Review your answer to the Reader’s Journal question on page 492. Then, think about how students interact in your school. How did you make the friends you now have? What are your friends like? How would you describe your friendships? Jot down your answers to these questions in your journal. The story you are about to read chronicles the friendship of a boy and a girl. The boy has come to a new school and is in the process of meeting new people and making new friends. Draw a three-row chart with the following labels: Narrator, Evangeline, Their Friendship. As you read, fill in information about the characters and their friendship.
1. Follow along in the text as your teacher reads the first page aloud. When he or she has finished, record information in your chart about the narrator, Evangeline (the girl), and the beginnings of their friendship. Discuss with the class what you can infer about each of the characters based on the actions described in the text. Record those inferences in your chart.
2. Continue reading the story on your own. Stop periodically to record information in your chart. As you read, keep in mind that the author is relying on the reader to make inferences about the two characters and their friendship.
If you have difficulty identifying information about the characters and their friendship, use the Guided Reading Questions to help you focus on important details. Begin by reading the first Guided Reading Question on the page. Then, read the text surrounding the question until you find the answer. Record the answer in your chart under the appropriate heading. Then, stop and consider what the answer says about the character. Jot down the inference you make in your chart. Read the next question and repeat the process.
Write a brief essay analyzing one of the characters in depth or the two characters’ friendship. Be sure to include support from the story for your analysis. Meet with a partner and share your essay with him or her. Discuss how you came to your inferences and why you interpreted the character or friendship as you did.