The characters and events in this book are fictitious Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental
Storyshares
Storyshares, LLC
24 N Bryn Mawr Avenue #340 Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-3304
www storyshares org
Interest Level: Grades 4+
This book is part of the Storyshares/HD Word Decodable Books Set, aligned with the scope and sequence of Really Great Reading’s HD Word program.
Full set ISBN: 978-1-964745-20-6
Book design by Paola DiMeglio for Storyshares
About the Authors
Cat Jenkins lives in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is often conducive to long hours before a keyboard. Her stories in humor, fantasy, speculative fiction and horror have been published both online and in print. Cat’s blog can be found at: catjenkinsdotcom.wordpress.com
Joanna Szeto is a San Francisco-based teacher, mother, and bilingual author. She teaches Cantonese and English, and her literary works span both languages with four published Chinese books available on ichinesereader.com. Beyond her classroom and writing desk, Joanna enjoys expressing her creativity through painting and sewing. In her downtime, she immerses herself in the captivating narratives of Chinese dramas.
About the Publisher
Storyshares is focused on supporting older striving readers by creating a new shelf in the library specifically for them. The ever-growing collection features content that is compelling and culturally relevant for older students, teens, and adults, yet still readable at a range of lower reading levels.
Storyshares generates content by engaging deeply with writers, bringing together a community to create this new kind of book. With more intriguing and approachable stories to choose from, striving readers are improving their skills and beginning to discover the joy of reading. For more information, visit storyshares.org.
Easy to Read. Hard to Put Down.
About the Partner
Really Great Reading (RGR) ensures that every student has access to high-quality foundational reading instruction. We are dedicated to preventing and remediating decoding and foundational reading skills weaknesses in students of all ages, providing educators with the tools and knowledge they need to teach all students to read effectively. Our programs are research-based, interactive, explicit, structured, and multisensory, making reading both an enjoyable and efficient learning process.
RGR has been developing comprehensive foundational literacy solutions grounded in the Science of Reading since 2005. Our programs are designed to align with scientificallybased reading research while providing clear guidance for teachers and still allowing them to maintain their creative instructional “touch.”
Heart Words Challenge Words am at back bag can cash Dad had hat Jan mad man math sat that act* and* black* hand* last* plan* snag* a again do find for he her but fun gut all began card dressed else except gains home his I is made make me no
call lifted looked more need pulled scavenger school of out put read said saw she dusk* glum* hunt* tall much* snug* something stay street value wondered so the to too was we what who would you a u all bed check get let met red set tell them wet when yet fret* help* left* e chin did fix gig hid him hit in it kid Kim quick rim thick this which whim will with win
fog got job mom not odd on rock shock cost* lost* stop* o *These words include the short vowel sound and a consonant blend.
Kim sat on her bed and was mad. “Dad, we had a plan!”
“The plan hit a snag, Kim,” said Dad. “I got a call that the gig did not last.”
Kim’s mom had left them. Kim’s dad had lost his job yet again. The home cost too much to stay.
“I am not a kid, Dad. Let me help fix this. I can get a job.”
“No, Kim. This is up to me. You stay in school and I will hunt for a job.”
When Dad left, Kim hit her bed to make a plan.
Kim did the math and got the sum of cash she would need to snag.
“I will get a job and get cash. I can help.”
Kim lifted her chin. It did not help to fret.
Kim put on her hat and set out.
But Kim did fret, so much so that she got lost.
The sun had set. It was not fun to get lost at dusk.
She was glum and pulled her hat on snug. The fog was thick, but Kim did not stop.
On a wet, black street, Kim saw a man.
“Can you tell me which street will get me back to Rim Rock School?” she said. “I am lost.”
The man was odd. He was tall and dressed in all black except for his red hat.
The man put his hand in his bag and pulled out a card. “This is what you need,” the man said.
Kim let him put the card in her hand.
“What is it?”
But when Kim looked up to check for the man, he had left. The fog hid him.
Kim read the card. “Get in on the Scavenger Hunt: Find something that gains more value when it is lost.”
Who else met the odd man with the card? she wondered. Will I need to act quick to win?
Kim was in shock, but her gut said to do it.
The fog lifted.
On a whim, Kim made the call and began her hunt.
Chapter 2
A Small Test
Chapter 2
A Small Test
Phonics Concepts: Single-Syllable Closed Syllable Words w/2-Sound Blends
and black clan class flaps flash hand past snack stack felt left next sent test went fist grin mist print slid stick still wind bond clock
clump glum hunt lump all
Heart Words
a again be come could do America bridge card China Chinese clay new no of out play put outside real scavenger school sketched smiled find five for gave go have cloak door dream enter face future read said saw she so the started stood Street sword thirty today he her his I into is game gone Grandpa house idea inside there think to too want was took twisted watch yanked you your know like look made make me knocked lifted lived looked object only we were what who work would
Challenge Words
Yan looked at the clock. He did not want to go to school today.
Mom was gone. His pals were all in China.
Dad and Yan had left for America to find Mom’s clan.
“You will get new pals,” said Dad.
In class, Yan felt glum. He did not want to be the only Chinese kid.
Yan sat to watch his class play a ball game.
“I wish I were still in China,” he said.
The wind sent a card to his lap. Yan looked up. He saw a man in a black cloak. Then the man slid into the mist.
Yan read the card.
Enter the Scavenger Hunt: Find an object that is the bond to your past and the bridge to your future.
What could that be? Yan’s past was in China. What could come next?
Yan looked at the card again. There was some small print . . .
Put what you find in the box with an X.
It felt like a dream. But the small card in his hand was real.
Yan had to chat with Grandpa. He would know what to do.
Grandpa lived on Stacks Street. Yan got on the bus.
