P.B. Peeps: A Kidlit Writing Team
Banyan Upside down, downside up,this ancient banyanis home to leathery shadowsand green, glossy shine. The branches twistup, down, and throughlike bronze fingersalways in searchof something to hold. Their hunger is immense— an emptinessalmost too vast to fill. In the distance,wild … Continue readingBanyan (level 4.6)
Banyan Defying gravity,the banyan shootsgrow up and down. Their ropy arms arethe color of smoke.The glossy greenthe memory of summer. Like that almost-forgotten spot inside the border of a painting frame,breezes move grass and leaves. Children swing and play here.Their laughter quietas the gentle hush … Continue readingBanyan (level 3.2)
Banyan Twisty treesgrow up and down. Their leaves? Green.That trunk? Brown. It eats up buildings—its hunger’s so big. That’s why it’s calledthe “strangler fig.” Bonus Material: A banyan is a kind of fig tree, though its fruits aren’t safe to eat. The Ringling Museum has … Continue readingBanyan (level 1.6)
Alix loved fishing trips with Grandpa. As he steered his boat across Sarasota Bay, Alix looked out over the shimmering blue water. “No manatees,” she called over the noisy motor. “Keep a lookout,” Grandpa said. … Continue readingLook Out for Manatees! (level 4.0)
Alix loves her boat days with Grandpa. They cross the bay. Wind whips her hair. Water sprays her face. She hopes they’ll catch a fish. She hopes they’ll see a manatee. Grandpa slows the boat. No … Continue readingLook Out for Manatees! (level 2.3)
Alix loves Grandpa.She loves his boat. She loves their days on the bay.She looks over the water. Too bad—no manatees. Grandpa slows the boat. It stops.Alix and Grandpa fish. They see birds. They see dolphins. But still no manatees. Alix spots big gray blobs. “Manatees!”The … Continue readingLook Out for Manatees! (level 1.4)
The noted reading level of each piece uses the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scale. Fiction Low Medium High Look Out for Manatees(level 1.4) Look Out for Manatees(level 2.3) Look Out for Manatees(level 4) Nonfiction Picture the Past:Tall and Small (level 1.1) Picture the Past:Kids and Toys (level … Continue readingSarasota Reader Projects
Felix Pinard was Sarasota’s first known photographer. He was also a pioneer. His pictures show life here more than 100 years ago. We don’t know much about Pinard. He was born on the island of Haiti in 1845. He was 41 when he came … Continue readingPicture the Past: A Pioneer Photographer (level 5)
I bet someone has a photo of you. Your mom? Maybe she has one on her phone. Maybe your dad has one in his wallet. Maybe there’s a picture of you in a frame at your … Continue readingPicture the Past: Kids and Toys (level 2.5)
Pictures tell a story. Look at this old picture. What do you see? In the summer, the circus moved. It had a train. The train moved from town to town. In the winter, the circus came home. The train stopped. Our town was the circus’s … Continue readingPicture the Past: Tall and Small (level 1.1)