Title - Welcome to the Sea of Sand Author: Yolen, Jane Publisher: Scholastic Print Synopsis Authors Purpose Genre This is a depiction in text and paintings of the amazing creatures found in a seemingly lifeless desert. Entertain Concept RDQ (Reading Difficulty Quotient) Accelerated Reader Lexile Find at 746 3.2 690 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 91 Total # of Words 288 # of Different Words 162 Ave Word/.Sent 32 Hi Freq occurs 126 43.8% # of Hi freq words 32 19.8% % of Long Sentences 55.6 Low Freq occurs 39 13.5% # of Low freq words 39 24.1% Subjective Criteria Illustrations: Little support Several repetitions of phrases or refrains Vocabulary: Many difficult words Language: Colorful, figurative Sentences: Difficult Text structure: Difficult Prior Knowledge: Familiarity Features Unconventional punctuation Unusual use of vocabulary Topics Snakes *Plants Deserts Earth *Animals Low Frequency Words bower brittlebrush cache cavities centipedes cholla cotta diamondback dither gambel's gilas greasewood hovering islands landscape mesquite muddle ocelots ocotillo overlooked paloverde poppies private roadrunner saguaro sandscape scape scuttle slither sonora spadefoot speckled tarantulas terra thorny wail whirring winged yawning