By Laura RichardsReadOasis Step 1 A child argued with his brother one day about a cake. “It is my cake!” said the child. “No, it is mine!” said his brother. “You shall not have it!” said the child. “Give it to me this minute!” And he fell upon his... Read more
By Cielo Vera ReadOasis Step 2 Gillian Lynne could not sit still. She was eight years old now. And her teachers worried about her performance at school. Perhaps she had a learning disorder. Gillian’s mother worried, too. She took her daughter to see a doctor. At the doctor’s office,... Read more
By Robert Louis StevensonReadOasis Step 3 Dark brown is the river,Golden is the sand.It flows along for ever,With trees on either hand. Green leaves a-floating,Castles of the foam,Boats of mine a-boatingWhere will all come home? On goes the riverAnd out past the mill,Away down the valley,Away down the hill.... Read more
By Robert Louis Stevenson ReadOasis Step 1 As from the house your mother sees You playing round the garden trees, So you may see, if you will look Through the windows of this book, Another child, far, far away, And in another garden, play. But do not think you... Read more
Isaac Watts: Father of Hymns (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 By Maria Sonora A hymn is a song of praise to God. In many cultures, people sing hymns at church services and on special celebrations like Christmas. Many prominent musicians today, such as Beyonce Knowles, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Carrie Underwood mastered singing and performing... Read more
An Uncommon Song – Bohemian Rhapsody
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ReadOasis Step 2 Ray Foster sat at his big desk. He did not look happy as he said, "Bohemian Rhapsody? What is that?" Freddy said, "It's a great poem. And we are going to release it as our single for play on the radio." Foster's voice got louder. "It... Read more
Michael Jackson: King of Pop
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ReadOasis Step 3 In March 1983, Motown Records celebrated its 25th anniversary with a major television event. Many Motown artists gave impressive performances, but Michael Jackson upstaged them all when he sang Billie Jean and revealed his signature dance move, the moonwalk. His performance caused many to perceive him... Read more
The Artful Geisha (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Geisha are traditional female entertainers from Japan. They are skilled at various Japanese arts, such as classical music, dancing, and poetry. The word "geisha" comes from (GEI) meaning "art" and (SHA) meaning "person." Thus, in a literal sense, a geisha is an artist. In the modern... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 “I would like to paint the way a bird sings.” ― Claude Monet A painting of flowers hung on the wall. The colors were soft blue, pink, and green. A man stood beside the work of art. He was wearing a black suit and a red... Read more
Experienced in the Blues: Eric Clapton
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ReadOasis Step 2 In June 1999, Eric Clapton sold 100 of his guitars. And his 1956 Fender guitar went for the record price of $497,500. In total, the sale brought in $5 million dollars. And Clapton gave the money to a drug and alcohol clinic that he started. After... Read more
Awarding Excellence: The Pulitzer Prize
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ReadOasis Step 3 The Color Purple is a book about a black woman named Celie. The story tells of her life and struggles, as she grew up in the Southern United States during the 1930s. The book was written by Alice Walker. And the movie version was directed by... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Escaping Criticism by Pere Borrell del Caso, 1874 There once was a painter named Zeuxis. He could paint life-like pictures. People often mistook his pictures for the real things which they represented. At one time he painted the picture of some fruit. It seemed so real... Read more
JK Rowling and Harry Potter (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 After finishing university in 1983, JK Rowling was living in London. She worked for the human rights group Amnesty International. But in 1990, she decided to move to Manchester. After spending a weekend looking for an apartment, she took the train back to London. It was... Read more
A Traditional Children's Song ReadOasis Step 1 This old man, he played one, He played knick knack with his thumb, With a *knick, knack, paddy whack, Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home. This old man, he played two, He played knick knack with my... Read more
The Motown Sound (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 You don't know soul music if you don't know the Motown sound. Motown is a record company from Detroit Michigan. And one of the greatest Motown artists of all time is Stevie Wonder. Wonder has sold over 100,000,000 records and won 25 Grammy Awards. But he... Read more
Diego Velázquez, Painter of Painters
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By David Bello ReadOasis Step 2 Diego Velázquez (June 6, 1599 – to August 6, 1660) is one of the greatest painters of all time. With great skill he mixed color, light, space, and the rhythm of lines. He created scenes of historical and cultural significance. And he painted... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) On June 2, 2010, President Barack Obama stood on a small stage in the White House. In the audience sat a mix of elite leaders and famous musicians. The President was about to give America’s highest award for popular music to Paul McCartney of the... Read more
The Motown Sound (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 The Motown Museum (Wikipedia) Soul music combines rhythm and blues and gospel. Like the blues, soul arose out of the black experience in America, and soul musicians took these styles out of the black church and into the world and the streets. They confidently and proudly... Read more
Winter Time By Robert Louis Stevenson ReadOasis Step 5 Berit Watki Winter in Merstham (Creative Commons) Late lies the wintry sun a-bed, A frosty, fiery sleepy-head; Blinks but an hour or two; and then, A blood-red orange, sets again. Before the stars have left the skies, At morning in... Read more
By Robert Louis Stevenson ReadOasis Step 3 Photo by NASA The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone out Through the blinds and the windows and bars; And high overhead and all moving about, There were thousands of millions of stars. There ne’er were such thousands of leaves... Read more