Joanie Clarkson
The Coal Thief is written by Alane Adams, illustrated by Lauren Gallegos and read by Christian Slater. Brrr! Georgie wakes up to a freezing morning in 1920s Pennsylvania and gets the bad news that there is no coal to heat the farmhouse―and he knows there is no money to buy more, either. Just after he finds this out, along comes his friend Harley, who drags him off on an adventure to find some mysterious “black gold.” Before Georgie can catch his breath, he’s in a pile of trouble―all the way up to his ears! Take a trip back in time and join Georgie in this heartwarming tale of mischief made and lessons learned in America’s storied past.
Transcript
Welcome to Storyline online brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I’m Christian Slater and today I’m going to read the call thief written by Elaine atoms and illustrated by Lauren guy goes one morning, Georgie went into the kitchen. You poked around the pot belly stove hoping to find a stray lump of coal. It don’t bother Georgie. Mama said there’s been no coal for three days, but I’m cold and shivered in the IC Kitchen. Put your code on. Georgia took his coat down from the hook. When papa coming home. He’s fixing a broken rail line home for supper. Just than the door burst open and his friend Harley rushed in, grab your boots, Georgie, we’re going on an adventure. Georgie, hurry to put on his boots. Where we going? Train’s coming. Harley train’s coming every day at this train. Come on. We don’t want to miss it. Or they had a wheelbarrow, front, started walking down the road towards you had a lot of questions. What’s the willpower for he asked, it’s surprise, the trains carrying something special. George’s heartbeat faster. Where’s it coming from? Virginia? Georgie, frown. What’s in Virginia? Lacked go, hurry up. We don’t have much time. Georgia trotted to keep up with hardly walk to the train depot at the edge of town. This were the black gold is George he asked quiet, we don’t want anyone to see. Yes. Why not? Louisburg, it will spoil the surprise. Hardly crouched down behind a locomotive. So Georgia did the same thing. It was cold. George’s toes stuck out in the holes in his boots. The blast of a whistle may jump, comes home and cry. Steam engine into the station. Hurley jumped down this way, Georgie. They ran along the tracks and the end of the training, Hurley lifted him up the side of a rail car. Georgie looked inside. It was filled with chunks of cone, an entire mountain of it. Black. Go. Georgie, look down at Harley, What should I do? Climb inside and toss them over. Georgie, blink. Isn’t that stealing? Harley skeleton them. And you tired of being cold every morning? Yes. But don’t be a chick and Georgie are all tell on you and say it was your idea. Georgie slowly climbed over the top and landed on the hard lumps. You pick one up and tossed it over. Harley caught and set it on the ground. Another he said, Georgia, grab two lumps and drop them down. Or the greened up atom, it’s going to be a long winter, Georgie, keep it coming. Georgia began throwing the pieces faster and faster. Suddenly the tree gave a jerk. Georgia fell backwards. Georgia, get out of their hourly call, that the mountain of cool, it’s swallowed him up. The train. Pickups be helped me hourly. Georgie shouted, try to push off the call. Then Pappus had appeared over the top of the rail car. Time to go. Georgie Popper reached out his hand and pull Georgie Frank. He sat on the edge of the rail car. When Papa said jump, Georgie jumbled, papa help Georgia to his feet via senior boys had this way, you’d be halfway to Texas by now. Georgie crane his neck, looking for Harley, but his friend turn tail and run. Sorry papa, you know, stealing is wrong. Papa said sternly, Georgie nodded, feeling the shape, curling toes. They walk back a little mountain of coal. Papa scratched his head. Trains. Now, we can’t get back the call. And I’ve got an idea what to do with it. Helped me loaded a role, the wheelbarrow down the street to house with the sagging front porch. This is what I’ll call backs house. Georgie said, Papa handed him to large chunks of coal. Leave this fire door and knock twice that. Run on back here. Georgie climb the steps, the porch, Creek doners weight, dropping the cold. Georgie wrapped his knuckles on the door and ran back to Papa. The hid behind some bushes. After a moment it was callback open the door, which despite the call, she lifted it up, holding it to her chest and cried, God bless you. George’s heartfelt, so warm, it’s in tingles right down to his toes. Who else pop up? Come on. Children’s home is just down the road. They trundled the card to a large brick house. Kids ran about in the yard. One of the boys came over to the fence, Georgia, chunks of columns, arms. Thank you, The boy said than freezing all winter, shivered and the thin shirt that Georgie hesitate, then took off his coat. Here. Take this too small for me anyway. Boy’s eyes grew wide. Mean it. Georgie nodded, piling the code on top of the boys arms. Pubmed, many more stops to make. By the time they got home, Georgia was covered in coal dust from elbow to years. And there was only one chunk of coal left. Who were giving this last piece too. That’s for your mother. Papa winged. Maybe she won’t notice you gave away you’re good code. It reached the porch. Georgie, climb the steps. But papa turned to go. Are you coming improper? I still have a day’s work to do Sun Run along. Now, Georgie hesitated and he ran down the steps and through his arms around pompous waste. I love you papa, papa pa, ga on the head. I love you too little coal thief. The end. Wow. What a, what a great story. Really got me at the end there. I think that’s definitely one of the things that I love about reading, that you can really just get absorbed and lost and really put yourself in another person’s shoes. Whenever a book does something like that. For me, I think it’s an extraordinary and wonderful experience and I’m grateful that I got the opportunity to read it. Can read it to you. (As provided by SchoolTube video transcript.)
Standards Alignment
Suggested Grade Level: 2-3
The standards listed below are for the 2nd and 3rd grades but can easily be modified for other grades.
CCSS.SL.2.1, SL3.1, CCSS.SL.2.2, SL.3.2; CCSS.RL2.2, 3.2, CCSS.RL2.2, 3.2; CCSS.SL.2.1, SL3.1, CCSS.RL.2.1; RL.3.1, CCSS.SL.2.2; SL.3.2, CCSS.W.2.3; W.3.3
View the activity guide here: thecoalthief
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