CONTENTS
Talent Show
“It Takes Talent!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
illustrated by Rachel Domm
Build Fluency
• Read with accuracy.
• Read at a rate that will help your listeners understand
the text.
Build Vocabulary
• Read, write, and learn the meanings of new words.
Review Vocabulary
• Read theme vocabulary words in a different context.
Realistic
Fiction
“The Alligator Race” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
by Karen Dowicz Haas • illustrated by Barry Gott
Use Story Structure
• Review how to use story elements to understand and
remember plot events.
Monitor Comprehension: Reread
• Review how to monitor your comprehension by rereading
text you did not understand.
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r
Th e a t e
’
s
r
e
R e a d T S H OW
TALE N
Rea d i n g Fi c t i o n
R E A L I ST I C F I C T I O N
125
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genial
prognostication
stricken
dramatically
restrain
protest
feverishly
overcome
flop
spectacular
Reading for Fluency
When reading a script aloud,
• Read with accuracy.
• Your reading rate should help
your listeners understand
your lines.
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illustrated by Rachel Domm
Characters
Narrator
Andres
Tara
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Deon
Mr. Herbert
Chorus
Michelle
Rob
10/3/06 9:01:33 AM
Narrator: It’s lunchtime, and Deon, Andres, and
Tara are eating lunch together.
Andres: Aren’t you going to eat your gelatin?
Tara: You don’t want to miss out. The cafeteria
serves Galaxy Goo only once a month.
Deon: No thanks. Neon-green jiggly stuff isn’t my
idea of dessert.
Andres: I’ll take it. I’ll use it to make my tallest
gelatin tower yet.
Narrator: Andres adds Deon’s gelatin on top of his
own. Mr. Herbert, their teacher, strolls by.
Mr. Herbert: Ah! Here are my genial students.
Tara: Hi, Mr. Herbert. What’s going on? You look
especially cheerful.
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Flue ncy Tip
Read your lines several
times to improve your
accuracy. Be sure you
know how to say all
the words in each line.
10/12/06 9:07:43 AM
Mr. Herbert: I am. I have great news!
Chorus: What’s that, Mr. Herbert?
Mr. Herbert: The annual student talent show
will happen next month!
Chorus: We’re going to have a talent show!
Mr. Herbert: I know everyone at this school has
amazing abilities. With all that talent, my
expectations for the show are sky-high!
Andres: I’ll build the tallest gelatin tower the world
has ever seen.
Tara: Maybe Michelle will dance while I play a song on
the piano.
Mr. Herbert: What about you, Deon?
Deon: Umm, errr, uhhhh . . . my talent is prognostication.
Andres: Prognosti-what?
Deon: Prognostication—predicting the future.
Tara: Oh yeah? Make a prediction for us now.
Deon: I predict that I will be stricken with a
terrible cold on the day of the talent show.
In fact, I’m sure I’ll be forced to stay
home in bed.
Chorus: Ha, ha, ha! That’s a good one!
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Flue ncy Tip
Watch your reading rate.
Read quickly enough
to hold the audience’s
attention, but slowly
enough to be sure the
audience understands
your lines.
Andres: You have to be in the talent show.
Tara: Yeah! We know you’re multi-talented.
Narrator: Deon grabs the empty carton on his tray
and dramatically turns it over.
Deon: I’m like this empty milk carton—not one drop
of talent. Performing in the talent show would be
total humiliation.
Mr. Herbert: I don’t believe it, Deon. But if you want to
be in the show without performing, there is something
you can do.
Deon: What’s that?
Mr. Herbert: I need a volunteer for the master of
ceremonies. As the emcee, you would introduce
each performer.
Deon: I wouldn’t have to perform?
Mr. Herbert: No.
Deon: All right. I can do that.
Mr. Herbert: I’m glad you relented, Deon. I have a hunch
that this is going to work out beautifully.
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Narrator: It’s the day of the talent show. The performers
are backstage at the school’s auditorium.
Chorus: We can’t wait for the show to begin!
Mr. Herbert: Emcee, are you ready to introduce the first act?
Narrator: Deon nods nervously and walks onstage. The red velvet
curtain rises. Deon stares into the crowded auditorium.