When Yan got there, he stood outside the door of Grandpa’s house and knocked.
“Come in for a snack,” Grandpa said with a big grin.
Yan went into the house. He let Grandpa read the card.
Grandpa said, “I have an idea that could pass the test.”
Grandpa took Yan to his shop out back.
He gave Yan a lump of clay. Yan had to think.
What could he make out of a clump of clay?
Yan started to work. He twisted and yanked.
Grandpa smiled. He gave Yan a big box.
Yan lifted the flap to look inside. There were thirty-five small clay men.
“The clay is yours,” said Grandpa. “The clay is your past.”
Chapter 3
A New Hunch
Chapter 3
A New Hunch
Phonics Concepts: Single-Syllable Closed
Syllable Words w/Digraph Blends
a after are by come could do down find ancestor asked boxes bridge card clay cloak De bench bunch crunch hunch inch lunch shrub thrill some the think to too was we what who someone stay throne visit warrior welcome worked Xing Fu first for from go have he here his into dream filled future Gong Grandpa headed history hold why work would you your is know made my new no of old one home house keep later letter looked maybe months open our out over put read said saw see moving object opened people plucked protect resting room
Heart Words
Challenge Words
Yan held up the first clay man. Yan looked over the clay inch by inch. The text cut into the clay read Gong De. On the next warrior, the text read Xing Fu.
“Who is Gong De?” Yan asked.
“He was your ancestor,” Grandpa said. “He worked for the throne.”
“My
ancestors made the clay warriors?” What a thrill!
Over lunch, Yan got the card out. Find an object that is the bond to your past and the bridge to your future.
Yan had a bond to the past, but no bridge to the future.
After lunch, Yan left his grandpa and headed home with the box. He sat on a bench to think. Then, he saw a path past a bunch of shrubs. He got up to check it out.
Yan could see a big X on a house. He went into the house with the letter X. It was filled with a bunch of old stuff.
“Welcome to the Den of Xing Fu,” someone said. “Our job is to hold history in our hands, to protect the past.”
Yan looked at the vast stacks of boxes by the wall. “Are you moving?” asked Yan.
“We must shut down,” said the man.
“Why?” Yan asked. Just then Yan saw one box had a big X on it. “What is that?”
“We are in a cash crunch,” said the man. “We would have to get some big gifts to keep the Den of Xing Fu open.”
Yan opened his box. He had a hunch.
He plucked one clay man from the box… the clay man with Xing Fu on it.
Yan put the clay man in the box with the X.
The man let out a yelp. “This is the best gift!
People will come from all over just to see this clay man. We will have new people come to visit the shop! The Den of Xing Fu will stay open.”
Yan did not know what was next. Would he get to see the man in the black cloak?
“Do not go,” said the man. “Stay here and work at the shop. You can help protect our history.”
Yan looked at the room. He was glad for this quest. He was glad for the Den of Xing Fu.
Maybe his new home was not too bad. This was a dream job!
Months later, Yan was resting on the bench when a new card fell in his lap . . .
Chapter 4
A Catch and a Sprint
Chapter 4
A Catch and a Sprint
Phonics Concepts: Single-Syllable Closed
Syllable Words w/Trigraphs & 3-Sound Blends
blotch budge catch clutch edge fetch match patch stretch
Heart Words
a are around as away before against began blew card cheeks color saw see she the there to wait waited by came do from he her cried doing drove each game girl too was you your here his I is made my hey hi invited making mine name new of one our read said pink scavenger school show stay trying
Challenge Words
Yan sat on the bench to see a ball game. It was a match against Rim Rock School.
When a new card fell in his lap, Yan made a clutch at it to catch it before a gust of wind blew it away.
Yan held the card by the edge to read it.
You are invited . . . the card began.
There was a gasp.
Yan saw a girl in back of his bench doing a stretch to read his card.
“You got one, too!” she cried. There was a blotch of color on her cheeks. A patch of pink on each from stress.
“Hey!” said Yan, “Quit trying to read my card! It is mine, not yours.”
“But I got one, too!”
The girl did a sprint around the edge of the bench and sat by Yan.
“Hi! My name is Kim. My school is in the match against yours. I came just to see the game, but . . . that card!”
“I was in a scavenger hunt, too,” Kim said.
“If you wait here I can fetch mine and show you. It is on the bus that drove kids here from our school.”
“Do not budge! Stay there!” Kim said as she ran away.
“I will wait,” he said. As he waited, he read the new card that was making such a splash!
a are as be by came come some the there to too was where down find from gave good her his who you I is like look made me my of put read said saw see she another brow card elbow even face sold someone true trying frown girl hunter invitation invited kind maybe meet more museum name opening paper part same scavenger smile smudge
Challenge Words
Yan read the script on the card: You are Invited to a Museum Opening.
His brow made a frown from the stress.
“This must be a glitch of some kind.
Maybe it is a trick by someone with a grudge trying to tempt me.”
“Maybe it is that girl, Kim. Maybe she will not come back, but will ditch me as part of the trick.”
But Kim was prompt.
She had to cross a bridge and jump a ditch, but she came back from where the bus was in a flash.
Kim put a scrap of thick paper on the bench by Yan.
“Look,” she said, “It is even the same print.”
“I was in the scavenger hunt, too! My find was a pin my mom left me. I sold it to help my dad,” she said.
Kim gave Yan a nudge with her elbow.
“I got an invitation to a museum opening, too! See?”
Yan saw it was true.
There was a smudge on the card Kim had, but it was a lot like Yan’s.
Kim sat down with a plop.
“Is it just us who got a card?”
A smile struck Yan’s face.
“I bet there are more of us, Kim.”
“And my name is Yan. It is good to meet another scavenger hunter.”
