High in the Sky By Beth Beutler

1 I've discovered I'm afraid of heights. At least, I'm afraid of open heights. I always thought I liked tall buildings, but now I get a little nervous. 2 My dad, however, loves tall buildings. He says they look powerful. He travels to a lot of cities, and he takes us with him whenever he can. We've been to Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York in just the last two years. 3 The first time we visit any city, we try to go downtown. We usually try to go to the top of the highest building. I remember one time when we were in Atlanta; we decided to have lunch at the top of the Westin Peachtree. There was a revolving restaurant up there, named the "Sun Dial." 4 We paid for access to a fast elevator that went to the top without stopping. Dad was very excited. I was nervous, but I didn't want to show it. 5 We stepped onto the elevator, and I took a big breath. 6 "Are you okay?" Dad asked. 7 "Sure, I'll be all right." (I'm not sure I believed it!) 8 Before I knew it, I was zooming like a rocket straight up. The city below got smaller and smaller. At first, I closed my eyes, but my curiosity got the best of me. I peeked at the sky above. It actually was pretty neat. 9 When the elevator stopped, we stepped out to a restaurant. I noticed the floor slowly moving, and our waiter seated us by a window. 10 "Here," my dad said. "You take the seat by the window." 11 I gulped. "Sure, Dad." (I don't think I'm going to like this!) 12 While we waited for our food, I looked out the window. We were not moving very fast, so I actually started to relax. The view of the city changed little by little. Our food arrived, and as we ate each course, we were treated to interesting changes out the window. This was actually rather exciting! At one point, we could see other buildings. Then, we saw the Braves Stadium and places where the 1996 Olympic events took place. I barely tasted my food because I was so fascinated. 13 Before I knew it, our dessert had arrived. "Already?" I thought. I ate my sundae as slow as I could (it was melting faster than I ate it). I wanted to take in as much of the view as I could. So much for being scared! I guess tall buildings are pretty neat, after all.

Name _____________________________ Date ___________________

High in the Sky 1. The writer says s/he is afraid of

_______.

2. The dad likes tall buildings because they look:

Imposing Impressive Powerful Massive

3. Whenever they travel to a city, the family tries to go to the top of __________________.

4. What city was the family in during this story?

5. They visited a special type of restaurant. What was it?

6. While they were eating, the floor slowly turned so they enjoyed a different view throughout the meal.

True False

7. The writer felt which emotions during this event?

Nervousness Excitement Fascination All of the above. None of the above.

8. Which of the following sites did the writer not mention?

Atlanta Braves Stadium The Underground City buildings Sites where Olympic events were

held

Attitude

1 What is an attitude? It is how someone acts. It is how someone thinks. Some people have good attitudes. They are happy. They focus on good things. Some people have bad attitudes. They are usually not happy. They focus on the bad things that happen. Your attitude is a part of you.

2 Scott Hamilton believes in having a good attitude. Scott was born on August 28, 1958. He was adopted when he was six weeks old. He grew up in Ohio. Scott has an older sister. He has a younger brother.

3 When Scott was two years old, he became sick. He was not growing. Doctors did many tests. They were not sure what was wrong with him. His parents were told that he might not live very long. They took him to a hospital for children. He began a new diet. He started to exercise. He started feeling better. He was well enough to watch his sister ice skate.

4 Scott wanted to try figure skating. He was very good. He was fast. He was not afraid. The more he skated, the better he felt. He started to grow again. Doctors say he got better because of exercise. When Scott was thirteen, he moved away from home. He started training with a coach. His mother always encouraged him to be the best person he could be. Scott needed money to train. His mother went back to school. She became a college professor. At the same time, she was not well. She had cancer. She knew how important training with a coach was to Scott. She believed in him.

5 In 1980, Scott placed third in the national championships. He earned a place on the U.S. Olympic team. Scott was chosen to

carry the U.S. flag during the opening of the Olympics. He placed fifth in his event. Scott kept training. He won many championships. In 1984, he won a gold medal in the Olympics. After that, he became a professional figure skater.

6 Scott toured with the Ice Capades. It was an ice show. Scott and others performed for people. He skated with the show for two years. He then started his own show. It was called Stars on Ice. He stayed with the show for fifteen years. In 2001, Scott retired from the tour.

