Oreo pushed her dog paws into the floor. There was no way she was getting a bath! Her

master nudged her. Oreo made her body stiff. She was not going to budge. Strong hands

came around her belly and picked her up off the floor. Noooo! Oreo had a choice. She

could fight this. She could squirm. She could bark. She could shake water into her master’s

face. Or, she could let the bath happen. Oreo gave one last whimper. Then, she let her

master get her all clean.

What is the main idea?

• Oreo is very dirty.

• Oreo does not like baths.

• Oreo licks herself clean.

• Oreo is sweet.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Carson had hurt Barney’s feelings. He had not meant to. He wished he hadn’t. But did

he have to SAY he was sorry?

Carson groaned. He hated saying he was sorry. It was just so hard! He would rather

do a hundred push-ups than say he did something wrong. Barney already knew Carson

was sorry, right?

No. Carson had to tell him. This was going to be hard.

What is the main idea?

• Carson likes doing push-ups.

• Barney is crying

• Carson must say he is sorry.

• Saying sorry is easy.

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

It was Mona’s first day as a substitute teacher. She had never been at this school

before. She had never been in this classroom. She had never met these kids. She hoped

everything would go okay. But, she was also a little scared.

A boy with straight black hair came up to her at break. She did not remember his

name. He smiled at her.

“You are a nice teacher,” he said. “Want a cookie?”

Mona relaxed. She took the gift. Maybe she could do this!

What is the main idea?

• Mona is tired.

• Mona is excited.

• Mona likes gifts.

• Mona is a little scared.

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Dominic grinned, “Oh, I do that all the time!” He

stopped. His friend was giving him that look. It was the look that said Dominic had missed

something. He had thought his friend was being serious. But his friend must have been teasing.

Dominic missed things a lot. His friends would joke. But Dominic thought they were

serious. Dominic would talk for a long time about his favorite things. But he would not realize

until too late that his friends were tired of the subject. Dominic wished he had a robot to tell

him how to interact with others. It would be easier!

What is the main idea?

• Dominic misses things.

• His friends joke around.

• Dominic has friends.

• He wants a robot.

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

Kylie waved her phone at Lily. “Rony541 says that pic I posted of you is dumb. Can you believe

it?! I am going to block her!”

Lily frowned. Why would someone she did not even know say something mean about her? It

hurt.

Lily talked with her mom. “I think you are cute!” Mom said. “But you are more than your

looks. You are kind. You are fun to be with. People on the internet do not know the real you.”

That made Lily feel better. Who cared what strangers thought? She also asked Kylie not to post

any more pictures of her online!

What is the main idea?

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Salina bit her nails. She did not know what to do. How do you act when visiting someone

in the hospital? Her mom’s friend was very sick, and they were visiting her. Salina followed

her mom down the hospital hallway. What if Salina said the wrong thing? What if she made

Mom’s friend feel sad? They walked into the hospital room. Mom’s friend held out her hands.

Mom grabbed one hand. Salina took the other. The friend smiled big. Salina smiled back.

Maybe sick people just needed to know you cared.

What is the main idea?

• Salina is excited.

• Salina is nervous.

• Salina is tired.

• Salina is annoyed.

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.9

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.3.6

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

Booker really wanted to learn to read. He tried to learn the alphabet by using a book his

mom found him. All the African-Americans Booker knew had been born slaves, like him.

They were free now, but no one knew how to read. At last, Booker found someone who

could teach him to read. He worked very hard to earn money so he could go to school and

learn. When he was an adult, Booker T. Washington started a college! He believed education

and hard work were very important.

What is the main idea?

• He wants to learn to read.

• He wants to go to school.

• He wants to own books.

• He wants to be free.

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Booker T. Washington did not have money to go to school. He got a job helping a cranky

lady. Booker soon found out she just liked things neat and tidy. She taught him to clean. At

last, Booker went to Hampton University. They told him to go sweep a room. He knew he

must do his best. He dusted it three times and cleaned inside the closet. They saw his good

work. They let him join the school. Booker still had no money. He got a job as a janitor. He

planned to clean the school so well that it would pay for his bed and food. It did! Booker

worked very hard so he could stay in school.

What is the main idea?

• did not have money for school

• was kind to cranky ladies

• many bossed him around

• going to school was easy

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

Have you ever had a red velvet cupcake? What makes it “red velvet”? Velvet cakes

began in the 1800s. Bakers added a little cocoa powder to make their cakes soft and

smooth, like velvet. The kind of cocoa they used mixed with the buttermilk to make a

reddish color. During World War 2, bakers added beets to their velvet cakes. Beets are

good at dying things red. Today, red velvet cupcakes do not have beets or a special kind

of cocoa. They are red because of food coloring!

What is the main idea?

• Beets dye things red.

• Red velvet cupcakes are good.

• Red velvet cake has a history.

• Bakers try new things.

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

Once upon a time, a man who sold cheese visited a faraway land. He found annatto

seeds that turned items a bright orange-yellow. “I have an idea!” he yelled. Cheese

comes from milk. Milk is white. So, all cheeses are shades of white. But people like

warm colors like red, yellow, and orange. “What if,” this man asked, “I add this dye to

my cheddar cheese?” So he added the annatto to his cheese. That is how we came to

have yellow cheddar.

What is the main idea?

• Annatto comes from plants.

• A cheese seller finds annatto.

• Red is a warm color.

• Cheese comes from milk.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2