Selection: A-1

A-1

Grade level: 1

Word count: 805 words

Author: Anonymous

Synopsis: A rabbit is not big or strong, but he's smart. That's what it takes to be king.

Excerpt: Long ago, a rabbit lived on a farm. Many other animals also lived there. The rabbit decided he would be the king of the animals.

Question: Where does this selection take place?

1. on a farm long ago
2. near the sea long ago
3. on a farm in the future
4. in the woods today

Selection: A-8

A-8

Grade level: 1

Word count: 780 words

Author: Anonymous

Synopsis: A sad princess and a goose change the life of a young man.

Excerpt: One day, Hans was getting water. He saw a big fish in the river. He caught the fish. He took it with him. As he walked back to the castle, he met a young woman. She had a goose.

"Good day!" said Hans. That's a fine goose you have. Its feathers are so shiny."

"And you have a wonderful fish," she said. "If you will give me your fish, I will give you this shiny goose. This is a very special goose. Magic happens if anyone touches it and you say, "Hang on!' When you say these words, the person will stick to the goose."

"I will give you the fish," Hans said. He took the goose and started walking.

Soon he met an old woman. She saw the shiny goose. She asked Hans if she might touch it.

Question: Read this part from the story. Which character says, "And you have a wonderful fish?"

1. the young woman
2. Hans
3. an old woman
4. a fish

Selection: HiA-15

HiA-15

Grade level: 1

Word count: 789 words

Author: Joanne G. Boatwright

Synopsis: A city boy living in the country? You bet!

Excerpt: The country was not like the city. Ethan did not go to the movies like he did in the city. There were no stores near his home. There were no museums. There were no trains or buses to ride. But he did get to see and do many new things. He liked the space. He liked the quiet. His new home was different. And he was fine with that.

Question: At the end of the selection, how does Ethan feel?

1. He is happy with his new life in the country.
2. He misses his old school and his old job in the city.
3. He is sure Jada will not like the country.
4. He wishes his city friends would move to the country.

Selection: A-50

A-50

Grade level: 1

Word count: 883 words

Author: Misha Berman

Synopsis: Odon is large and in charge. Can the small and meek teach him a lesson?

Excerpt: Late one night, after the giant went to sleep, the parrot called a meeting. "I can't bear it anymore. We can't keep living this way!" she said. "The giant is NOT the boss of us."

"Who's going to tell him that?" buzzed the mosquito. "Not me," she added.

Question: Reread this part of the selection. What would probably happen if the creatures simply told Odon, "You are not the boss of us"?

1. He would laugh and ignore them.
2. He would say he is sorry for his bad behavior.
3. He would run out of his house.
4. He would ask them to explain what they mean.

Selection: A-34

A-34

Grade level: 1

Word count: 735 words

Author: R. Bender

Synopsis: The trees of the forest learn an important lesson about showing kindness and helping others.

Excerpt: "My branches are not very thick," called out a nearby pine tree. "But I am big and strong. I can block the North Wind from you and the spruce tree."

Question: The pine tree said it would help the bird by

1. blocking the wind.
2. blocking the sun.
3. scaring away other animals.
4. growing big and strong.

Selection: A-10

A-10

Grade level: 1

Word count: 719 words

Author: Ellen Bari

Synopsis: Rochelle is the first African American female chess champion. She's on her way to becoming a chess master.

Excerpt: When did she start playing? It started when Rochelle was in third grade. That is when her grandmother showed her how to play.

Question: When did Rochelle first play chess?

1. in the third grade
2. in the first grade
3. in kindergarten
4. in preschool

Selection: A-11

A-11

Grade level: 1

Word count: 667 words

Author: Mary Dunn

Synopsis: Katie had a simple idea: Let's all help feed the world.

Excerpt: In state after state, people heard about Katie. They started gardens around the country. Maybe you have one in your city or town. Or you can start your own. It's not hard.

Question: What will happen if Katie's Krops keeps spreading around the country?

1. More people will have fresh food that's good for them.
2. Katie will get tired of planting so many gardens.
3. People will stop going to soup kitchens.
4. Katie will no longer need to help soup kitchens.

