A Kid in a Candy Store

A Kid in a Candy Store

W.M. Akers

Itwasn'tthecandyhewanted.Itwastheskateboard.Tommyhadbeenstaringatitfor
weeks,everydayonhiswayhomefromschool,admiringitthroughthewindowofthe
skateshoponMarketStreet.Itwasalongboardaseriousskateboard,notmeantfor
tricksorspeed,butforlongridesdownhills,onbusyroads,orallthewayacrosstown.
ThiswasaskateboardthatcouldchangeTommy'slifeforever.Nolongerwouldhis
parentshavetopickhimupafterschool,oratthemoviesorthemall.Thelongboard
wouldbeabletotakehimhome.

Itwasoceanblue,withchromewheelsandanelaboratedrawingofarocketshiponthe
underside.Eachtimehepressedhisfaceagainsttheglassoftheskateshop,hefelthimself
fallintothatpicture,andhisdreamsofridingthelongboardbecamemixedupwith
dreamsofinterstellartravel.Hewasn'tjustgoingtothemall.HewasgoingtoMars,to
AlphaCentauri,toanywhereinthegalaxyhefeltlike.Hewasgoingtoconquerthestars.

Orhewouldhave,anyway,ifhisdadweren'tsuchacheapskate.There'ssomething
aboutfathersthatmakesitimpossibleforthemtounderstandskateboards.

"Dad,"Tommysaid."It'stheworld'sfinestskateboard.Itcouldchangemylifeforever."

"That'sgreat,"saidDad."I'mallforkidshavinghobbies.Butthat'sanexpensivelittle
toy,and"

"It'snotatoy!"Tommyfelthimselfabouttolosehistemper.Ifheshouted,heknewhe
wouldnevercomeclosetoowninghisboard.Hecollectedhimself."It'sawholenew
wayoflife.Whenyouweremyage,whatwasthethingyouwantedmorethananything

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A Kid in a Candy Store

else?Thethingyoudreamedabout?Thethingyoupromisedyourselfyouwouldget,no
matterwhat?"

"ABlackShadow."

"Awhat?"

"AVincentBlackShadowtheworld'sfinestmotorcycle.Amorebeautifulpieceof
machineryhasneverbeendesigned."

"Soyeah,thisboardisliketheVincentBlackShadowforthe21stCentury.Soyousee
whyIhavetohaveit."

"YouknowwhatmydadtoldmewhenIaskedforaBlackShadow?"

"What?"

"Nothing.Ididn'taskhim,becauseIknewhe'dthinkitwasnothingmorethanan
expensivetoy.Iwentout,gotajob,andstartedsaving."

"Man,"saidTommy."Iwasafraidyou'dsaysomethinglikethat."

"Dadsaretheworst,aren'tthey?"

***

TommywalkedupanddownMarketStreetlookingforsomeplacetowork.Thepizzeria
wasn'thiring.Thecoffeeshopsaidhewastooyoung.Thecomicbookstoresaidhe
didn'thaveenoughexperience.

"ButhowcanIgetexperience,"Tommyasked,"ifnobodywillgivemeajob?!"The
comicbookclerkdidn'tanswer.Tommycomposedhimself,saidthankyou,andleft.

Theonlystorewitha"HELPWANTED"signwastheonehehadbeendreadingmost:
Orson'sConfectionaries.Thecandystore.

WhoeverthinksthatallkidslovecandystoreshasneverbeentoOrson's.Ithadbeenin
thetownsincethedawnoftime,andhadn'tbeenupdatedmuchsince.Adark,winding

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A Kid in a Candy Store

dungeonofastore,itsshelveswerefilledwithjarsofweird,stickygumsandsucking
candiessohardtheycouldcrackyourteeth.OverallofitstoodMr.Orson,ahardeyed
skeletonofamanwhoselonggreyhairandbaggyclothesmadehimlooklikeanoutof
workwizard.

Tommydidn'tknowhowtheconfectionarystayedinbusiness.He'dneverseenakidgo
inorout,andhe'dneverheardanyonetalkaboutbuyingsomethingthere.Howcould
thatstoreturnaprofit?Andwhywouldastorewithnocustomersneedanextra
employee?Tommydidn'twanttofindout,buttheskateboarddemandedhetry.He
pushedonthecreakyolddoor,suckedinhisbreath,andplungedin.

