The Death of Baldur: read-along
The Death of Baldur as a read-along for the projector: 10 pages, 1300 words, level 15, beyond grade 8.
Page 1 of 10
Of all the places in Asgard, the gods loved one above the rest, and it was neither the great hall of the feasts nor the bridge that glittered like a rainbow. It was a tranquil, sunlit house called Breidablik, in a meadow known as the Peace Stead, where Baldur made his home. Baldur was the gentlest and most beautiful of Odin's sons, so radiant that every white blossom on earth was named after him, and so fair in his judgments that nobody ever disputed them. In that meadow no lie had ever been spoken and no one had ever been hurt, and gods who arrived there anxious about the future, as the gods invariably were, found their anxieties dissolving like mist.
Keys: ← → or Page Up and Page Down turn the page, Space starts and pauses the voice, Home and End jump, F fills the screen. Tapping the right side of a page goes on; the left side goes back.
How to use it
- Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
- Press Read to me (Space), or read it yourself and turn pages with the arrow keys or a tap. Pick the Pace that suits the class.
- After the last page, three questions come up to talk about.
About this book
- Level 15, beyond grade 8
- 10 pages, 1300 words, about 10 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, a little spooky
Related
About The Death of Baldur
Everything in the world has promised not to hurt Baldur the beautiful, so the gods make a game of throwing things at him. But one small plant was never asked, and one jealous trickster is listening.
Words to preview
- solemn (SOL-um)
- serious and formal
- oath (ohth)
- sworn promise
- ransom (RAN-sum)
- price for release
- shrouds (shrowdz)
- burial cloths
- hag
- ugly old woman
Questions that fit any book
- What happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end?
- Which page was your favorite? Why?
- How did the main character feel at the end? What tells you?
Questions
How long does The Death of Baldur take to read aloud?
It has 10 pages and 1300 words, so about 10 minutes at the Steady pace and a little less at Quick. If you stop to talk on the way, plan for more.
What reading level is The Death of Baldur?
Level 15, beyond grade 8. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; levels above 13 are beyond grade 8 and have no grade. A level is a guide for choosing, so look at the pages yourself.
Whose voice is it?
Your browser's own. Read to me uses a speaking voice already on the computer, so it sounds like that computer and works without a sign-in. Voices differ: some light each word as it is spoken, and some do not, in which case the highlight follows a steady pace instead. Some browsers use an online voice; if yours does, the browser, not us, sends the words of the page to its speech service. If no voice is installed, turn the pages and read it aloud yourself.
Do students need an account?
No. Nothing is asked of anyone and nothing is sent to us. Project the page, or share the link and let students open it on their own screens.
Is this the original text?
No. It is a retelling in Peabody's own words at this reading level, so it may differ from the edition you know.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.