Timothy of The 10th Floor 1.0

By Jenny Phillips
SKU 359.4
Title For Placement only
Written by Jenny Phillips
Cover design by Phillip Colhouer
Illustrations by Kessler Garrity

Colored by Nada Serafimovic
© 2023 The Good and the Beautiful, LLC
goodandbeautiful.com
Table of
Contents
1. Zoey Arrives�� 1
2. Unbelievable�� 8
3. The Library�� 15
4. Zoey and the Key�� 23
5. Cookies�� 29
6. Diego�� 35
7. Badger Hills Farm�� 41
8. For Sale�� 47
9. Mrs. Sanchez�� 53
10. The Fawn�� 60
11. A Hospital Visit�� 66
12. Big News!�� 72
13. A Gift for Mr. Roach�� 78
14. The Balcony�� 84
15. A Surprise Trip�� 91
16. The Chest�� 99
17. Sold�� 106
18. Teddy�� 113
19. Harvesting Herbs�� 119
20. The Big Storm�� 123
21. The Chest Is Opened�� 129
22. A Visit to Badger Hills Farm�� 136
23. The Gold Ring�� 143
24. 1,000 Thank-You Cards�� 149
25. A New Home�� 155
Introduction
Read to the child: I’m excited to read this book with you. I’ll
read the sections following the parent/teacher banner. You’ll
read the sections following the student banner. I’ll help you
with difficult words.
Reading this book together increases your enjoyment of

reading and your reading speed, accuracy, and confidence.
It will also help you practice decoding difficult words and
increase your vocabulary, which is all the words you know the
meanings of.
Before reading each chapter, we will complete a practice

page. In many chapters I will read vocabulary words, their
definitions, and example sentences that use the words. Each
vocabulary word will then be used in the chapter.
Most words from the Challenging Words List break English

phonics rules (often because they originated in a foreign
language). You will most likely need to learn the challenging
words by sight rather than sounding them out. Thus, all the
challenging words (listed on the next page) will be repeated in
multiple lessons.
Nanna Bell John Lily

Zoey
Timothy Diego
Challenging Words List
These words—which are difficult to decode (sound out)
phonetically—are included repeatedly on the practice pages.
iron canoe machinery

anxious leopard bouquet
stomach ancient llama
licorice geyser tortilla
ballet surgeon
acre bough
Vocabulary Words
These words are learned on the practice pages, included in the
chapters, and reviewed in the Level 3 Course Book.
approximately extensively reluctant

beckon gruffly simultaneously
dismay insistent sullen
ensue intend various
enthralling proceed vigor
Practice Page Principles
Level 3 Phonics Principles
These principles are reviewed repeatedly on
the practice pages.
• CI, SI, TI, and XI can say /sh/

• Decoding skills
• IOUS and EOUS can say /ē–us/ or /us/
• Phonograms
• Soft C and G
• Sounds of AR
• Sounds of EY
• Sounds of OU
• TU can say /ch/
• TURE can say /chur/
• Words with hard C followed by soft C
• TION, SION, SSION, and CIAN can say /shun/
Chapter 1: Practice Page
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: A phonogram is a letter or group of letters
that together make a sound. You have already learned many
phonograms, and this course will not review all phonograms.
The letters in green boxes in this course show phonograms
that almost always say the same sound. Point to each box and
say the sound of the phonogram.
ur qu oi ir oa wr
turn quit oil bird oat write
Some groups of letters can make different sounds. The
phonograms in gray boxes in this course have different
sounds. Read the words with different sounds of OU in the
orange box.
ou out, found, round, pound

group, coupon, wound, youth, soup
country, cousin, double
four, pour, course, court
Read the vocabulary section to the child. The

vocabulary words given on practice pages are
included in the chapter and throughout the book.
Proceed means to begin or continue an action.
The bus stopped at the light before proceeding down the road.
Vigor means energy and enthusiasm or good health.

The man was 90 years old but still full of vigor.
1
Chapter 1: Zoey Arrives
The Bedford Apartments building, with its ten stories

of dirty brown bricks and black metal fire escapes, looked
much like the other tall buildings huddled together in the
city center. But there was something special about that
particular building, or rather, there was someone special
who lived in the building: an eleven-year-old boy named
Timothy Todd.
This is Timothy’s story. It’s not true, of course, but it
could be, and it’s a reminder that all of our stories could
be just as amazing as Timothy’s. For you see, it’s not what
happens to us, but rather what we choose to do, that makes
the best stories.
Our story begins on the tenth floor of the Bedford
Apartments building one overcast Sunday evening in early
spring.
2 Timothy of the 10th Floor
With a sigh, Timothy picked up the last box in his bedroom

and looked around at the bare walls.
As he had done a hundred times in the past couple of days,
he tried to ignore his angry feelings. The guest bedroom where
Nanna Bell would stay was tiny, with only enough room for
one twin bed, so he had to give up his room to Zoey and sleep
in the living room instead. He didn’t like the idea, but there was
nothing he could do about it.
Without warning, a new perspective came to him. What
will Zoey think of this room? Timothy thought, noticing several
dozen chips in the white-painted cinder-block walls. Timothy’s
father, John, had scrubbed the walls with vigor, but stains
still made the walls look a bit dirty. At least the bed looked
nice. It was made up with the pink bedspread that John had
saved every extra penny all month to buy. Timothy’s eyes then
wandered down to the carpet that was so worn it had holes in
a few spots, revealing a dull gray carpet pad underneath. Well,
this is all we have, thought Timothy.
After plodding into the living room and setting his box
down next to the wall, Timothy pressed his nose against
the window. Even from ten floors up, Timothy recognized
his father’s bright blue sweater among the people on the
sidewalk below.
“That’s them!” he cried, noticing two people walking
with his father.
Timothy’s heart started to pound. It wasn’t every day that
two new people came to live with you—permanently. What
will Zoey and her grandmother be like? Timothy thought. He
had met his cousin Zoey—who was just a year older—when he
was four years old, but he didn’t remember anything about her.
Then she had moved to Canada. Timothy had seen pictures of
her, though, and one day he had asked his father why he and
Zoey had different skin colors if they were cousins. His father
had explained that Zoey’s mother had dark skin.
Both our mothers have died, thought Timothy. But my
mother died when I was a baby. Her father died a few years ago,
and her mother died last month.
Timothy wasn’t quite sure how to act around a girl who had
lost both her parents, and he wondered how it would be to have
Zoey’s grandmother, Nanna Bell, live with them. She had lived
with Zoey’s family ever since they moved to Canada. John had
explained to Timothy that Nanna Bell felt she was too old to
raise Zoey by herself and that she didn’t have enough money to
care for Zoey. Since John and Timothy were Zoey’s only other
relatives, John had invited Zoey and Nanna Bell to live with
them and be part of their family.
The apartment door swung open, and John—with his

usual calm, pleasant smile—introduced Timothy to Zoey
and Nanna Bell. Zoey shook Timothy’s hand with vigor.
Her dark brown eyes sparkled, and she had a look of
cheerfulness about her. Timothy noticed how much Zoey
looked like Nanna Bell. They both had the same bright
smile.
Right away, Zoey shocked Timothy.
“We’ve prepared Timothy’s room for you,” John said.
“He is happy to sleep in the living room.”
“Thank you very much, Uncle John and Timothy, but
the living room will work fine for me.”
Timothy’s jaw dropped as Zoey then proceeded to pick
up his things and move them back to his room. She was
serious! She removed the pink bedspread from the bed,
folded it up, and then put it on the living room couch.
Within twenty minutes, all Timothy’s things were back in
his room, and Zoey had slid her suitcases beside the couch
in what would be the living room during the day and her
bedroom at night.
Chapter 1: Zoey Arrives 5
During dinner Zoey told John and Timothy about the horse
ranch her family had lived on. Her mother had taken care of it
for the owner in exchange for living there. Timothy thought it
sounded incredible—a little river running through the property,
a small forest behind the home, gently rolling hills covered in
wildflowers where the horses pastured.
Without thinking, Timothy blurted, “Isn’t it hard to move to
the city after living in a place like that?”
Kindhearted John quickly spoke up. “Oh, Timothy, let’s not
ask questions like that.”
A sad look crossed Zoey’s face, and her eyes grew misty.
“Nanna Bell says that you can find beauty and happiness
wherever you are. Besides—” Zoey hesitated for a second before
continuing, “there’s still a chance that I could buy the horse
ranch, and we could all go live there.”
Timothy’s eyes widened, and he saw John’s confused look.
“What do you mean, Zoey?” asked John. “It’s up for sale now,
but how could you possibly buy it?”
“Oh . . . it has to do with a key we found in my mother’s
room after she passed away, but I want to keep that between
Nanna Bell and me for now,” Zoey said.
Nanna Bell changed the subject. “John, tell us about your job
as a security guard. It sounds exciting.”
John laughed. “The art museum is great, but not that
exciting. It’s not my dream job, but I’m grateful for it.”
“Well, what would you do instead if you could do anything
for work?” Zoey asked.
“I’d be a gardener,” John said after thinking for a moment.
Timothy never knew his dad wanted to be a gardener, but he
hardly had time to think about it because Zoey was already on
to a new subject, asking a million questions.
Later that night, the apartment was quiet, and
moonlight slanted through the blinds. Timothy came out
of the bathroom after brushing his teeth. He peeked around
the corner into the living room and saw Zoey sitting on the
couch, holding a big black iron key in her hand. Then she
sniffed, and Timothy could tell she was crying.
He hurried down the hall to his room and sat on his
bed. She is going to be like my sister, he thought. He knelt by
his bed and prayed. God, help me know how to be a good
brother and to be able to help Zoey feel happy here.
7
Parent/teacher note: Breaking words into syllables in order to

read them is complex (even for adults), and syllable division rules
are not consistent, even among experts. Thus, in this program,
children will learn how to decode longer, more challenging words
by looking for known phonograms and breaking the words into
smaller parts rather than by dividing the words into syllables.
Note that some carefully chosen syllable division practice is
helpful and is included in our courses.
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: Say the sound of each phonogram in the
green boxes. Hints are below each box if needed.
ph qu oi ir kn ur
phrase quit oil bird knot turn
When reading, look for phonograms that you know. In the
purple boxes below, point to each phonogram with a circle
around it, say the sound of the phonogram, and then read
the whole word. If needed, sound out the parts of the word
as it is divided below the word.
consequent asphalt
con se qu ent as ph alt
discounted ointment
ddiiss ccoouunnt teedd oint ment
Read the following information to the child:

Simultaneously means at the same time.
Two students answered the teacher simultaneously.
8
Chapter 2: Unbelievable
What is that smell? Timothy thought as he dressed

quickly on Monday morning. He followed his nose to the
kitchen and saw Nanna Bell taking a tin of puffy muffins
out of the oven. Bacon was sizzling in the frying pan, and
a small pot of hot chocolate was bubbling and steaming on
the stove. Timothy usually ate cold cereal for breakfast. I
can get used to this! he thought.
Zoey was writing in a book on the kitchen table. “Good
morning!” she said cheerily, looking up at Timothy.
John walked in, rubbing his eyes. “You are all up early.
Nanna Bell, it smells amazing in here.”
“Well, I insist on doing all the cooking. I want to
contribute, and it makes me happy.”
John smiled. “What a blessing. Thank you.” He then
turned to Zoey. “We’ll be leaving in about an hour to get
you registered at the school.”
“Oh, thank you, Uncle John,” replied Zoey, pointing to the

books and paper and pens on the table, “but I’ve already started
my school today. I’ve always been homeschooled.”
“Homeschooled?” said John and Timothy simultaneously.
“Yep!”
John looked worried. “Zoey, I—I couldn’t possibly
homeschool you.”
“You don’t have to,” said Zoey. “I can do most of the work
myself, but Nanna Bell helps as well.”
John spoke slowly. “Zoey, I know your life has changed a
lot recently, but I think you should try going to school with
Timothy.”
Zoey looked up and chewed on her pencil for several
seconds before speaking. “Homeschool has been one of the best
things in my life, Uncle John. I love learning and beautiful art
and books, and we have this wonderful curriculum that Nanna
Bell and I got to choose. I learn a lot, and I get top scores on the
standardized tests. Plus, I got to read over one hundred books
last year! I like having time to do the things that interest me
most.”
Tears filled Zoey’s eyes as she continued. “And my mom
loved how God was in all parts of my learning. So, may I please,
please continue to homeschool, Uncle John?”
John looked wide-eyed at Zoey and then went over and
hugged her. “Of course. Yes, you can homeschool, Zoey.”
Zoey wiped her tears. “Oh, thank you, Uncle John! I’m so
glad. Why doesn’t Timothy try homeschooling with me? We
would have so much fun together!”
Timothy opened his mouth, but no words came out. In his
mind he was shouting, Homeschool? Me? No way!
Nanna Bell chimed in as she set the muffins on

the table. “I’d be happy to be in charge of Timothy’s
homeschool. I’ve been homeschooling Zoey since she was
five years old. It really is an amazing experience.”
Timothy found his voice. “But Dad, what about all my
friends?”
“Your friends?” John looked at Timothy. He had been
worried lately about the negative influence Timothy’s
friends were having on him. But John wanted to think
about it first, so he sent Timothy to school. Then John
talked to Nanna Bell for two hours, prayed about it, and in
the evening, John told Timothy that he wanted him to try
homeschooling for the rest of the school year.
“Dad! That’s crazy!” Timothy said. “I don’t want to
homeschool.”
John smiled encouragingly. “I know, Timothy, but I
really feel like it’s the right thing. We can try it for a few
months. Will you trust me and give it a shot?”
Timothy sighed. “Do I have a choice?”
“You can choose your attitude about it,” John said with a
kindhearted smile.
Chapter 2: Unbelievable 13
Just then Zoey walked into the room with a stack of books
she had taken from the living room shelves.
“What are you doing with those?” Timothy asked.
John answered the question. “Nanna Bell talked to me today
about how many books Zoey reads with homeschooling and
the kinds of books they try to avoid—books that make it seem
funny to misbehave or make fun of family. I told Zoey she could
go through our books and recycle the ones she knew were not
the best.”
“But I like those books!” Timothy cried. “And, hey, that’s a
lot of books!”
“Yeah, you’re right. Sadly, there are a lot of not-great books
in our world today,” Zoey replied, dumping the books into the
recycling bin with a thud.
Unbelievable! Unbelievable! thought Timothy. In just one day,
Zoey has turned my world upside down.
Zoey started to leave the kitchen but then turned back

to Uncle John, a beautiful, beaming smile on her face. “Oh!
I wanted to say thank you for the bedspread. I really love
it! Pink is my favorite color. I’m so blessed to have you and
Timothy.”
Timothy sighed. She’s unbelievable, exasperating, and
also . . . very likable.
14
Parent/teacher note: As the child reads aloud in the chapters,

help the child learn to slow down and sound out challenging
words by pointing out known phonograms within the words and
having the child divide the words into smaller parts.
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: Read the words with sounds of EA.
ea beach, cream, stream, deal

thread, spread, head, bread, feather
great, steak, break
Point to each phonogram with a circle around it, say the
sound of the phonogram, and then read the whole word. If
needed, sound out the word in parts first.
underneath surroundings
un der neath sur round ings
leadership unabridged
lead er ship un a bridged
fu r t h e r m o r e mercury
fu r t h e r m o r e mer cur y

Sullen means silently grumpy.
Tim wore a sullen frown.
15
Chapter 3: The Library
Timothy set down his pencil and looked up at Nanna

Bell near the end of his first day of homeschool. “I’m
finished with language arts, Mrs. Bell.”
“Oh, you can call me Nanna Bell, if you like.” She looked
over his lesson. “Ah, fantastic work, Timothy. But as part of
language arts, you’ll also need to do personal reading each
day in a book of your choice.”
Timothy grinned. “Zoey threw away all my books,
Nanna Bell. So I guess I can’t do any reading.”
Laughing, Zoey shot up from her chair. “The library! I
saw it right across the street. Can you even believe that you
live directly across from a library? I mean, yes, I had a river
and woods and horses, but you have a library practically in
your front room! Can we go to the library, Nanna Bell?”
Nanna Bell nodded.
Timothy shook his head with a little laugh. “Great, let’s
go to the library, Zoey.”
After thirty minutes of searching the computer in the library,

Zoey sighed. “Yep, it’s just like the library was in my town in
Canada. The books I want are not here—not yet.”
“What?” said Timothy in surprise. “There must be ten
thousand books here. What kind of books are you looking for?”
“The very best ones. Come on.” Zoey walked briskly to the
front desk, and Timothy followed.
“Hi there. I’m Miss Lily,” said the kind-looking woman at the
counter. “How can I help you?”
Zoey smiled and set a piece of paper—filled with writing
on both sides—on the counter. “This is a list of one hundred
thirteen books that you don’t have in your library, and I was
wondering if you could possibly order them for me. I’m
homeschooled, and I really love reading the very best books,
but your library does not have these selections yet. It would
mean so very much to me.”
Timothy raised his eyebrows. Is Zoey always like this? I mean,
she thinks she can ask for one hundred thirteen books, and she
will get them?
Lily picked up the list with a look of amazement on her face.
“One hundred thirteen books?” She scanned the list. “Oh, these
really are some great choices. I wish all kids wanted to read
books like these. Yes, I’ll see what I can do. The library does
have some good funding.”
Unbelievable, thought Timothy. Will I ever stop using that
word when I’m around Zoey?
“Thank you so much!” exclaimed Zoey to Lily. “In the
meantime, do you have any books about how to become a
gardener?”
“Oh, do you want to be a gardener?” Lily asked.
As Nanna Bell joined them, Zoey launched into a

twenty-minute conversation with Lily, explaining her
whole story of the horse ranch she lived on, why she was
living here in the city now, and how her uncle John wanted
to be a gardener.
“Well, I think I can do better than recommending a
book,” declared the librarian. She found an index card,
wrote down a name and an address, and handed it to Zoey.
“I have a very good family friend named Mr. Bevan who
owns an enormous greenhouse and nursery at the edge of
the city, about ten blocks away. Tell him your story and tell
him that I sent you. I think he could help you.”
I’m not going to say unbelievable again, Timothy said to
himself. He shook his head in disbelief.
Zoey waved to Lily as the group left the library. While
they were waiting to cross the street, some nearby laughter
caught their attention.
“Hey,” said Zoey quietly, “those three boys are picking
on that other boy. Listen! They are making fun of the big
birthmark on his face. That certainly is unkind.”
Chapter 3: The Library 19
Timothy quickly stepped behind Nanna Bell as if he were

hiding. “Yeah, that happens often,” he whispered. “That’s Diego
they are making fun of. He—”
Before Timothy could even finish his sentence, Zoey was
walking confidently over to the boys. She had a big smile on
her face. “Hello there! I’m new in the neighborhood. I think we
should all be kind to each other.”
The boys looked at Zoey in utter surprise. Then they burst
out laughing and walked away. Diego smiled weakly at Zoey but
then hurried away, too.
Zoey walked back to Nanna Bell and saw Timothy behind
her, trying not to be seen. “Why are you hiding, Timothy?” she
asked. “Those boys are mean, but they are nothing to be afraid
of.”
Timothy felt a little sullen that afternoon as he and

