Selection: HiE-56

HiE-56

Grade level: 5

Word count: 1735 words

Author: Diane Lang

Synopsis: When Jake and his dad go fishing, they catch more than just fish.

Excerpt: "Please help me out of this net!" she cried in a musical but unearthly voice. "I cut my fin on a rock and I'm bleeding."

It took a minute for her words to sink in. "A fin?" I thought. "But that's impossible!"

Dad and I carried Serena into Gram's house. When Gram saw the mermaid she put her hand to her mouth and gasped.

Once we were home, my mother just about fainted when she saw our "catch." I have to admit it did seem unreal.

Question: This selection includes mythical characters and events that could not happen in real life. This selection can best be classified as what literary genre?

1. science fiction or fantasy
2. biography or autobiography
3. crime or detective fiction
4. speech or essay

Selection: HiE-70

HiE-70

Grade level: 5

Word count: 1521 words

Author: Judy Dodge Cummings

Synopsis: A contest between tribes is important in more than one way.

Excerpt: Flinging off his father's arm, Dyami ran from the longhouse straight to the playing field. Retrieving his stick from the weeds, he began to swing wildly. He raged at everyone: his mother for her illness, Goyogoin for denying a game to heal her, and Aystan for accepting this decision without question.

But mostly he raged at himself for disobeying the dream. Dyami struck the air again and again, finding strength in his sorrow and fury.

Question: These two excerpts can best be described as paragraphs that

1. list reasons why Dyami was angry.
2. explain the rules of Little Brother of War.
3. describe the setting of the selection.
4. compare the warriors on the two teams.