Text Leveling System

Grace the Cove Dragon

RDQ:	1151	Max Word/Sent	23	Total Words	3002		Diff Words	818
Lex	770	Ave Word/.Sent	7	Hi Freq occurs	2161	72%	Hi freq	356	43.5%
AR	3.9	Long Sentences	0.5	Low Freq occurs	149	5%	Low freq	111	13.6%

Grace had been at sleepaway camp for only a
few days, but she already loved it. For two whole
weeks she would get to do her favorite thing
in the world: swim! At this special camp, kids
could have coaching sessions in their favorite
water sport. Some kids were learning to
water ski; others were doing diving, surfing, or]]
wakeboarding. Grace was training in the pool.
She was already one of the fastest swimmers
on her team. After camp, she'd be unbeatable!
Grace was sharing a cabin with an awesome
surfer named Zoe and a champion diver
named Sofia. The three girls had very different
skills. Their personalities were different,
too. But they had one thing in common: They
all loved being in the water.
After training ended each day, everyone had
free time. Some kids went for hikes in the forest
or read in their cabins. But Grace, Zoe, and
Sofia always joined the group headed to the
small cove near camp.
"You've been in the water all morning," teased]]
Emily. their counselor. as the girls spread out
their towels on the golden sand. "Isn't that
enough for one day?"
"No!" Grace, Zoe, and Sofia cried at the
same time.
"Who wouldn't want to be here?" Grace
gazed around the beautiful cove. The sun hung
low in the sky and a soft golden light danced
across the water. All around the bay, palm trees
swayed in the gentle breeze. Small children ran
in wild circles around their parents, and a group
of teenagers played ball by the shore. A salty
sea smell wafted through the air.
Emily laughed. "I can't argue with that. Okay,
you three know the rules. Make sure you stay]]
within sight of the lifeguards, and don't swim
past that red buoy."
"Who's coming in?" Grace asked her new
friends.
"I might lie here for a few minutes," Zoe said,
stretching out on her towel.
I'll just check out the pier first," Sofia said.
"I want to see if the water is deep enough for
me to dive off."
"Okay! I'll see you out there," Grace said.
standing up.
Swimming in a pool was great. But there
was something about swimming in the sea
that Grace couldn't resist. She just had to go
in! It was like being under a magic spell.]]
Grace ran across the sand and splashed into
the sparkling water. Small waves broke against
her legs as she waded out. Even though she
had been practicing all morning, Grace still
felt excited to swim. The red buoy floated up
and down on the gentle waves. Emily had told
them not to swim past it. She didn't say not to
swim to it, though!]]
Grace turned back to shore. Emily waved
and Grace waved back. Then she plunged into
the water and began to swim.
Swimming in the sea was way more challenging
than swimming in a calm pool. But
Grace loved it. Sometimes she swam over the
top of a newly forming wave. Other times.
when the wave was about to break, she ducked
underneath.
Before long, Grace was in a rhythm. Her arms
curved through the shimmering water. Her
head turned for air. One. two, three, breathe.
As she swam, Grace sang to herself. But
soon she realized it wasn't just her own singing
that she could hear.]]
Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore ...
Grace stopped swimming. Treading water,
she looked all around. Who was singing about
a magic forest out here in the water? Had Zoe
or Sofia swum out to join her?
But no one was nearby. How odd! I must have
imagined it, Grace decided.
The red buoy was just up ahead now, bobbing
cheerfully on the waves. A strange feeling
bobbed inside Grace, too. Something magical
is about to happen.
Once again, Grace heard the strange song.
Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore.]]
She was certain she hadn't imagined the
music this time. But where was it coming
from? The buoy? It seemed unlikely, but she
was almost there. She would check if there was
a speaker on it somewhere.
Still treading water, Grace looked back at the
shore. She waved to Emily again to let her know
she was doing fine. Then Grace swam the last
few strokes to the red buoy. Her heart beat fast
as a new line of the song swirled around her.
Magic Forest, Magic Forest. hear my roar!
What did that mean? Grace had no idea.
Grace's fingers made contact with the]]
smooth plastic of the buoy. She swam in place
for a moment, waiting. But for what, she wasn't
sure. Grace counted to five. Nothing happened.
She counted to ten.
Still nothing.
Grace burst out laughing. For a moment there
she'd really thought that something magical
was about to happen!
I'll swim back to shore and see if Zoe and
Sofia are ready to join me, she decided.
Pressing against the buoy, she flipped backward,
diving under the water. Bubbles whirled
around her, tickling her skin. Grace closed her
eyes, twirling as she glided through the frothy
seawater.]]
Was it her imagination, or did the water feel
different now? Warmer and somehow softer.
When Grace surfaced for air, her eyes widened
in surprise. It wasn't just the water that had
changed. Everything had!]]
Grace looked back at the shore. A moment ago,
the cove had been full of people, swimming and
playing. Now there was no one here at all! Even
stranger, the parking lot had disappeared. In
its place grew a huge forest. Tall trees reached
toward the sky, their leaves rustling. The sounds
of twittering birds filled the air.]]
"Where am I?" Grace wondered out loud.
Her voice sounded strange. Louder and more
powerful somehow.
A tiny fish popped its head out of the water.
It had a purple tail, a pink face, and an orange