"HowmayIhelpyou?"saidMr.Orson.Hesoundedlikeasnakewithacold.

"I,uh,uh...I"

"You'relookingforsweets?"

"No,well,uh"

"Someraspberryrope,perhaps?"

"Nothankyou.Actually,I"

"Achocolatelover,arewe?Perhapsyou'dpreferachunkofCarlsbergChew?It'sthe
finestdarkchocolatemadeinGermany.Ithasrealhazelnutsinside!"

"Thatsoundsgood,butactually"

"Isee,"saidMr.Orson,andhiseyeswentwide.Hismouthcrinkleduplikeadeadleaf,
andTommygottheimpressionthathewaseitherabouttoscreamathim,orsneeze."I
understandcompletelynow."

"Understandwhat?"

"Youareaboy...withasourtooth."Hereachedbehindhim,tothehighestshelfona
ricketybookcase,andpresentedTommywithastarshaped,tinyyellowcandy."Trythis.
ASunburstExpressasourcandyofmyowndesign."

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A Kid in a Candy Store

"Yeah?"

"Freeofcharge."

Tommylickedhislips.Iftherewasonethinginlifehelovedmorethanskateboarding,it
wassourcandy.Thegrosserthebetter,hethought.Acandywasn'tanygoodunlessit
madeyousqueezeyourfacetogether,shutyoureyes,andwanttocry.That'showyou
knewitwasniceandsour.

"It'sprettysour?"

"Itwillmakeyourtongueturninsideout."

Tommyreachedforthecandyandpoppeditintohismouth.Atfirst,hetastednothing.
Butthen,ashebegantochew,itwaslikeanoiltankerhadspilledinhisthroat.Hisgums
wereonfire.Histonsilsweretapdancing.Andhistongue...histonguefeltlikeitwas
abouttoturnitselfinsideout!

"Ohmygoodness!"hegasped."ThisisthebestcandyIevertasted."

"Whythankyou,"saidMr.Orson."HaveasipofFizzberrySoda.Itwilleasethe
sensation.Now,you'relookingforajob?"

"Howdidyouknow?"

"Icouldjusttell.Desperateforanewtoy,areyou?"

"It'snotatoy!It'swell,yes.That'sright."

"TheSunburstwasatest.Idon'twantanyoneworkingherewhodoesn'tlovesour
sweets."

"Iloveemmorethananything!"Tommyrememberedtheskateboard."Well,practically
anything."

"Good,"saidMr.Orson,ashehandedTommyanapron."Thenyou'llbegettingyour
newtoyverysoonindeed."

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Questions: A Kid in a Candy Store

Name:

_____________ Date: _______________________

1. What does Tommy think could change his life forever?

A
B
C
D

a
a
a
a

piece of chocolate
comic book store
skateboard
motorcycle

2. A problem in this story is that Tommy wants a skateboard but does not have the
money to buy one. How does he try to solve this problem?
A
B
C
D

He
He
He
He

tries
tries
tries
tries

to
to
to
to

solve
solve
solve
solve

this
this
this
this

problem
problem
problem
problem

by
by
by
by

dreaming about a trip to Mars.

getting a job.
staring through the window of the skate shop.
going to the mall.

3. Tommy stares at the skateboard through the window of the skate shop for weeks.
After his dad refuses to buy the skateboard for him, Tommy gets a job so that he can
buy it himself.
What can be concluded from this information?
A Tommy is serious about getting the skateboard and will work hard to do it.
B Tommy is heartbroken and has given up all hope of getting the skateboard.
C If Tommy does not make enough money at his job to buy the skateboard, he
will steal it.
D Tommy will lose interest in the skateboard a few weeks after starting his job.
4. What do Tommy and his dad have in common?
A
B
C
D

Both Tommy and his dad think raspberry rope is the best candy in the world.
As boys, both wanted a skateboard built for long rides on roads and down hills.
As boys, both wanted a motorcycle known as a Vincent Black Shadow.
As boys, both wanted something that their fathers would not buy for them.