Zoey played checkers at the kitchen table. They were both
startled by a knock at the door. Zoey ran to get it, and
Timothy followed her.
Zoey swung the door open and found herself standing
in front of the three boys who had been making fun of
Diego.
“How did you know I lived here?” asked Zoey.
“You live here?” said one of the boys. “No, you don’t! We
just came here to get Timothy.”
Timothy’s heart sank. “Hey guys!” he said as calmly as he

could. “This is my cousin, Zoey. She is living here now.”
“She’s your cousin?” the tallest boy said. “Well, whatever.
Let’s go to the skate park, Tim.”
“These are your friends?” Zoey asked in surprise. “Well, the
skate park sounds fun—if they will agree to be kind.”
Timothy groaned inside, and the tallest boy made a face.
“Actually, never mind, Timothy,” the boy said as the group
turned and left.
Later that night, Timothy sat on the tiny balcony outside the
living room, staring out at the city and still feeling sullen. John
came out with a plate of cookies that Nanna Bell had just baked.
“Why are you so down tonight?” John asked.
Timothy sighed. “It’s Zoey. She is turning my life upside
down. My friends think I’m weird now.”
“Why would they think that?”
“Because Zoey saw them making fun of Diego and told them
that we should all be kind to each other.”
“Is that weird, or is that right?” John inquired.
Timothy took a cookie off the plate. “I guess it’s right, but it’s
also weird.”
“Maybe it shouldn’t be weird to talk about kindness,” John
offered. “Maybe our lives needed to be turned upside down. In
fact, I’ve been thinking about your friends. They’ve changed a
lot this past year, and not for the better. Do you think they are
a good influence or that you should keep hanging around with
them?”
“Well, they have been pretty unkind lately.” Timothy sat
back in his chair and sighed. “With Zoey around, they probably
won’t want to hang out with me anyway.”
Chapter 3: The Library 21
As Timothy and John both bit into their warm cookies,

Zoey’s voice drifted through the open balcony door.
“Nanna Bell, where can I put this key to keep it safe?
Nothing can happen to it. I just know we can get the horse
ranch back—and Misty Toes.”
“Misty Toes?” said Timothy quietly. “Who is that? And
what’s the deal with that key, Dad?”
“I don’t know the answers to those questions,” replied
John in a low voice. “I don’t want to ask Zoey too many
questions right now. She’ll tell us when she is ready.”
22
Parent/teacher note: Advanced readers are often good at

guessing words in the context of the sentence, which hinders
their ability to read and decode words that are more difficult.
These practice pages are designed to give all levels of readers the
foundation they need to decode challenging words correctly in
the future.
PHONICS
Decoding + Soft C and G

Read to the child: Say the most common sound of each
phonogram in the green boxes.
ou oa au er ai ay
out boat pause her paid day
The soft sound of C is /s/ as in CELL. The soft sound of G is /j/

as in GEL. C and G are usually soft before E, I, or Y.
Point to the soft C or G in each purple word below and say

its sound (/s/ or /j/). Then say the sound of each phonogram
in a yellow circle. Finally, read the whole purple word. If
needed, sound out the word in parts first.
council surgery
coun cil sur ger y
diligence saucer
dil i gence sau cer
intelligence c e r t i fy
in tell i gence c e r t i fy
23
Chapter 4: Zoey and the Key
The sheer curtains Nanna Bell had put up that morning

were blowing in the spring breeze that came fanning
through the open kitchen window.
Zoey and Timothy were writing furiously at the kitchen
table.
“Done!” cried Timothy loudly, dropping his pencil on
the table with a clatter.
“I’m done, too!” cried Zoey a moment later. “Can we go
now, Nanna Bell?”
Zoey’s grandmother laughed as she came over to the
table and reviewed the course books. “I shouldn’t have told
you that we would leave as soon as you were done with
your schoolwork for the day. You wrote so fast I can hardly
read your writing!”
“Well,” said Zoey, “it’s been two weeks since Miss Lily
told us about the greenhouse. We are dying to go.”
“Me, too!” replied Nanna Bell. “Why don’t you two
finish making our picnic while I correct your work?”
A short while later, Timothy, Zoey, and Nanna Bell were

headed down the city street. None of them minded the
thirty-minute walk to the greenhouse. The spring air felt
glorious, and trees were in full bloom all over the city, filling the
world with white and different hues of pink.
Lily was right: Mr. Bevan was helpful! While he took them
on a fascinating tour of the huge greenhouses and gardens, he
listened to Zoey talk about her uncle John and what a good
man he was and how he dreamed of being a gardener. At the
end of the tour, Mr. Bevan asked for John’s cell phone number.
“I’ll give him a call, and we can talk. I think I have a great
opportunity for him.”
The group left and, after picking up the picnic basket from
their apartment, walked to the park by the library across the
street from their apartment complex.
Timothy and Zoey feasted on Nanna Bell’s ham-and-cheese
wraps rolled up in fluffy tortillas, fresh strawberries, crispy
carrot sticks, cold lemonade, and Timothy’s favorite treat for
dessert: black licorice.
Zoey smiled at Timothy. “So, what do you think?” she asked.
“Homeschooling isn’t that bad, is it?”
Timothy sipped the last of his lemonade. “Not at the
moment,” he said, grinning. “It really has been pretty great.
Although I will say that we do a lot of reading, and the books
you’ve given me to read aren’t as exciting as the books I’m used
to reading—the ones you threw away.”
Zoey playfully punched him in the arm. “Ha! Well, you’ll
thank me later, I promise. And you’ll like the books more after a
while.”
“How long is a while?” Timothy inquired.
“Oh, with as many books as you are reading, it won’t
take that long—maybe a year or so.”
“What! A year?”
Just then a woman with sunglasses, a large purple hat,
and curly brown hair skillfully moved her wheelchair up
the ramp and found a table on the other side of the gazebo.
She pulled out a laptop and started typing. Then Lily, the
librarian, also entered the gazebo. Zoey waved her over to
their table.
“Miss Lily! It’s so great to see you,” Zoey exclaimed.

“You, too!” Lily responded cheerfully. “I often eat lunch
at this gazebo; it’s my favorite spot in the city.”
Timothy told Lily about the greenhouse, and the group
happily chatted as the birds flew around the trees, busily
building nests and filling the air with music.
“Nanna Bell and I want to thank you for all you do,”
Zoey said to Lily. “Won’t you come over for dinner
tomorrow? I want you to meet Uncle John, and Nanna Bell
said she would love to make a special meal for you.”
We don’t have people over to dinner, thought Timothy.
Lily graciously accepted the invitation and left.
Timothy suggested they do their personal reading in the
gazebo. Zoey pulled out a worn leather book.
“What’s that?” asked Timothy.
“Oh, it’s one of my mother’s journals. I am hoping to
find some clues about my key.”
Timothy was bursting with curiosity, but he didn’t want
to pry, so he didn’t ask any questions.
The children got lost in their reading as the wind
whirled white blossoms into the air around them.
Suddenly, Zoey cried out in sheer excitement. “Oh!
Nanna Bell! I found something. Listen to this paragraph
that my mom wrote four years ago.”
Chapter 4: Zoey and the Key 27
Zoey read excitedly from her mother’s journal: “Today, I

visited a lovely antique shop. I was so excited to purchase a
beautiful, carved wooden chest that came with a big iron key.
It gave me a great idea! Since I found out from my doctor that I
won’t live to an old age, I’ve decided to leave a special collection
of tremendous value to my precious daughter. I began that
collection tonight, though it will take diligently working for
some time to complete it. I want the collection to be a surprise
for Zoey, so I found the perfect hiding place for the chest.”
Nanna Bell gasped, and Zoey looked up. “That is all it says
about the wooden chest. Oh, Nanna Bell, can you believe it?
The key is to a chest. That is such a big clue, but how will we
ever know where the chest is hidden?”
Timothy cleared his throat and dared to ask a question.

“Zoey, how did you get the key to the chest?”
“We found it in my mother’s room after she died. She
had the key engraved with the words ‘The key to a great
treasure for Zoey.’”
Timothy noticed that the woman in the purple hat had
moved close to them. Her hat suddenly blew off into her
lap. Timothy was surprised by what he saw. The hat was
connected to a wig, and under the wig she really had black
hair slicked back into a bun. Then the mysterious woman
quickly left the gazebo.
28
Parent/teacher note: If a child struggles with a word on the

practice page or in the chapter, have the child first look for
any known phonograms in the word and say the sound of
the phonogram. If needed, tell the child the sound of the
phonogram. Always try letting the child work with the word
before helping, but help before he or she gets overwhelmed or
when you know it’s a new principle for the child.
PHONICS
Sounds of AR
Read to the child: AR can make the sound /ar/ as in CAR.
Read the words on the chart.
cargo harmony gardener

carnival radar snarl
Read to the child: AR can also make the sound /er/ as in

DOLLAR. Read the words on the chart.
grammar altar hangar

nectar solar polar
Read to the child: AR can also make the sound /air/ as in
CARRY. Read the words on the chart.
Mary vary carrot

parent scarce barrel
library canary caravan
29
Chapter 5: Cookies
Timothy stretched as he walked to his bedroom window

the next morning. The morning sky was heavy with clouds,
and Timothy found himself doing something that was a
relatively new experience. He was studying the hues of
the clouds. Learning to study the details of paintings and
nature had been one of his favorite parts of his homeschool
studies.
A pot of hot chocolate was again bubbling merrily on
the stove that morning, and Nanna Bell was taking cookies
out of the oven.
“Cookies for breakfast?” inquired Timothy hopefully.
Nanna Bell laughed. “No. The cookies are for dessert
when Miss Lily comes over tonight. I want to get things
prepared early so that we have time for schoolwork in the
morning and our trip to the aquarium later today.”
Zoey walked into the room, yawning but dressed and
ready for the day. “It smells particularly good in here this
morning.”
“You’re usually up before me, Zoey,” Timothy said.

“I know. I stayed up late reading my mom’s journal.”
“Did you find any more clues?”
“No, but I’m planning to read every word of the journals.
Not only do I want to find clues, but I also love reading what my
mom wrote. She wrote a lot with tiny handwriting. I still have
more than four years’ worth of journals to go through, and I’m
reading them slowly so I don’t miss anything.”
Timothy grabbed their math course books off a shelf. “Let’s
work on math while we eat breakfast. Maybe you’ll have time to
read later today.”
Partway through their math work, Zoey took a break and
walked over to the kitchen window. “Oh no! It’s those mean
boys. It looks like they are making fun of Diego again.”
Zoey quickly put some cookies on a plate. “Can I have

these, Nanna Bell? I’ll be right back.”
Nanna Bell agreed, but Timothy cried out in alarm.
“Hey, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go talk to those boys about kindness,”
stated Zoey matter-of-factly.
“You can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because . . . because . . . well, it’s not normal.”
“Standing up for kindness is a good thing. Who cares if
it’s normal!” Zoey said as she flew out of the room.
Chapter 5: Cookies 31
Timothy and Nanna Bell watched out the window as Zoey

approached the boys down on the street below. Timothy
couldn’t hear what was going on, but he could see the confused
looks on the boys’ faces. Only one boy, Liam, took a cookie.
Zoey stayed and talked with Diego after the other boys left, and
then she finally came back.
“What did they say?” asked Timothy breathlessly.
“They said I was weird,” Zoey replied with a grin. “I told
them if being kind was weird, then it was a compliment to be
weird, so thank you very much.”
Timothy gave a little laugh and then shook his head. Nanna
Bell came over and gave Zoey a hug.
Nanna Bell and the children enjoyed a full day of studying,
reading, and visiting the aquarium. That evening, Lily arrived
for dinner at the same time that John got home from work.
Nanna Bell’s buttery homemade rolls and hot Irish stew were
perfect for the cold day.
“I have an announcement,” John said after finishing his stew,
his face beaming. “Mr. Bevan from the greenhouse offered me a
job today. I thank you all for helping make this happen!”
“Did you take the job?” asked Timothy.

John nodded. “Yes, I did! I met Mr. Bevan today at his
greenhouse, and I accepted the job before I left. I love the
smell and feel of plants and the warmth of the soil. I felt so
much peace being around all those plants. I’m not really
qualified for the job, but Mr. Bevan liked my enthusiasm.
He is going to pay for me to do some online classes so that
I can get a certificate for organic gardening. I start in two
weeks!”
The storm that had been hanging around gave one last
misty sprinkle and then finally moved out. Now the sun
was sinking lower in the sky, casting a golden-yellow light
into the kitchen.
After dessert was done, John suggested they all go on a
walk in the park to enjoy the smell of the earth right after
the rain. While Lily and John were talking about flowers,
Timothy nudged Zoey and whispered, “Look at that
woman over there by those benches. I think that’s the same
woman who was in the gazebo yesterday with the hat and
wig.”
Zoey looked over at the woman. She was wearing
sunglasses and a baseball cap with no hair showing.
Chapter 5: Cookies 33
“How can you tell it’s her?” Zoey asked.

“Well, I can’t tell if it is her for sure. But her wheelchair had
those same blue bars on the side.”
Zoey shrugged. Their group stopped at the huge pond and
admired the bright colors of the sunset reflected on the water.
They all delighted in a brood of baby ducklings following their
mother everywhere.
When they finally turned to leave, Timothy saw that the
woman in the wheelchair had moved right next to them, but
she didn’t seem to be paying any attention to them as she typed
away on the laptop resting on the tray of her wheelchair. She
didn’t even look up.
However, Timothy was suspicious, so after they had walked
just a little bit away from the pond, he turned again to look at
the woman . . . but she was no longer there.
34
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: Say the sound of each phonogram in the
green boxes. Hints are below each box if needed.
oy wr ui qu ph au
boy write fruit quit phrase pause
Read each purple word.
coincidence genetic
co in ci dence gen et ic
magnificent detergent
mag ni fi cent de ter gent
Challenging Words
Read the words repeatedly until you can read them all without help.
These words can be memorized by sight as they are phonics rule
breakers or are very difficult to decode.
iron acre
d
anxious leopar
t
licorice ancien
ballet canoe
35
Chapter 6: Diego
Nanna Bell, who had been watching a bird perched

on an iron gate at the park, turned her attention to the
drawings of a leopard and a llama Timothy had completed
for part of his language arts lesson. “Hmmm. Very
interesting.”
“What do you mean?” asked Timothy.
“Well, in my opinion, you have quite a talent for art. I’ve
also noticed that observing details in the world around you
is coming quite naturally to you, which I believe is a gift
artists need.”
“Really?” asked Timothy. He thought for a few
moments. “You’re actually right. I find myself constantly
noticing details in the world around me.”
“I wish there were some way we could get you some art
lessons,” said Nanna Bell. “I’ll look into it.”
“Hey, look!” said Zoey, glancing up from her book.
“That’s Diego. He looks really downtrodden.”
The boy was walking across the park, his head hanging.
“I wonder what’s wrong,” Timothy said.

“You should go ask him,” Zoey declared. “And invite him
over to make cookies tomorrow.”
Timothy frowned. “No, I can’t do that, Zoey.”
“Yes, you can. I’ll go with you!”
The cousins got up from their blanket and walked over to
Diego. They found out that he had been bullied pretty badly
at school that day and that it had been happening a lot. The
cousins took Diego over to Nanna Bell, and they all talked.
Nanna Bell asked Diego for his mother’s phone number and
called his mother. Diego’s mother said she would call the school
and then come pick Diego up at the park. She also agreed that
Diego could come over to make cookies the next day, which
was Saturday.
Just as planned, Diego came over the next day. Timothy
was surprised by Diego. At first, he was timid and quiet, but he
quickly warmed up and proved to be quite fun. They learned
that his parents were from Mexico, that he loved tennis, and
that he could speak fluent Spanish. The three children laughed
and chatted loudly as they made cookies.
“Whoa!” said Zoey, looking at the counter full of cookies
when they were done. “We made way too many cookies.” Zoey
put her hand on her chin. “I’m getting an idea.”
“Oh, no,” said Timothy.
Diego laughed at the look on Timothy’s face.
“Yes! This is a great idea!” cried Zoey. “I’ve been thinking,
Timothy. We don’t know any of the neighbors. No one in this
apartment building seems to know anyone else, and no one
even talks to each other in the elevator. Let’s make cookies every
Saturday and take them to people until we have given cookies
to everyone.”
Chapter 6: Diego 37
Timothy turned to Diego, shaking his head but also

grinning. “See, Diego, Zoey always has big ideas, but I
will tell you now that it is no use trying to stop her. So we
might as well go along with it!”
“I’d better come along,” chimed in Nanna Bell. “First,
I want to make sure you are safe. But I’d also love to meet
some people.”
“Do you know who lives right under us?” Zoey asked
Timothy. “I’ve never seen anyone come out of that door,
but they own that huge balcony full of junk that we can see
from our balcony, right?”
“That’s Mrs. Sanchez. It’s the only balcony that big in the
apartment building. I think we had better skip her. She’s
super grumpy, and she’s mad at my dad because a few years
ago, he accidentally stepped on her cat’s tail in the elevator
with his heavy work boots.”
“Yikes! That’s unfortunate. Well, it sounds to me like she
needs cookies the most,” exclaimed Zoey cheerfully. “Let’s
put these cookies on plates and go!”
Timothy was less than excited to knock on Mrs.
Sanchez’s door, but he did. She opened the door only a tiny
bit.
Chapter 6: Diego 39
She saw Timothy and said huffily in a thick Spanish accent,

“Oh, you are the family that lives upstairs. Did you come to step
on my cat’s tail again?”
“We came to bring you cookies,” said Nanna Bell sweetly.
“We’d like to get to know you.”
Mrs. Sanchez quickly shut the door.
Timothy and the group stood in stunned silence for a
few seconds. Then Zoey set the plate of cookies covered in
parchment paper in front of Mrs. Sanchez’s door and called out
loudly, “We’ll just leave them by your door.”
The next day, Zoey and Timothy went to see if Mrs. Sanchez
had taken the cookies. She hadn’t.
“Look, there’s a package by the cookies now,” said Zoey.
“She’ll get the cookies when she comes out to get the package.”
However, they checked the next day, and the package was
gone, but the cookies were still there.
Zoey is not one to give up, thought Timothy the next

Saturday when the same group again knocked on Mrs.
Sanchez’s door with a fresh plate of cookies. Once more,
Mrs. Sanchez only cracked open the door and then
slammed it shut when she saw who it was.
“I told you she was grumpy,” said Timothy. “We tried,
and I think we are just bothering her.”
Zoey looked thoughtful. “Actually, I think she’s lonely.
And that’s exactly why we are going to keep at it.”
40
PHONICS
Decoding + Long and Short Vowels

Read to the child: Say the sound of each phonogram.
aw ur igh er ai ui
jaw turn high her paid fruit
As we learned in Lesson 6 of the course book, a vowel has
a long and short sound. A long vowel says its name. When
a syllable ends with a vowel, the syllable is open, and the
vowel at the end of an open syllable often says its name
but sometimes does not. When reading, if you are not sure
if a vowel is long or short, try the short sound first. If that
doesn’t work, try the long sound.
Point to each C or G in a purple word below and say its

sound. Remember that C and G will be soft if they come
before E, I, or Y; otherwise say the hard sound. Then read
the whole word. If needed, sound out the word in parts first.
influence biology
in flu ence bi ol o gy
generosity dependence
gen er o si ty de pen dence
reintroduce apology
re in tro duce a pol o gy
41
Chapter 7: Badger
Hills Farm
“This bakery has got to be the best place in the city,”

