Image of four owls gathered on tree branches and singing
Illustrated by Rebecca Elliott

Eva Rocks Out

Eva Wingdale has a band. But can the band do a show without the lead singer? Read what Eva writes in her diary to find out.

By Written and Illustrated by Rebecca Elliott
From the May/June 2023 Issue
Lexiles: 460L
Guided Reading Level: M
DRA Level: 20-24
Vocabulary: owlets, communicate, shriek
Think and Read

As you read, think about: How are Eva and her friends different from real owls?

Eva Rocks Out

Monday

Hi, Diary!

It’s me, Eva. We have a big show coming up! On Friday night, our rock band is going to play for the whole school. It is going to be flap-tastic

Zara is the lead singer. 

Hailey, Lucy, and I are the backup singers. 

Today we practiced our songs after school.

“Your voice is be-hoot-iful, Zara!” I said.

“Thank you!” Zara said. 

“Your voices are beautiful too!”

“No way. We’d sound awful without you!” said Lucy.

Thank goodness Zara is in the band. I would not want to do the show without her! She has the best voice.


Friday

We practiced all week. At last, it was time for the show! But just as we were about to flap onstage . . .

DISASTER! Zara was missing!

“We can’t sing without Zara!” Hailey said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go find her!” I said.

I looked all around the forest. I couldn’t find her! 

So I flew backstage. “I can’t find her,” I said.

“We can’t do the show without Zara!” Hailey said. “We’re not good enough!”

But all the seats were filled. Every owl in school was there. Our teacher was onstage.

“Owlets, it’s time!” she said.

We looked at one another. 

“I guess we have to,” I said.

“Let’s do this,” said Lucy.

We sang our hearts out. And you know what? We were good! 

Then Zara flew onstage. 

The audience went wild! 

“Zara, where have you been?” Lucy asked.

“I was here all along-hiding! I wanted you to see I’m not the only good singer in the band. 

We are all great!” she said.

“She’s right! Let’s rock!” I said.

We put our wings around one another and sang. The rest of the concert was owlmazing!!!!

Guess what, Diary! It turns out that my BFFs (Best Feathery Friends) and I are ALL rock stars!


Real Owls

Real owls are a bit different from Eva and her pals. 


Real owlets don’t go to school.

Paul Sawer/FLPA/Minden Pictures

Young owls are called owlets.

If real owlets don’t go to school, what do they do? At first, they stay in their nests. They can’t fly. A few weeks after they hatch, they jump out. They stand on branches or the ground. They start to fly after a few weeks. Go, owlets!


Real owls don’t talk.

Shutterstock.com

But they do communicate! Owls call to one another. It sounds like “Hoot, hoot!” When owls are scared of a predator, they will bark, shriek, and hoot. They are saying “Go away!”


Real owls aren’t purple, pink, or blue.

Guy Edwardes/NPL/Minden Pictures (Snowy Owl); Sunti Phuangphila/EyeEm/Getty Images (Burrowing Owl); Shutterstock.com (Barn Owl)

A snowy owl, a barn owl, and a burrowing owl.

In real life, owls can be brown, white, or gray. Their colors make them hard to spot in their homes. That’s owfully cool. 


video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (4)
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (4) Download All Quizzes and Activities
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More About the Article

Science Focus

Animal adaptations

Vocabulary

owlets, communicate, shriek

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

1. BEFORE READING

Text Preview Bookmarks (5-10 minutes)

  • Students can use these evergreen bookmarks to help them preview the text. Our skills page has both fiction and nonfiction options for kids to cut out. They can use the nonfiction bookmark for this story.

Watch the Video, Fiction and Nonfiction (5 minutes)

  • This fun video will give kids background knowledge about fiction and nonfiction. They can use what they learn when they compare the two texts about owls.

2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (10 MINUTES)

  • Now tell students they are going to read two texts. One is a fiction story about an owl named Eva and her friends. One is a nonfiction article about real owls.

3. AFTER READING

Play the Vocabulary Slideshow (5 minutes)

  • Now that your students have read the article, they have context for understanding the new words that appeared in it. Play the vocabulary slideshow after reading to reinforce these new words. Students can hear the definitions of the words read aloud and see photos illustrating each word. They can also practice saying the words out loud.

3. AFTER READING: FOCUS ON ELA SKILLS

Assessment: Quiz (10 minutes)

  • Pass out the quiz for a quick comprehension check.
  • The quiz is available in multiple-choice and written-answer formats.

ELA Focus: Following Directions (15 minutes)

  • Using the “How to Draw Eva” printable, kids can follow steps and learn how to draw Eva.

ELA Focus: Compare Texts (15 minutes)

  • Using the Venn diagram printable, students can compare and contrast Eva Rocks Out and Real Owls.

Online: Whole Issue Scavenger Hunt (15 minutes)

  • On our website, go to the Resources section of this article. Scroll down to Activities. The scavenger hunt is there.
  • This is a self-contained group of slides that guide students on a scavenger hunt through the whole issue. It helps them make text-to-text connections.
  • It can be done independently by students at home or during class time.

Text-to-Speech