9. Summer in the city

Summer in the city

by Cate Foley

It was that glorious time of year again. Summer was finally here! Usually Joy couldn’t wait for summer to begin. She loved to spend endless days at the beach swimming and sailing. Summers also meant a visit from her cousin Celia. Celia came from the city every year to visit. But this year Joy’s summer schedule would be very different.

Multiple Choice

Who is the main character of the story?

• Joy

• a dog

Open Ended

Why do you think Joy's summer will be different this year?

This summer, there would be no beach for Joy. She would be spending her time in the city with Celia. What would she do there? How would she have fun away from the beach? Joy’s summer would be ruined, she just knew it. She tried to convince her mom that it was a bad idea. But her mother assured Joy that she would have a great time.

Multiple Choice

"But her mother assured Joy that she would have a great time." Which of the following statements best describes assured?

• convince, make someone sure of something

• to yell and shout at someone

• teasing and taunting

Open Ended

Do you think Joy will have a great time? Why do you think so?

Joy arrived in the city and unpacked. The girls went to sit in front of Celia’s building. “Do you just sit on the steps every day?” asked Joy. “I like to sit outside. It’s fun to watch people,” said Celia. Joy didn’t think it was fun just to sit on the steps. “At my house, we can swim and sail,” she said. “We have fun in the city, too. But we do different things,” said Celia. “You have to get used to things here. Then you might like the city.” Joy was concerned. She thought it was going to be a long summer.

Multiple Choice

What does Celia like to do?

• pain pictures

• sit outside and watch people

• play soccer

Multiple Choice

Why does Joy think it will be a long summer?

• she sees them just sitting on the steps

• she is always negative

• she knows everything

The next day, Celia took Joy to the Youth Center. Celia was excited for Joy to see the art studio. She wanted Joy to join in on all the fun activities. Ms. Howard was the group leader. She told the children stories about important African Americans. She said each child would make a poster of his or her favorite person. Joy smiled. Maybe this art class wouldn’t be so bad.

Multiple Choice

Who was the group leader of the youth center?

• Joy

• Celia

• Ms. Howard

Multiple Choice

Where did Celia take Joy?

• to work

• to the beach

• to the youth center

Open Ended

Do you think Joy will change her mind about her summer in the city? Explain.

All week long, Joy and Celia were glued to books about famous African Americans. They learned about Frederick Douglass, who fought against slavery. They read about musicians such as Duke Ellington. They discovered the writer Toni Morrison. Joy and Celia each picked a person for their posters. Joy couldn’t wait to get started. The next week, the girls headed back to the center. When they arrived, their mouths dropped open. They could not believe what they saw.

Multiple Choice

"All week long, Joy and Celia were glued to books about famous African Americans." Which statement best describes what "glued to books" means?

• they were really stuck to the book

• they hated reading the books

• they were always reading them

Multiple Choice

What were Celia and Joy doing all week?

• playing video games

• reading books about famous African Americans

• doing homework

Open Ended

Why do you think Joy and Celia were surprised when they got to the center?

There was a crowd of people in front of the center. “What’s going on?” asked Celia. “Someone wrote all over the walls!” said Ms. Howard. “That’s awful!” said Celia. “What should we do?” “We could paint the walls,” someone suggested. “Someone would just write on them again,” said Ms. Howard. “I have an idea,” said Joy. “We could paint a mural of important African Americans. It will be hard to write on the walls if there’s a mural there.”

Multiple Choice

"We could paint a mural of important African Americans." Which of the following best describes mural?

• a work of art on the wall

• a mirror

• a book of people

Multiple Choice

What is the problem in the story?

• Joy wants to go home

• someone wrote all over the walls

• Celia got sick

Open Ended

What happened at the center? How does Joy try to solve the problem?

Everyone liked Joy’s idea. They decided which people they would paint. Then they planned where each face would go. They drew sketches on the wall. Finally, they painted the pictures. Joy and Celia felt very proud as they worked. When they were finished, the Youth Center looked even better than it did before. Celia and Joy hugged each other. But then a look of sadness came over Joy’s face. “I leave in two days. I can’t believe how fast the summer went. I can’t wait to come back again next summer!” 

Multiple Choice

How did everyone feel about Joy's mural idea?

• they thought it was dumb

• they thought it was selfish

• they thought it was great

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements supports the idea that Joy had fun in the summer city?

• "Finally, they painted the pictures."

• "I leave in two days"

• "I can’t wait to come back again next summer!”

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose?

• entertain

• inform

• persuade