Deon: Hi, I’m Deon, your emcee. Welcome to the Twelfth
Annual Stu—
Narrator: Deon’s words are interrupted as the curtain
suddenly falls down, covering him. He untangles himself
and runs backstage.
Deon: Who lowered the curtain?
Michelle: It was Grumpy, Rob’s pig. He’s munching on the
curtain’s cord!
Mr. Herbert: Rob, restrain your pig!
Rob: Sorry, Mr. Herbert. Grumpy likes the spotlight.
Mr. Herbert: Deon, you need to get back onstage! The show
must go on, no matter what.
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Narrator: Deon grabs one end of the curtain cord and
runs back onstage. Grumpy follows Deon and tries
to pull the cord from him.
Chorus: It’s a tug-of-war!
Rob: Grumpy, no! Bad pig! Our tug-of-war trick
happens later in the show.
Deon: Let go, Grumpy! I’m this show’s emcee, not you!
Narrator: Mr. Herbert, Tara, Rob, and Michelle rush
onstage and grab the pig. Grumpy squeals in
protest but finally lets go of the cord. He runs
backstage and everyone follows him, leaving Deon
alone onstage.
Deon: Sorry, folks! As you can see, Grumpy likes to . . .
hog the spotlight.
Narrator: The audience laughs. From offstage, Mr.
Herbert gives Deon a thumbs-up.
Deon: Let’s welcome our first performer, Andres.
He’s a talented architect, and his favorite building
material is our own cafeteria’s special gelatin—
Galaxy Goo.
Andres: Prepare to be amazed, ladies and gentlemen.
I will now construct the world’s tallest gelatin
tower. Don’t try this at home, kids!
Narrator: Andres builds feverishly.
Deon: Is the bottom of your tower supposed to ooze
like that?
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Flue ncy Tip
Practice reading
unfamiliar words to
improve your accuracy
and rate.
10/12/06 9:09:50 AM
Narrator: Andres, overcome with excitement, doesn’t hear
Deon. Offstage, the other students whisper urgently. The
gelatin tower is melting under the hot stage lights.
Desperately, the kids call out.
Michelle: Andres, be careful!
Rob: The tower is a quivering mess!
Chorus: Look out for the ooze!
Narrator: The tower collapses. A wave of melted Galaxy
Goo tumbles all over Andres and Deon with a loud SPLOOSH!
The boys are covered in neon-green ooze. After a few
moments, Deon stands in front of the audience.
Deon: Well, that was exhilarating. Please give a round of
applause to Andres and his amazing, attacking Galaxy Goo
Tower. Eat it at your own risk!
Narrator: The audience bursts into laughter and applause.
Andres: Thanks for making them laugh, Deon. Maybe they’ll
forget my awful performance.
Narrator: After the neon-green ooze has been cleared from the
stage, the talent show continues.
Deon: Now that we’ve cleaned up the attacking gelatin, please
welcome our next performers—Michelle and Tara.
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Narrator: Michelle and Tara are hesitating
in the wings.
Michelle: Why are we doing this? What if I don’t
Flue ncy Tip
remember all of the moves? I’ll be mortified!
Tara: Don’t worry. We’ll be great. I hope.
Is your character
Mr. Herbert: No time for second thoughts. The
nervous, or excited?
show must go on!
If so, read more quickly.
Deon: And now, Michelle will dance while Tara
plays the piano!
Narrator: Grudgingly, Tara walks onstage and sits
on the bench in front of the piano. She begins to play.
Michelle twirls onto the stage. Halfway across the stage,
she slips in a leftover puddle of melted gelatin.
Deon rushes forward.
Deon: Are you okay? Here, let me clean up that puddle.
Narrator: Deon grabs a mop from offstage and runs back
onstage. He mops up the mess while waltzing to
the music with the mop. Michelle and Tara
complete their performance.
Michelle: Deon, you are a lifesaver!
Tara: Yes, you make a great emcee.
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Mr. Herbert: Okay, everyone! Time for the curtain call.
Chorus: Where’s Deon?
Michelle: We can’t take our bow without him.
Tara: If it hadn’t been for Deon, our performance would have
been a flop.
