Pets to the Rescue: Dolores and the Big Fire

Ready to Read Level 2

by Andrew Clements

AR Test

At A Glance

Interest Level

5+

Entertainment
Score

Reading Level
2.2

Number of Pages
32

Dolores is a very timid cat. Her owner, Kyle, keeps a light on all night so she won’t be scared. One night Dolores pokes at Kyle’s face while he is sleeping. The house is on fire! Can Dolores wake Kyle up in time?

Readers will be in suspense as Dolores leads Kyle through the smoke of the burning house. When Kyle gets to the door, the doorknob comes off and he falls to the floor. But again, “Dolores scratched Kyle. And again, Kyle slowly woke up.” Thanks to Dolores, Kyle makes it safely out of the house.

Unfortunately, Dolores isn’t so lucky. “She had been burned, but she was still alive.” Kyle takes care of Dolores and after she heals, “Dolores was not so fearful. She even liked to sit on Kyle’s lap and let him pet her.” After the fire, Kyle is glad that he didn’t “lose the most important things—my own life and the life of my cat, Dolores.”

As part of the Ready-To-Read Level 2 Series, Dolores and the Big Fire is intended for children who can read independently. The story is told using short chapters. Each page has two to four sentences of various lengths; however, most sentences are short. The story has a simple plot that follows Dolores and Kyle’s relationship. Each page has a full-colored illustration that will help readers visualize the story’s events. While Dolores is shown after the fire, her wounds are not illustrated. However, her fur is matted, and she is curled up.

Animal-loving readers will enjoy the true story of how Dolores saves Kyle’s life. The happy ending shows Dolores getting an award for saving Kyle’s life. However, the most heartwarming part of the conclusion is that Dolores no longer fears Kyle. For another story about a heroic animal, read Pigeon Hero by Shirley Raye Redmond, which tells the story of how a pigeon saved a town during World War II. Readers who are ready for more advanced books can read more true stories about heroic animals by reading Dog Heroes by Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce.

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