4th Grade Summaries Theme 2
Tomás and the Library Lady
Summary 1:
Tomás missed his bed and his house in Texas. He and his family were
driving to Iowa where his parents worked on farms for the summer. When Tomás
and his brother rested from working and playing, Papá Grande, their grandfather,
would tell them stories in Spanish.
One day, Papá Grande told Tomás that he should go to the library to find
some new stories in English. Tomás was nervous when he got there, but the
Library Lady welcomed him in. She gave him a glass of water and helped him find
books about things he liked, such as dinosaurs and tigers. She even helped him
check out books to take home to his family.
In the evenings Tomás read books aloud to his family in English. When he
read to himself, Tomás would forget about everything else and imagine he was
riding a dinosaur. In the library, Tomás began to teach the Library Lady words in
Spanish.
One day, Tomás brought Papá Grande to the library to meet the Library
Lady and to say good-bye. They were going back to Texas. On the bumpy ride
home, Tomás held a new book the Library Lady had given him. He imagined he
was riding a dinosaur.
Poem: Library Search
I’m searching all the shelves
For a very special book.
Here it is! I found it!
Come and take a look.
It tells about the dinosaurs.
It has great pictures, too.
After I check out my book,
Let’s find one for you!
Summary 2:
Every summer, Tomás and his family went to Iowa. His parents worked on a
farm there during the summer. They worked in Texas during the rest of the year.
Papá Grande, Tomás’s grandfather, told many stories to Tomás. Tomás
loved his stories. Papá Grande told Tomás that he was old enough to go to the
library himself. At the library, Tomás could find many new stories.
Tomás was nervous when he first got to the library. The Library Lady made
him feel better. She gave Tomás a glass of water. She helped Tomás find books
that he would like.
Tomás spent the whole day at the library. His imagination took him away to
many fantastic places. The Library Lady helped Tomás check out some books, so
he could take them home. At night, Tomás read the books to his family.
All summer long, he went to the library. Sometimes he read to the Library
Lady, and sometimes he read by himself. He taught the Library Lady some words
in Spanish. At the end of the summer, it was time to say adios, or good-bye, to the
kind Library Lady.
Tanya’s Reunion
Summary 1:
Tanya could hardly wait to visit the farm in Virginia where her grandmother
grew up! She was excited about spending time with Grandma and helping to
prepare for her family’s big reunion.
But when Tanya got there, nothing was the way she expected. The
farmhouse was old and dusty, it rained all the time, and Grandma was always busy.
Tanya felt unhappy and wanted to go home. Grandma didn’t notice, because she
was helping the family get ready for the reunion.
When Grandma finally saw that something was wrong, she sat down with
Tanya to talk. Grandma told Tanya what the farm was like when she was a young
girl. She told Tanya about her grandparents who had built the farm. When Tanya
saw the farm through her grandmother’s eyes, it seemed interesting and exciting
again.
Tanya and her cousin found fun ways to help out, like feeding the chickens
and picking apples. But best of all, Tanya found a piece of a fence post with her
grandparents’ initials carved into it. Her discovery made her feel proud and
connected to her family’s history. And now the whole family was about to arrive!
Poem: I Wish
My grandma’s in the kitchen.
My grandpa’s in there, too.
My aunts and uncles are helping
My mom and dad cook barbecue.
My cousins are playing
A game of “Keep Away.”
I wish that all my other days
Could be just like today.
Summary 2:
Tanya was excited. She and Grandma were taking a trip to a farm. Her
grandmother grew up there. The whole family would be coming to the farm. They
were having a family reunion. Tanya and Grandma went to the farm a few days
early to help get everything ready.
When Tanya got to the farm, it wasn’t what she expected. The farmhouse
was old. There weren’t any animals. It rained all the time. Grandma was too busy
to spend time with her. Tanya was unhappy and wanted to go home.
Grandma finally realized that Tanya wasn’t happy. Grandma told Tanya about
when she was young. She talked about the farm, and all the fun she had growing
up there. She told Tanya about other family members who lived on the farm. After
talking with Grandma, the farm started to seem interesting and exciting.