Andres: When my tower collapsed, he wasn’t fazed at all.
Rob: Deon is a spectacular emcee.
Chorus: Get out here, Deon!
Narrator: Deon walks onstage. As he appears, the students in
the audience jump to their feet and cheer.
Tara: They love you.
Deon: Me? What did I do? I was only the emcee.
Andres: You were the best part of the whole show. You reigned
supreme!
Chorus: You made us laugh.
Rob: The talent show wouldn’t have been as good without you.
Michelle: You’ve got a real gift for comedy.
Deon: Maybe you’re right. After tonight’s success, I think we
should take the school talent show to Broadway.
Mr. Herbert: Now that sounds like a hit!
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Lesson 5
Reading Fiction
Bridge to Reading for Meaning Realistic fiction
tells about characters and events that could happen in
real life. The notes on page 137 point out text features
of realistic fiction, including characters, plot conflict,
and dialogue. How can you use these features to help
you better understand the story?
Review the Focus Strategies
If you do not understand what you are reading, use the
strategies you learned about in this theme.
Use Story Structure
As you read, think about the
characters, setting, and plot events
of the story. Identify the problem the
main character needs to solve and how
it is resolved.
Monitor Comprehension: Reread
Monitor your comprehension as you read. If you don’t
understand something, reread it for clarification.
As you read “The Alligator Race” on pages 138–141,
think about where and how to use the strategies.
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CHARACTERS
In realistic fiction, the characters have the
same feelings that people in real life do.
by Karen Dowicz Haas
illustrated by Barry Gott
What was I doing here? And in a tournament, of all things!
The Allie Pond Challenge was an annual water-sport competition
for kids from all over town. My blooper had just cost us the
Ring-Diving Contest.
“Don’t feel bad, Steve,” Brian said to me.
“Yeah, Steve,” Tyrone said. “I didn’t fi nd any rings either.”
“Of course,” Brian added, “it might have helped if you’d
been in the water. But maybe searching the dock was smarter.
The light is better over there.”
No matter what Brian and Tyrone said, I was the reason we were
losing. I didn’t mind so much for myself, but I hated taking my friends
down with me. Before, at least the score had been close. Now our team
was dead last.
“Why didn’t you guys dump me when you still had a chance?”
I said.
“We couldn’t do that to you,” Tyrone said.
“Yeah,” Brian added. “We tried. They wouldn’t let us.” He looked at
me. “Just kidding!”
“Lighten up!” Tyrone nudged my shoulder. “It’s supposed to be fun.”
Some fun.
I had moved to this town from the city and fallen into life pretty well,
except for times like this. All the Allie Pond kids could swim like fi sh,
and they loved to compete. I’d never been a great swimmer.
To make things worse, it required bravery for me even to enter the
water of a lake this big, with real live fi sh and a mucky bottom.
I always held my breath whenever I stuck my toes in.
Maybe that’s why we had also lost the easiest challenge, the
Ping-Pong Derby. Because I had to stand with my feet in the gooey
lake bottom. I couldn’t relax long enough to blow the silly ball to my
teammate.
Next to my two expert friends, I felt like that green goopy stuff
in the water. Unwanted, and not particularly useful.
Captain Dale tallied scores on a blackboard, then bellowed into his
bullhorn, “Final race is worth twenty-five points. It decides the winner.”
PLOT CONFLICT
The plot conflict is a problem the main
character faces.
DIALOGUE
Dialogue gives you clues about what the
characters are like.
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Apply the Strategies Read this story about a boy who succeeds
at something with help from his friends. As you read, use different
comprehension strategies, such as rereading, to help you understand.
by Karen Dowicz Haas
illustrated by Barry Gott
What was I doing here? And in a tournament, of all things!
The Allie Pond Challenge was an annual water-sport competition
for kids from all over town. My blooper had just cost us the
Ring-Diving Contest.
“Don’t feel bad, Steve,” Brian said to me.
“Yeah, Steve,” Tyrone said. “I didn’t fi nd any rings either.”
“Of course,” Brian added, “it might have helped if you’d
been in the water. But maybe searching the dock was smarter.
The light is better over there.”
