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Welcome to Kids Chapter Check-Ins, a space where we pause, think, talk, and write about great books together. Books are better together. So grab your book and let's check in. Hey readers, welcome back. Today we're checking in on Because of Wendixie by Kate DiCamillo. This is episode two of our Because of Wendixie series. Before we get started, make sure that you've read chapters 5 through 8. If not, you can pause the episode, read those chapters, and come right back. It might be helpful to have your book and some paper handy for this episode. If you're following along with your companion pack, now is a great time to grab that as well. Take a moment to gather your materials if you need to. Ready? Let's check in. In chapters 5 through 8, Opal and Wendixie are settling into life together. Opal takes Wendixie to church, where he causes a little bit of chaos with a mouse. But Wendixie is also helping Opal to meet lots of new people. At the library, Opal and Wendixie meet Miss Franny Block, the librarian. When Miss Frannie sees Wendixie outside the window, she mistakes him for a bear. She tells Opal the story of a time when a real bear came into the library many years ago. After hearing her story, Opal realizes that Miss Franny is lonely, just like she is, and the two become friends. Opal also wants to buy Wendyxie a special collar and leash from Gertrude's pets. But since she doesn't have any money, she makes a deal to work at the pet store to pay for them. Let's pause for a vocabulary check-in. In today's reading, we hear the word peculiar. Peculiar is an adjective that means strange, unusual, or different from what you would normally expect. Imagine that you walked into your classroom and your teacher was sitting at their desk wearing flippers and a winter coat. That would be pretty peculiar. Or imagine looking outside your window in the middle of summer and seeing snow falling from the sky. That would be pretty peculiar as well. Now let's take a moment to check your understanding. You'll hear three questions about the word peculiar. Listen to each one and answer yes or no. You can answer out loud or in your head. Are you ready? If your dog suddenly started to meow like a cat, would that be peculiar? If you put your shoes on your feet before you go to school, would that be peculiar? If you open your lunchbox and find a rubber duck sitting inside instead of your lunch, would that be peculiar? If you said yes, no, yes, great thinking. It's time for our reading focus. Today we're going to practice making text connections. Have you ever been reading a book when suddenly you think, hey, that reminds me of something? Maybe there's a character that reminds you of yourself. Or maybe you notice an event that reminds you of something that happened in another book you've been reading. Or maybe something in the story reminds you of something that you've learned about or seen in the world. When that happens, you're making a text connection. Good readers make connections between what they've been reading and things that they already know. There are three types of connections that readers make. The first is a text-to-self connection. That's when something in the book reminds you of something from your own life. For example, Opal is new to Naomi and she wishes that she had more friends. Maybe you've been the new kid somewhere before, and maybe you remember what it felt like to have to make a new friend. That would be a text-to-self connection. The second is a text-to-text connection. That's when something in the book reminds you of another book or another story. Maybe when Dixie reminds you of another animal character that you've read about. That would be a text-to-text connection. And finally, we have a text-to-world connection. That's when something in the book reminds you of something you've learned about, seen, or know about the world around you. And here's the thing: readers don't just make connections just because we can. A good connection should help us to better understand the story, the characters, or even just an idea a little bit better. Let's think back to Miss Franny. Opal realizes that Miss Franny is lonely because Opal understands what loneliness feels like herself. That connection actually helps Opal to understand Miss Franny and it leads to a brand new friendship. As you continue reading, pay attention to moments that make your brain say, hey, that reminds me of something. You could even have a notebook or sticky note nearby and jot down those connections as you read. Grab a piece of paper, your companion pack, or find a thinking partner. In these chapters, we're starting to see something pretty special happen. Because of Wendyxie, Opal is beginning to meet new people and make new friends. And some of those friendships might be a little bit unexpected. So today I want you to create a friendship recipe. Think about what makes someone a good friend. If you could create the perfect recipe for friendship, what ingredients would you need? Maybe your recipe includes two cups of kindness or one scoop of honesty, a sprinkle of laughter, or a big spoonful of listening. You get to decide. You can give your recipe a name and create a list of ingredients. You could even include directions for how to mix everything together. Think about the friendship that you're starting to see in Because of Win Dixie, but also use what you know about friendship in your own life. You could write, draw, or just talk about your ideas. Pause the podcast here and get creative. Here's your choice. Would you rather spend an afternoon working at Gertrude's Pets or hanging out in the library with Miss Franny? Hmm, that's a tricky one. Would you rather spend the afternoon working at Gertrude's Pets or hanging out in the library with Miss Franny? Let's think about it. At Gertrude's Pets, you'd be surrounded by animals, but you might have some work to do. And at the library, you'd have plenty of books to explore, and you might even get to hear one of Miss Franny's incredible stories. So which one are you choosing? And why? Make your choice and defend it. Think about your answer in your head or talk it out with someone nearby. Before we end today's check-in, here's something to think about as you keep reading. Win Dixie has already helped Opal to meet lots of new people. Who do you think Windixie might lead Opal to meet next? Think about what you know about Opal and WinDixie so far and make a prediction. Keep this question in mind as you read the next section of the story. Thanks for checking in with me today. I'll see you back here soon for episode three, where we check in on chapters 9 through 13 of Because of Wendixie. That's it for today's chapter check-in. If you'd like additional support, check out the link to our companion packs in the show notes below. If you're enjoying Kids Chapter Check-Ins, make sure to follow and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. New chapter check-ins are released weekly. I'll see you back here soon. Until then, keep reading, keep thinking, and be sure to share this episode with a friend. Because books are better together.