7 Since retiring, he has worked as a reporter on TV. He commented about skating competitions. He was also the host of his own show. It was called Skating with Celebrities.

8 Scott has earned many honors. He won several championships. He is a part of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. One honor is extra special. He started CARES. CARES is a group that helps people with cancer. Scott had cancer. He wanted to do something to help others. The group raises money for research. Over a million dollars has been raised. They help support cancer patients.

9 Today, Scott lives in Tennessee. He is married. He has two sons. Scott believes, "The only disability in life is a bad attitude." In 2009 he wrote a book. It is called The Great Eight. It tells how Scott dealt with life's ups and downs. It tells how to be happy.

Name _____________________________ Date ___________________

Attitude 1. Scott Hamilton was born on

August 28, 1958. False True

2. What happened when Scott was two years old?

3. Doctors say that ______ and ______ helped Scott get better.

An operation and medicine Pizza and soda Vitamins and playing Diet and exercise

4. What sport is Scott Hamilton known for doing?

Football Basketball Hockey Figure skating

5. How did Scott's mother show that she believed in him?

6. During the 1980 Olympics, Scott carried the ______ during the opening ceremony.

U.S. coin U.S. medal U.S. bird U.S. flag

7. Scott won an Olympic gold medal in 1984.

False True

8. What did Scott do after becoming a professional ice skater?

9. Why did Scott start the CARES foundation?

10. What is a disability?

Go Catfish

1 Fishing is an all-American pastime. I am not feeding you a line when I tell you that August is National Catfish Month! So hold onto your poles...here are some fun facts about catfish. 2 Catfish are the most widely harvested fish in Mississippi. Humphreys County, Mississippi, is the catfish capital of the world. Catfish is the state fish of Missouri. However, no matter how much you like them, it is illegal to lasso a catfish in Tennessee. You've got to pull them in on a line or net them. 3 Some Thai fisherman had quite a shock when they netted a giant catfish as big as a grizzly bear in 2005. Their catfish weighed 646 pounds! The giant fish was eaten in their remote village. The Mekong River in Thailand has more species of giant fish than any river on earth. One of the men who caught the fish said, "It's amazing to think that giants like this still swim in some of the world's rivers." 4 So how would you know if you caught a catfish? Catfish are long, skinny fish with barbels on their chins that look like cats' whiskers. They have more than 25,000 taste buds. Catfish do not have scales. They are usually a slate gray color with a bluish tint on their tummies. They are also covered with tiny, black specks. 5 Catfish spawn in late spring. These lowly fish have figured out equal rights because the male catfish makes the nest. The female lays the big blob of sticky eggs, but the male guards them. The dad is in charge until the fish larvae are an inch long. Catfish have a long life. Some live for 14 years! 6 Catfish are sneaky bottom feeders. They eat at night. Young ones eat insects and algae. Adults eat fish, insects, crayfish, and clams. To catch one, the best baits to use are soft crab bits, squid, and pieces of fish. It is surprising that such a quiet fish has its own month-long holiday! 7 National Catfish Month even has its own legend. One day on a river far,

far away, a little catfish longed for adventure. He was teased about his dream. One day, he saw a tiny man on the bank of the river. It was the Catfish Gnome! He granted the little fish his wish. The catfish could travel anywhere during the sacred month of August! 8 So, relax and go fishing! Celebrate National Catfish Month because, as Mark Twain once said, "The catfish is a plenty good fish for anyone!"

Name _____________________________ Date ___________________

Go Catfish 1. Which holiday celebrates catfish?

Fish Fry Monday National Catfish Month Catfish Day National Bottom Feeders

Week

2. Which state has the catfish as its state fish?

Mississippi Montana Maine Missouri

3. What is absolutely not allowed by the catfish lovers of Tennessee?

Lassoing a catfish Shooting a catfish Eating a catfish Harpooning a catfish

4. How much did the world's largest catfish weigh?

646 lbs. 106 lbs 146 lbs. 56 lbs.