body and fins.
"Wow, Grace breathed. "You're the prettiest
fish I have ever seen!"
The fish wiggled its fins in a pleased kind
of way. And then it spoke. "Thank you. And
you're the nicest Sea Dragon I've ever met.
Grace laughed with delight. The fish could
talk! But it was clearly a little confused. I'm
no Sea Dragon, she explained. I'm just an]]
ordinary girl. Tell me, little fish-where am I?
Everything looks different."
"You're in the Magic Forest, the fish said,
flapping its fins and sending shimmering water
everywhere. "In the Magic Cove at the edge of
the forest, to be precise. My name is FinFin. I
am here to help you. Also, you're definitely a
Sea Dragon. Just take a look at yourself if you
don't believe me!"
Grace looked down and gasped. She was
still in the water, but even so, she could see her
body was completely different! She was covered
with gleaming aqua scales, for one thing.
And her legs had disappeared! Instead, she had]]
an elegant fish tall. It swished back and forth
keeping her afloat Then she caught sight of
her face, reflected in the water's surface. Tall
ears twitched on the top of her head. She also
had horns, shining like mother-of-pearl!
"Can this be real?" Grace asked herself. It all
felt like a dream .]]
"Try roaring, if you still don't believe it,"
FinFin suggested.
Grace was about to explain that she didn't
know how to roar when a funny burbling
grew in her chest. She opened her mouth
and a huge roar burst from her. It was so
loud that a flock of birds in the forest rose
into the air like a colorful cloud, twittering in
fright.
"Did I do that?" Grace gasped.
"You certainly did," FinFin said, clapping her
fins together, even though they made no sound.
"And that was nothing! When Sea Dragons
roar underwater, it can be heard hundreds of
miles away. But there's no time to try that now.]]
We need to get to the glade. The Tree Queen
is waiting for you."'
"The Tree Queen?"' Grace repeated. This was
getting stranger by the minute. "Who's that?"'
"The ruler of the Magic Forest, of course!"'
explained FinFin. "She is the one who called
you and the other Sea Dragons to help. There
is a big problem with the Magic Cove."
Grace looked around. The sea was beautiful.
Here and there rocks jutted out, glowing
in the warm sunshine. Graceful palm trees lined
the shore. The cove seemed perfect to her.
"What sort of problem?" she asked.
FinFin did a flip, sending sparkling droplets
flying. "All I know is that it's something to do]]
with the Fire Queen. She hates water! We must
be careful on our way to the glade. The Fire
Queens helpers are the Fire Sparks. They are
bad news, believe me.
Grace nodded. Just because she couldn't see
a problem didn't mean there wasn't one. "How
do we get to this glade?"
"We fly, of course!" FinFin said.]]
The little fish leapt up out of the water, flapping
her fins furiously. Grace expected her
to fall back down into the sea. But she didn't.
Instead, FinFin began swishing back and
forth, flicking her bright tail. She was swimming
but in midair!
"Come on," FinFin urged. "We must get going."
"Sorry, but I can't fly!" Grace explained.
"Maybe I could swim there?"
Finfin did another twirl. "Of course you can
fly. What do you think those wings on your
back are for?"
Grace looked over her shoulder. Sure
enough. she had two magnificent wings. She
felt her heart begin to beat in double time.]]
Was it really possible that she could fly?
She stretched out her wings and tried flapping
them. The water frothed with bubbles.
"That's it!" said Finfin excitedly. "Keep
trying!"
Once again, Grace flapped her wings. And
this time she rose above the surface of the
water! A moment later, however, she crashed
back down Into the sea. "Are you sure I can't
just swim there?" She groaned when she
resurfaced.
"Give it another try." Finfin said. "It's harder
when your wings are wet. You'll get it next
time. I just know."
Finfin was right. This time, when Grace]]
began to flap, she soared into the air-and
stayed there!
"Follow me," FinFin called.
With a flick of her purple tail, the tiny fish
flew away, her fins a fluttering blur.
Grace followed. At first, her flying was a bit
wobbly. There were a few moments when she
flew so low to the water that her mermaid-like
tail skimmed the surface. But gradually she
got better and stronger. Before long, she was
flying up high above the cove.
FinFin and Grace flew across the water
toward the tall trees beyond. They had entered
the Magic Forest! The air swirled with the rich]]
scent of tropical flowers and fruits. There was
another scent, too.
That's the smell of pure magic, Grace decided.
It was a smell she could get used to!
FinFin flew lower, darting through the trees.
Her purple tail swished from side to side. Grace
followed as closely as she could. But it was more
difficult flying through a thick forest than over
the sparkling sea. She really hoped she didn't
get tangled up in a low-hanging branch.
As the forest grew denser and darker, Grace
saw pinpoints of light out of the corner of her
eye. She felt like she was being watched. Were
they fireflies? Then she remembered FinFin]]
had said something about Fire Sparks. Maybe
that's what these things were!
Grace was about to ask FinFin when they
burst through the dense thicket and came into
a clearing. In the clearing was a strange, shimmering
light. It looked like some sort of magical
force field, swirling with colors. Through the
shimmering air, Grace could just make out a
garden inside it.
FinFin did a happy little twirl. "We're at the
glade!"]]
Grace reached a paw through the shimmering
air. It tingled as it passed through.
