The Secret of the Old Clock: read-along
The Secret of the Old Clock as a read-along for the projector: 20 pages, 2339 words, level 13, grade 8.
Page 1 of 20
Nancy was sixteen, quick-witted and extremely curious, and she lived in the town of River Heights with her father, Carson Drew, a famous lawyer who solved baffling cases for a living and frequently discussed them with his daughter. One evening she announced that she could not bear the thought of old Josiah Crowley's fortune going to the Topham family, who had treated him like a servant while he lived in their house. Mr. Drew replied that a will is a will, and that Richard Topham, who had grown rich by gambling on the stock market, would certainly make sure that no second one was ever discovered. But Nancy had a strong feeling that something was missing, and she could not stop thinking about it.
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 13, Grade 8
- 20 pages, 2339 words, about 17 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, a little spooky
Related
About The Secret of the Old Clock
A sixteen-year-old girl who loves puzzles is sure that a rich old man wrote a second will before he died. With her lawyer father, a ruined cottage, a thunderstorm and an old mantel clock, she sets out to find it before the wrong people do.
Words to preview
- will (WIL)
- paper about who gets one's things
- luncheon (LUN-chun)
- midday meal
- notebook (NOHT-book)
- small book for notes
- vault (VAWLT)
- locked strong room
- marshal (MAR-shul)
- town lawman
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 Secret of the Old Clock take to read aloud?
It has 20 pages and 2339 words, so about 17 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 Secret of the Old Clock?
Level 13, Grade 8. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 13 sits at grade 8. 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.