Zoey said, taking the last bite of her flaky pastry.
“My favorite place is Badger Hills Farm,” John said.
“There is a farm in this city?” Zoey asked excitedly.
Timothy, John, and Diego all nodded, and Diego
launched into the story of the farm in the fun, animated
way that he often spoke. “The farm has been in the same
family for more than two hundred years, and the current
owner is ninety-nine years old! A badger was found on the
land when it was first settled, so they called it Badger Hills
Farm. As the town around the farm grew into a city, each
generation was adamant that the 180-acre farm never be
sold. So even though the family has been offered a fortune
for the land, they never sold it.”
“Wow!” cried Zoey. “Where is it?”
“It’s pretty close,” said Timothy. “I’ve seen it a dozen
times. It’s less than a ten-minute walk from here.”
“Uncle John!” Zoey cried out. “Can we go see it?”
John chuckled. “Sure! Let’s go right now.”
Large almond trees lined the old wooden fence running

along the south side of the Badger Hills Farm property. Beyond
the trees the sun shone on vibrant patches of green grass that
were dotted with bright orange poppies nodding in the breeze.
Beautiful bushes with purple flowers grew all along the stone
walls that ran through the property.
“A stream!” Zoey called, pointing to a little ribbon of water
that meandered down a hill.
“Look at all the butterflies,” said Nanna Bell. “There are so
many of them!”
“Did you know that it isn’t the poppies that attract the
butterflies?” said John. “Poppies have no nectar. It’s those
purple flowers the butterflies like—those plants growing on the
stone walls are called Beautiful Rock Cress.”
“Is that what smells so good?” asked Timothy.
“Yes, Beautiful Rock Cress is sweet smelling, but poppies
don’t really have a scent,” replied John, who always loved the
chance to talk about plants.
Chapter 7: Badger Hills Farm 43
“Look at the little bluebirds flitting about the property

as if they have discovered a little piece of heaven,” said
Nanna Bell.
“They have discovered a piece of heaven,” stated Diego.
“It’s incredible that this land hasn’t changed for decades—
even as tall buildings and asphalt roads and cement
sidewalks grew all around it.”
“Let’s walk around the whole perimeter of the farm. Can
we, Uncle John?” Zoey inquired with pleading eyes.
John glanced at his watch. “Yes, I think we have time.
I’m going to dinner tonight with Lily, but that’s not until
7:00 p.m.”
“Dinner with Miss Lily?” Timothy asked in surprise.
John blushed a little. “Yes, she, uh, wanted to hear about
my new job and how things were going, and I said it might
be nice to talk about it over dinner.”
Zoey and Timothy smiled at each other. They both
adored Lily, who often ate lunch with them at the gazebo
by the library and helped them with anything they needed
on their almost daily trips to the library.
The group started walking south around the farm until
Zoey stopped and pointed at the property again.
“That’s an outdoor horse arena!” she cried. “It’s run down,

for sure, but I can tell what it is. We had an outdoor arena like
that at the horse ranch in Canada!”
Nanna Bell nodded. “With all the weeds and a lot of the
fence rotted away, it’s hard to see it, but you’re right. It looks like
it hasn’t been used in a long time.”
“Oh! I’m having an idea!” cried Zoey. “What if—what if—I
hardly dare say it. But what if the elderly man who owns this
land would let us fix up the arena in exchange for allowing
Misty Toes to stay there? I never imagined there would even be
a place to bring her to the city.”
Nanna Bell and John exchanged concerned looks.
“Misty Toes is a horse?” cried Timothy.
“Oh, sweetie,” said Nanna Bell gently, “that certainly is a
wonderful idea, but I’m afraid that is not possible.”
“I know we sold Misty Toes, but we just sold her to Mr.
Timmons, and he would certainly sell Misty Toes back to us if
we could raise the money somehow. Mr. Timmons knows how
much I loved her.”
Nanna Bell sighed. “I probably should have told you sooner,
Zoey, but Mr. Timmons sold Misty Toes at a horse show. He
emailed me about it last week. He wasn’t planning on selling
her, but a man saw Misty Toes at the show, and he offered a
small fortune for her. I’m afraid we couldn’t afford to buy her
back now, even if we could find her.”
Zoey walked quietly for a time, realizing now that she
truly would not ever get Misty Toes back. She brushed away a
tear that ran down her cheek and found some comfort in the
strength and beauty of the huge oak trees. Through the trees
she spotted fields of weeds and an old run-down barn. “Why is
everything so neglected?” she asked her uncle John.
Chapter 7: Badger Hills Farm 45
“It’s not all run down,” replied John.

They were still walking and rounded a corner. John
pointed past large iron gates covered in flowering vines.
“In fact, you can see the huge main house through the gate.
The house and the tree-lined lane leading to the house are
kept up really well. I hear there is another house, a guest
house, not far from the main house. You can’t see it from
here. I wonder if it is kept up as well as the main house.
But you asked why so much of the property is run down. I
heard that the elderly man who owns it has nearly run out
of money.”
“Why don’t his relatives help?” asked Timothy.
“I also heard that he has no relatives,” explained John.
“Apparently, he was an only child, and he never married.
He has no nieces and no nephews, and he has outlived all
his other relatives.”
“When he dies, who will inherit Badger Hills Farm
then?” Zoey asked.
“I have no idea,” John said as the group continued to
walk about the property, which was beautiful and wild and
seemed to Timothy and Zoey to be full of secrets.
46
PHONICS
Sounds of AR
Read to the child: Read the words on the chart in which AR
says /er/ as in DOLLAR.
grammar mustard steward

popular similar nectar
regular orchard hazard
Challenging Words
leopard
ancient acre
canoe licorice
anxious
ballet
iron

Ensue means to happen as a consequence.
A great cleanup ensued after the hurricane.
47
Chapter 8: For Sale
After buttoning his shirt, Timothy cracked open his window

to let in a cool, soft breath of Saturday morning air. He listened
to the familiar morning sounds outside: cars, wind, pigeons
on the roof, a distant car horn. A strong gust of wind whirled
in, and Timothy felt splatters of rain, so he quickly shut the
window. From the living room, he heard a sound—a sound he
had heard a few times this week. Softly, he tiptoed down the
hall and poked his head into his father’s room.
“Dad, Zoey is crying in the living room,” Timothy
whispered.
Timothy couldn’t help hearing part of the conversation that
ensued when John went into the living room.
“I see you’re reading your mother’s journals, Zoey. Are they
making you sad?” John gently inquired.
“I’m fine,” was Zoey’s quiet response.
“You know, it’s OK to be sad about your mom, Zoey. In fact,
it’s actually healthy for you to cry sometimes. And it can be
good to talk about how you’re feeling. I’d love to talk to you if
you want to, but only if you feel comfortable.”
Zoey sniffled. “Yeah, that would be good. I was just thinking
that I don’t want to forget my mom and . . .”
Timothy couldn’t hear any more of the conversation because
rain abruptly started pelting his window. He leaned back on
his bed and listened to the beautiful sound while watching
raindrops chase each other down the glass. Ten minutes later,
Timothy’s father came into his room and asked Timothy if he
wanted to go to the bakery.
Timothy shot up. “If you’re ever wondering if I want

to go to Buttercup Bakery,” Timothy said, “you don’t even
need to ask. You can just assume the answer is yes!”
Nanna Bell was recovering from a mild cold and stayed
home, cuddled up with a good book and a cup of herbal tea
John had made her.
At the bakery, Zoey breathed in deeply. “Ah, I love the
aroma in here. You know, Timothy, I was just thinking of
the many amazing things so close to us in the city: bakeries
like this one, theaters for ballet performances and operas,
the aquarium, the library—” Zoey suddenly stopped and
gasped. “Bunny cookies!”
Timothy followed Zoey’s gaze to the glass case in front
of them, and then he raised his eyebrows quizzically. “You
are that excited about bunny cookies?”
“No, it’s not the bunny cookies. It’s cat cookies I’m
excited about.”
“I don’t see cat cookies,” said John, perplexed.
“Me neither!” said Zoey. “Not yet, that is. What if I ask
the bakery to make cat cookies so that we can buy them
and give them to Mrs. Sanchez? She loves cats so much. It
would show her that we really care.”
“It can’t hurt to ask,” said her uncle John.
Chapter 8: For Sale 49
As Timothy listened to Zoey talking to the manager, he

once again found himself shaking his head at Zoey’s ideas and
her fearlessness. The manager was saying that they already
had cat-shaped cookie cutters, and that Zoey could pick up the
cookies in a couple of days, on Monday morning.
After they finished breakfast at the bakery, John asked if
they wanted to walk around Badger Hills Farm again. Timothy
remembered how much Zoey had loved the farm and thought
it was a great idea. Neither of the cousins minded when John
asked if Lily could join them for the walk since she lived just a
couple of minutes from the farm.
Soon, the group of four was walking along the sidewalk by
the almond trees, stepping over some little puddles left by the
morning rain. The damp earth of the farm smelled glorious.
Lily started telling them more about Badger Hills Farm.
“I find the place utterly fascinating. My great-aunt was once
engaged to Mr. Roach, the current owner. But she called off
the wedding. His heart was broken, and he never married.
Unfortunately, he seems to be a pretty unhappy man. The
story goes that the grounds of the farm went into disrepair
because he ran out of money, but before he even ran out of
money, he ran out of workers to take care of the land. He was
so unpleasant that no one was willing to work for him—except
one older man. His name was Jake Jones, and he was always
faithful to Mr. Roach.”
“You said was,” Zoey pointed out. “Does that mean he is no
longer around?”
“He fell and broke his hip a few months ago, so he retired
and went to live with his daughter.”
“Oh,” said Zoey, her mouth staying in an O shape for a

few seconds. “Who is going to take care of the farm now—
or at least the house and the area around it?”
“I don’t know,” replied Lily. “I can’t imagine who would
want to work for Mr. Roach.”
The conversation that ensued was all about the beauty of
the farm and who would inherit it when Mr. Roach died.
When the group approached the area by the front gate,
Timothy’s eyes widened. “Oh, look! A For Sale sign is in
front of the gate! Badger Hills Farm is for sale!”
“What!” cried Zoey. “The Roach family refused to sell
the farm for two hundred years, and now Mr. Roach is
selling it—when he is ninety-nine!”
“I have to admit that I am pretty astonished,” John
declared.
“I’m utterly flabbergasted,” Lily gasped.
“Well,” said Timothy thoughtfully, “if he has no relatives
to leave the farm to, maybe he wants to find someone to
buy the farm before he dies—someone who will not let
apartment buildings be built on it.”
“I would do that!” Zoey said.
Chapter 8: For Sale 51
Lily laughed. “I would, too, but I don’t think either of us has

enough money to buy the land.”
The group stopped directly in front of the For Sale sign to
check it out and then heard voices.
“It’s the lady!” Timothy whispered fiercely to Zoey as he
peered through the gates.
“What lady?” Zoey asked.
“The lady I often see at the park who always seems to come
nearer to us when we are there. Look! She has that same
wheelchair with the blue bars, and her black hair is slicked up
into a bun, just like it was when her hat and wig blew off. This is
the first time I’ve seen her without sunglasses, too.”
“She looks so familiar to me,” Zoey said. “I’m pretty sure I
know her, but I can’t think of how I could know her.”
Timothy watched the woman talking with an elderly man.
Another woman was there, as well as a van that said “Riley’s
Real Estate.”
The elderly man saw the group and raised his hand. “Scat!”
he yelled.
The group hurried off, startled and full of questions.
52
PHONICS
CI, SI, TI Can Say /sh/

Read to the child: CI can say /sh/. Read the words on the
chart.
special social suspicion

physician official musician
Read to the child: SION and SSION say /shun/. Read the
words on the chart.
version expression mission

discussion mansion suspension
Read to the child: TI can say /sh/. TION says /shun/. Read
the words on the chart.
section suction nation

station direction mention
information initials patience

Extensively means widely or greatly.
He is hardly ever home because he travels extensively.
Beckon means to make a motion for someone to come nearer.

I saw a deer and quietly beckoned Dad to come and see it.
53
Chapter 9: Mrs. Sanchez
Zoey held the box of cat cookies as she, Timothy, and

Nanna Bell walked back from the bakery late Monday
morning on their mission to befriend Mrs. Sanchez.
“So if we see the woman at the park,” Zoey said, “and
she is wearing her hat and wig again, can’t I just go up to
her and ask her why she is wearing a wig and also ask her
why she was at Badger Hills Farm?”
“You certainly cannot,” said Nanna Bell adamantly. “I
know it’s a mystery, but we still must have manners.”
“Speaking of mysteries,” Timothy asked Zoey, “have
you learned anything else about where the special chest is
hidden—the one that your big iron key will open?”
“No,” replied Zoey. “But I did come across another
journal entry where my mother talked about putting more
valuable items in the chest. She said she had to work late
into the night, after I had gone to bed, to make it possible.
I want to find the chest not just to be able to buy the horse
ranch but also because she worked so hard. I don’t want it
to be for nothing.”
“I want you to find the chest, too,” replied Nanna Bell.

“I can’t think of anything we can do other than read those
journals. How long do you think it will take to read through all
of them, Zoey?”
“I’ve been reading an hour or two a day. Like I said, she
wrote extensively. I think it will take me through the summer
to read all the journals.”
When they arrived at Mrs. Sanchez’s door, Timothy
knocked. The door opened only a fraction again, and Zoey
quickly called out, “Mrs. Sanchez! We have cat cookies.”
To everyone’s amazement, the door did not slam shut. In
fact, it opened wider.
“What do you mean cat cookies? They’re for my cat?” Mrs.
Sanchez asked.
“No, they are for you. They are shaped like cats. They are
so cute. I had Buttercup Bakery make them especially for you
because you love your cat so much.”
Zoey handed the lady the box, and she accepted it. Mrs.
Sanchez peeped inside the box and then looked up sternly.
“Because I love my cat, you think I want to bite the heads off
these cats and eat them?”
The group was silent. Even Zoey was utterly stunned. But
then something happened. Laughter rang out from Mrs.
Sanchez. “Oh! I couldn’t resist. I haven’t laughed for so long.
Oh! Oh! I’m sorry. It was so kind of you to go to such great
lengths to get these cookies for me. Why did you get these for
me? Why do you keep coming?”
“We’d like to get to know you, Mrs. Sanchez,” Nanna Bell
said.
“Well, I’m afraid I would disappoint you. I’m a sour lady
who doesn’t really like being around people.”
Chapter 9: Mrs. Sanchez 55
“You would like being around us,” cried Zoey. “I’m sure
of it. Hey, are those paintbrushes and canvases I see in
your living room? Are you an artist?”
“Yes, I am an artist.” Mrs. Sanchez hesitated, then
opened her door wide. “You might as well come in.”
Timothy looked around Mrs. Sanchez’s apartment in
awe. Because of her balcony’s condition—so messy and
full of junk—he wasn’t expecting what he saw inside her
apartment. Just as her balcony was bigger than the others
in the building, so was her apartment. She obviously had
remodeled the place. There were archways leading into
the different rooms. Everything was clean and bright. A
gorgeous bouquet of flowers stood in a huge vase on a
marble stand. Polished white tiles gleamed on the floor.
White-paneled walls were hung with beautiful paintings.
Timothy walked along a wall of paintings. First, he
gave his attention to a painting with a green hill sloping
down to a beach where foamy white ocean waves crashed
around large boulders. Majestic cliffs stood in the distance
under the blue sky, partially covered with gathering
thunderclouds.
Chapter 9: Mrs. Sanchez 57
Then Timothy studied a painting that looked like the

Australian outback with a brilliant, fiery sunset.
“Did you create these?” he asked Mrs. Sanchez.
“Yes, the paintings on the wall I made for fun. They are the
places I have traveled to. I used to travel extensively. I adored
painting my favorite scenes. People don’t buy original landscape
paintings much these days, though, so I make a living
illustrating children’s books.”
“Wow,” said Zoey. “These are beautiful! Why don’t you travel
anymore?”
“I used to travel with my daughter. She’s my only child. My
husband hasn’t been around for years, and I don’t want to travel
alone.”
“Why don’t you travel with your daughter anymore?” asked
Zoey gently. “Did she pass away?”
A hard look came back into Mrs. Sanchez’s face. “No.

We argued. We don’t talk anymore. That’s all.”
“Mrs. Sanchez . . .” Zoey started, a sob catching in her
throat. “It’s a really precious thing to still have your loved
ones alive. Whatever the argument was about . . . it doesn’t
matter. I would give anything if I could spend just one
more day with my mother. But I can’t. You can spend a day
with your daughter.”
Nanna Bell put her hand gently on Zoey’s shoulder.
“Now, Zoey. Let’s take a look at these paintings.”
Mrs. Sanchez had been staring at Zoey, but now she

beckoned everyone to her computer. “Would you like to see the
children’s book I’m illustrating digitally?”
The group spent over an hour at Mrs. Sanchez’s apartment,
and Nanna Bell invited her to dinner the next evening.
It was quite a lively group at dinner. Lily was there, too.
Timothy loved it when Lily was with them. She was so positive
and cheerful, and she seemed to find everything in the world
interesting.
“Mrs. Sanchez, Timothy told me about your paintings
and how much he loves them,” John said after the family had
blessed the food. “Did you know Timothy likes art?”
Nanna Bell chimed in. “In fact, we are hoping to find a

way to get him some art lessons. Do you know of any art
classes in the area?”
Mrs. Sanchez smiled. “Indeed, I do. Private lessons
actually—I would be honored to teach Timothy.”
“Oh!” cried Nanna Bell. “We couldn’t impose.”
“Nonsense! I would love to. No charge.”
“We wouldn’t let you teach Timothy for free.”
“I don’t need money,” Mrs. Sanchez said. “But I wouldn’t
mind more meals like this. What if we exchange lessons for
two meals with you each month?”
Nanna Bell looked at Timothy, who nodded.
“It’s a deal!” said Nanna Bell with a broad smile.
59
PHONICS
Sounds of AR
Read to the child: Read the words on the chart in which AR
says /air/ as in CARRY.
military ordinary
mil i tar y or di nar y
transparent ro s e m a r y
trans par ent rose mary
temporarily literary
temp o rar ily lit er ary
Challenging Words
geyser surgeon
machinery licorice
bouquet
llama
tortilla bough
(tree limb)
60
Chapter 10: The Fawn
“I can’t believe I’ve been here for four months. How did
it get to be the end of August?” Zoey wondered aloud as she,
Timothy, Nanna Bell, John, and Lily strolled around the edge
of Badger Hills Farm like they had done at least once a week
during the entire summer. The For Sale sign was still up, but
they had not seen Mr. Roach on the grounds again, nor had
they seen the lady with sunglasses.
“I can’t believe that you’ve been here that long either,” agreed
Timothy. “You know, I’m glad you convinced my dad to have
me homeschooled. I have to admit that I’m pretty excited to
start our new homeschool year on Monday. Summer break was
awesome, but I’m ready to start again.”
Zoey nodded her agreement and then looked around her.
Once again, she was awed by the beauty of Badger Hills Farm.
“I’ve been wondering why no one walks around on the lands of
the farm. Some fences are easy to get through.”
“Well, that would be trespassing, and understandably, Mr.
Roach would call the police on trespassers,” said John.
The group walked for a time in silence, listening to the
birds twittering and the wind whispering through the huge
old willow trees. Pure white clouds sailed above them like slow
ships with billowing sails.
Timothy looked ahead of him and noticed that his father
was now holding Lily’s hand. He looked at Zoey, who had
noticed, too, and they both smiled.
Just then Timothy heard a feeble voice calling from within
the farm fence. “Can you help me?”
Chapter 10: The Fawn 61
“Mr. Roach!” Timothy cried, spotting the old man

hobbling weakly toward them through the long, feathery
strands of willow tree leaves.
“Of course we can help!” responded John, jogging up to
the fence to meet the elderly man. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s a deer—a fawn, actually. She was born about six
weeks ago. She is stuck in some vines.”
“There are deer on this farm?” marveled Zoey as the
group jumped over the fence.
“Yes,” said Mr. Roach as he led the group very slowly
through a field. “Deer have been on this farm since it was
founded. We don’t want them to get hit by cars if they leave
the farm, so we have a fence around about thirty acres of
the farm to keep them in—plus, it keeps them out of my
garden. Here is the fence now.”
Timothy studied the eight-foot-high steel fence as Mr.
Roach opened the gate and let them all through before
sitting on a bench right inside the gate and wiping his
forehead with a handkerchief.
“I’m afraid I can’t go any farther right now. Can you
follow the stream until you see the deer? You can’t miss it.”
“Absolutely,” said John.

