Title - Old Elm Speaks Author: George, Kristine O'Connell Publisher: Clarion Print Synopsis Authors Purpose Genre Deceptively simple verses reveal what trees think about and what they say to one another, as well as how they look and all the things they do for us. Humor and an unerring ear for the sounds of language make these poems an irresistible read-aloud. Entertain Poetry RDQ (Reading Difficulty Quotient) Accelerated Reader Lexile Find at 1291 4.1 790 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 26 Total # of Words 894 # of Different Words 500 Ave Word/.Sent 12 Hi Freq occurs 521 58.3% # of Hi freq words 169 33.8% % of Long Sentences 22.5 Low Freq occurs 87 9.7% # of Low freq words 81 16.2% Subjective Criteria Illustrations: Little support Vocabulary: Few decoding/definition issues Language: Colorful, figurative Sentences: Some Long/Complex Text structure: Story/Poem Inferences: Some implications Complexity: Many different ideas Concept: Fanciful Features Symbolism Personification Unusual use of vocabulary Topics Seeds Trees Changes *Plants Growth/Growing Low Frequency Words ablaze aloft arbor arches architectural avalanche carousel cathedral commuters cooperation delicious destiny dizziness easel elegance gazing glorious gnawed hammock heartbeat heavily heron hovered intricate introduction knotholes latches loveliness lullaby major maple mast minding mulch naught neighbor's ordinary pasture patience patter peer perched perfection pianos poaching podiums porches practiced prickles redesign reflection rippling rustling sapling satchel scheme schooner's scrawny sequoia settling shadowed sketchbook slender spending sprawled sprig spruce squirreled studied taut thunder's totem treeway trickier unfurled valise vaulting velveteen wayward wheelbarrow whinnies