Valentine's Day Gift of Love

Valentine's Day Gift of Love

Valentine's Day Gift of Love
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 4 to 5
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	4.18

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		hypothermia, resolve, professional, particularly, reading, warmth, february, background, deal, emergency, longer, often, gear, onto, skating, glide
	content words:		Since Susan, Even Susan, Then Rebekah

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Other Languages
     French: L'amour en cadeau de la Saint Valentin
     Spanish: Regalo de Amor en el Día de San Valentín
     German: Eine Liebesgabe am Valentinstag

Valentine's Day Gift of Love
By Beth Beutler

¹     Susan had never been skating before. Her mother and father had tried to get her to go many times, but she was too afraid to get out on the ice. She didn't even like to walk on the ice. Her six-year-old sister loved it. So, since Susan was older, she often went and watched her skate on the local pond, which was just a short walk up the street from their house.

²     February 14th was a particularly cold, crisp day. The sun was shining, but it was simply a yellow glow without any warmth. Still, Rebekah wanted to go skating. Susan reluctantly agreed to take her to the pond "just for a little while." They strapped on their boots, bundled up in snow gear, and headed down the street.

³     Since Susan and Rebekah were home-schooled, they often had the pond to themselves. The local kids didn't arrive until after 3:00.

⁴     Rebekah liked to practice twists and turns. She aspired to be a professional figure skater some day. Susan thought she was crazy, but she shrugged, thinking, "to each their own."

⁵     Even Susan had to admit that Rebekah skated particularly well today. She seemed to glide so smoothly, and her form was getting better and better. Every few minutes, Rebekah would call, "Hey, Susan! Look at this!" Susan would glance up from her book and smile at her sister. Then she'd go back to reading with the sound of blades slicing ice in the background.

⁶     This went on for quite a while, when suddenly, Susan heard Rebekah yell, "Susan! Help! Help me!" Susan looked up and saw Rebekah sprawled on the ice, holding her leg and moaning. "I can't move! Help!"

⁷     Susan looked around. Should she run for help? No, Mom and Dad weren't home just now. Most of the neighbors worked. She had to get Rebekah off the ice. What was worse, Rebekah was dangerously close to the edge of the pond where the ice was thinner than it was in the center. "I'll be right there!" Susan called.

⁸     She struggled to pull a branch off the tree behind her. Then she stepped to the pond and gulped. For a split second, her fear of ice almost overtook her and she began to shake. Then Rebekah called, "Hurry, the ice is cracking!" She began to wail.

⁹     From somewhere deep inside, Susan's resolve erupted. She firmly yelled, "Rebekah, don't panic. Lie still."

Paragraphs 10 to 18:
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