Mr. Roach put up his hand feebly. “Wait, you’ll probably
need some little bush clippers.” He motioned to Timothy.
“Maybe this young man can run to my barn and get them. They
are on the green cart right inside the barn door. You can see the
top of the barn past that narrow grove of trees.”
Timothy dashed off, and the rest of the group started
walking along the gurgling stream.
Timothy was amazed as he ran through the property,
finding his way to the barn. He crossed a meadow dotted with
wildflowers, dashed across a quaint, old wooden bridge, jogged
through a quiet grove of pine trees, and then found the barn
on top of a little rise. It wasn’t hard to find the clippers on the
green cart, and he knew it wouldn’t be safe to run with them,
so he walked carefully as he made his way back to the stream
and found his group kneeling beside the deer. He handed the
clippers to his father.
John gingerly cut the twisted vines off the leg of the
entangled fawn, and soon it was free. The adorable animal
didn’t even look back as it bounded away. Happily, the group
watched as the deer found its mother, and the two creatures
both disappeared into the trees.
Chapter 10: The Fawn 63
Zoey clapped her hands. “Oh! How wonderful! Let’s go

tell Mr. Roach.”
However, they weren’t able to tell Mr. Roach because
when they found him, he was lying motionless on the
ground by the bench he had been sitting on.
With a cry, Lily ran to him while John got out his phone
and called 911.
“He still has a pulse,” said Lily, “but it is weak.”
John answered the questions that the 911 dispatcher
asked, and an ambulance was soon on the way.
Nanna Bell, John, Zoey, and Timothy stood around
Mr. Roach to shield him from the hot rays of the sun. Lily
soaked Mr. Roach’s handkerchief in the cold stream and
dabbed it on his face and arms.
It wasn’t long until Timothy heard the sirens of the
ambulance—a sound that seemed lonely and a little scary.
Emotion welled up in Timothy. He didn’t know Mr. Roach,
but his heart went out to him. John ran down to the
sidewalk to meet the paramedics.
Everything seemed a blur to Timothy, but within two
minutes, the paramedics were carrying Mr. Roach off
through the field on a stretcher.
The walk back to the apartment was somber, each person

thinking of Mr. Roach.
No family or friends to call for Mr. Roach, thought Timothy. A
big house and all that land doesn’t seem like it would mean much
without people you love to share it with.
The group decided to drive to the hospital and inquire about
Mr. Roach a few hours after the paramedics had picked him up.
They were able to find out that Mr. Roach had suffered a mild
heart attack and that it was remarkable he had survived.
They wanted Mr. Roach to be able to rest, so they came

back in the morning and asked to see him.
Mr. Roach frowned. “I didn’t expect to see you, but I
guess I do need to thank you. They said you found me and
got me help. I do appreciate it.”
Timothy felt awkward because he could tell that Mr.
Roach was not at all comfortable talking to them.
Zoey piped up. “We got the deer free, Mr. Roach!”
Mr. Roach smiled. “That is a good thing.”
“It’s also a good thing to see you smile!” declared Zoey.
“Can we visit you tomorrow?”
Mr. Roach sighed. “No need for that.” After a pause, he
added, “But I guess I won’t stop you.”
65
PHONICS
TION
Read to the child: Say the sound of each phonogram.
ay aw igh oi kn wh
day saw high oil knot what
You will practice words that contain TION, which says
/shun/ as in NATION. Follow the steps below to read each
word in the purple boxes. Even if you can read the words
easily, complete the steps to learn decoding skills for times
when you might come across more challenging words.
1. Point to C or G in the word and say its hard or soft
sound. The soft sound of C is /s/. The soft sound of G is
/j/. C and G are usually soft before E, I, or Y.
2. Read the whole word. Remember, TION says /shun/.
It’s OK if you don’t know a word’s meaning. It’s good
practice to sound out words you don’t know.
generation cel e b ra tion

gen er a tion cel e bra tion
concentration exc e ption

con cen tra tion ex cep tion
c er tification digestion
cer tif i ca tion di ges tion
c ons ideration a g ita tion

con si der a tion a gi ta tion
66
Chapter 11: A Hospital Visit
The long halls in that section of the hospital were clean

and bare. Timothy was studying the numbers above the
hospital rooms, looking for number 709, when Zoey
nudged his shoulder to get his attention.
“Look!” she whispered. “It’s her!”
Timothy was only able to get a quick glimpse of the
lady before she whizzed around the corner, but he saw
the familiar hat with the wig and the blue bars of her
wheelchair.
“I wonder why she sometimes wears a wig, but she
wasn’t wearing one when she was at Mr. Roach’s house?
I bet she was here to see Mr. Roach, but why?” Timothy
said, turning the corner of the hallway and pointing to
room 709.
Timothy, Zoey, and Nanna Bell entered Mr. Roach’s
hospital room. After looking up at them, he frowned and
sighed. “Good grief. I can’t get rid of you folks, can I? I
don’t know why I told you that you could come. What is it
you want?”
Chapter 11: A Hospital Visit 67
“We wanted to see how you were feeling, Mr. Roach,” Zoey
said. “We also brought you some beautiful flowers from the
greenhouse where Uncle John works.”
Zoey produced a small decorative pot of dahlias and set it on
the table next to Mr. Roach.
Mr. Roach narrowed his eyes. “You want to know how I am
feeling? I’m ninety-nine years old; you can probably guess how
I am feeling. You know I’m just a grumpy old man, don’t you? I
don’t like company, to be honest.”
Zoey smiled. “Mrs. Sanchez—she’s our neighbor—she
thought she was a grumpy old woman, but she actually wasn’t.
She’s been teaching Timothy art lessons all summer, and she is
positively lovely. I bet you are positively lovely, too.”
Timothy almost laughed in surprise. Zoey! You are something
else, he thought. I’m so uncomfortable, I want to run from the
room, and here you are telling this man he’s probably positively
lovely!
“Well, I’m positively sure I’m not positively lovely,” declared
Mr. Roach with a look of surprise on his face. “And I’m not
feeling like company. I want to rest now.”
Zoey motioned to Timothy. “Come on, give it to him,”

she whispered.
Timothy cleared his throat, walked up to Mr. Roach,
and laid a small painting on his bed. “I made it for you.
The baby deer from your property was my inspiration,
and I . . . thought you’d like it. I’ve been learning to do
watercolor paintings.”
Mr. Roach picked up the painting and studied it quite
intensely. The softened emotion that came into his face
surprised Timothy. He thought he even saw . . . yes, he was
pretty sure he saw Mr. Roach’s eyes grow misty. However,
Mr. Roach then closed his eyes and soon looked like he
was asleep.
Timothy and his family slipped out of the room. That
was a peculiar situation, thought Timothy.
Their morning visit to Mr. Roach meant they got a late
start on their first day back to homeschool. They decided
to do homeschool at their favorite location: the park
gazebo. For four hours they worked and read. Above them
the sky clouded over, and a gentle rain pattered on the
gazebo and stirred up the scent of fresh dirt.
Nanna Bell breathed in deeply and then frowned.
Chapter 11: A Hospital Visit 69
“Well, you two kids have seemed a little glum all morning,
and I thought you were excited to get started homeschooling.”
“Oh, I am,” said Zoey. “It’s just that I’ve been reading my
mom’s very last journal. I only have about thirty pages left. I’m
realizing that I may not find an answer to where the chest is. I’m
feeling pretty disappointed.”
Nanna Bell nodded. “I understand. You’ve been reading that
journal for two hours straight. Maybe you should give it a break
and enjoy a little bit of the surrounding nature. For example,
look at how thick the boughs are on those trees.”
“Weather! Trees!” said Timothy. “That’s my problem!”
Zoey and Nanna Bell were both startled.

“Weather and trees are your problem today?” Nanna
Bell asked, an eyebrow arched.
“Well, I love the city. I do. There are nice trees here at
the park, and yes, I love the library and the museums and
bakeries, but I’d like to get out deep into nature sometimes.
I’d love to hike in the mountains and walk in the silent
woods. I’d like to smell pine trees and pick a bouquet
of wildflowers. I’d really like to have a dog. Zoey made
me read all these books about places with wonderful
nature and all these people with dogs, and I just want to
experience some of that for myself.”
Timothy shut the book he had been reading and continued.

“It hit me when I was at Badger Hills Farm running to get the
bush clippers, going through the woods and along the river and
everything. I loved it! There’s a whole beautiful world out there.
I want to see some of it.”
Nanna Bell nodded. “Timothy, I’m glad you told me how
you’re feeling.” She looked out across the park as if she were
thinking, and then she sighed. “I wish we had the money to
travel. Maybe we can go to some places nearby. I’ll talk with
your father. I also think we can do more to see and create
beauty around us.”
“Oh, Nanna Bell,” Zoey said, “I have an idea. It’s kind

of been forming in my mind for a while, and now it’s all
coming together.” Zoey clapped her hands. “Yes! This
could work so well. I think I know how we could create
more beauty and maybe even make some money to go on
a trip.”
“Really?” asked Timothy.
“I think so. In my mind I’ve been calling it the Beautiful
Bedford Project.” Zoey then shared her idea with Nanna
Bell and Timothy.
Nanna Bell cocked her head and chuckled. “I believe
you have concocted a marvelous plan, Zoey. You should
talk to Mrs. Sanchez about it tomorrow.”
71
PHONICS
SION and SSION

Read to the child: Read the words in the purple boxes.
Remember that SION and SSION say /shun/.
dimension discussion
dim en sion dis cu ssion
conclusion percussion
con clu sion per cu ssion
Challenging Words
licorice geyser
llama bouquet
tortilla surgeon
machinery
bough

Intend means to have as a plan.
I intend to clean out the closet, and Dad intends to help.
72
Chapter 12: Big News!
“My balcony greenhouse?” said Mrs. Sanchez in

confusion after Zoey asked for permission to use it in
exchange for cleaning up her balcony. “Some of the
windows are cracked.”
“That’s OK,” said Timothy. “We’ll take it just how it is.
My dad said he would help us fix it up and grow plants and
herbs. He has a passion for plants!”
“I know that the restaurants around here will want to
buy our herbs,” added Zoey.
“That’s a lot of herbs you’ll have to sell to earn a big trip
for all of you,” said Mrs. Sanchez, “but I’m excited, too!
And yes, you can start tomorrow if you’d like.”
Half an hour later, Timothy was in the middle of his art
lesson with Mrs. Sanchez in her elegant living room. On
the gray velvet couch by the window, Zoey was reading
her mother’s journal, the late afternoon sunlight streaming
around her.
Timothy dabbed his canvas, making short green strokes
of paint to create grass in a meadow.
Chapter 12: Big News! 73
Suddenly, Zoey gasped loudly. Then she cried, “Oh! Banana

burrito humongous mosquito! I can’t believe it!”
Timothy didn’t have time to ask Zoey how in the world
she came up with the phrase “banana burrito humongous
mosquito.” She was running toward him and crying out.
“Here it is! Here it is, Timothy! My mother wrote about
where she hid the wooden chest. I know where it is hidden! I
know now!”
“What chest?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.
Zoey explained about the chest so fast that Timothy worried
she wasn’t breathing enough and would faint, but soon Mrs.
Sanchez was caught up to speed on Zoey’s iron key and the
chest she wanted to find.
“I’ll read you the journal entry,” Zoey said, standing in front
of Mrs. Sanchez and Timothy. “It was dated the day that she
died. She must have written it that morning.”
Zoey held the journal shakily in front of her as she read,

trying to keep her voice slow and steady.
Today I feel particularly unwell. I intend to tell Zoey
about the wooden chest today. It’s time! I’ve taken the
key out of its hiding place to give to Zoey, but I am too
weak to go get the chest from under the floorboards of
the attic now. Zoey never knew there was a little hollow
area under the attic floor by the window. I can’t wait to
tell her.
“That’s it. That’s the end of her journal,” said Zoey,
looking up. “The chest is under the floorboards by the attic
window. There is only one window in the attic. It will be
easy to find.”
“Except we don’t have the money to fly to Canada,”
replied Timothy.
“We absolutely, most definitely, and certainly need to go
there!” declared Zoey. “We have to find a way. We’ve got to
go to tell Nanna Bell right now!”
Timothy turned to Mrs. Sanchez. “Sorry to cut our
lesson short.”
Mrs. Sanchez had a faraway look in her eyes. “That’s
OK, I—I need to make a phone call, actually.”
Chapter 12: Big News! 75
Zoey and Timothy dashed down the apartment hallway and

pressed the elevator button fifteen times.
“Mrs. Sanchez was acting kind of weird when we left,” said
Timothy, out of breath. “Why did she all of a sudden need to
make a phone call?”
The elevator opened, and there was Diego, a radiant smile on
his face.
“I have the best news!” he exclaimed.
“So do we!” laughed Timothy.
“You first!” said Diego.
“Zoey found out where the chest is hidden. The answer was
on the last page of her mother’s journal!”
“No way! Incredible,” beamed Diego as the elevator

shot up.
“What is your news?” Zoey asked.
“Are you ready for this? My mom finally agreed to let
me homeschool. I start right away! She wants to meet with
Nanna Bell for ideas on getting started.”
“Banana burrito humongous mosquito!” cried Zoey.
“Unbelievable!” cried Timothy. “We can do a lot of
things together for homeschool. Man, this day could not
get any better!”
Diego looked at Zoey and raised his eyebrows. “Banana
burrito humongous mosquito? Wow, I’ve never heard that
phrase before.”
“That’s because I made it up,” Zoey explained proudly.

The kids got off the elevator, and Timothy gave a little hop.
“Oh, and we have more great news! We are going to clean up
Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony in exchange for using her greenhouse
to grow herbs. We are going to sell them to restaurants around
here to earn money to go on a trip to someplace out in nature,
and my dad is going to help us surprise Mrs. Sanchez by
growing some stunning flowers in grow boxes on her balcony.”
“It’s the biggest balcony in the building,” declared Zoey.
“Wait until you see how beautiful we are going to make it.”
“Can I help you?” asked Diego excitedly.

“Of course!” Timothy affirmed. “We’d love your help.
We’re going to start tomorrow.”
Nanna Bell was overjoyed to find out where the chest
was hidden, but she, too, was not sure how they would
afford to fly to Canada.
“What about driving?” offered Diego.
“It’s several days of driving round trip,” explained Nanna
Bell. “That’s a lot of hotels and a lot of gas money—more
than we have, but we will find a way.”
“What if we find a way to go,” said Zoey in sudden
alarm, “and the chest isn’t actually there?” She had
retrieved the big iron key, and now she held it tightly.
77
PHONICS
IOUS
Read to the child: IOUS can say /ē–us/ (ee–us) or /us/. Read
the words on the chart, in which IOUS says /ē–us/.
obvious previous glorious
serious furious curious

er says /ear/ ur says /yur/ ur says /yur/
various hilarious
harmonious
ar says /air/ ar says /air/
har mo nious
var ious hil ar ious
Sounds of EY
Read to the child: EY can say the long E or A sound. Read the
words under each picture. Note that the color GRAY is usually
spelled with an AY in American English and an EY in British
and Canadian English.
donkey they
chimney journey grey survey

money attorney obey greyhound
honey trolley prey conveyor belt
78
Chapter 13: A Gift

for Mr. Roach
“Well, I’m being sent home this afternoon,” Mr. Roach

said to Timothy, Zoey, and Nanna Bell, who had come to
visit him the next morning.
Timothy was bursting with curiosity, and he dared to
ask a question: “Are you really selling Badger Hills Farm,
Mr. Roach?”
“That For Sale sign is serious,” replied Mr. Roach.
“Please don’t sell it yet!” blurted out Zoey. “I might be
able to buy it!”
Everyone stared at Zoey in shocked silence.
“You see, Mr. Roach,” explained Zoey, “my mother died
seven months ago, and she left a chest of very valuable
things for me. We just found out where it is, and—well, I
was thinking I would buy the horse farm where we lived.
My mom took care of it, and after she died the owner
decided to just sell it. It’s a beautiful place, but you know,
I’ve come to really like it here, and Uncle John loves his job
here now. I wouldn’t want to leave Miss Lily or Diego or
Mrs. Sanchez.”
Chapter 13: A Gift for Mr. Roach 79
“Ah!” said Mr. Roach, not able to suppress a smile. “Mrs.