138
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d
Stop an Think
As you read, look for the way the characters’ behavior affects
the plot events. USE STORY STRUCTURE
No matter what Brian and Tyrone said, I was the reason we were
losing. I didn’t mind so much for myself, but I hated taking my friends
down with me. Before, at least the score had been close. Now our team
was dead last.
“Why didn’t you guys dump me when you still had a chance?”
I said.
“We couldn’t do that to you,” Tyrone said.
“Yeah,” Brian added. “We tried. They wouldn’t let us.” He looked at
me. “Just kidding!”
“Lighten up!” Tyrone nudged my shoulder. “It’s supposed to be fun.”
Some fun.
I had moved to this town from the city and fallen into life pretty well,
except for times like this. All the Allie Pond kids could swim like fi sh,
and they loved to compete. I’d never been a great swimmer.
To make things worse, it required bravery for me even to enter the
water of a lake this big, with real live fi sh and a mucky bottom.
I always held my breath whenever I stuck my toes in.
Maybe that’s why we had also lost the easiest challenge, the
Ping-Pong Derby. Because I had to stand with my feet in the gooey
lake bottom. I couldn’t relax long enough to blow the silly ball to my
teammate.
Next to my two expert friends, I felt like that green goopy stuff
in the water. Unwanted, and not particularly useful.
Captain Dale tallied scores on a blackboard, then bellowed into his
bullhorn, “Final race is worth twenty-five points. It decides the winner.”
139
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Someone shouted, “Which race is it?”
Captain Dale checked his clipboard. “The Alligator Race!”
“What’s that?” I asked Brian. “There aren’t any alligators in
this lake.” Fear shot through me. I looked around. Come to think
of it, I had heard about alligators in city sewers. Anything was
possible. “Are there?”
“Don’t worry—too much,” Brian said. “They’ll just nip your
freckles. After all, why do you think they call it Allie Pond?”
After a long minute, I realized that he was joking. “Very funny,”
I said.
“Don’t mind him,” Tyrone said. “Here’s the deal. Three kids are
on their backs, right? They’re hanging on to each other. First team
across the fi nish line wins.”
“Why do they call it the Alligator Race?”
Tyrone explained, “The fi rst guy uses his arms. Second guy
holds his legs. The third guy holds the second guy’s legs but kicks
his own legs. All together it looks like a giant alligator racing in
the water.”
“Remind me,” I said. “How is this supposed to be fun?”
They rolled their eyes.
I sighed. I wanted to quit. “Look, guys,” I said. “I have to tell
you something.”
“We know,” Brian said.
“It’s OK,” Tyrone added.
“What do you know?” I said. “I haven’t confessed anything yet.”
“You can’t swim, right?” Brian asked.
“It’s pretty obvious,” Tyrone said. “Not that there’s anything
wrong with that.”
“That’s not what I was going to say!” I said.
They looked at me patiently.
I decided to level with them. “I can swim—a little. In a pool.
Not too well, but good enough. I’m just so nervous here. All I’m
doing is holding my breath and hoping fi sh aren’t—“
Brian shook my shoulders and started to dance.
“We’re gonna win!”
Tyrone laughed. “Steve! You’re going to win the whole
competition for us! All you have to do is hold on.”
“Yeah, we’ll do the rest,” said Brian.
I looked around. There were four lifeguards and the
water was only up to my chest. I could do this.
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d
Stop an Think
If you don’t understand how Tyrone and Brian think Steve will help
them win the race, reread page 140. MONITOR COMPREHENSION: REREAD
The next thing I knew, we were in the lake. Brian was in front,
Tyrone was in back, and I was in the middle.
Captain Dale blew his whistle.
I took a deep breath and watched the clouds. We started to move.
The water wet my face. I heard the crowd cheering. I held on to Brian’s
ankles, and Tyrone held on to mine. On our backs, we torpedoed to the
other side.
The cheering didn’t stop until after the race, when I was standing
in the water, my feet digging into the mucky bottom. Captain Dale tied
the ribbons of our three medals together. He threw them toward us.
They soared high and then sank. Without thinking, I dove.
When I stood up, I held the medals high over our heads. I didn’t
even mind the little fi sh—or the imaginary alligators nipping my
freckles.
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