Author Biography sketches the author’s life and work.

Background Bytes provides useful and interesting information that may be drawn from biography, history, science, geography or other appropriate disciplines.

Into the Selection helps students think about the thematic focus of the piece. What is its raison d’être? What drives the action and the characters? What compels the author to write? What is the author trying to tell us? Into the Selection helps students distinguish between topic and theme. Here, students may also be asked to think about, predict, look for, make notes, or find the answer to a question, as they read the selection.

Focusing on . . . considers a specific literary component that is defined for the student. How has the author used the literary component? How does the literary component influence subject, theme, style, and genre? In Focusing, the students see how writing comes to be!

The Word Bank that opens each selection lists the new vocabulary. Because we know that each individual’s vocabulary grows in many different ways, we discuss several related words and their etymology. This enables students to ‘own’ their new words, and gives them information that will assist them any time they come across unfamiliar words.

Selection Pages
Original artwork and illustrations are a Mosdos Press hallmark. Innovative graphics, design, color, and layout make Mosdos Press books appealing to students and teachers. Our artists and graphic designers work hand-in-hand with writers, editors, teacher consultants, and administrators, to produce work that is beautiful, intriguing, and in keeping with our values.

Word Banks define new vocabulary words at the bottom of each page, as they appear in the selection. Consistent pronunciation guide.

First Impressions asks for a quick response to the selection, or to a question posed in Into the Selection. Students are prompted for their immediate reaction.

Focusing on the Literary Component consists of an introductory paragraph that reviews the literary component. The three exercises that follow give students practice with the component and enable them to learn by doing.

Creating and Writing provides several exercises that ask for:
• A thematic response to the piece
• A creative writing assignment
• An activity, such as making a collage or diorama; producing a play or venturing into the real world, for example, to visit an elderly person.

Quick Review asks several simple questions requiring factual recall.

In-depth Thinking presents four interpretive questions that require comparison or contrast, analysis, or inference.

Drawing Conclusions asks two final questions for which students must speculate, evaluate, criticize, hypothesize, draw a conclusion, or make a judgment. Students may be asked to apply the circumstances of the selection to real life situations.