Vasilisa the Brave: read-along
Vasilisa the Brave as a read-along for the projector: 13 pages, 1495 words, level 14, beyond grade 8.
Page 1 of 13
In a certain kingdom, at the edge of an immense forest, there lived a prosperous merchant, his wife and their only daughter, Vasilisa. When Vasilisa was eight years old, her mother became desperately ill, and before she died she summoned her daughter to her bedside and pressed a tiny wooden doll into her hand. "Listen carefully, my darling," she whispered. "Keep this doll with you always, and reveal it to no one. Whenever you are in difficulty, offer it a little food and drink, and confide your sorrows to it, and it will advise you." Vasilisa promised faithfully, and from that day forward she carried the doll in her apron pocket, the way another child might carry a precious secret.
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 14, beyond grade 8
- 13 pages, 1495 words, about 11 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, a little spooky
Related
About Vasilisa the Brave
Sent into the dark forest to fetch fire from Baba Yaga, the witch whose hut walks on chicken legs, Vasilisa has nothing but her mother's tiny doll in her pocket. The doll is hungry, the chores are impossible, and the witch is counting the hours.
Words to preview
- merchant (MUR-chunt)
- trader
- mortar (MOR-ter)
- grinding bowl
- pestle (PESS-ul)
- grinding stick
- errands (AIR-undz)
- small trips
- mildewed (MIL-dood)
- moldy
- kernel (KUR-nul)
- one seed
- flax (FLAKS)
- thread plant
- tsar (ZAR)
- Russian king
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 Vasilisa the Brave take to read aloud?
It has 13 pages and 1495 words, so about 11 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 Vasilisa the Brave?
Level 14, 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.