Joy of Reading - Invitation 1

[Stories for Everyone - AS8]

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Pedagogical Project
“The Joy of Reading”
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Dear Sir/Madam,
The team responsible for the Project "Joy of Reading" consists of a group of people dedicated to raise the joy of reading stories. For some years now, the team involved in the project has worked together with schools, libraries, and foster centres, as well as other places, to encourage the love of reading among people of all ages and to promote literacy. So we decided to share stories via email on a weekly basis with everyone who is interested in receiving them.
The project consists of 2 weekly stories, sent by e-mail – one for a young and adult audience and another one shorter and more suitable for early ages. Each story is about values such as peace, solidarity, respect, gentleness, and responsibility, among others, while also working as a reflection on the fundamental ethical principles of the world we all live in.
Below you can read 2 stories and take your time to enjoy them or you can read them in the PDF attachment where they are written in colourful fonts and with pictures.
If you are interested in receiving 2 stories every week in your email, you will have to subscribe to it by replying to this email saying “I would like to subscribe to the Joy of Reading Project”. If you don’t subscribe until next week, you will stop receiving the story.
The subscription is totally free of charge and you can unsubscribe when you want to. We also assure you that your email address will remain strictly confidential.
 The Joy of Reading team 

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                If you are interested in receiving the weekly story, click here.
                If you don’t want to receive the weekly story, click here.
                
 
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We have projects of exactly the same nature in French, German, Spanish and Portuguese. If you wish to receive two weekly stories for free in any of these languages, you can reply to this email expressing the one(s) of your preference.
- French - Histoires à faire rêver
- German - Mit Geschichten groß werden
- Spanish - Cuentos para Crecer
- Portuguese - Abrir as portas ao sonho e à reflexão
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This week’s stories with PDF attachments: 
- The trouble tree
- This is our house
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The trouble tree
 
The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
 
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.”
He paused. “Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”
 
 
Author unknown 
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This Is Our House
 
George was in the house.
“This house is mine and no one else is coming in,” George said.
“It’s not your house, George,” said Lindy. “It belongs to everybody.”
“No, it doesn’t,” said George. “This house is all for me!”
Lindy and Marly went for a walk over to the swings.
“It’s not George’s house, is it?” said Lindy.
“Of course it isn’t,” said Marly.
Lindy and Marly looked in the window.
“It’s not your house, George, and we’re coming in.”
“Oh no, you’re not,” said George. “This house isn’t for girls.”
Freddie was walking past with Rabbity.
“I’ve come to put Rabbity to bed,” said Freddie.
“You can’t,” said George. “This house isn’t for small people like you.”
Freddie took Rabbity for a ride in the car. 
Charlene and Marlene fixed the front wheel.
“George won’t let me and Rabbity in the house,” said Freddie. 
Charlene and Marlene, Freddie and Rabbity headed straight for the house.
 “Stop right there,” said George.
“We’re coming in to fix the fridge,” said Charlene and Marlene.
“Oh, no you’re not,” said George. “This house isn’t for twins.”
Luther’s jumbo jet landed in the house. He went to get it.
“Where do you think you’re going?” said George.
“Flight 505 has crashed,” said Luther, “and I’m coming in for the rescue. Fire! Fire! Wee-oo-wee-oo-wee-oo!”
“You’re not coming in here,” said George.
Luther radioded for help. “Calling Dr. Sophie. Calling Dr. Sophie.”
“Can I help you?” said Sophie.
“We can’t get at the plane, Doctor,” said Luther.
“Leave it to me,” said Sophie.
Sophie and Luther pushed through the crowd.
“Make way for the doctor,” said Luther.
“We’re coming in,” said Sophie.
“Oh, no you’re not,” said George. “This house isn’t for people with glasses.”
Rasheda had a plan. “I’m going to tunnel in.”
She poked her head under the house.
“Go away,” said George. “This is my house.”
“Well, this is my tunnel,” said Rasheda.
“Well, tunnel somewhere else,” said George. “This house isn’t for people who like tunnels.”
It was getting very noisy around the house now. And hot. And George wanted to go to the bathroom.
“I’m going to leave my house now,” said George. “AND NO ONE CAN GO IN IT WHEN I’M GONE.”
George went to the bathroom.
Lindy, Marly, Freddie, Rabbity, Marlene, Charlene, Luther, Sophie, and Rasheda went straight into the house.
George came back. There was no room for George.
“This house isn’t for people with red hair,” said Charlene.
George started to shout. 
George started to cry.
George started to stamp his feet and kick the wall.
The he stopped. He looked.
“This house IS for people with red hair,” said George, “
 and for girls and small people and twins, and for people who wear glasses and like tunnels!”
“Because
” shouted Lindy, Marly, Freddie, Marlene, Charlene, Luther, Sophie, and Rasheda, 
“THIS HOUSE IS FOR
EVERYONE!”
 
Michael Rosen; Bob Graham
This is our house
Massachusetts, Candlewick Press, 2005
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stories4ev at gmail.com
as at talestogrow.com
 
You can visit our Facebook and Blog where you can find more interesting stories about several different topics.

Joy of Reading – stories on the Blog
Stories for Everyone – stories on Facebook
 
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