Sanchez is that positively lovely lady you talked about.”
“Yes!” said Zoey. “But if we moved to Canada out in the
wilderness where I lived, there would be no art lessons for
Timothy, and I would miss the homeschool group we meet with
on Fridays here. And Nanna Bell loves the ladies in the book
club she just joined. And I’d miss being close to the library and
going to Buttercup Bakery. I’d much rather buy Badger Hills
Farm and live there. Oh, it’s such a lovely place, and I would
never let apartments be built on it. You just can’t sell it yet!” The
words had tumbled out of Zoey’s mouth almost faster than she
could keep up with them.
“So you think that whatever is in the chest would be worth
enough to buy Badger Hills Farm?” inquired Mr. Roach. “You
think it’s worth over forty million dollars?”
“Forty million dollars?” Zoey repeated softly in surprise.
Nanna Bell put her hand gently on her granddaughter’s
shoulder. “Zoey, I think your expectations might be too high.
I’m sure what is in the chest is valuable, but it is likely not
enough to even buy the horse ranch, and Badger Hills Farm
costs many times more than that.”
“Oh,” said Zoey quite sadly. “Yes, I think my imagination has
gotten carried away. Never mind, Mr. Roach.”
Timothy felt sorry for Zoey as he saw the dejected look on
her face.
Timothy dared to ask Mr. Roach another question. “You’re
going to sell your land to that woman with the black bun, aren’t
you?”
Mr. Roach was surprised. “Why would you say that?”
“We saw her at your house talking to you, and there was a
real estate car there. I don’t know if you can trust her. Did you
know she wears a wig and sunglasses often?”
Mr. Roach studied Timothy and looked unsure. He

didn’t respond.
“She looks familiar to me,” Zoey declared suspiciously.
“There’s a reason she looks familiar to you,” Mr. Roach
said, “but she doesn’t want you to know who she is.”
Timothy, Zoey, and Nanna Bell all reacted to that piece
of information with a gasp.
“What do you mean, Mr. Roach?” asked Nanna Bell.
Mr. Roach let out a very long sigh and leaned back in
his bed. “I’m tired,” he declared, closing his eyes.
The group stood silently until Zoey spoke. “I hope that
the person you sell the land to will love it as much as you
do and that they’ll preserve it. And not only that, but that
they bring it back to its splendor.”
Mr. Roach did not open his eyes, but he spoke.
“Splendor? What do you mean?”
“Like the horse arena,” said Zoey. “I can see it with all its
fences rebuilt with beautiful wood and the soft dirt inside
the arena, and flowers planted around the fence posts, and,
most amazing of all, some horses with shining coats and
flowing manes carrying children around under the big
blue sky.”
Chapter 13: A Gift for Mr. Roach 81
A pained look crossed Mr. Roach’s face as he kept his eyes

closed. “Please go now. I am too tired.”
Zoey realized she probably shouldn’t have pointed out that
he had let much of Badger Hills Farm fall into disrepair.
“Oh, Mr. Roach. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad. It’s
amazing that you have not sold the land and that you have kept
it with its wild beauty. You have done well. You are good. Please
don’t be sad.”
“I’m sorry, but you need to go. Please,” said Mr. Roach. “I
told you before that I don’t like company.”
The group left, and Zoey burst into tears as they walked
down the hospital hallway.
“Oh, Nanna Bell,” sobbed Zoey, “yesterday was so joyful I
felt like dancing everywhere I went. Now, I feel so terrible. I feel
silly that I said I might be able to buy Badger Hills Farm. So
silly! And I think I made Mr. Roach feel bad.”
“I don’t think you are silly at all,” said Timothy kindly.

Nanna Bell hugged Zoey to her as they walked. “Life
is that way. Some days are filled with glorious light and
laughter. Other days are rainy and overcast, but Christ
walks with us through the sun and the rain, and we are
stronger in the end because of the hard days. Overcast
skies never last, Zoey. The sun always ends up breaking
through again. After homeschool today, we get to start
working on Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony, remember?”
That news did help Zoey’s mood. She walked quietly through
the hospital parking lot. “Do you think Mr. Roach will let us
visit him at his home?” Zoey wondered aloud.
Nanna Bell looked unsure. “To be honest, I doubt it, Zoey.
I love that you want to befriend Mr. Roach, but ultimately,
it’s his choice, and he may not choose to change. We can try,
though, and I will also pray for him. For now, let’s go get some
schoolwork done so we can go see Mrs. Sanchez.”
Timothy smiled as he walked alongside Zoey and Nanna
Bell. I couldn’t ask for anyone better than Zoey and Nanna Bell to
be part of my family.
Late in the afternoon, Mrs. Sanchez welcomed Timothy,

Zoey, and Nanna Bell into her apartment.
“Before you get started,” Mrs. Sanchez said cheerfully, “I
want to announce a trip I am going on with my daughter.
Thanks to Zoey, I’ve thought about it, and I knew I needed
to ask my precious daughter to forgive me, and I did. And
then I asked her to go on a trip with me—to Canada! That
is the phone call I had to make yesterday.”
The group gasped, and Mrs. Sanchez continued, “I
would also like your grandmother to travel with us and
help retrieve your chest, Zoey.” She turned to Nanna Bell.
“Will you come?”
Nanna Bell smiled widely. “Of course I’ll go!”
83
PHONICS
SION, SSION, and CIAN

Read to the child: SION, SSION, and CIAN say /shun/. Read
the words in the purple boxes.
comprehension electrician
com pre hen sion e lec tri cian
mathematician p e r m i s s i o n
math e ma ti cian per mi ssion
Challenging Words
acre leopard
anxious canoe
iron
stomach ancient
ballet

Various means of different kinds.
Insistent means unwilling to let go of your demand.
The baker was insistent that they sell various types of pastries.
84
Chapter 14: The Balcony
The cloudless, deep-blue sky spread over Timothy, his family,

and Lily a few weeks after they had started working on Mrs.
Sanchez’s balcony.
“You know,” commented Timothy, “one of the great things
about fixing up this balcony is that we can see it from some of
our windows. We’ll be able to enjoy it every day!”
Zoey nodded and then turned to her uncle. “I’m so glad
you’re helping us, Uncle John. The weather doesn’t ever get very
cold here, but you are able to identify all the flowers and plants
that will do fine outside in fall and winter, and you know which
things will do better growing in the greenhouse when it does
get a little colder soon.”
Nanna Bell hummed as she vigorously scrubbed the crusty
water stains on the greenhouse with vinegar.
Chapter 14: The Balcony 85
Lily mixed fertilizer with soil in a long wooden box

John had just made. “John, I think your vision of lining
the back section of the balcony with various bushes was
brilliant. I especially love the fragrant smell of coyote mint
plants, and their flowers are so pleasant.”
“They also attract butterflies,” said John. “And here’s
a fun fact: Native Americans used this plant to make
medicine for upset stomachs and sore throats.”
After they had worked for a couple of hours, Mrs.
Sanchez brought out lemonade, and everyone took a
much-appreciated break and had a great discussion.
“So, what herbs are you growing to sell?” Mrs. Sanchez
asked Timothy.
“We decided to start with four herbs: dill, oregano,
mint, and cilantro,” explained Timothy. “We planted those
first because we are anxious to sell them. You can see them
poking out of the soil now. We are also going to grow
rosemary and basil in the greenhouse when it gets fixed
up. Those herbs don’t do well in the cold.”
“So, you still want to sell herbs, even though we might
find the chest and its valuable contents?” queried Mrs.
Sanchez.
Timothy had just finished the last of his lemonade. “Yes,

because there’s a chance the chest won’t be there, and we can’t
wait to earn money for a trip.”
“Where do you want to go?” asked Mrs. Sanchez.
“Anywhere with a river and woods or any place with nature,
really. I want to get out of the city for a while and maybe see
some animals in the wild and various kinds of birds.”
“Will you be ready to go on your trip to Canada soon?”
John asked Mrs. Sanchez. “It’s such a long drive there and back,
especially with all the stops you have planned along the way.”
“Well, my daughter is quite enthusiastic about this trip

and all the things there are to see along the way. Plus, if we
get the chest, flying with it would be challenging. We aren’t
going to open it. We want Zoey to be able to open it herself
when we get back.”
“So you leave in a month,” said Zoey, “and then you will
be gone for about six weeks?”
“I know it’s a long time,” replied Mrs. Sanchez
understandingly. “It will definitely be a long wait for you,
Zoey.”
“Oh, that’s OK. I’m going to miss Nanna Bell, but I’m so
excited Miss Lily will be visiting every day.”
The group had stood up to get started working again, and

Lily hugged Timothy and Zoey. “I couldn’t be more excited!
Imagine homeschooling you two for six full weeks! They’re
going to be some of the best weeks of my life.”
John put his arm around Lily. “I can’t believe you insisted on
taking an entire six weeks off from your job at the library. How
will the library get along without you?”
“Oh, it will survive just fine!” laughed Lily.
“Well, I’ve contacted the ranch owner,” said Nanna Bell. “I
told him that we think we left something there, but we might
have to look around for it. No one has bought the horse ranch,
and he said we are welcome to come and look around when we
get there.”
After working on Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony and having

a dinner of Nanna Bell’s fluffy tortillas and slow-cooker
beans and rice, Zoey convinced everyone to take a walk
around the perimeter of Badger Hills Farm, admitting
that she hoped to see Mr. Roach along the way. They even
stopped by Diego’s apartment and invited Diego and his
mother to come.
The jolly group knew the walk around Badger Hills
Farm well by now, but much of it was hidden by tall stone
walls and tall trees with their heavy boughs.
When they reached the front gate of the property, Zoey
and Timothy peered through the iron posts, hoping to
catch a glance of Mr. Roach.
To everyone’s surprise, there was a teenage boy weeding
the flowerbed in front of the big home.
Zoey called out to him, but he didn’t move, so she called
louder. The tall, muscular boy looked up and then walked
over to them.
“We are friends of Mr. Roach,” she said. “Could you tell
him that Zoey and Timothy are here to see him?”
The boy obviously did not believe they were friends of
Mr. Roach. “Sorry, Mr. Roach told me he doesn’t want any
visitors.” He started to walk away.
“Wait!” cried Timothy. “Do you work for Mr. Roach? How
did you get the job? We really want to see Mr. Roach.”
The boy turned around. “I’m Zach. I work here fifteen hours
a week helping keep up the yard, but I don’t work for Mr.
Roach, and I can’t tell you who I work for.”
“Please!” said Zoey. “Please tell Mr. Roach we are here. I
really want to talk to him. We helped him get to the hospital
when he had a heart attack. I promise I know him.”
“You’re pretty insistent,” said the boy. “Mr. Roach might be
mad at me, but I guess it can’t hurt. OK. He is sitting on his
back porch right now. I’ll go tell him you are here.”
Five minutes later, the boy returned. “Yeah, I told you—

Mr. Roach said he doesn’t like company, and he’d prefer it
if you didn’t try to visit him again. Sorry.”
“I don’t get it,” said Timothy as they walked away. “I
think we’re pretty great to be around. Why doesn’t Mr.
Roach like us?”
“I don’t think it’s us in particular—I don’t think he likes
anyone,” John said sadly. “Some people let their hearts
grow cold and closed off.”
Zoey looked back at the For Sale sign and the boy
weeding. “It’s so strange. If Mr. Roach isn’t paying the boy
to work here, who is? It makes no sense!”
“I agree,” said Lily. “I’m completely baffled.”
90
Practice words are repeated in the course by design.

PHONICS
IOUS
obvious previous glorious
serious furious curious

er says /ear/ ur says /yur/ ur says /yur/
various hilarious
harmonious
ar says /air/ ar says /air/
har mo nious
var ious hil ar ious
Sounds of EY
words under each picture.
donkey they
barley journey hey survey

Hailey Barney obey greyhound
honey attorney prey whey

Reluctant means feeling unwilling to do something.
She was reluctant to go on the hike because she was very tired.
91
Chapter 15: A Surprise Trip
“Goooooood morning!” sang John as he flipped on the light

in Timothy’s room. “Come on. It’s time to go!”
“What?” Timothy looked out his window. It was still dark
outside, and his alarm clock confirmed that it was only 6:15
a.m.
Timothy sat up in confusion. “What’s going on? I usually
wake up at 7:30.”
John laughed. “But you usually don’t go to the beach.”
Timothy shot out of bed, no longer reluctant about waking
up so early. “Are you serious?”
John’s smile couldn’t get any bigger. “I’m serious! Lily and I
planned it all out. You know Zoey is a little down because she
misses Nanna Bell, and I know you’ve been wanting to get out
and see some of the world, so we figured we’d take a trip. Lily
borrowed her sister’s car.”
Within thirty minutes Timothy and Zoey found

themselves in the car with John and Lily, driving
toward the outskirts of the city, chatting excitedly about
everything they were going to do at the beach.
“Thanks for taking us so early,” Zoey said to John. “We
want as much time at the beach as we can have.”
“So do we,” agreed Lily. “And it’s a bit of a drive—three
hours. We know Timothy wants to be in some quiet
nature, so we’re not going to a busy beach. Instead, we are
going to a beach that is more off the beaten track and has
some beautiful natural features.”
Timothy then showed Lily what was in the bag he had
brought.
“A canvas and paints?” she asked in surprise.
“Yes, you know how you taught us about prayer recently
as you’ve been homeschooling us? Well, you said that we
should pray often to see if there is someone God wants us
to help that day. So I asked God about that in my prayers
this morning, and I remembered the look that Mr. Roach
had in his eyes when I gave him the painting of the deer. I
felt that I should paint him a picture of the ocean today.”
Chapter 15: A Surprise Trip 93
“That’s wonderful!” declared John. “I’m sure you’ll find some

spectacular scenes to paint at the beach we are going to.”
And Timothy did find a wonderful scene. After chasing
waves with Zoey and enjoying the ocean spray, Timothy found
a shady spot under some trees and began painting the scene
before him—a serene beach and a dramatic rock arch with
foamy waves around it. His painting was complete with fluffy
white clouds and a couple of seagulls floating in the sky. It
took him five hours to complete the painting, but while he was
waiting for layers to dry, he hunted for the neatest seashells
with Zoey, ate a picnic lunch, and lay on the warm sand while
watching the clouds float and change slowly and majestically.
Lily had packed a dinner to eat as they drove home. As

Timothy chattered away about everything he had seen on
the beach, he realized suddenly that he had changed in
some serious ways over the past several months since Zoey
and Nanna Bell had arrived. He was more confident. He
talked about things more. He felt more religious and closer
to God. He laughed more.
He looked down at his little painting of the beach. “Can
we stop by Mr. Roach’s house and give this to him on our
way home?” he asked.
“We can try,” said John, “but I can’t guarantee that we
will be able to see him, or that he will accept the painting
even if we do see him.”
“Well, I felt like I was supposed to do this for him, so I
would like to try.”
To everyone’s surprise, the gate to Mr. Roach’s property
was open. It was so rarely open.
“Well, maybe I’ll get arrested for pulling in, but we’ll
risk it,” John joked as he proceeded to pull through the
iron gate and stop in front of Mr. Roach’s house.
The group got out of the car with some reluctance, not
knowing how Mr. Roach would react.
“Dad,” said Timothy, “would it be OK if I go to the back

porch by myself and see if Mr. Roach is there? It’s the cool part
of the evening, and I think I might find him there. He may react
better if it’s not the whole group.”
John agreed, also noticing how much his son had changed
and grown in confidence recently.
Timothy did, indeed, find Mr. Roach on the back porch.
When the elderly man saw Timothy, he shook his head and
then kept looking out across the back lawn where he had been
staring. “Looks like that boy who works here forgot to shut the
gate again when he left.”
Timothy said a prayer in his heart that he would know what
to say to this lonely man.
Timothy went and sat on the porch close to Mr. Roach.

“I know you don’t like company much, but I wanted to tell
you that I went to the beach today. It’s been a few years
since I’ve been there, and it was so amazing.”
“It’s been thirty years since I’ve been to the beach,” said
Mr. Roach with a little laugh.
Timothy didn’t know what to say next, and a thick
silence lay between them. Suddenly, Timothy had a
question arise in his mind.
“I heard you are ninety-nine, Mr. Roach. When do you
turn one hundred? That’s a pretty big deal to turn one
hundred.”
Mr. Roach stared down at Timothy. Then he looked
back at the lawn again. Timothy let the silence lay between
them, sensing that something was going on inside Mr.
Roach and that it was best to remain quiet. He also spied
his father being cautious and peeking onto the porch to
quietly check on him.
Finally, Mr. Roach spoke. “What’s your name again?”
“Timothy Todd.”
“Well, Timothy Todd. I turn one hundred years old
today.”
“It’s your birthday!” said Timothy.

“And no one knows or cares,” said Mr. Roach. “That’s my
own fault, though. I know, and I don’t really care anyway.”
“Well, it’s not really true that no one knew it was your
birthday,” said Timothy, surprised by the boldness he felt within
him. “God knew it was your birthday, and He cared.”
“What do you mean?” Mr. Roach said, not able to suppress
the surprise in his voice.
“Well, God helped me feel that I should bring you a gift
today,” Timothy said. “And I did.”
Timothy then laid the painting of the beach on Mr. Roach’s
lap. “I painted this for you today.”
Mr. Roach held up the painting and studied it. Timothy

saw the same look on Mr. Roach’s face that he had seen
when Mr. Roach had looked at the painting of the deer.
“You don’t think you have any friends, Mr. Roach, but
you always have a friend. God knows you. And I’m your
friend, too.”
Timothy saw a few tears start to run down Mr. Roach’s
face. Again, Timothy felt that silence was best. After a few
minutes, Timothy commented on the setting sun and how
beautiful it was over Badger Hills Farm, and then he knew
it was time to leave.
98
PHONICS
IOUS
furious curious serious

glorious obvious previous
various hilarious harmonious
Sounds of AR
Read to the child: AR can make the sound /ar/ as in CAR. Read
the words on the chart.
pharmacist cornstarch starvation

Read to the child: AR can also make the sound /er/ as in
DOLLAR. Read the words on the chart.
preparation binoculars separation

Read to the child: AR can also make the sound /air/ as in
CARRY. Read the words on the chart.
vocabulary similarity voluntary

Gruffly means in an unfriendly, rough voice.
“I want my money back,” said the angry customer gruffly.
99
Chapter 16: The Chest
It was two days after Mr. Roach’s one-hundredth birthday,

and Lily agreed that they could go see him before they started
their schoolwork. Timothy couldn’t wait to see if Mr. Roach was
truly warming up to them. The gate had been left open again,
so they went into the farm and found Mr. Roach. After talking
a bit, Timothy told Mr. Roach about the garden they were
creating on Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony. Mr. Roach insisted that he
show them his pond and also get some plants for their garden.
“Mr. Roach, slow down!” Zoey yelled loudly as the golf cart
he was driving bounced wildly along the trail.
“Do you want to see the pond or not?” Mr. Roach said.
“Yes,” replied Zoey. “That’s why you need to slow down. I
have to be alive in order to see it!”
Timothy and Lily laughed as Mr. Roach slowed down

his furious speed. “Is this more like you think a one-hun-
dred-year-old man should drive his golf cart?”
“Yes, thank you,” said Zoey, shaking her head in
disbelief but also laughing. “It’s so wonderful for you to
take us out to the pond.”
They were passing over a little hill, and Timothy noted
that Badger Hills Farm had been green and lush in spring,
but the golden hills were just as beautiful in the fall. When
they arrived at the pond, Timothy took in the amazing
scene, complete with a massive weeping willow tree
hanging over one of the banks.
“No way!” Timothy shouted, pointing across the
glass-like water. “Look at those huge white birds.”
“Those are herons,” said Mr. Roach, who had stayed in
the golf cart. “Sometimes there are swans here, too. Let’s
get the plants for you. The weather is particularly nice and
cool, but I tire pretty quickly.” He pointed to some plants
nearby. “Those are the plants I was talking about. Dig them
up and put them in the pots. They should transplant well
to your balcony garden at Mrs. Sanchez’s apartment.”
Chapter 16: The Chest 101
He sent them away pretty quickly after they returned from

the pond, however, saying gruffly that they didn’t want to wear
out their welcome.
After they dropped the plants off at Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony,
Lily had planned for them to do their schoolwork in the gazebo
at the park with Diego.
The late autumn air was a little crisp, so they wore sweaters
and brought a thermos of hot chocolate to go along with their
lunch.
For science they were studying geysers and looking at
pictures of the most famous natural geysers in the world.
After their marvelous science lesson, Lily went to the

library to check on a few things. Timothy was deep into
his language arts lesson when the sound of laughing made
him look up. He noticed that the lady with the wig was in
the gazebo now, and his previous friends were outside the
gazebo making fun of Diego.
“Hey, guys,” said Timothy to the laughing boys, “it’s
really not nice to make fun of people.”
One of the boys pointed to Zoey. “Oh, are you
becoming like her now, always talking about being kind?”
“I hope so. I’d be proud to be more like my cousin,”
Timothy declared calmly but confidently.
The boys rolled their eyes and walked off.

