Level: K

DRA: 20
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Strategy:
Monitor/Clarify
Skill:
Cause and Effect
Word Count: 402

3.2.9

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02004-4
ISBN-10: 0-547-02004-X

1031877

H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
 by Bo Grayson
illustrated by Dolores Avendano

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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Printed in China
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02004-4
ISBN-10: 0-547-02004-X
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electronic format.
 Granddad was moving to a new
house and Jared and Sara were helping
him pack.
There was a lot of stuff in
Granddad’s old house. He was happy
to be moving to a smaller home.

Jared and Sara helped Granddad pack.

Granddad

Jared

Sara

2
Granddad took Sara and Jared upstairs.

“There is a lot of work to be done

upstairs,” said Granddad.
He led Jared and Sara up the rickety,
old steps.
“What’s up there?” Jared asked.
“You’ll see,” said Granddad.

 Granddad opened the upstairs door,
and hot air blasted out.
Jared and Sara began looking through
all the old boxes and suitcases.
Jared found an old movie poster.
“Who’s this?” he asked.

Jared found an old movie poster.


Jared showed Granddad the poster.

“That’s my father,” Granddad said.

“He is your great-granddad.”
“Tell us about him,” Sara said. “We
don’t know anything about him.”


 Sara looked at the poster.

“Those are some very silly clothes

Great-Granddad is wearing!” said Sara.
“That’s a costume,” Granddad said.
“Your great-granddad was a movie star!”


 “A movie star!” Sara said.
“Yes,” said Granddad. “He was
in the movies a long time ago. It was
before the talkies.”
“The talkies?” Jared asked.
“That’s what Great-Granddad called
movies that had sound,” said Granddad.
“Great-Granddad‘s movies didn’t have
sound. You couldn’t hear the actors
talk. His movies were silent.”
Granddad said that Great-Granddad was
a movie star.

7
 Granddad headed downstairs to show the movie.

“How did people know what was

going on with no sound?” Sara asked.
“You can see for yourself,” Granddad
said. “We’ll watch one of my father’s
old movies.”
Granddad grabbed a round box, and
they headed back down the stairs.

 Granddad put the movie into a funny
looking machine called a projector.
Then, he turned out the lights and
turned on the projector.
A jerky picture filled the wall. There
was Great-Granddad. He was talking,
but there was no sound!

Sara and Jared watched Great-Granddad’s movie.

projector

3_020044_BL_LRSE_L09_talkie.indd9 9 2/15/10 6:32:52 PM

 Then the words that Great-Granddad
was saying appeared on the screen for a
few seconds.
“Get my horse!” the words read.
Granddad started playing a tune on
his piano. The music went along with the
movie and made it more fun to watch.
At the end of the movie, Jared
and Sara gave Granddad a big round
of applause.
“And that’s what movies were like
before the talkies,” said Granddad.

Sara and Jared gave Granddad a

round of applause.

piano

10
 Responding
TARGET SKILL  Cause and Effect  Jared 
and Sara find an old movie poster in 
Granddad’s house.  This event causes other 
things to happen.  Copy the chart below.  
Then write an effect, or event, that is 
caused by finding the poster.

Cause Effect
Jared and Sara find ?
an old movie poster.

Write About It
Text to Self  Do you like plays or movies 
better?  Write your opinion in a short essay.  
Begin by writing what your opinion is.  Give 
reasons for your opinion.

11
 TARGET VOCABULARY

applause jerky
blasted rickety
blurry rude
familiar vacant

  Cause and Effect  Tell how one 

TARGET SKILL
event makes another happen and why. 

TARGET STRATEGY
  Monitor/Clarify  As you 
read, find a way to clear up what doesn’t make 
sense to you. 

GENRE  Realistic fiction is a story with events 

that could happen in real life.

12
Level: K
DRA: 20
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Strategy:
Monitor/Clarify
Skill:
Cause and Effect
Word Count: 402

3.2.9

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02004-4
ISBN-10: 0-547-02004-X

1031877

H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN