edHelper.com History of Books and Writing

John Steinbeck

---

John Steinbeck
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 9 to 12
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.65

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		desperation, gifted, letter-writer, simple-minded, well-researched, austere, upheaval, codeine, greenery, infernal, twentieth-century, recognition, astute, picker, portrayal, sympathetic
	content words:		John Steinbeck, John Steinbeck Day, Pacific Ocean, Paradise Lost, Le Morte, Stanford University, New York, Carol Henning, Pacific Grove, Tortilla Flat

---

Print John Steinbeck

Print John Steinbeck  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)

Quickly Print - PDF format

	Quickly Print: PDF (2 columns per page)
	Quickly Print: PDF (full page)

Quickly Print - HTML format

Quickly Print: HTML

Proofreading Activity

Print a proofreading activity

---

Feedback on John Steinbeck

Leave your feedback on John Steinbeck  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

John Steinbeck By Colleen Messina

---

¹     Not many authors have their own holiday, but John Steinbeck is one of the lucky ones. February 27 is John Steinbeck Day in California! Not surprisingly, the prize-winning author was born in Salinas, California on February 27, 1902. John enjoyed the Pacific Ocean, and much of his later fiction was set in his home state. His mother loved books and instilled a love of the classics in her son. John loved Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, as well as Milton's Paradise Lost and Le Morte d' Arthur.
 
²     Steinbeck worked on farms and ranches during his school vacations, and these experiences served him well when he later wrote about migrant workers. He graduated from high school in 1919 and attended Stanford University. He studied marine biology and English but never received a degree, saying that he had always planned to be a writer. He wrote short stories and poems for university publications. In 1925, he left the university to pursue his writing career in New York.
 
³     Steinbeck did not do well in New York. Perhaps he missed the milder climate, lush greenery, and ocean beaches of his childhood. He returned to California, and he kept on writing. He also did odd jobs to support himself. He worked as a painter, a surveyor, and even a fruit picker. Steinbeck published several novels, but his work received very little attention. He married Carol Henning in 1930, and when they moved to Pacific Grove, it provided inspiration for his first literary success.
 
⁴     Steinbeck then had a breakthrough. He wrote a story called Tortilla Flat in 1935, which won the California Commonwealth Club's Gold Medal for the best novel by a California author. This humorous novel tells the story of some fun-loving Mexican-Americans. It is written in a vivid, descriptive style, and one of its main themes is cultural conflict. His success improved his financial life tremendously. Instead of just earning $35 a week, he was now paid thousands of dollars for the film rights to Tortilla Flat.
 
⁵     Steinbeck then had another great success when he wrote Of Mice and Men in 1937. This tragic story hit a chord during the Great Depression. Many people were struggling, and this novel was about hard work and broken dreams. Two friends wanted to own a farm. Lenny was a gentle, simple-minded giant who is so big and strong that his other friend, George, has to watch out for him. However, their plans go horribly wrong, and the book ends in tragedy.

Paragraphs 6 to 12:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

History of Books and Writing

History of Books and Writing

---

More Lessons

High School Reading Comprehensions and High School Reading Lessons

---

Social Studies

Social Studies

2004 Elections         2008 Elections         United States History and Theme Units         American Government         Ancient America         Ancient China         Ancient Egypt         Ancient Greece         Ancient India         Ancient Mesopotamia         Ancient Rome         Biographies         Canadian Theme Unit         Country Theme Units         Crime and Terrorism         Economics

European History: 1600s-1800s         Explorers         Famous Educators         Geography         Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series         History of Books and Writing         History of Mathematics         How Can I Help?         Inventors and Inventions         Middle Ages         Renaissance         World Religion         World War I         World War II         World Wonders

---

More Activities, Lesson Plans, and Worksheets

Back to School Graphic Organizers Alphabet Worksheets Sight Words Math Worksheets Mazes 50 States Monthly Themes January February March April May June July August September October November December

Fractions Place Value Time and Calendar Money Earth Day Solar System Analogies Nouns Following Directions Listening Capitalization Cursive Writing Patterns and Sequencing Dinosaurs All About Me Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade

Multiplication Division Main Idea Cause and Effect Measurement Decimals Rounding Order of Operations Verbs Community Helpers Adjectives Plants Grammar Addition and Subtraction Contractions Bulletin Board Ideas Word Searches Crossword Puzzles Printable Puzzles Reading Comprehension Reading Skills English Language Arts

Copyright © 2011 edHelper