A chipmunk twitched his tail as he lay hidden deep under the fallen leaves. It was cold outside, wintertime was approaching, but he was snug in his den in the woods, tucked underground beneath a fallen log and covered by a crunchy carpet of faded autumn leaves. Charlie had a…
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is the story of Hank Morgan, a 19th century Connecticut man, who suffers a blow to the head and is transported back centuries to the time of King Arthur. Once there he has many adventures while he struggles to apply 19th century American…
The little bird perched itself on the tree branch outside Vanessa’s bedroom window. It trilled an energetic song as the first pale yellow rays of sunshine peeked over the horizon. “Oh my gosh, what is that noise?” she complained to herself, pulling her bed sheets over her head in an…
In 1842 Charles Dickens was probably the most famous English language author in the world. He was received around the world as a major celebrity, often mobbed by fans. It was in that year that Dickens visited the United States. He wrote and published his thoughts about his visit in…
Little Women is the story of four sisters; Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March; during the Civil War. While once the March family had a good deal of money, the family has fallen onto hard times. The wealthy Mr. Laurence and his grandson live next door to the March family.…
When the bell rang on the last day of school, Suzanna cheered with the rest of her classmates. School was over, and summer was beginning! Suzanna’s favorite season was summer. No coats, no homework, and no shoes either! Some children were excited to go to camp, or travel on a…
John Muir was one of the foremost American conservationists. In 1869 he went with a group of shepherds who were taking a flock of sheep to summer pasture in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In this passage, the shepherds try to get the sheep to cross a river. The man named…
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a noted American writer, philosopher, and essayist. His 1854 book, Walden, explores his experiment in living a simplified life in the woods as a way to explore his inner self. He lived in the woods for two years. This passage reflects upon his selection of…
Mario and his brothers were cooking dinner as a surprise for their parents. Vincent was stirring the spaghetti as it cooked in a pot of hot water. Joseph was opening the jar of fresh tomato sauce his mother had made from scratch. And Mario was trying to keep little Johnny…
Famed naturalist John Muir went with a group of shepherds into the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1869. The shepherds were taking their flock to summer pasture. It was Muir’s first trip into these mountains, and he would return many more times. This passage is from his diary of the trip.…