The Wish I Got
by Fred Miranda

Yesterday I read the girls two books. The first book I read to them was The Big Honey Hunt and the second was Stop that Ball. Before I started reading, I decided to make the stories a little more interesting by becoming the characters in the stories. Boy, Tracy and Michelle's eyes were poking out of their heads when I was reading the books to them.

I'm beginning to notice that my reading is getting faster. Later on that night when I was in bed, I realized that my dream came true. A month ago, I was watching TV in the living room; Holly was reading a bedtime story to the girls on the sofa. When I heard her reading that book, I turned off the TV; she was reading so beautifully that I said to myself, "Boy, I wish I could read as good as that".

As I was lying in bed thinking about that, I felt tears running down my face. I just realized that I had just read that book the same way she did. Boy, I was so happy and excited, I couldn't go to sleep. By the time I went to sleep it was one o'clock in the morning.

Background Information

Talk about the special relationship between parents and children and how important it is for them to do things together. Did your parents read to you? Also discuss the frustration that a person might feel when reading isn't easy.

1. What were the names of the books Fred read to his kids?

2. Why were the children so excited?

3. Why do you think that reading to his children was so important to Fred?

4. Use another word for poking in the sentence, "Tracy and Michelle's eyes were poking out of their heads when I was reading the books to them?"

5. What is beginning to happen to Fred's reading?

6. What was Fred's dream?

7. Why do you think reading to kids is so important?

8. Who is Holly?

9. What time was it when Fred went to sleep?

10. What does the word realize mean?