The air on the other side of the force field
was warm.
Grace's eyes widened in delight. She looked
at FinFin. "Are you coming with me?"]]
"No," replied the little fish. "But don't worry,
you're about to meet the other Sea Dragons.
And we'll see each other again soon."
"Promise?" Grace asked. FinFin already felt
like a friend.
"Promise!" FinFin replied.
With a flick of her purple tail, the little fish
disappeared through the trees.
"Okay then, here I go," Grace muttered to
herself.
She took a deep breath and pushed
through the force field. On the other side
was a beautiful garden. Grace saw flowers
everywhere she looked. Their bright colors
lit up the glade and their sweet scent filled]]
the air. Exotic butterflies flitted from blossom
to blossom. A jewel-like pond glimmered
nearby.
In the center of the glade grew a magnificent
tree covered with deep green leaves
and ripe-looking fruit. Grace felt calm just
looking at the tree. There was something
about the strong branches that made her
feel safe.
"Isn't this the most amazing place ever?"
said a voice.
For the first time. Grace noticed that
she wasn't alone in the glade. Two other
Sea Dragons hovered nearby! One was the
color of coral and the other was a beautiful]]
golden sandy color, flecked with pale blue.
There was something oddly familiar about
the dragons. It suddenly clicked. "Zoe? Sofia?"
Grace cried.
"Yes! It's me, Zoe!" the sandy-colored dragon
said. "Sofia and I just got here as well. We've
been practicing our flying and roaring."
The two dragons flew closer and gave Grace
a midair wing-hug.
It was unbelievable! Grace's friends from
summer camp were also Sea Dragons!
"I always knew camp would be an adventure."
Sofia laughed. "But I didn't realize it would be
THIS adventurous!"]]
Grace looked around the glade. "Have you
met the Tree Queen yet?" she asked. She had
the feeling that they had some kind of mission
ahead of them. She was eager to find out what
it was.
"No. but I think we're about to," Zoe said.
"Look!" She pointed a talon at the tree in the
center of the glade.
The tree swayed gently back and forth. Then,
as the three Sea Dragons watched in awe. the
trunk changed into an elegant woman. dressed
in a flowing moss-green gown. The leaves
became long hair framing a wise and beautiful
face.]]
Smiling, the figure stretched out her branches
to greet them. "Welcome to the Magic Forest,
Sea Dragons!" she said in a warm, rich voice.
"I am so glad you made it here. We are in need
of your help."
Grace flew closer to the great tree. "What is
the problem, exactly? I heard it's something to
do with a Fire Queen?"]]
The Tree Queen nodded, her face serious. "I
fear so. The Fire Queen is not fond of water,
as you can probably imagine. The three Sea
Keepers have gone missing. We suspect she is
behind their disappearance."
"What are Sea Keepers?" Zoe asked
"They are the ocean creatures who help keep
the seas in balance," the Tree Queen explained.
"The three Sea Keepers enter the Undersea
Garden every full moon. Together, they must
check the Water Watch. This watch is very
important and very powerful. It controls the
tides and ensures the balance of the water
realms. Once a year, on the full moon, they
must wind the watch. That full moon is fast]]
approaching. If the Sea Keepers are not there,
the Water Watch will not be wound up."
Sofia looked worried. And what will happen
then?"
The Tree Queen sighed and swayed her
branches. "I am not sure. It has never happened
before. It's possible the Fire Queen plans
to drain the seas entirely."
Grace, Zoe, and Sofia gasped. They shared a
deep love of the water. It was what had brought
them to camp. The idea of anyone destroying
the seas was too terrible to imagine!
"We won't let that happen! And we'll find the
missing Sea Keepers," Grace said, turning to
her friends. "Right?"]]
"Right," Zoe and Sofia agreed.
The Tree Queen smiled. "I knew I could rely
on you, my brave Sea Dragons."
"But where should we start?" asked Sofia.
"The sea is huge!"
"It certainly is vast," the Tree Queen agreed.
"And you will only be able to rescue one Sea
Keeper at a time. You should start by visiting
the Diamond Dolphins. One of the missing Sea
Keepers is their leader. They might have some
clues to help in your search."
Diamond Dolphins! Grace had always wanted
to swim with dolphins. And Diamond Dolphins
sounded very special indeed.
"But you three will need to be very careful,"]]
warned the Tree Queen as her leaves rustled.
"Do not assume you are safe in the water. The
Fire Queen is very clever. We even think that
she has found a way to make her helpers, the
Fire Sparks, waterproof!"
Grace looked at her new friends. She was
glad that she did not have to battle this Fire
Queen and her Fire Sparks on her own. She
could tell from their expressions that they felt
the same.
"I cannot come with you, of course. The Tree
Queen waved a branch in the direction of her
impressive roots. "But in a certain way, I will
be with you. Take one of these each.]]
The queen stretched out a branch. Three
delicate silver chains dangled from it. On each
chain hung a white shell, shaped like a fan.
"These shells have special powers," the queen
explained. "They will help you in your quest.
Wear them, and keep them safe."
Grace took a chain and slipped it around her
paw. It was very pretty. Wearing it made her feel
calm and somehow even more powerful. She
wasn't sure what the shell actually did, but
she could sense its magic.
Grace turned to the Tree Queen, about to
thank her. But the queen had begun transforming
back into a tree. Her hair re-formed]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: No support

