Title - The Bad Beginning Author: Snicket, Lemony Publisher: Reading A-Z Print Synopsis Authors Purpose Genre After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune. Part of the "Series of Unfortunate Events" series of books. Entertain Mystery RDQ (Reading Difficulty Quotient) Accelerated Reader Lexile Find at 2147 5.2 920 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 71 Total # of Words 2491 # of Different Words 745 Ave Word/.Sent 14 Hi Freq occurs 1752 70.3% # of Hi freq words 303 40.7% % of Long Sentences 27.1 Low Freq occurs 164 6.6% # of Low freq words 118 15.8% Subjective Criteria Illustrations: No support Dialog: Multiple speakers Dialog: Broken dialogue Dialog: Unlabeled Speaker Vocabulary: Many difficult words Language: Colorful, figurative Sentences: Many Long Complex Text structure: Story/Poem Inferences: Some implications Complexity: Several ideas - closely related Concept: Fanciful Chapters Mature concepts: With common experiences or clear fantasy Features Character traits Complex Problem/Solution Complex plot Difficult names Topics Danger Laws Humor *Family & Friends Performing Low Frequency Words absently actual agreeable announced blanched briny community companies constantly construct convenient conversation coughing cushion departed despair distastefully distracted eldest elegant embarrassment engulfed enthusiasm estate excusing executioner executor extremely facial features figuring fortune frightening fused future geographically ghastly glumly grotesque guardian handkerchief handling horizon household instance instructs intelligent inventing invention inventive itched julius klaus lacked likely limits mansion mentioned microscope miserable misery misspoken moping murky mysterious nervously obnoxious occasionally odo olds orphans participate particular perished permission pictured pleasant possessions previous pulleys purchased readings recuperate related relative resourceful respected retained retrieve rickety rubble scarcely scorched series siblings situation slender solemnly spiny striding surroundings swallowed teething theater tourists trivial trolley understanding unharmed unintelligible unlucky unsteady urban various violet's vocabulary youngest youngsters yowl