Character Traits

Character traits are a description of a character’s personality. These are revealed to a reader either by the narrator, by other characters, or through deeds. An evaluation of character traits helps a reader predict and understand the motives and actions of the character. Helpful resource: What are character traits? Check out our character traits anchor chart resources too!

The Rescue of the Tin Woodman

Dorothy, a Kansas girl, is carried by a tornado to the distant land of Oz. Dorothy wants to go back home. She travels to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard of Oz to help her. Along the way, she meets a tin woodman, who tells his story in this…

Swara the Snow White Swan

Swara was a swan. Her feathers were as white as snow. She lived at the lake with her friends, the ducks and turtles.   All the ducks liked to splash and swim. Some even liked to dive head-first into the water and kick their orange feet into the air. The turtles…

At the Sign of the “Spy-Glass”

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is about a boy named Jim Hawkins who discovers a pirate’s treasure map. Jim, along with Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey, have decided to buy a ship, hire a crew, and look for the treasure. In this passage, Jim has been sent to an inn…

Out With the Goats

Heidi is the story of a young girl who goes to live in the mountains of Switzerland with her grandfather. She makes friends with Peter, a neighbor boy who herds goats. In this passage, Heidi is with Peter when he takes the goats to the pasture on the mountainside. Two…

The Duckling Parade

Swara liked her teacher, Ms. Gooden. She liked her so much that she helped her clean up after school. She wiped the desks off with a wet cloth. “Thank you very much, Swara,” said Ms. Gooden. “See you tomorrow.” Swara picked up her backpack and went outside. It was warm and sunny. She was about…

The Lilies and the Thistles

In a patch of garden, in a sunny corner of the backyard, stood a proud group of yellow lilies. They were tall flowers: elegant, graceful, and beautiful. They were surrounded by a ring of scruffy, prickly, purple thistles that had sprung up recently with all the April showers and May…

Jonas’ First Job

Jonas loved to play video games. He liked all kinds of games, but he especially enjoyed games that let him pretend he was a race car driver. He loved to watch all the scenery fly by while he turned the wheel to get by the other players. More than anything,…

Paula’s Pizza Party

Paula and her father strolled down the aisles of the grocery store. Her mother was away for the day, and the two of them were trying to pick out something to make for dinner together. Paula didn’t know how to cook, but her father was pretty good at simple meals…

Carly and the Candy Shoppe

“Bye, Mom; bye, Dad; don’t worry. We’ll take care of everything!” Carly waved from the front door of the shop as her parents drove off. They were headed for a well-deserved vacation from their candy store, and Carly had promised them she’d be able to run it by herself. Her…

The Return Home

In Peter Pan, Peter has taken Wendy, Michael, and John Darling to Neverland, his magical home. After many adventures with many interesting people and creatures, the Darling children start the journey home. Peter, however, is not very happy that Wendy is going to leave Neverland. He has a plan. He…