“Timothy,” Zoey said, “do you realize what you did?”
“What do you mean?”
“You had a lot of courage,” Zoey said. “Don’t you remember?
The last time you were around when those boys were making
fun of Diego, you were hiding behind Nanna Bell.”
“You’re right!” said Timothy triumphantly. Then he seemed
confused. He narrowed his eyes and looked over toward the
library. Miss Lily was running toward them, vigorously waving
her arms. “I wonder what’s going on.”
Zoey and Diego also saw Lily running, and they
simultaneously stood up as she came flying into the gazebo.
“What’s wrong?” asked Zoey, a little alarmed.
“Oh, nothing is wrong,” said Lily breathlessly. She held up
her cell phone. “Nanna Bell is on the phone. She arrived at the
horse ranch today, and she says she has good news for you,
Zoey—really good news! Here, she wants to talk to you.” Lily
handed Zoey the cell phone.
Timothy’s heart was beating quickly as he watched Zoey
take the phone and hold it to her ear. He was sure that they had
found the chest.
“Hello,” said Zoey.
After listening on the phone for a minute, Zoey squealed in
sheer delight. “Really? Oh, I can’t believe it! This is absolutely
astounding news!”
I knew it, thought Timothy. The wooden chest—what is it
going to mean for all of us? Could it possibly be enough to buy the
horse farm? Would I want to move to Canada? Are all our lives
going to change?
Chapter 16: The Chest 103
A minute later, Zoey said goodbye to Nanna Bell and

then gave the phone back to Lily. Zoey’s dark eyes were
sparkling, and her face was beaming.
“What glorious news! They found it!” she cried.
“The chest?” Timothy asked.
“Yes! It was right under the floorboards by the window,
just as my mother’s journal said.”
“What was in the chest?” Diego asked excitedly.
“Nanna Bell doesn’t know. Since the chest is for me, she
wants to wait for me to open it.”
“But it’s going to take a whole month for them to
return!” said Timothy. “How can we wait that long?”
Lily clapped her hands together. “That’s wonderful
news, Zoey! We’ll have to keep ourselves really busy to
help the time pass quickly.”
Timothy heard clicking behind him and turned around.
The lady with the wig was right by them, typing away on
her laptop.
Why does she always come so close to us? thought
Timothy. There is something important about her.
Zoey saw the lady, too, and spoke to her. “Excuse me,
but do you know Mr. Roach? We saw you with him.”
The lady stopped typing and looked up, her face hidden by
her large hat and sunglasses. “Oh, do you know Mr. Roach? I
didn’t think he had many acquaintances.”
“Yes, we do,” said Zoey. “He said we might know you, too.”
“Well, you never know, do you?” She laughed, and Timothy
thought she had a really pleasant laugh.
The lady continued, “But yes, I’ve met Mr. Roach a few
times. Are you his friends?”
Lily said, “I don’t know if he would call us his friends, but we
have met him a few times, too.”
The lady’s cell phone started ringing. “Oh, excuse me. It was
nice talking with you, but this is my real estate agent.”
As the lady spoke on the phone, she tucked her laptop

in a bag and then skillfully wheeled herself out of the
gazebo. Timothy watched her, a quizzical look on his face.
“Zoey,” he said, “when you saw this lady from a distance
without her wig, you said she looked familiar, and Mr.
Roach said you probably knew her. I’m curious. Did you
recognize her voice?”
Zoey considered the question and then shook her head.
“No, her voice didn’t sound familiar at all.”
“I’m glad you didn’t ask her why she was wearing a wig,”
said Lily with a teasing smile. “But I fear she did hear us
talk about the chest that Nanna Bell found.”
105
PHONICS
IOUS and EOUS

Read to the child: Read the words on the chart. IOUS and
EOUS say /us/ in each word. After reading a word, point to the
picture of the item that the word best describes. Remember
that CI, TI, and XI can say /sh/.
delicious nutritious ferocious

de li cious nu tri tious fer o cious
religious gorgeous obnoxious

re li gious gor geous ob no xious
Challenging Words
geyser bough licorice bouquet

surgeon machinery llama tortilla

Approximately means about, around, or roughly.
I didn’t count the apples, but there are approximately ten dozen.
106
Chapter 17: Sold
John patted the last plant into place as Timothy stood back
to look at the grow boxes full of flowers and the various potted
plants. To him, the greenhouse looked like new. “Wow! Mrs.
Sanchez is not going to believe how beautiful her balcony looks
when she returns.”
“I agree!” remarked John. “In fact, some of the other
residents of the Bedford Apartments have expressed to me how
much they love what we are doing. They said it really cheers
them up to see this balcony now.”
“Wait!” said Zoey slowly, her finger on her chin. “I’m getting
an idea.”
“Is it a big idea?” laughed Timothy.
“Of course.” Zoey smiled. “What about a Bedford
Apartments Beautiful Balcony Project?”
Chapter 17: Sold 107
“Ah,” said John. “Are you thinking we should hold a

contest to see who can create the most beautiful balcony—
other than Mrs. Sanchez, of course, since hers is so
enormous?”
“That’s exactly what I am thinking!” exclaimed Zoey.
“There is so much hideous junk on the balconies and
hardly any plants. Imagine how beautiful it would be if
everyone cleared up the junk, and there were various
gorgeous plants all over these balconies.”
“I think it’s brilliant!” John exclaimed. “We could
even ask some of the local businesses around to donate
gift certificates. It would only benefit them to have these
apartments cleaned up so it would look wonderful around
here.”
“This is terrific!” said Timothy. “Can you call Miss Lily
and see if she wants to help us make fliers to announce the
competition?”
“It would be my pleasure,” John said. “By the way, I’ve
been meaning to ask you two what you think of Lily. I
mean, I know you really like her, but, umm . . .
well, are you comfortable if she becomes a bigger part of
our lives?”
“Absolutely!” responded Timothy.

“Yes,” said Zoey. “We absolutely love her.”
“I’m so glad,” John said. “All right, who wants to get cleaned
up and go visit some restaurants to ask about gift certificates?”
The children took one last look at the beautiful balcony and
then eagerly left with John.
John had been right. The restaurants were happy to donate
gift certificates to the Bedford Apartments Beautiful Balcony
Project.
John also arranged for the city to bring out two large
dumpsters for everyone to put their junk in.
Lily was more than happy to help with the fliers. “This is
just the kind of thing we need to keep ourselves busy while
we wait for Nanna Bell to return.”
“How long until she returns?” Timothy asked.
“She called today,” John said. “She’ll be home in
approximately two weeks. I know that seems like a long
time when we are all anticipating their return so much.
And of course, we are anxious to see what is in the wooden
chest, but all we can do is wait.”
“That is about the time our herbs will be ready to start
selling to restaurants,” Timothy noted.
“I wonder if we’ll need to,” Zoey said. “I mean, after we find

out what is in the chest, maybe we won’t need the money.”
“It’s such a mystery,” Timothy stated. “How could your mom
have the money to buy such valuable things to put into the
chest?”
“I really can’t figure it out either,” Zoey responded. “But she
did say she worked late into the night to be able to do it. And
she wrote a lot about how excited she was for me to get the
chest one day. I can’t believe that it will be so soon.”
“Dad,” said Timothy when the fliers were done, “can

we go tell Mr. Roach that Nanna Bell found the chest?
Hardly anyone knows about the chest, and I think he’d be
interested to know.”
“That lady knows about the chest.” Zoey frowned.
“Don’t let it worry you,” insisted Lily.
“I could use a walk, Timothy,” said John spontaneously.
“Let’s get a hamburger for dinner on the way to Badger
Hills Farm.”
Neither Timothy, Zoey, John, nor Lily were prepared for
what they would find at Badger Hills Farm. Timothy was
the first to see it.
“The For Sale sign!” cried Timothy as the group neared the
front gates of the property. “Look! It has a big sign on it that
says SOLD!”
Timothy looked around and saw that the gates were wide
open, and there were several cars in the driveway, something
he had never seen before. There were also some construction
trucks and heavy machinery there.
“What is going on?” cried Zoey. “How could Badger Hills
Farm be sold?” Timothy ran in through the gates, and everyone
else followed him. Immediately, Timothy saw Zach, the teenage
boy who had been there before.
“Hey,” called Timothy. “Where is Mr. Roach?”
The boy walked over to them. “I’m glad you’re here. I have a
message for you from Mr. Roach. He wanted me to tell you that
he doesn’t like goodbyes, so he is sorry he left without saying
goodbye, but he thanks you for your kindness.”
“But where did he go?” asked Zoey with wide eyes.
“My aunt bought this place,” said the boy. “Mr. Roach
needed money so he could leave.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lily, her eyes as wide as
Zoey’s at this outrageous news.
“He was out of money, and he knew he couldn’t care
for himself much longer. He found a retirement home that
would take care of everything, including all his meals. But
he didn’t have any money for it. So he had to sell this place
to have money to go there.”
“Where is the facility?” asked John.
The boy shrugged. “He didn’t tell me. But he said you
would probably ask and that I should tell you that it’s too
far to visit, so not to bother about it.”
Timothy was full of sadness as the group started
walking somberly home. “We’ll probably never see him
again,” Timothy said.
“It is sad,” said John, “but it is probably best for him to
be with people who can care for him and where he can be
comfortable.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Timothy, taking one last look
behind him at the machinery on the land and the For Sale
sign that now said “SOLD.”
112
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: Read the words with sounds of EA.
ea beach, cream, stream, deal

thread, spread, head, bread, feather
great, steak, break
Say the sound of each phonogram in the green boxes. Hints
are below each box if needed.
ph qu dge ir kn ur
phrase quit edge bird knot turn
Point to each phonogram with a circle around it, say the
sound of the phonogram, and then read the whole word.
Remember that C and G are usually soft before E, I, or Y.
consequence knickknack
con se quence knick knack
headwaiter fr e q u e n c y
head wait er fr e q u e n c y
u n fu r n i s h e d dodgeball
u n fu r n i s h e d dodge ball

Enthralling means fascinating.
The book about whales was enthralling; I couldn’t put it down.
113
Chapter 18: Teddy
Timothy glanced out of the gazebo after Lily’s fascinating

history lesson about ancient Greece. “Look,” he cried, pointing
into the park. “That woman is selling puppies. Can we go see
them, Miss Lily?”
Lily gave her consent, and Timothy and Zoey ran across the
park and asked if they could hold the puppies.
Timothy knew instantly which one he wanted to hold— the
light-brown puppy with a white patch of fur over one eye. As
Timothy held the tiny puppy, it snuggled against him, and
Timothy could feel the puppy’s little heart beating. At that
moment Timothy felt a surge of love well up in him, and he
wanted that puppy so much he could hardly stand it. “How
much is this puppy?” he asked the lady.
The lady smiled. “They’re two hundred dollars each. I

am taking deposits of fifty dollars today for the puppies.
They’re not ready to leave their mother for another four
weeks.”
Timothy’s heart sank. He didn’t have fifty dollars, and
he knew that dogs were not even allowed at his complex—
having a dog was against the rules, but he desperately
wanted that puppy. He asked the lady to write down her
phone number. She handed it to him on a scrap of paper,
and he stuffed it into his pocket.
As they walked back to the gazebo, Zoey spoke slowly.
“Timothy, you loved that dog, didn’t you?”
Timothy nodded. “Yes, I named him Teddy.”
“You named him?” Zoey inquired with surprise.
She then frowned. “I’m afraid you’re going to be rather
disappointed. There’s no way you can have a dog, Timothy.
It isn’t logical. It’s not feasible to get a dog.”
“Maybe not. But I’m not giving up yet,” Timothy
declared confidently. He pumped his arm into the air.
“Pursue your dreams, I always say!”
“You don’t always say that,” laughed Zoey. “But you
keep surprising me. I like this new, confident side of your
personality.”
Chapter 18: Teddy 115
“Me, too,” responded Timothy. “I think it’s because of you,

actually. I used to worry too much about what people thought
of me. You are always confident in being yourself and in doing
what is right. I think you’ve rubbed off on me, Zoey!”
After rejoining Lily in the gazebo, the cousins saw people
from their apartment building working on their balconies and
carrying trash to the dumpsters on the street.
Zoey was thrilled. “The Bedford Apartments Beautiful
Balcony Project is working!”
“It sure is,” replied Timothy. “I’ve come to love your big
ideas, Zoey.”
“I agree!” exclaimed Lily.

For an hour the group watched the people on their
balconies. It was enthralling to see the transition taking
place. Mr. Bevan had heard about the contest and had
donated over two hundred assorted pots, a variety of
flowering plants, dozens of small watering cans, and a
substantial amount of manure and soil. The apartment
tenants had eagerly claimed the donated items, and
now pots of flowers were replacing piles of junk on the
balconies.
“Every single one!” noted Timothy. “There’s not a
single balcony that has junk on it anymore. It’s like this
cleaning-up idea is contagious. Everyone is doing it!”
“You know what I think?” said Lily, coming over to Zoey and
putting her arm around her and giving her shoulder a squeeze.
“I think you are pretty incredible, Zoey. Truly, both of you kids
inspire me. Homeschooling you these past few weeks has been
one of the highlights of my life.”
“Really?” said Zoey.
Lily nodded and squeezed Zoey’s shoulder again.
For the next two hours, the group walked around the park
and sat by the pond, talking the whole time. Lily wanted to
know all about the experiences Zoey and Timothy had had in
their lives, and she told them about experiences she’d had when
she was a little girl.
A week later, after Lily had left, Timothy and Zoey had
a whispered conversation in the kitchen as they drank
peppermint herbal tea. Then they went and joined Timothy’s
father, who was sitting on the balcony.
“Hey, kids, what’s up?” asked John.
Zoey nudged Timothy’s shoulder.
“Uh, Dad, well, it’s about Miss Lily,” stammered Timothy.
“You see, we really like her.”
“So do I,” said John.
“Well, then why don’t you marry her?” Timothy blurted out.
“You really should. She fits with our family perfectly.”
“I agree!” exclaimed Zoey.
John’s eyes widened, and he took a deep breath. “I’ve been
thinking a lot about that. I can’t afford to buy her a ring yet, but
I . . . I am so glad you both like her. I think she’s an incredible
woman.” John looked out at the balconies below him and
changed the subject. “Oh! I was going to remind you guys.
We’re going to judge the contest tomorrow.”
Chapter 18: Teddy 117
The next day was one Timothy would never forget—

going to each balcony, meeting all the people, seeing pride
beam on their faces. The group unanimously agreed on the
winner—Mr. Davis. He gratefully accepted the restaurant
gift certificates and cash donations that Timothy and his
family had collected.
“I’ve been out of a job for two months,” explained Mr.
Davis. “I do construction, and it’s slowed down recently. I
got laid off, and it’s been hard. It is really a bright spot in
my life to win this contest.”
The apartment owner, Mr. Thatcher, showed up and
graciously thanked Zoey and her family for doing the
contest. “This has been incredible. I wish there were
something I could do to thank you,” he said.
That night, Zoey wrote a letter to Mr. Thatcher.
Dear Mr. Thatcher,
You wished you could do something to thank
me for putting on the contest. Would you
consider making an exception to the rule and
letting us have a dog? Just one little one?
Sincerely,
Zoey
118
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: Point to each box and say the sound of
the phonogram.
ur oa ai au ay wr
turn oat paid pause day write
Read the words with different sounds of OU in the orange

box.
ou amount, compound, blouse, flounder

cougar, coupon, wound, crouton, toucan
country, cousin, double
pour, gourd, mourn, course, court
TU
Read to the child: TU can say /ch/. Read the words, all of
which say /chur/ at the end.
fracture capture structure
moisture picture lecture
feature mixture pasture

119
Chapter 19:
Harvesting Herbs
Timothy watched the breeze gently swirl Nanna Bell’s sheer

curtains as he looked out the open kitchen window. A little
sparrow landed on the window ledge, and Timothy practically
held his breath as he studied the bird before it flew away.
Looking back down at his paper, Timothy started writing again.
“It’s not your normal routine to be up this early. What are
you working on?” asked John as he walked into the kitchen and
started making some breakfast.
“My literature assignment,” responded Timothy. “I didn’t
finish it yesterday, and I want to get it done before our
adventures today. I’m glad you took the day off work.”
“It is going to be an exciting day,” replied John. “A walk
around Badger Hills Farm with Lily and then cutting and
packing your first set of herbs. I can’t think of a better day
myself. I’m excited to spend a long weekend with you.”
Two hours later, Timothy, his father, Lily, and Zoey

strolled around the outside of Badger Hills Farm.
“Do you know who bought this land?” Zoey asked Lily
as the group stopped to look out at the run-down horse
arena at Badger Hills Farm, now rife with weeds blowing
in the breeze.
“No, I’ve been trying to find out, but I haven’t learned
anything. Except for the construction trucks around the
big house, it doesn’t seem that much is changing on the
land—at least not yet.”
“I’m sure it’s the woman with the wig who bought it,”
declared Timothy. “But why? And how could anyone be
wealthy enough to buy the farm? And what I especially
want to know is why Mr. Roach said that there is a reason
that lady looks so familiar to Zoey.”
“Me, too!” stated Zoey. Then she clapped her hands.
“Oh, I have something to tell you.” She told them about her
letter to Mr. Thatcher.
“Oh, Zoey, what a thoughtful thing to do,” said Lily. “I
didn’t know Timothy wanted a dog.”
Timothy then told the group about Teddy—the puppy
that he so wanted to get—and how much it cost.
Chapter 19: Harvesting Herbs 121
He showed everyone the piece of paper with the lady’s phone

number that he had been carrying in his pocket.
John sighed. “Oh, Timothy, our apartment is already so
crowded. Do you think we could really fit a dog in it?”
“Teddy can sleep in my room,” Timothy offered. “And I’ve
researched about the kind of dog that lady said he was. They
don’t grow to be too big.”
John smiled. “Well, we’ll see. Two hundred dollars to buy
him, and then the cost of dog food and vet visits . . . I’m not
sure. Let’s see what Mr. Thatcher says.”
Later that afternoon, Diego joined the group to harvest

the first set of herbs. Timothy loved snipping the stems
of the herbs and packing them into little plastic bags. Lily
had gotten a roll of stickers designed and printed that said
“Zoey & Timothy’s Herbs.” The bags looked so professional
with the stickers on them, ready to sell.
After the bags were packed into boxes, Lily took them to
the fridge. Timothy looked around Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony.
Flowering vines were twisting their way down the railings,
and pots of bright flowers were blooming everywhere. I’m
so excited for Mrs. Sanchez to see this, thought Timothy. She
will be back in two days.
122
PHONICS
Sounds of AR
Read to the child: AR can say /air/. Read the words.
obituary contrary momentary

o bi tu ar y con trar y mo men tar y
seminary itinerary legendary

sem in ary i tin er ar y le gen dar y
necessary imaginary literary

nec es sar y i mag in ar y lit er ary
TU
Read to the child: TU can say /ch/. Read the words that
contain TURE, which says /chur/.
future creature puncture
fracture departure adventure
furniture culture nurture

