Title - The Tale of Despereaux Author: DiCamillo, Kate Publisher: Candlewick Press Print Synopsis Authors Purpose Genre This book tells of the adventure of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin. Entertain Fantasy RDQ (Reading Difficulty Quotient) Accelerated Reader Lexile Find at 1928 4.9 890 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 43 Total # of Words 3325 # of Different Words 825 Ave Word/.Sent 8 Hi Freq occurs 2447 73.6% # of Hi freq words 346 41.9% % of Long Sentences 10.5 Low Freq occurs 216 6.5% # of Low freq words 144 17.5% Subjective Criteria Illustrations: Little support Dialog: Multiple speakers Dialog: Broken dialogue Dialog: Unlabeled Speaker Vocabulary: Many difficult words Language: Colorful, figurative Sentences: Some Long/Complex Text structure: Difficult Inferences: Several Implications Complexity: Several ideas - closely related Concept: Fanciful Features Character traits Character development Integral Setting - Historical Complex plot Difficult names Foreign words Topics Princes/Princesses *Fictional Ideas/Charac *Feelings, Behaviors Low Frequency Words abandoned adhere adjusted adoringly affected awaits behaviors bowstrings brilliance c'est captivating circumstances classic community conform constantly council cripes decision delicious demonstrate despair despairs despereaux despereaux's destined determined dieu diplomat disappointment dramatic dreamily dungeon eared echoed edges educate elemental executing exhausted existence eyed fault florence furiously furlough goner guitar handkerchief hind honors immediately incredible indignant indulge instincts instruct instructed intent involved involving knight lester lowered luggage maiden mentioned merlot moi molding mon muttered nearsighted obscenely observed opinion ordeal oval oversize patches personally phrase pleasure possession pouring proclaimed prove pulse realize referred referring reflecting reflection related relatives relishing remarkable rescued responsibilities reveal revealed rhythm ridiculous ridiculously rodent royalty scrabbling scurried scurry scurrying shard shone siblings sickly soul source speculation spied squiggles squinted staccato stardust statement statements strummed studied temperatures thankless tilling topsy toulese tour tragedy tribunal turvy unbelievable uncovered unthinkable velvet wandered whisker whiskers wrinkled wrist