25 tag along tim

Level: J
DRA: 18
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Strategy:
Summarize
Skill:
Understanding Characters
Word Count: 358

Tag-Along T im
by Rachael Stein
illustrated by George Ulrich

1.5.25

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

ISBN-13:978-0-547-02728-9
ISBN-10:0-547-02728-1

1032763
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN

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Tag-Along Tim

by Rachael Stein
illustrated by George Ulrich

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
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Printed in China
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02728-9
ISBN-10: 0-547-02728-1
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Andrew was going to the park
to play ball. His little brother Tim
said, “I want to go, too.”
“No way,” said Andrew.
“Playing ball is for big kids. You
don’t even go to school yet!”
Tim turned to Mom. “Please,
can I go to the park with Andrew?”
2

Mom said to Andrew, “I’m sure
Tim will be very good.”
Andrew felt his cheeks get red.
He said, “You can play ball when
you’re seven. I’ll take you with
me then, okay?”

3


Mom said, “Tim can watch
while you play ball.”
Andrew frowned at Tim.
“Why do you always follow
me around? Why do you go
everywhere I go?”
4

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Mom said, “That’s enough,
Andrew! You can take your
brother to the park, or you can
stay home. You decide.”
Andrew glared at his little

brother. “Okay, you can come
with me.”
5

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Saturday was Andrew’s
birthday. Dad had promised to
buy Andrew a special present in
the city.
Tim asked, “Can I come? I
want to get you a present!”
“But Dad . . .” began Andrew.
6


Dad said, “People in a family
care about one another.”
“Okay,” mumbled Andrew.
At the toy store, they bought
balloons and hats for a birthday
party. Then Andrew picked out
paints for his present.
7


When they got home, Andrew

said to Tim, “I want to paint by
myself. You’ll only make a mess.”
Dad said, “Andrew, you should
be a good example for your
brother. You can show him how
to paint.”
Andrew tried, but Tim splashed
paint on himself.
8


Later, Tim went to his room to
play. It was more quiet than usual.
Andrew walked by Tim’s room
and saw that he had built a tower
of blocks. Just as Tim put one
more block on the tower, it crashed
to the floor.
“What are you doing?” asked
Andrew kindly.
“I want to build a fort, but it
keeps falling down,” said Tim.
9


“I’ll help you build a fort,”
Andrew said. He showed Tim how
to stack the blocks carefully.
“Can you show me how to build
a castle?” asked Tim.

“Sure I can,” said Andrew.
“That’s what brothers are for.”
10

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Responding
Understanding
Characters What do you know
about Andrew? What does he
say? What does he do? How
does he feel? Make a chart.
TARGET SKILL

Talk About It
Text to Self Think about your
little brothers or sisters, or your
friend’s brothers or sisters.
What do they do when they want
to play with you or your friend?
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WORDS TO KNOW

buy

myself

school

city

party

seven

family

please
LEARN MORE WORDS

crashed

example

special

Understanding
Characters Tell more about
characters.
TARGET SKILL

Summarize
Stop to tell important events as
you read.
TARGET STRATEGY

GENRE Realistic fiction is a story
that could happen in real life.
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Level: J
DRA: 18
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Strategy:
Summarize
Skill:
Understanding Characters
Word Count: 358

Tag-Along T im
by Rachael Stein
illustrated by George Ulrich

1.5.25

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

ISBN-13:978-0-547-02728-9
ISBN-10:0-547-02728-1

1032763
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN

1_027289_AL_LRSE_CVR_L25_TLONG.indd 1

5/17/10 6:45:53 PM