Dismay means unhappiness and discouragement.
Mason looked at his yard in dismay; there were so many weeds.
123
Chapter 20: The Big Storm
Rain started falling the next morning as Timothy and Zoey

sat at the kitchen table calculating how much money they might
make from selling their herbs that day.
“Fifty packets times five dollars is two hundred fifty dollars!”
exclaimed Zoey. “That’s so much money!”
“It’s not enough for a trip for all of us, though,” replied
Timothy. “But if we can get the restaurants to commit to buying
that much each week, we will eventually be able to save enough
to go somewhere. Maybe we can get a cabin for a couple of
weeks by a lake or a stream and a big forest.”
A brilliant streak of light suddenly flashed through the
kitchen window, and a few seconds later, thunder cracked and
then boomed and echoed throughout the city. The rain picked
up, gushing from the sky. Timothy and Zoey gazed out the
window at the angry black clouds.
John came into the room. “I received an alert on my

phone about a severe thunderstorm that has moved into
the city. In addition to dangerous lightning, high winds
and large hailstones are anticipated.”
As if on cue, they heard rapid smacking sounds on the
windows, mixed with the whine of strong winds.
“Looks like the hail has arrived,” Zoey exclaimed.
“Look at the street below,” cried Timothy a minute
later, with his nose still pressed against the window. “The
hailstones are practically covering the street. It looks like
snow. Oh! And look how the wind is whipping the trees at
the park. And look at the hailstones on the window ledge.
They are gigantic!”
“Oh no!” added Zoey, as more flashes of light lit up the
window and the roar of the wind escalated. “Mrs. Sanchez’s
balcony is getting utterly pounded. I think the storm is
ruining the flowers.”
John came over to the window and examined the
situation. “Whoa! I have never seen hailstones so big.”
The storm proceeded to unleash its fury as the group
watched with both awe and worry.
Eventually, the hail and the wind died out.
Chapter 20: The Big Storm 125
The group hurried down to Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony and

looked at the scene with dismay.
“It’s all ruined,” Timothy said slowly.
Some of the glass panes of the greenhouse were shattered,
and broken glass was blown all over the balcony. Several pots
were knocked over, and almost all the flowers and plants had
been smashed and destroyed by the hail, which was quickly
melting.
“Well,” said Zoey, “it’s good that we harvested so many of the
herbs yesterday.”
“True,” agreed John. “We’ll have to start cleaning up this
mess after we visit the restaurants and sell our herbs.”
Things didn’t go as anticipated at the first restaurant.

The manager said they had a regular supplier already and
wouldn’t buy from a supplier that was new and hadn’t
proven to be reliable. Things were worse at the second
restaurant—the manager said he didn’t have time to talk
to them. The third restaurant manager said he needed
different herbs than they had.
After three hours and fifteen more restaurants, the
cousins had had no success. Dejectedly, they tried one
last restaurant. “I’ll take ten bags,” the manager said, “but
only because we happen to be running low this weekend
on mint leaves. I won’t need any in the future.” The man
handed Timothy a fifty-dollar bill.
That evening, Timothy and Zoey sat on a bench at the park

while John and Lily went to a food truck across the street to
pick up some dinner for all of them.
“I think Miss Lily is right,” declared Zoey. “We should give
the rest of our bags of herbs to our neighbors after dinner so
they don’t go to waste.”
Timothy pulled out the fifty-dollar bill and looked at it.
“We’ll split this—twenty-five dollars each. The first and last of
our herb money.”
“No! You need to keep it all,” insisted Zoey. “It’s fifty dollars,
Timothy. The exact amount you need for the deposit on the
dog. You should call the lady about Teddy before someone else
pays a deposit for him.”
Chapter 20: The Big Storm 127
Timothy nodded. “You’re so generous. Thank you, Zoey.

We’re not sure if I can have a dog, but you’re right, I don’t
want to risk losing Teddy.”
Timothy looked at Lily and his father across the street,
holding hands. Then he looked at a booth nearby where
a woman was selling jewelry. Timothy suddenly sat up
straight and then jumped up.
“Zoey! Hurry, come with me!”
Baffled, Zoey ran after Timothy. “What is it?”
“A ring!” cried Timothy. “Dad said he didn’t have a ring
to propose to Miss Lily with.”
The cousins arrived at the booth out of breath, and
Timothy found a small section of women’s rings. He
selected a slender golden ring.
“Is this real gold?” he asked the woman at the booth.
“It’s not solid gold, but it’s gold plated,” she said.
“How much is it?”
“That one is forty-five,” answered the woman.
Zoey watched in shock as Timothy handed the woman
his fifty-dollar bill. “Timothy, are you sure?” Zoey asked.
Timothy nodded confidently. “I love Teddy, but I love
Miss Lily so much more.”
128
PHONICS
IOUS
Read to the child: Read the words on the chart, in which IOUS
says /us/. Remember that CI, TI, and XI can say /sh/.
cautious precious anxious

Read the words on the chart, in which IOUS says /ē–us/.
furious curious serious
Sounds of EY
words under each picture.
donkey they
pulley attorney obey survey

journey Audrey prey convey
Challenging Words
stomach acre
ancient iron
ballet
leopard licorice
llama
129
Chapter 21: The

Chest Is Opened
Yesterday’s big storm was followed by a drizzly, overcast

day, but neither Timothy nor Zoey noticed the dismal weather.
Today was the day Nanna Bell returned. Today was the day that
they would find out what was in Zoey’s chest.
After attending church, John took a nap while the cousins
hung out in the family room.
Zoey lay on the couch with the big iron key gripped in her
hand. “Timothy, the first thing I’m going to do after I open the
chest and get the treasure is call that lady and pay the deposit
for Teddy.”
Timothy beamed. “Then what are you going to do?”
“Take us all on a big trip to the mountains.”
“Then what?” questioned Timothy further.
Zoey was quiet and simply looked down at her key.
“You don’t know yet?” inquired Timothy.
“Yes, I know,” replied Zoey. “It’s practically all I have been
thinking about, and now I am sure of what I want to do with
my mother’s treasure. I’m not sure you’ll like my answer. I don’t
know if Uncle John or Miss Lily will like what I want to do
either, so I’m nervous to tell you.”
“Don’t be nervous to tell me, Zoey. You and I talk about
everything.”
“That’s true,” said Zoey. “You know, you’re the best friend I’ve
ever had.” She sucked in a deep breath. “OK, I want to tell you.
You know that I can’t buy Badger Hills Farm. It’s already sold
and was probably too expensive anyway.”
Timothy nodded, and Zoey continued, “Well, I’ve

decided that I actually want the horse ranch in Canada
more than anything.
“Oh, Timothy, just picture it in your mind. The spacious
white house sits on a grassy slope that is dotted with
wildflowers in the spring. A driveway winds up the slope
like a ribbon. There’s a big fireplace in the family room and
a huge kitchen with big windows that overlook the valley.
“Adjacent to the house are the horse stables and a
horse arena where noble stallions, Arabian horses, and
even a llama all used to reside. Behind the arena is a large
pond where mallard ducks and my amphibian friends,
little frogs, hop around. I rowed a canoe in that pond. A
little weasel lives behind the woodpile, and red squirrels
scamper up the trees.
“In the winter the land is wrapped in snow, and the
horses pull our sleigh through the woods as snow hares
race across the trails and deer peek their heads around
bushes. Oh, I hope I can persuade Uncle John to move.
What do you think, Timothy?”
Chapter 21: The Chest Is Opened 131
Timothy hadn’t expected Zoey to say she wanted to buy the

horse ranch, but as Zoey described the house and property, he
could picture it in his mind, and it sounded unbelievable. He
could certainly have a dog if they lived there, and the trees and
wildlife would be abundant.
“Are you kidding me?” he said enthusiastically. “I would
love to live there!” He hesitated. “But what if the treasure isn’t
enough to buy the horse ranch?” He hated to ask the question,
but he was a little doubtful that the chest contained enough
treasure to buy something so magnificent.
“I can’t help it. I have to believe that the treasure will be
enough,” said Zoey. “My mother knew how much I loved
that ranch. I’m sure that she wanted me to have it more than
anything. Nanna Bell will be here in a few hours, and then I just
know that I’ll be able to buy the ranch.”
After a happy reunion with Nanna Bell and Mrs.

Sanchez, John brought the chest up to the apartment and
placed it on the coffee table in the family room. It doesn’t
look like it’s weighed down with something like gold coins,
thought Timothy.
With trembling fingers, Zoey examined the beautiful
chest. Then she took the iron key and carefully inserted it
into the keyhole. It fit perfectly and turned smoothly. The
chest was now unlocked.
All the world seemed to stand still as Zoey opened the
lid. A card sat on top of a layer of blue tissue paper. Zoey
opened the card and read it aloud:
My Dearest Zoey,
I have no money to give, but I have chosen to
leave you a gift of great value. For years I have
painted thank-you cards by hand—one thousand
of them. The gift of gratitude will help you almost
more than anything, especially when you are facing
your greatest trials. It’s now up to you to find one
thousand people to thank with these cards.
My love always,
Mom
Chapter 21: The Chest Is Opened 133
“Thank-you cards?” questioned Zoey in a whisper as

she removed the tissue paper and saw stacks of white cards.
She looked at several cards, which were hand-painted with
bouquets of flowers, trees, birds, and more. “Thank-you cards?”
she said again. “Only thank-you cards?”
Zoey burst into tears and ran into the bathroom, locking the
door behind her.
Timothy, John, Lily, Nanna Bell, and Mrs. Sanchez stood in
silence as they heard Zoey sobbing in the bathroom. Timothy
felt all kinds of emotions swirling inside of him. Of all the
things he had imagined being in the chest, thank-you cards
had never crossed his mind. He, too, felt disappointment surge
through him.
It had been two hours, and Zoey hadn’t come out of the
bathroom. Nanna Bell sat by the door, trying to reassure
her and calm her down, but there seemed to be no words
to ease Zoey’s discouragement.
John went and picked up the mail from the day before
and found a letter to Zoey from Mr. Thatcher.
“Maybe it’s good news about my being allowed to have
a dog, Dad,” said Timothy. “Let’s give it to Zoey. Maybe it
will cheer her up a little.”
Timothy told Zoey about the letter through the
bathroom door and then slid it under the door. Timothy
heard the letter being opened, and then fresh sobs started
as Zoey smashed the letter back under the door. Timothy
picked it up and read it to himself.
Dear Zoey,
While I appreciate so much what you have
done to beautify the apartment complex, I have to
obey the apartment rules and not allow any dogs. I
apologize and wish you all the best.
Regards,
Mr. Thatcher
Timothy felt deflated. He went to his room, softly shut
the door, and knelt by his bed to pray.
135
PHONICS
TU
Read to the child: TU can say /ch/. TURE says /chur/. After
reading the set of words in each box, point to the word that
has to do with the image in the box. Use the helps in gray if
needed. Remember, it is best to break words into easy-to-
read word chunks, which are not always at syllable breaks.
signature literature moisturizer

A can say /uh/ A can say /uh/ mois tur i zer
sig na ture lit er a ture
departure agriculture century

de par ture ag ri cul ture cen tur y
Hard C Followed by Soft C

Read to the child: When there is a double C followed by E, I,
or Y, the first says its hard sound (/k/) and the second its soft
sound (/s/). Read the words. Not all words have a soft C.
accent vaccine accuser
succeed success accept
access accidental hiccup

136
Chapter 22: A Visit to Badger

Hills Farm
“There’s a creature on the window ledge, Zoey. Come

see! I think it’s a caterpillar,” Timothy urged as he
beckoned to Zoey, who sat at the kitchen table.
“That’s OK,” said Zoey without even looking up as she
picked at her scrambled eggs.
“OK, Zoey,” said Nanna Bell as she pulled a chair up
next to her granddaughter. “It’s been an entire week since
you opened the chest and fell into this gloomy mood.
Please talk to me about it.”
Zoey sighed. “I really don’t want to.”
“I don’t think your mother would’ve wanted you to be
so sad about what was in the chest, Zoey,” said Nanna Bell,
kindly but directly.
“That’s just it!” said Zoey. Tears that she had been
holding back for days flooded her eyes. “I feel so bad that
I was so disappointed to find thank-you cards in the chest.
I should be grateful, I know, but I’m not. And everything
else has fallen apart, too.”
“What do you mean?” asked Nanna Bell.
Chapter 22: A Visit to Badger Hills Farm 137
Zoey said as the tears spilled out of her eyes, “Well, the herb
business was a failure, and we’ll never have enough money to go
on trips to nature areas. And Timothy doesn’t get Teddy. And
I will never get my mother back or Misty Toes. And the horse
ranch is lost to us forever. And hail ruined everything we did on
Mrs. Sanchez’s balcony.”
Nanna Bell nodded her head in understanding. “Thanks for
telling me all that, Zoey. It’s really good to express how you feel.
We have to let ourselves feel sorrow sometimes, but this is the
thing: You can’t stay in that place for long.”
“I know,” said Zoey. “But I don’t know how to stop feeling
this way.”
“I don’t know either,” said Nanna Bell. “It’s natural to be

sad. You have a good and capable heart, Zoey. We are all
here for you. You’ll find your way.”
“Maybe you should try writing some of your thank-you
notes,” coaxed Timothy.
Zoey glared at Timothy, and at the same time, there was
a knock at the front door. Timothy sped away to answer it.
He swung the door open to reveal a woman wearing a blue
plaid skirt and white sweater.
“I’m looking for a girl named Zoey who lives here at
Bedford Apartments,” said the woman.
John joined Timothy at the door.

“Zoey is my niece. She’s busy eating breakfast right now,” he
said. “What can we help you with?”
The woman handed John a business card. “I’m an assistant
for the woman who bought Mr. Roach’s home. She wishes to see
Zoey. She’d like to have a meeting with her.”
“Is it the woman with the purple hat and a wig?” Timothy
blurted out.
The woman looked a little startled. “She does own a wig, yes,
but I’m sure she doesn’t like people knowing that.”
“What is the woman’s name?” asked John.
“She wishes to remain anonymous at this time,” the woman
stated. “Any of you may come with Zoey to the meeting. If it’s
agreeable, she’d like to have Zoey come tomorrow morning at
9:00 a.m.”
Timothy was sure this exciting news would capture

Zoey’s attention and cheer her up. It did arouse her
interest, and she accepted the invitation to visit with the
woman. But Zoey was still sullen all that day.
The next morning a thick October fog rolled into the
city. Even with his sweater on, Timothy shivered a little
as he, John, Nanna Bell, Zoey, and Lily walked to Badger
Hills Farm. The big iron gates were open, but they couldn’t
see far with the fog enveloping the land. Quietly, the group
walked to the big home, their steps crunching on the
gravel.
Just as Timothy had suspected would be the case, the
lady with the purple hat and wig answered the door. Why
is she wearing sunglasses inside? Timothy thought as the
woman welcomed them into the home.
The atmosphere inside the home contrasted sharply
with the gray, foggy weather outside. A huge crystal
chandelier lit up the entryway and sent sparkling light
bouncing off the white tiled floor.
The woman led them to a spacious library with books
reaching to the ceiling. A jolly fire crackled and popped in
a big stone fireplace.
“Take a seat, please,” said the woman cheerfully. “Thank

you so much for coming. Would each of you mind introducing
yourself? I’m very interested to learn more about you.”
When the people in the group had introduced themselves,
the woman avoided introducing herself, and Timothy couldn’t
stand the suspense any longer. Who is this woman? he thought.
Zoey apparently couldn’t stand the suspense any longer
either. “Mr. Roach said I might know who you are,” Zoey said,
fishing for information.
“Maybe,” said the woman. “If I reveal my identity, will each
of you agree not to tell people that I live here?”
They all agreed, and the woman took off her wig, undid
her black bun, and let her wavy black hair fall over her
shoulders. Then she took off her sunglasses.
Zoey looked at the beautiful woman. “Yes, I do know
you,” she said. “But I’m not exactly sure how. Wait! Are you
. . . are you . . . Bailey Bastian?”
“Bailey Bastian!” cried Timothy. “I can’t believe it!”
“Neither can I!” exclaimed Lily.
John looked confused, so Lily explained. “Bailey Bastian
is probably the most famous, successful writer of books for
youth today. She’s sold over 120 million books worldwide.
She is amazing!”
Mrs. Bastian laughed, a bright, merry sound. “Now,
now. God has given me a gift for writing, and I’ve worked
hard, but I’m no more amazing than any of you.”
Questions were tumbling through Timothy’s mind,
and Mrs. Bastian soon answered them. She wore a wig at
the park because she liked to write in the open air at her
favorite park without being recognized. She also didn’t
want people to know she was buying Mr. Roach’s house.
Timothy ventured to ask one more question: “Why did
you want to meet with Zoey?”
142
PHONICS

Read to the child: CI can say /sh/. Read the words on the
chart.
special social suspicious

precious delicious musician
Read to the child: SION says /shun/ or /zhun/. Read the words
on the chart. Remember that SSION says /shun/.
decision vision mission

discussion mansion version
Read to the child: TI can say /sh/. TION says /shun/. Read the
words on the chart.
station direction mention

information initials patience
Point to each phonogram with a circle around it, say the sound
of the phonogram, and then read the whole word.
a u t h o r i za t i o n i n s p i ra t i o n
au thor i za tion in spir a tion
intersection irritation
in ter sec tion ir ri ta tion
143
Chapter 23: The Gold Ring
“I went to the park gazebo one day to write,” explained

Mrs. Bastian. “That’s when I overheard Zoey talking about her
mother’s journal and the key and the hidden chest. As a writer,
this really sparked my interest. It sounded to me like there
could be a fascinating story about the hidden chest. As I heard
you all talk a few more times, I started to feel that Zoey would
make a good main character for a book—she has such a likable
personality. That’s why I invited you here today. I want to learn
more about Zoey and her story.”
Zoey’s eyes were wide. “Mrs. Bastian,” she began slowly, “I
hate to disappoint you, but we found the chest, and, well, I don’t
think what we found inside is really that exciting.”
“Don’t tell me what was inside yet,” said Mrs. Bastian. “I
want to hear your story from the beginning—that is, if it is OK
with you and your family.”
Zoey looked at Nanna Bell and John. They both nodded.
“Sure,” said Zoey a little somberly.
For the next two hours, Zoey told her story as Mrs. Bastian
took notes and asked questions. Zoey told her all about the
horse ranch and how her beloved horse, Misty Toes, had been
sold. Zoey even told her about Timothy wanting a dog and
finding Teddy—the only puppy with a white patch over one
eye—and how Timothy wrote down the lady’s phone number,
but how he would never be able to have Teddy.
“Wait,” said Mrs. Bastian. “Do you still have the lady’s phone
number, Timothy?”
“Yes, I do!” said Timothy. “In fact, I still keep it in my

pocket every day . . . just in case.” He fished around in his
pocket, and as he pulled out the scrap of paper, the gold
ring he had bought fell out of his pocket and landed on the
tiled floor with a soft clink. John stood and picked up the
gold ring.
“Timothy,” John said, “what is this? Why do you have a
gold ring in your pocket?” he asked in confusion.
Timothy felt himself blushing. He was embarrassed, but
he knew he had to tell the whole story about the ring now.
He finished the story by saying what he had previously said
to Zoey. “I love Teddy, but I love Miss Lily so much more.
You can keep the ring, Dad.”
The room was silent and still when he finished his story,
except for a sniff from Lily as she wiped a tear from her
cheek. No one knew what to say. Finally, John put the ring
in his pocket and smiled. “Thank you, Timothy. That was a
very special thing you did.”
Mrs. Bastian motioned to Timothy. “I’d like to copy that
phone number down.”
Timothy didn’t know why Mrs. Bastian wanted the
phone number, but he read it to her as she wrote it down,
and then he put the paper back into his pocket.
Chapter 23: The Gold Ring 145
Mrs. Bastian asked Zoey to continue her story. When Zoey

explained with an unenthusiastic voice what she finally found
in the wooden chest, Mrs. Bastian clapped her hands together
and exclaimed, “How brilliant! I couldn’t think of anything that
could be more exciting or precious than what you found in that
chest.”
Zoey looked stunned. “Really?”
“Yes!” said Mrs. Bastian. She then studied Zoey’s confused,
sad face. “But you don’t understand that yet. How many
thank-you notes have you written?”
Zoey gulped. “None.”
“I see,” replied Mrs. Bastian. “Can I give you a challenge?”
“Sure,” said Zoey.