5. What is a theme of this story?

A
B
C
D

friendship
honesty
determination
giving up
1
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Questions: A Kid in a Candy Store

6. Read the following sentences: How could that store turn a profit? And why would a
store with no customers need an extra employee? Tommy didn't want to find out, but
the skateboard demanded he try.
What does the phrase the skateboard demanded he try mean?
A Tommy wanted the skateboard so much that he decided to try.
B The skateboard spoke to Tommy in a dream and told him to try.
C Tommy has spent so much time thinking about the skateboard that he is
starting to imagine things.
D The skateboard has a recorder and speaker that can play voice messages.

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Tommy wants a skateboard; _______, he wants a longboard.
A
B
C
D

specifically
on the other hand
before
therefore

8. What kind of candy does Mr. Orson give Tommy to try?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2
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Questions: A Kid in a Candy Store

9. Tommy asks how Mr. Orson knew he was looking for a job. What is Mr. Orsons reply?
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

10. How could Mr. Orson tell that Tommy was looking for a job? Support your answer
with evidence from the passage.
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3
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Teacher Guide & Answers: A Kid in a Candy Store

Teacher Guide & Answers
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 660
1. What does Tommy think could change his life forever?
A
B
C
D

a piece of chocolate
a comic book store
a skateboard
a motorcycle

2. A problem in this story is that Tommy wants a skateboard but does not have the money to buy one.
How does he try to solve this problem?
A
B
C
D

He tries to solve this problem by dreaming about a trip to Mars.

He tries to solve this problem by getting a job.
He tries to solve this problem by staring through the window of the skate shop.
He tries to solve this problem by going to the mall.

3. Tommy stares at the skateboard through the window of the skate shop for weeks. After his dad refuses
to buy the skateboard for him, Tommy gets a job so that he can buy it himself.
What can be concluded from this information?
A
B
C
D

Tommy is serious about getting the skateboard and will work hard to do it.
Tommy is heartbroken and has given up all hope of getting the skateboard.
If Tommy does not make enough money at his job to buy the skateboard, he will steal it.
Tommy will lose interest in the skateboard a few weeks after starting his job.

4. What do Tommy and his dad have in common?

A
B
C
D

Both Tommy and his dad think raspberry rope is the best candy in the world.
As boys, both wanted a skateboard built for long rides on roads and down hills.
As boys, both wanted a motorcycle known as a Vincent Black Shadow.
As boys, both wanted something that their fathers would not buy for them.

5. What is a theme of this story?

A
B
C
D

friendship
honesty
determination
giving up

1
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Teacher Guide & Answers: A Kid in a Candy Store

6. Read the following sentences: How could that store turn a profit? And why would a store with no
customers need an extra employee? Tommy didn't want to find out, but the skateboard demanded he
try.
What does the phrase the skateboard demanded he try mean?
A
B
C

Tommy wanted the skateboard so much that he decided to try.

The skateboard spoke to Tommy in a dream and told him to try.
Tommy has spent so much time thinking about the skateboard that he is starting to imagine
things.
D The skateboard has a recorder and speaker that can play voice messages.

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Tommy wants a skateboard; _______, he wants a longboard.
A
B
C
D

specifically
on the other hand
before
therefore

8. What kind of candy does Mr. Orson give Tommy to try?

Suggested answer: At minimum, students should respond that Mr. Orson gives Tommy a piece of sour
candy to try. They may include other details, such as the fact that Mr. Orson made the candy himself.

9. Tommy asks how Mr. Orson knew he was looking for a job. What is Mr. Orsons reply?
Suggested answer: Students may paraphrase or quote directly from the passage: I could just tell.
Desperate for a new toy, are you?

10. How could Mr. Orson tell that Tommy was looking for a job? Support your answer with evidence from
the passage.
Suggested answer: Answers may vary, as long as they are supported by the passage. Students may
infer from the fact that Tommy has never seen or heard about kids buying something at Orsons
Confectionaries that Orson assumes young people who enter the story are interested in working there.
The presence of the HELP WANTED sign in the window supports this conclusion. Students may also
argue that Mr. Orson guessed Tommys purpose after his stammering upon being asked about sweets.

2
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