our poop." "Nasty. I bet there are lots of people who would like to be rid of you." "Rachel, there are companies that do nothing but track us and figure out ways to kill us or to make us stop eating. We get no love, believe me." "I'll bet. Well, you'll be happy to know that we've got plenty of stuff backstage for you to eat. It's been a pleasure having you on." "Thanks, Rachel, I've enjoyed it. Where did you say the food is?" Rachel Interviews Aaron the Desert Locust

Questions 1. The desert locust is one of the most feared insects. A. True B. False 2. The desert locust usually travels alone. A. False B. True

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Date Wednesday, October 5

3. When do desert locusts change colors? A. when they are too crowded B. when they eat C. when they are first born D. when they get hot 4. Aaron changed from green to ______. A. black B. brown and white C. red and black D. yellow and black 5. Desert locusts are most often found in ______. A. North and South America B. Russia and Japan C. the United States and Canada D. Africa, the Middle East, and Asia 6. Desert locusts travel in ______. A. cars B. bands C. swarms D. herds 7. On an average day, a desert locust eats ______ in leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. A. 5 ounces B. about 1/2 cup C. 10 ounces D. his body weight 8. What desert locusts don't eat, they destroy with their ______. A. wings B. saliva C. poop D. breath

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Date Wednesday, October 5

My Favorite Teacher By Kathleen W. Redman

Today is World Teachers Day. The boys and girls in my class are writing about their favorite teachers. We have to tell what we like about them. We can't use their names, though. No one is supposed to know who our favorite teachers are. Do you have a favorite teacher? I do. I have only been in school for four years. All of my teachers have been good. One of them is my favorite, though. It is hard to write about a person and not use a name. I am just going to make up a name. My favorite teacher is Ms. Jones. She was my oops!-I can't tell you what grade she teaches. Then you would know who she is. Ms. Jones has a nice voice. When she talks, everyone can hear her. She does not shout at us, not ever. I don't like for someone to shout at me. Do you like for your teacher to shout at you? When I had something to say, she always listened. She never seemed to be too busy to listen. Sometimes I had to wait for a little bit for someone else to talk to her. She always remembered me, though. Sometimes I had questions. Ms. Jones always tried to answer my questions. If she did not know the answer, she would help me find it. She never said my questions were silly. She never made fun of me if I made a mistake. She said that everyone makes mistakes. Ms. Jones must like being a teacher. She seems happy almost all of the time. One day we didn't get to go to pick apples. It was raining. She looked sad about that. She got some markers, and we drew lots of apples for our bulletin board. She said the apples made her feel happy again. We went to pick apples the next week. Ms. Jones said everyone should pick apples at least one time. I had a hard time learning to write. I didn't make some of the letters the right way. Ms. Jones sat by me. She showed me how to make the letters. I did better. But I still messed up on some of them. She put her hand over mine. She helped me make the letters. She didn't mind that my hands were dirty. I had been digging in the sandbox at recess.

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Date Wednesday, October 5

Ms. Jones must be very smart. She knows everything in the world about numbers! She knows how to add and subtract big numbers. She can even multiply and divide, too! It must be really nice to be that smart. Ms. Jones said I would know how to do all those things someday, too. Sometimes I don't feel very smart. Ms. Jones said that she believes in me. I'm not sure what that means. It feels good, though. I think it means that she believes I am smart. Even when I make mistakes, she thinks I am smart. I hope she is right. Ms. Jones gave me a card on my birthday. She gives everyone a birthday card. She makes sure each card is just right. My card had a sailboat on it. I could not figure out how she knew I like sailboats. She said that I talk about sailboats a lot. My hand is getting tired. I have written a lot about Ms. Jones. There are more things I would like to tell you. I just cannot write any more now. Well, maybe I will write one more thing. School is great! I know it's great because Ms. Jones told me so. She said that she just loves school. And I do, too! My Favorite Teacher

Questions 1. This story is written from first person point of view. Who is writing this story? A. an elementary school student B. a boy in the sixth grade C. Ms. Jones D. a girl in the tenth grade 2. What day is it? A. Christmas B. World Space Week C. World Teachers Day D. Easter

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Date Wednesday, October 5

3. How long has the writer been in school? A. five years B. two years C. four years D. three years 4. What did Ms. Jones's students do when they could not pick apples? A. They read about picking apples. B. They drew apple pictures for the bulletin board. C. They watched a movie about picking apples. D. They made apple pie. 5. What did Ms. Jones say about picking apples?

6. How does the writer feel about school?

7. What was on the writer's birthday card? A. a submarine B. an aircraft carrier C. a sailboat D. an ocean liner 8. The writer said he or she did not like it when someone ______ at him or her. A. smiled B. laughed C. pointed D. shouted

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Date Wednesday, October 5

The Bee and the Ladybug Bees are fuzzy. They are yellow with black stripes. Their wings buzz when they fly. Bees like flowers. They eat nectar. They make honey with nectar. A hive is their home. Ladybugs look like small dots. They can be red, orange, or yellow. They have black spots. They eat tiny green bugs on plants. Ladybugs do not make a sound. A bee sat on a white rock. A ladybug came and sat beside him. The ladybug said to the bee, "Is this your rock?" The bee told the ladybug to go home. The ladybug said, "We are the same! I am a bug. You are a bug. We have six legs. We can fly." The bee said, "We are not the same! I am yellow. You are red. I can sting. You cannot sting." The ladybug said, "Do you want to play a game?" The bee told her to go home. The ladybug said, "Play tag with me. Tag! You are it!" The bugs flew up to the blue sky. They flew down to the green grass. They flew back to the white rock. The bee said, "That was fun!" The ladybug said that she had to go home. "When will you come back?" asked the bee. "I like you." "I will come back soon. I will bring my brother," said the ladybug. "We will have fun."