“Tomorrow, I want you to make a list of one hundred
people you can give a thank-you note to. You don’t have to
write the notes. It’s sufficient enough to create the list.”
“One hundred people!” Zoey exclaimed. “I don’t even
know one hundred people! I guess I’ll try, but I can’t make
any promises.”
“Wonderful! Well, I can’t thank you enough for coming
and for sharing details of your magnificent story with me. I
won’t name my book character Zoey, and her experiences
won’t be exactly like yours, but you’ll find some similarities
between your life and hers. I’ll let you read the manuscript
before it gets published.”
Soon the group was walking out the big iron gates of Badger
Hills Farm. The fog had cleared, and the group delighted in the
sky, which seemed dazzling blue after a few days of gray skies.
When they got to the library by their home, Lily was about
to go in to work, but John stopped her. “Wait! There’s something
I want to show you in the park.”
John led the group to the gazebo. Golden shafts of sunlight
crisscrossed the gazebo floor.
John turned to Lily. “You’ve said before that this gazebo is
one of your favorite places to be.”
“That’s right,” said Lily.
“Well, my favorite place to be is right by your side,” John
declared as he got down on one knee and held out the little gold
ring Timothy had bought. “Will you marry me, Lily?”
Timothy held his breath as Lily stared at John. Then a huge
smile spread across her face, and she said, “Yes!
Chapter 23: The Gold Ring 147
The birds seemed to chirp extra joyfully as John slipped

the ring onto Lily’s finger.
“It fits perfectly!” she declared.
“When I can save up enough money, Lily, I will get you
a solid gold ring with a diamond,” John promised.
“Oh, please don’t, John,” Lily insisted. “This ring has a
lot of love behind it, and I never want a different one.”
Later that day, Timothy and Zoey sat on their apartment
balcony.
“What a whirlwind of a day!” exclaimed Timothy. “I
would’ve never believed that the mysterious woman was
Bailey Bastian and that she wanted to get story ideas from
your life.”
“I know!” cried Zoey. “And I would’ve never believed
that Uncle John would propose to Miss Lily today!”
“Why don’t we get some paper and a pen and start
writing your list of one hundred people you could write
thank-you notes to?” suggested Timothy.
Zoey frowned. “All right. I guess I promised Mrs.
Bastian I would try to do that.”
148
PHONICS

Read to the child: CI, SI, and TI can say /sh/. SION and TION
can say /shun/. Read the words on the chart.
special decision suspicious

precious mission musician
direction information patience
Sounds of AR
Read to the child: AR can say /ar/, /er/, and /air/. Read the
words.
barber regular orchard

ordinary carrot voluntary
Challenging Words
us
ballet anxio
leopard
canoe iron
ancient
stomach acre
149
Chapter 24: 1,000 Thank-You

Cards
A few days later, Zoey and Timothy were sipping mugs of

Nanna Bell’s famous hot chocolate and enjoying the swirling
steam around their noses.
“I know who I can add to my list!” said Zoey. “The person
who invented hot chocolate.”
Timothy laughed so suddenly that he snorted. “That was
the Mayans, Zoey, thousands of years ago. I think you need to
include only people who are alive.”
“Well, I have only thirty people on my list, and that’s everyone
I know well! Mrs. Bastian has unrealistic expectations.”
“Does it have to be people you know well?” asked Timothy.
Zoey had been glancing out the window. Her face lit up, and
she sat up straight.
“You’re getting an idea,” Timothy said. “I can tell.”
“What you just said, Timothy, it made me think. Oh! Oh,
banana burrito humongous mosquito! I’m getting so many ideas.
Don’t interrupt me. I’ll tell you in a minute.”
Timothy watched Zoey scribbling furiously on her notebook
for several minutes. Then without looking up, she said, “Will you
go get a stack of thank-you cards from my chest, Timothy? We’ve
got to get started.”
Timothy came back with a stack of cards and the matching
envelopes. Zoey looked through the cards. “The watercolor
paintings are so beautiful. And to think that my mom painted all
these!”
She selected a card that had a hopping frog on it, opened it
up, and started writing.
“Who are you writing that card for?” Timothy asked,

bursting with curiosity.
“I don’t know his name,” Zoey said. She handed
Timothy the card when she was finished, and he read it to
himself.
Dear Man with the Little Black Dog,

I want you to know that several times I have
noticed you picking up and throwing away other
people’s trash in the park. Your actions may go
unnoticed by some, but I have noticed, and I wanted
to thank you for being thoughtful and considerate
and for your good example to me.
Sincerely,
Your Friend
Timothy looked up and smiled. “Let’s go give it to him.”

“I want the notes to be anonymous. He always sits on a
certain bench around ten o’clock in the morning, so we can
set it there before he comes and write ‘To the man with the
little black dog’ on the outside of the envelope. But first, I
have a bunch more cards to write, and I need you to help
me write them.”
Chapter 24: 1,000 Thank-You Cards 151
For the next several months the cousins worked together to

write hundreds of thank-you notes, and Nanna Bell went with
them to deliver them anonymously, however they could. Often
Nanna Bell would give the person the note, saying she was
delivering it for someone else. They spent most of their extra
time working on the cards. They left a note for the lady who
sold jewelry, to the postal worker who delivered their letters,
to a homeless man who always waved to them, to the owner of
the Buttercup Bakery, to the woman who volunteered at their
church’s youth group, to the mother who was so patient with
her children at the museum, to the teenager who worked at the
park raking leaves, and on and on.
“I can’t believe you never run out of ideas for people to write
notes to!” declared Timothy one day.
“Mrs. Bastian was right,” declared Zoey. “My mother was
brilliant. I can’t think of anything more precious and exciting
than writing these thank-you notes.”
Zoey had saved her very last thank-you note for

Timothy. He found it sitting on his bed in the early
evening, accompanied by a bag of his favorite type of
licorice.
Dear Timothy,
I’ve saved card number one thousand, my last
card, to give to you. I always wondered what it
would be like to have a brother, but I never imagined
how amazing it could be. Thank you for everything.
Best friends forever,
Zoey
Timothy put the card back in its envelope and smiled
as his dad knocked on the door and entered. “Timothy,
someone is here to see you.”
Timothy followed John into the family room, where a
young-looking man in a suit and tie was sitting on their
couch. He stood up and shook hands with Timothy as
Nanna Bell and Zoey came into the room.
“I’m Mr. Roach’s attorney,” said the man. “I’m really
sorry to let you know that Mr. Roach has passed away.”
Timothy hadn’t known Mr. Roach well, but he felt
sadness well up in him.
Chapter 24: 1,000 Thank-You Cards 153
The man continued, “I’m here as the executor of Mr. Roach’s

will to tell you that he has left all he owns to Timothy. John, as
Timothy’s father, you will own Badger Hills Farm until Timothy
turns twenty-five.”
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The man
continued, “Mr. Roach wanted me to give this to you.” He
handed Timothy a note.
Timothy Todd,
When you gave me the paintings you made, I felt
more joy than I have in decades. In return, I am giving
you all I have. I know that you and your family will
appreciate the land and money, but never set your
heart on things of this earth. I have learned that all
the money in the world cannot bring happiness. Our
relationships with God and people bring the greatest
happiness—you taught me that. Thank you for offering
your friendship and for telling me about the greatest
friendship of all—God.
Everyone in the room was teary eyed, including the attorney,
who spoke up quietly, “He passed away the day after writing the
note.”
“But someone already bought Badger Hills Farm,” John said.
“We saw the SOLD sign and met the new owner.”
“Only the house and the three acres around it were sold to
Mrs. Bastian,” explained the attorney. “The other one hundred
seventy-seven acres are now yours, as well as the money Mr.
Roach made from the sale of the big house and the three acres.
It’s quite a large sum of money. I’ll need you to sign some
papers.”
154
PHONICS
TU
Read to the child: TU can say /ch/. TURE says /chur/. Read
the words.
future creature puncture
fracture departure adventure
intellectual virtual situation
Hard C Followed by Soft C

Read to the child: When there is a double C followed by E, I,
or Y, the first says its hard sound (/k/) and the second its soft
sound (/s/). Read the words.
accepted vaccine accused

succeed success accented
Challenging Words
geyser licorice iron acre

surgeon llama anxious canoe
bough bouquet stomach leopard
machinery tortilla ballet ancient
155
Chapter 25: A New Home
Never had a more excited group of people walked through

the gates of Badger Hills Farm. The dark-green pine trees on
the farm stood nobly under a heavy gray sky. It had rained the
night before, and everything seemed fresh and new, as if the
rain had wanted to wash everything clean for their arrival. A
whispery breeze moved through the long, golden grass and
lifted a tuft of Timothy’s hair as if to say, “Welcome! Welcome!”
Timothy felt a cool drop of rain land on his arm. He breathed
in the earthy smell of damp plants and soil, and then he noticed
a little brown bird flying from tree to tree as if following them
and saying, “A new friend! A new friend!”
They arrived at the big house and knocked on the door.
“We are going to be neighbors!” Zoey said to Mrs. Bastian
when she answered the door.
Mrs. Bastian hugged them all. “I know! Mr. Roach’s attorney
told me, and I couldn’t be more excited. No one better could be
taking stewardship of the land. Also, have you seen the news
article about you, Zoey? It looks like someone beat me to it and
wrote about you before I could.”
“What? No, I haven’t seen it,” Zoey answered.
Mrs. Bastian got out her phone and pulled up the news
article. “It was on the front page of our city’s news website. It’s
titled ‘Mystery Thank-You Notes Fill the City.’ I’ll read it aloud
to you all.”
Mrs. Bastian cleared her throat and began.
Over the past several months, someone has

been busy writing and anonymously delivering
hundreds of thank-you cards to citizens of our
community. Each card appears to be hand-painted
with a different painting, and the cards are simply
signed as being from “Your Friend.” Stories have
been pouring in to the news station about these
cards and the impact they are having. One man
who was homeless explained, “When I received a
note thanking me for always waving to people and
making them happy, something changed in me. I
realized that my life had purpose, and there was
hope for my future, so I got a job at the pet shelter.”
If you were one of the people blessed to receive one
of these cards and would like to share it, we will
be publishing some of the cards in a new weekly
column titled “Thank-You Card Mystery.”
Zoey couldn’t hold back a sob, and tears streamed down

her face. “Oh, my mother would be so happy! So happy!
This is all because of her!”
Chapter 25: A New Home 157
“Well, I have more surprises!” Mrs. Bastian declared as she

let out her delightful laugh. “To thank you, Zoey, for sharing
story ideas with me for my book, I have two gifts for you. But I
think you might want to give away the first gift I have for you.
Come with me.”
Zoey followed Mrs. Bastian into the house. When she
returned to the group, she had a little dog in her arms.
Timothy’s eyes widened. “Oh! What a cute little puppy!”
“I’m glad you think so,” Zoey said with a smile, “because he’s
all yours!”
“Mine? Really!” Timothy couldn’t stop the tears from welling
up when Zoey placed the little dog in his arms.
“I knew that you were very disappointed when you weren’t
able to buy Teddy,” Mrs. Bastian explained. “Now that you will
live on the farm where you can have a dog, I thought this little
guy would be a great companion.”
As if on cue, the puppy gave Timothy a big lick on the cheek
and everyone enjoyed a laugh.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough,” Timothy
responded. He hugged the puppy gently and stroked his soft fur.
“I think I’ll call him Sammy!”
“The next gift is behind the barn. Follow me.”

The group followed Mrs. Bastian as her wheelchair
zoomed along the smooth asphalt paths that she had
added throughout her property.
In a small, fenced-in pasture stood a white horse
speckled with dark gray and with light-gray hair on the
bottom of its legs. A young horse stood close to the adult
horse.
“Is that . . . is that Misty Toes?” cried Nanna Bell with
wide eyes.
“Yes, it is!” said Mrs. Bastian. “My assistant had quite
a hard time tracking her down, and when we found out
Misty Toes had a foal, we purchased her, too!”
Like a streak of lightning, Zoey zoomed across the
pasture to her beloved horse. Timothy followed, with
Sammy barking joyfully as he dashed behind him.
After a happy reunion with Misty Toes, Zoey and
Timothy went back to the group.
“I can continue caring for Misty Toes and her foal until
you are all settled here,” offered Mrs. Bastian.
“I heard there is a guesthouse,” said John. “I think that’s
where we will live. Can you tell me where it is?”
Chapter 25: A New Home 159
“Yes, it’s just past those woods,” said Mrs. Bastian, pointing
to the south. “You should go check it out. But first, I am quite
curious. What are you planning to do with the property? Do
you know yet?”
“We stayed up really late last night talking about just that,”
said John. “We have a few ideas. Zoey would like to fix up
the horse arena and buy some horses. We want to create a
charity for underprivileged children and troubled teens to have
experiences caring for and riding horses.”
“Oh, wonderful!” said Mrs. Bastian, clapping her hands.
“Also,” continued John, “as a source of continual income,
and to allow others to experience the beauties of Badger Hills
Farm, we want to create a campground area on the far side of
the property and allow groups to camp there. I have some ideas
for growing some things to sell, too—I have a special love for
plants.”
“Ah, perfect!” exclaimed Mrs. Bastian. “I believe Mr. Roach
would be thrilled with your plans.”
Several minutes later, the group arrived at the

guesthouse.
“Wow!” said Lily. “I was expecting something small, but
this home looks like it has a substantial amount of room,
and I love the yard and huge front porch.”
John smiled. “So you can picture yourself living here
after we get married?”
“Absolutely!” she replied. “But I would be more than
happy to live in a tent, as long as we are together.”
Timothy ran throughout the empty house, checking out
the rooms.
“There are five bedrooms!” Timothy called out as he
entered the last bedroom he found. And I think this one
is mine, he said to himself as he saw his two paintings
hanging on the wall: the deer and the beach scene.
He then looked out the large window of the bedroom
and saw his father, Lily, Nanna Bell, and Zoey walking
around the garden area in the backyard. His heart swelled
with love for his family. I agree with Miss Lily, he thought.
We could all be happy living in a small apartment or even a
tent, as long as we’re together.
othy and Zoey in
Continue the adventures of Tim
Farm! These level 3
the book series Badger Hills
nal reading.
books are designed for perso
Available in the Library on

goodandbeautiful.com.
By Jenny Phillips
SKU 359.4

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By Jenny Phillips

Written by Jenny Phillips

Cover design by Phillip Colhouer

Illustrations by Kessler Garrity

© 2023 The Good and the Beautiful, LLC

Reading this book together increases your enjoyment of

Before reading each chapter, we will complete a practice

Most words from the Challenging Words List break English

Nanna Bell John Lily

iron canoe machinery

approximately extensively reluctant

• CI, SI, TI, and XI can say /sh/

ou out, found, round, pound

Read the vocabulary section to the child. The

Vigor means energy and enthusiasm or good health.

Chapter 1: Zoey Arrives

The Bedford Apartments building, with its ten stories

With a sigh, Timothy picked up the last box in his bedroom

The apartment door swung open, and John—with his

Parent/teacher note: Breaking words into syllables in order to

Read the following information to the child:

What is that smell? Timothy thought as he dressed

“Oh, thank you, Uncle John,” replied Zoey, pointing to the

Nanna Bell chimed in as she set the muffins on

Zoey started to leave the kitchen but then turned back

Parent/teacher note: As the child reads aloud in the chapters,

ea beach, cream, stream, deal

Read the following information to the child:

Chapter 3: The Library

Timothy set down his pencil and looked up at Nanna

After thirty minutes of searching the computer in the library,

As Nanna Bell joined them, Zoey launched into a

Timothy quickly stepped behind Nanna Bell as if he were

Timothy felt a little sullen that afternoon as he and

Timothy’s heart sank. “Hey guys!” he said as calmly as he

As Timothy and John both bit into their warm cookies,

Parent/teacher note: Advanced readers are often good at

Decoding + Soft C and G

The soft sound of C is /s/ as in CELL. The soft sound of G is /j/

Point to the soft C or G in each purple word below and say

Chapter 4: Zoey and the Key

The sheer curtains Nanna Bell had put up that morning

A short while later, Timothy, Zoey, and Nanna Bell were

“Miss Lily! It’s so great to see you,” Zoey exclaimed.

Zoey read excitedly from her mother’s journal: “Today, I

Timothy cleared his throat and dared to ask a question.

Parent/teacher note: If a child struggles with a word on the

cargo harmony gardener

Read to the child: AR can also make the sound /er/ as in

grammar altar hangar

Mary vary carrot

Timothy stretched as he walked to his bedroom window

“You’re usually up before me, Zoey,” Timothy said.

Zoey quickly put some cookies on a plate. “Can I have

Timothy and Nanna Bell watched out the window as Zoey

“Did you take the job?” asked Timothy.

“How can you tell it’s her?” Zoey asked.

Nanna Bell, who had been watching a bird perched

“I wonder what’s wrong,” Timothy said.

Timothy turned to Diego, shaking his head but also

She saw Timothy and said huffily in a thick Spanish accent,

Zoey is not one to give up, thought Timothy the next

Decoding + Long and Short Vowels