Text Leveling System

Strega Nona Takes a Vacation

RDQ:	453	Max Word/Sent	29	Total Words	697		Diff Words	270
Lex	620	Ave Word/.Sent	7	Hi Freq occurs	407	58.4%	Hi freq	122	45.2%
AR	2.6	Long Sentences	3.3	Low Freq occurs	33	4.7%	Low freq	24	8.9%

Strega Nona was having un sogno - a dream. She was a little girl again
in her Grandma Concetta's house at the seashore.]]
What a wonderful time they were having!]]
""Vieni, Nonalina, vieni,"" Grandma Concetta called. ""Come, Nonalina.""
Strega Nona woke up. She was in her house on the hill above the little
village in Calabria.]]
All day long, as Strega Nona helped the villagers with their headaches, toothaches,
and other worries, she kept hearing Grandma Concetta's voice from the dream.]]
Some of the villagers said to each other, ""It looks like Strega Nona
needs a vacation.""]]
""Big Anthony,"" Bambolona said. ""Strega Nona has something on
her mind.""
""I know,"" Big Anthony said. ""She almost gave Signore Mayor the
wrong remedy for his headache. That's the first time that's ever
happened!""]]
Strega Nona looked out of her window. She was sure that she had
heard Grandma Concetta calling to her.
How can that be? Strega Nona thought to herself. Grandma Concetta
has been in cielo - heaven - for many years. I wish I knew what the
dream meant.]]
That very night, Strega Nona got her answer. In another dream she was sitting
just outside the little house on the hill. Opposite her was Grandma Concetta.
""Dear Nona,"" she said. ""You've been working so hard all these years.
You must take una vacanza - a vacation. Bambolona can do the daily remedies
and Big Anthony can do the chores - feeding the animals, milking the goat,
and looking after the house and the garden. My little seashore house is empty,
just waiting for you. Come, Nona, come.""]]
Strega Nona woke up.
""And?,"" she said. ""I'll go!"" And she fell back asleep with a big smile
on her face.]]
The next morning she asked Big Anthony and Bambolona to come
inside.
""Sit down, my children. I have some news. I'm going to take
una vacanza at Grandma Concetta's little house by the seashore.""
""Oh,"" said Bambolona. ""When will you go?""
""The day after tomorrow,"" Strega Nona said.
""When will you come back?"" Big Anthony asked.
""I will let you know,"" Strega Nona said. ""I will send you a message.""]]
""Arrivederci, my children,"" Strega Nona said. ""You'll be fine,
Bambolona. If you have any questions about which spells to use, look in
the big book. If there are any unusual cases, just go over the mountain
and ask Strega Amelia to help you."" Strega Nona gave Bambolona
un bacio - a kiss.]]
""Now, Big Anthony, I know you'll be a good boy and not get into
any trouble. Just do everything you usually do. Help Bambolona if she
asks. And remember...""
Bambolona and Big Anthony chimed in:
""Don't touch the pasta pot!""]]
They all laughed, remembering the day that Big Anthony had flooded
the village with pasta!
Strega Nona gave Big Anthony un bacio too.]]
Ah, there it was, the little house at the seashore.]]
Tomorrow, Strega Nona thought, I'll send regali - presents - to 
Bambolona and Big Anthony.]]
The day the presents arrived, Big Anthony was outside feeding the goat.
Bambolona couldn't wait. She opened them and found seashore candy
for Big Anthony and bubble bath for her.
I want the candy! Bambolona thought. Quickly she switched the tags.
Big Anthony opened his present. ""Bambolona, what is bubble bath?""
""You put it in your bath water and it makes lots of bubbles. It's very
nice,"" Bambolona said, chewing her candy.]]
""Oh, no!"" the mayor shouted. ""Non ancora! Not again!""]]
""At least it's not pasta!"" Big Anthony shouted, sailing by on the bubbles.]]
At the seashore, a dove flew in with a message for Strega Nona.
""Bambolona,"" Strega Nona said to herself. ""What have you done?""
""Well, Strega Nona,"" the Mayor announced, ""at least the village will
be molto pulito - very clean! No real harm done.""]]
""Except when the wrong present gets into the wrong hands,"" Strega
Nona said. ""I hope you have learned your lesson, Bambolona!""
""Mi dispiace, Strega Nona, I'm sorry."" Bambolona said.
""Me too!"" Big Anthony said.
""But Strega Nona, this means that you'll never  be able to take a
vacation,"" the Mayor said.]]
""Certo!"" Strega Nona answered. ""Oh, yes, I will. Next time, I'll just
take Big Anthony and Bambolona with me!""]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Some support

Dialog: Multiple speakers

Dialog: Broken dialogue

Vocabulary: Some difficult words

Language: Few descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Story/Poem

Concept: Fanciful

Features

Integral Setting - Cultural/Regional

Foreign words

Topic

Vacations

*Family & Friends

Low Frequency Words

ancora	announced	arrivederci	bacio	certo
cielo	dispiace	headache	headaches	milking
molto	opposite	pulito	regali	remedies
remedy	signore	sogno	strega	toothaches
una	vacanza	vieni	villagers