5. Where was the huge catfish caught?

Taiwan Missouri England Thailand

6. What might be the easiest way to identify a catfish?

By its color By its meow By its fur By its whiskers

7. What is another name for a catfish's whiskers?

Nose hair Barbels A beard Prickles

8. Who said the quote about catfish at the end of the story?

Mark Twain Richard Nixon Charles Dickens Prince Charles

Camping Trip Cancelled

1 John and Jeremy stared out the window as the rain pelted the glass. Their long faces showed their disappointment with the weather.

2 "Why did it have to rain this weekend?" asked John despondently.

3 "I don't know," Jeremy replied sadly. "I wish it was sunny!"

4 Mom crept up behind the two boys and grabbed at their sides, tickling them.

5 John and Jeremy jumped from their seats and started laughing.

6 "That's better," said Mom.

7 Shortly, the sad looks returned to the boys' faces.

8 "I know you're disappointed," Mom said, trying to console them. "We'll go camping another time."

9 "But school starts soon," said John. "It will be a long wait for another time to come."

10 Mom gave the boys a look of compassion. "Speaking of school, we have a few more things to get at the store. Why don't you get your raincoats on and come with me?"

11 John and Jeremy glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

12 "It'll be better than just sitting here, I guess," said John.

13 "O.K., then let's go!" said Mom.

14 The boys grabbed their raincoats out of the coat closet. As they headed out the kitchen door to the garage, they found Dad unloading the camping gear from the van.

15 "Sorry about the rain, guys," said Dad. "I guess we'll have to camp another time."

16 Dad glanced at Mom and winked.

17 "It's O.K.," said Jeremy. "You can't help the rain."

18 "We're going to the store to get a few things for school," said Mom. "We won't be gone long."

19 "O.K.," said Dad, turning back to his task.

20 The downpour continued as Mom and the boys did their errands. Shopping didn't help to change their mood. By the time they arrived at home, the boys were more sullen than ever.

21 As they drove into the driveway, Jeremy noticed smoke coming from the chimney. "Dad's got a fire going."

22 John looked up at the smoke through the car window. "I can't believe it's August!" he said with a long face. "August should be hot and sunny, not cold enough for a fire."

23 Mom pulled the car into the garage, shut off the car, and turned to the boys. A compassionate smile crossed her face. "Come on," she said. "Let's get these things in the house and put them away. Maybe we can play a game together tonight."

24 A slight smile crossed the boys' faces. "Sure, Mom." They climbed out of the car, grabbed a couple of bags, and headed into the house.

25 "Donald!" Mom called to Dad as she came into the house. "We're home."

26 "I'm in the living room," called Dad.

27 "We'll be right in," said Mom.

28 Mom emptied the bags and John and Jeremy helped to put the items away. When they finished, the boys slowly walked to the living room. As they entered, their eyes lit up with excitement.

29 "Cool!" said John.

30 "This is awesome!" said Jeremy.

31 Mom stood behind them with her hands on their shoulders. "Well, it's not camping outside, but it's the next best thing!"

32 Dad climbed out of the tent he had set up in the living room. A fire was blazing in the fireplace and the camp chairs were set up in front of the fire. Dad held up a bag of marshmallows and some long sticks.

33 "How about an ancient Egyptian treat?

34 Jeremy looked confused. "Those are just marshmallows," he said.

35 "Yes, but they were originally created in Egypt using sap from the mallow plant," said Dad.

36 "How did you know that?" asked Jeremy.

37 "It comes from teaching history," said John. "Dad knows everything!"

38 "Well, I've never heard of a mallow plant," said Jeremy. "Is that how they make marshmallows today?"

39 Mom walked over and picked up a marshmallow and stick. "No. Today they use gelatin, corn syrup, corn starch, sugar, and water. We can even make them at home."

40 "That sounds messy, but fun!" said Jeremy.

41 The boys each grabbed a stick and a marshmallow, sat down in front of the fire, and began to toast them.

42 Jeremy turned to John. "Camping in the living room!"

43 "And toasting an ancient Egyptian treat!" said John. "This is great!"

