Title - Gossamer Author: Lowry, Lois Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Print Synopsis Authors Purpose Genre Littlest One is a tiny creature slowly learning her job of giving dreams to humans. Each night she and her teacher visit an old woman's home where she softly touches beloved objects, gathering happy memories, and drops of old scents and sounds. Entertain Fantasy RDQ (Reading Difficulty Quotient) Accelerated Reader Lexile Find at 2593 5.9 990 Amazon RDQ based on a maximum of 3000 words Levels are suggested levels based on RDQ, not official levels Sentences Total Words Different Words Max Word/Sent 58 Total # of Words 2710 # of Different Words 863 Ave Word/.Sent 8 Hi Freq occurs 1925 71% # of Hi freq words 338 39.2% % of Long Sentences 9.4 Low Freq occurs 227 8.4% # of Low freq words 184 21.3% Subjective Criteria Illustrations: No support Dialog: Multiple speakers Dialog: Broken dialogue Vocabulary: Some difficult words Language: Many descriptive words Sentences: Multiple phrases Text structure: Blend of written/oral Inferences: Several Implications Complexity: Several unrelated ideas Concepts: Abstract/Complex Social Sequence of Events: Several shifts in time Mature concepts: With common experiences or clear fantasy Features Character development Complex character relationships Parallel plots Flashback Foreshadowing First Person Metaphors Topics Changes Dreams Overcoming Fears Good/Evil Memory/Memories *Fictional Ideas/Charac *Family & Friends *Feelings, Behaviors Low Frequency Words abashed absolute account acknowledged actual affectionately amused announced annoyed apologetically appealing arduous assigned attentive bestow bestowal bestowed boarded bouquets cedar chasing circumstances coaxed colonies complaints concentrate concentrating concerned constantly consuming conversation countless curious curled curve dawdling delicacy delicate designated dissolve dissolved dissolving disturbed dutifully elderly energetic exasperation exhausted fastidious fastidious's fibers flannel flitter flowered flutterings foraging frayed gathering gazing gesture gestured glared gleefully grasp happier headache heartbeats hoping humor imitated immensely immobilized impatient imperiously increasing inexperience insert insertion instant instructions invisible irritably irritated january joints knowing learners linger lingering material meadow memories methodically minimalist moonlight moonlit motionless mournfully murmured murmuring navigate nightly noticing nuisance obediently occasionally occurred operate opinions organized outlined paned particle particular peer peered phenomenon photographs phrase pondered population practically praise precision primly recently rectangles relatively reluctantly requires resemble roused rusted sake sarcasm scampered scents scurried separate shadow's shavings shortened shrill shrugged shuddering shutter significant sought soundly splinters sprawled staircase startled startling stealthily stern stiffened stirred stirring studied subcolony supervised sweater swiveled tabletop talkative talons tandem thinker tiniest transparent trutter unaware upward visible warmth washings whatsoever whiff who'd wisp woken woodsman yawned