Book excerpt: This collection of passages for Grade 3 provides students with close reading practice. Some stories have been around forever. Folktales your grandparents may have heard from your great-grandparents were passed to your parents, and now to you. The tales in this book teach us important lessons. What can we learn from a chipmunk, a tortoise, and a poplar tree? Oh, they have much wisdom to share. Read these stories closely to discover their message. Maybe one day you will share these tales with your children, too. Also included are places to pause and reflect on the text and opportunities to respond to the reading.