44 Dad sat down next to the boys. "Hand me a marshmallow!"

Name _____________________________ Date ___________________

Camping Trip Cancelled 1. Why did the camping trip get

cancelled? Because it was snowing Because it was raining Because they had to go

back-to-school shopping Because the boys were sick

2. John and Jeremy put on raincoats before they left to go shopping with Mom.

False True

3. What did the boys see when they returned home from shopping?

Nothing, it was raining too hard

Smoke coming from the chimney

Dad putting away the camping gear

Sunshine peering through the clouds

4. Today, marshmallows are made from the sap from the mallow plant.

False True

5. The boys made the marshmallows that they were toasting.

False True

6. Marshmallows were a treat in which ancient society?

Egypt Ethiopia England Europe

7. Why did the boys think it would be a long wait before they could go camping?

Because they were going to camp in the living room

Because school was starting soon

Because they had to go shopping

Because it was going to rain for many days

8. When the boys left to go shopping with Mom, what was Dad doing?

Setting up a tent in the living room

Taking the camping gear out of the van

Drying off the camping gear Putting the camping gear up

in the attic

Marshmallows and Moonlight

1 With a shimmering lake in the background reflecting the rising moon, Susan sat in front of a crackling campfire. She sighed deeply, settling into the outdoor lounge chair she had gotten for her birthday. 2 Susan loved camping, especially when her family camped by a lake. There was something extremely relaxing about being outdoors, breathing fresh air, and not having a heavy schedule for the weekend. Adding a campfire to the mix made it just about perfect. 3 Susan's mom stepped out of the RV (recreational vehicle) with a bag of plump, white marshmallows. 4 "Do you want to toast some marshmallows?" she asked Susan. 5 Susan looked up from her quiet spot. "Sure, that sounds good." 6 "Would you please get out the toasting sticks, then?" Mom asked as she walked over to the little table by the fire. 7 Susan got up and went to the storage compartment of their RV. She pulled out the storage drawer and lifted off the uninflated pool float that was sitting on top of other supplies. Toward the bottom of the drawer were long metal sticks that were used for cooking hotdogs and toasting marshmallows over a fire. 8 Susan carried the metal cooking sticks over to the chair and reached down to pull out some marshmallows. She carefully speared two on a stick for her and two more on a stick for her mother. 9 "Thanks, dear," her mom said. 10 For the next several minutes, Susan and her mom carefully roasted their marshmallows. They both had their own roasting style. Mom liked her marshmallows lightly browned, so she kept them higher above the heat of the fire than Susan did. Slowly and consistently she turned the marshmallows, reminding Susan of the times they would cook chicken on a rotisserie. (A rotisserie is a cooking device that keeps food, especially meat, constantly turning over the heat source, allowing for even cooking.) After a few minutes, Mom had marshmallows that were lightly cooked and soft. 11 Susan, on the other hand, was more aggressive with her toasting. She liked to first burn the marshmallows, and then peel off the burnt "skins" and eat them. It did not take long for them to burn after she thrust them into the fire, so she actually had to be quick about taking them out. After eating the burnt section, she then returned the stick to the fire, this time holding it higher above the heat, like her mom. She finish this "stage two"

of cooking by slowly turned them over the heat, browning the insides into a soft, chewy treat not unlike taffy. Then she'd pull them away from the fire, blow on them to cool them off, pull them off with her fingers, and plop the gooey mess into her mouth. 12 Susan and her mom laughed as they ate the sweet treats, because it was impossible not to get marshmallow all over their lips and fingers. They could barely talk because their mouths got all sticky. 13 After four marshmallows each, Mom said, "I've sure had enough. I can only eat so many sweets at one time." 14 "Me, too," Susan said. "I'll go get us some wet wipes." 15 They placed the ends of the metal cooking sticks into the fire so any excess marshmallow could burn off. In the meantime, they washed their hands with the wet wipes and then settled in to enjoy the quiet crackling of a beautiful campfire by a lake kissed by moonlight.

Name _____________________________ Date ___________________

Marshmallows and Moonlight 1. Where were Susan and her mother?

2. What type of camper did they have?

3. True or false. Susan found the cooking sticks underneath the camper.

False True

4. Which of the following best defines a rotisserie?

A rotating stick A type of spice A cooking device that allows meat

to turn evenly over a heat source Another term for cooking chicken

5. How many marshmallows did Susan and her mother eat, combined?

Six Four Eight Ten

6. Which of the following words least describes marshmallows?

Sweet Gooey Nutritious White

7. How would you describe Susan's mood in the story?

8. At approximately what time of day did the story take place, and how do you know this?