Dialog: Multiple speakers

Dialog: Broken dialogue

Vocabulary: Some difficult words

Language: Many descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Blend of written/oral

Concept: Fanciful

Features

Character traits

Topic

Fish

Danger

Dragons

Dolphins

Sharks

*Fictional Ideas/Charac

Low Frequency Words

adventurous	afloat	approaching	assume	awe
blur	breathed	buoy	burbling	challenging
coaching	coral	counselor	curved	dangled
delicate	denser	diamond	disappearance	droplets
elegant	ensures	excitedly	exotic	expressions
familiar	finfin	flecked	flicking	flitted
framing	frothed	frothy	furiously	gazed
glade	glimmered	graceful	gradually	hovered
imagination	imagined	impressive	jewel	jutted
leapt	lifeguards	magical	magnificent	midair
mission	moments	muttered	newly	oddly
ordinary	pearl	personalities	pier	pinpoints
plunged	practicing	precise	prettiest	pure
realize	realms	reflected	rely	resist
resurfaced	rhythm	rustled	rustling	scent
seawater	sessions	shared	shimmering	skimmed
sleepaway	soared	sofia	sparkling	surfer
surfing	swirled	swirling	swished	swum
talon	tangled	teenagers	thicket	transforming
treading	tropical	twirling	twitched	twittering
unbeatable	unbelievable	underwater	urged	wafted
wakeboarding	warned	waterproof	whirled	widened
wobbly