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Date Wednesday, October 5

The Bee and the Ladybug

Questions 1. How are a bee and ladybug the same?

2. How are a bee and ladybug not the same?

3. What game did the bugs play?

4. What will the ladybug bring with her next time?

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Date Thursday, October 6

A Tibetan Monk Says a Prayer By Colleen Messina

Tenzin is a Tibetan Buddhist monk. You might think that it is easy for a monk to say a prayer. This is true for most monks. But when Tenzin lived in Tibet, it was not true. Tenzin decided to go to another country so that he could say a prayer safely. Tenzin went to Nepal. He went with 15 other monks. It was a hard journey. They had to hide in a truck. They traveled with a guide. This made the journey safer. Tenzin and his friends went to Nepal. They wanted religious freedom. They want to go to India someday. The Dalai Lama, their leader, lives in India. Tenzin carried a backpack. In the pack were Buddhist scriptures. Tenzin wanted the sacred books to be safe. He wanted them to get to a monastery in Nepal. So Tenzin said goodbye to his monastery in Lhasa. Lhasa is the capital of Tibet. He also said goodbye to his favorite statue of Buddha. The journey had scary moments. The truck drove past Chinese checkpoints. Tenzin and his friends had to jump out of the truck. They had to sneak past the checkpoints. Then, they went back into the truck. The Chinese police did not like them. The Chinese took over Tibet in 1950. They did not like monks. Many monks left Tibet. 7,000 monks once lived in Lhasa. Today, only 500 monks are left. The Tibetan people still love their culture. They still cherish their religion. The Tibetan people live in rugged mountains. Their flag has picture of snow lions on it. These rare animals like high places, too. Tibet has an average elevation of 14,000 feet. Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is there. Tibet's nickname is "the rooftop of the world." The Tibetans live simple lives. Their homes are austere. However, their faces are joyful. They love their families. They like to drink yak butter tea. They like to eat yak meat. They like spicy sauces on their meat. These customs are important for the Tibetan people. Another custom is called presenting hada. A hada is a piece of silk. It is given to guests. It is given at weddings. It is given at funerals. It is given to religious statues. Tenzin misses his favorite Buddha. He wants his country to be free. He hopes to go back to Tibet. Then, he can present hada to the Buddha again.

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Date Thursday, October 6

A Tibetan Monk Says a Prayer

Questions 1. Where did Tenzin live in the beginning of the article? A. India B. Tibet C. Afghanistan D. Nepal 2. Where did Tenzin go after he left Tibet? A. India B. Tibet C. Nepal D. Afghanistan 3. What kind of job did Tenzin have? A. businessman B. monk C. shepherd D. tour guide 4. What is a hada? A. a piece of silk B. a shoe C. a tea D. a prayer 5. Where do snow lions live? A. in the mountains B. in the tropical forest C. in the United States D. in the desert 6. What is the average elevation in Tibet? A. 400 feet B. 14,000 feet C. 1,400 feet D. 10,000 feet

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Date Thursday, October 6

7. What did Tenzin have in his backpack? A. his laptop B. candy C. Buddhist scriptures D. sunscreen 8. Where was Tenzin's monastery? A. Limi B. Kathmandu C. Lhasa D. none of the above

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Date Sunday, October 9

Field Day By KATHLEEN W. REDMAN

Red City held a field day at the fairgrounds yesterday. What a sight it was! The mayor gave a speech. The high school band marched through the gates. Clowns walked behind the band. They tossed candy to the children. Many different kinds of games were set up. The races started first. Everyone had to run from the starting line, around the field, and back to the starting line. One of the high school students won. In another part of the park, children were throwing footballs. Each one was trying to throw it just a little bit farther than the last person. Some of the older children were trying the long jump. Some children jumped. Others watched for the longest jump. Everyone could try three times. There were so many things to see and to try! It was fun just to walk from one to the other. There were children of all sizes and ages everywhere! Some were running, others were jogging, and others were skipping. At one end of the fairgrounds, there were places to get something to eat. There were some other places to get something to drink. One little boy drank five glasses of lemonade! He said that he couldn't hold any more. He was afraid he might pop! At the end of the day, the judges gave ribbons to the winners. It had been an exciting day for everyone. Everyone had had fun. One man said that he couldn't wait for the next Red City Field Day. He said he might even take a day off so he could be at the fairgrounds.

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Date Sunday, October 9

Field Day

Questions 1. Where was the field day held? A. at the fairgrounds B. at the park C. at the airport D. at the train station 2. In what city was the field day held? A. Red City B. Orangeburg C. Bluebonnet D. Greenville 3. Who gave a speech? A. the mayor B. the high school band C. the president D. the governor 4. Who threw candy to the children? A. some clowns B. the high school band C. the judges D. the mayor 5. What event started first? A. the long jump B. the relay races C. the races D. the football throw 6. How many glasses of lemonade did one little boy drink? A. two B. three C. five D. four

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Date Sunday, October 9

7. Who gave out ribbons? A. the winners B. the mayor C. the band D. the judges 8. One man said he might take a ______ so he could be at the next field day. A. bunch of grapes B. day off C. walk D. vacation