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Moving Day

Moving Day
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grade 9
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.44

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    bedlam, conventional-looking, even-tempered, haphazardly, irreparable, tacit, torrid, civic, antisocial, candid, clutching, somewhat, better, absolute, next-door, ample
     content words:    West Virginia, Anthony Joseph Atkins, I'm Mr

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Moving Day
By Laura G. Smith 		  
1     We felt a little like spies. My little brother and I had our noses pressed firmly against the window in our front den as we watched our new neighbors unpacking their U-Haul van. The license plate on their SUV passively announced that they had moved from the state of West Virginia. I decided it was my civic duty to welcome them to Lexington, Kentucky!
 
2     The people who used to live next door were pretty antisocial most of the time. I was hoping things would be different with this family, so I decided to march right over and meet them. I prayed that I wouldn't totally embarrass myself.
 
3     As I approached their somewhat conventional-looking house, they didn't seem to notice me. They were too busy haphazardly unloading boxes off of the truck and piling them in the front yard. The two youngest kids were getting in the way more than they were helping. It was absolute bedlam! I was just about to chicken out and head back home when the oldest boy came blundering towards me clutching a piece of poster board under his arm.
 
4     "Hi there!" I said in my friendliest voice. "I'm Erin from next door. I guess we're about to be neighbors!" Standing with a startled look on his face, the boy was hesitant to speak. "So what's that poster under your arm?" I asked, trying to ease the awkwardness.
 
5     "This is a diagram of my new bedroom," he answered in a more grown-up voice than I expected to hear. "It shows where we're planning to put my bed, the dresser, my desk, and a lot of other stuff. I drew it myself. Isn't it cool?" I glanced at the drawing, offered an approving nod, and asked him his name.
 
6     "Well, my full name is Anthony Joseph Atkins, but you can call me Tony for short."
 
7     "Nice to meet you Tony. Can I help you carry some stuff to your room?"
 
8     "There really isn't much to carry since most of my things were burned up in the fire," Tony replied in a very candid manner.

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