Tanya helped get ready for the reunion. She fed the chickens and picked
apples. Tanya found an old piece of wood with her grandparents’ initials in it. This
made her feel proud. She felt closer to her family and their history. Tanya saw that
she could enjoy being on the farm.
Boss of the Plains
Summary 1:
John Stetson made fancy hats just like everyone else in his family. They
owned a hat shop in New Jersey. The 1840’s were a great time to be in the hat
business because everyone wore hats back then. It was a good life, but young John
dreamed about going west.
One day, some years later, he decided he just couldn’t wait anymore. He
joined other adventurers and traveled to Colorado to look for gold. Life was hard
on the frontier. Gold was scarce and John’s hat was no good in rough weather. It
didn’t protect him from the sun, wind, and rain. So John decided to make a new
hat-one unlike any other. It was high and wide and it was grand and tough. At first
other people made fun of it. But one day a traveler wanted to buy it, and for good
money too.
Soon John returned east. He had an idea: if one Westerner liked his big hat,
maybe others would too. So he made many more of them, calling the hat the “Boss
of the Plains.” At first no one was interested, and John feared he’d been a failure.
Then, all of a sudden, orders began pouring in. The new hat was a hit!
Before long, John couldn’t make hats fast enough. His creation was just
what Westerners were looking for in a hat. The Boss of the Plains was well on its
way to becoming an American legend!
Poem: Go West!
Pack up the wagon.
Hitch up the team.
Go on out West
To follow your dream!
They say there’s gold,
And the land is free.
Come see for yourself.
Go west with me!
Summary 2:
In the 1840’s, John Stetson was a hat maker. His family had been making
hats for years. John lived in New Jersey. He dreamed of going west. The life in the
West seemed exciting to him.
One day, he did go west. He went across the country with a group of people.
They went to Colorado and looked for gold. Life was not easy. John decided to
make a new hat. He needed a new hat because he wanted protection from the
weather.
The new hat he made was very big and had a large brim. This hat protected
him from the sun and the rain. Some people laughed at John’s hat. But one day, a
man came up to John and said he wanted to buy John’s hat. He paid a lot of money
for it.
John didn’t have any luck looking for gold. So he went back East. He started
to make hats again. He decided to make a lot of big hats like the one he had made
out West. He would send them west and see if people would buy them. He called
his hat the “Boss of the Plains.”
People didn’t buy his hats at first. But then, everyone bought the hats and
John had to make many more. Soon, everyone in the West was wearing John’s hat.
It was the perfect hat for them.
A Very Important Day
Summary 1:
All over New York City families and friends were waking up early. It was a
very important day for all of them. When they looked outside they all saw the same
thing: It was snowing!
For some people, like Veena from India and Kiki from Greece, it was the
first time they had seen snow. For others, like Lev from Russia and Robert from
Scotland, the snow reminded them of the countries they had come from. But no
matter where they had come from, everyone had to get up that morning and travel
downtown to do something very important.
Some people took the subway to get downtown. Others rode the bus or
walked. One family even traveled on a kind of boat called a ferry. Some people
shoveled the snow while others played in it. And some families ate a special
breakfast before they went downtown, to celebrate this very important day.
What was so important about this day? This was the day when all of these
people were going to become citizens of the United States of America! They went
to a courthouse downtown for the ceremony. When they left, they were all U.S.
citizens.
Poem: The Weather
They’re wearing their snow boots in China.
They’re swimming in El Salvador.
It’s quite foggy today in Scotland.
Here the rain is starting to pour.
The weather is different all over.
It changes from day to day, too.
If you don’t like the weather you’re having,
Tomorrow will bring something new!
Summary 2
Many people in New York City woke up early one day. It was very
important day for them. When they woke up and looked out the window, they saw
that is was snowing.
Some people had never seen snow before. They were from other countries,
such as India or Ghana, where it never snows. Other people had seen the snow
before. They were reminded of the countries they came from, such as Russia and
Scotland, where it snows a lot.
Even with all the snow, everyone had something important to do that day. So
they all went downtown. Some people took the subway. Other people walked and
took the bus. One family took a ferry to go downtown.
All of the families went to the courthouse. It was an important day for all of
them. They were all going to a ceremony. It was an important ceremony because
they were all becoming citizens of the United States of America.