Selection: A-29

A-29

Grade level: 1

Word count: 870 words

Author: Erica Cirino

Synopsis: A teacher helps her students discover how much fun it can be to have a pen pal.

Excerpt: My teacher wants everyone in our class to be friends. Since the first day of school, she has made sure we are all friends with one another.

One day my teacher told our class we would make faraway friends. She said these friends lived in other countries. My teacher said we would get to know them without leaving our classroom!

"Hi Devi," I wrote. "Thank you for your letter. I am from the United States. I live in a big city.

Question: Based on what you read, which two of the following statements best describe Anna?

1. She has many friends.
2. She lives in a big city.
3. She has a cat named Harto.
4. She is a shy person.
5. She collects stamps.

Selection: A-7

A-7

Grade level: 1

Word count: 683 words

Author: Susan Hughes

Synopsis: Your body needs three kinds of exercise every day. Are you getting all the exercise you need?

Excerpt: And, it can make your mood better. How does your mood change? When you exercise, your brain is at work too. As your body moves around, your brain starts to change. It begins to work in a different way. You start to feel happier. You feel calmer too.

Question: This selection says exercise does something to your brain. What is it?

1. Exercise changes how the brain works, which can put you in a better mood.
2. Exercise makes the brain become confused, which can make it harder to do your homework.
3. Exercise makes the brain become more awake, so you may have trouble sleeping.
4. Exercise makes the brain slow down and makes you feel tired.

Selection: A-8

A-8

Grade level: 1

Word count: 780 words

Author: Anonymous

Synopsis: A sad princess and a goose change the life of a young man.

Excerpt: "If you will give me your fish, I will give you this shiny goose. This is a very special goose. Magic happens if anyone touches it and you say, "Hang on!' When you say these words, the person will stick to the goose."

Question: In this selection, what was most important about the goose?

1. It had magic powers.
2. It had feathers.
3. It was very heavy.
4. It was cooked for dinner.

Selection: A-25

A-25

Grade level: 1

Word count: 811 words

Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Synopsis: A poor man and his wife ask for a little too much from a magic fish.

Excerpt: "Go home," said the fish, "for she has it already."

The man returned home. There was his wife, sitting outside a stone castle. She took him into the great hall. There were many servants moving about. She showed him the fine chairs and tables. She showed him the rich foods. He looked out the tall windows. He saw gardens filled with beautiful flowers. He saw stables filled with strong horses.

"Is this not much better than before!" she said.

"Yes," said the man. "Now you can be happy for years to come."

"We'll see about that," said the wife. "Let us sleep on it." With that, they went to bed.

Question: Read the following excerpt. What does the wife mean when she says, "We'll see about that?"

1. The wife will keep asking for more things.
2. The wife is happy with all the things she has.
3. The husband and wife will look for more magic fish.
4. The husband will move to another castle.

Selection: A-41

A-41

Grade level: 1

Word count: 675 words

Author: R. Bender

Synopsis: When the king of the gods gives his word, a bee's wish comes true.

Excerpt: The bee was very proud of the work it did. It went from flower to flower to get what it needed to make honey. The little bee knew its honey was the best in the land.

Question: In the beginning of the selection, the bee

1. thinks its honey is very good.
2. thinks the king is taking honey.
3. wants to share its honey with the boys.
4. wants to stop making honey.

Selection: A-34

A-34

Grade level: 1

Word count: 735 words

Author: R. Bender

Synopsis: The trees of the forest learn an important lesson about showing kindness and helping others.

Excerpt: "I could touch every leaf in the forest," said the powerful North Wind. "But some of the trees have been kind to the little bird. They knew the little bird needed help. They did the right thing by helping. To show them my thanks, I will let them keep their leaves."

Question: The North Wind showed its thanks to the trees in the forest. How?

1. The North Wind did not blow too hard so the trees were able to keep their leaves.
2. The North Wind asked the sun to shine brightly on the trees.
3. The North Wind told the snow and rain to go away.
4. The North Wind blew gently so all the birds could fly home safely.