Boo! I'm the Ball!

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Adventure Decodable Reader with gh Phonogram

Practice Words

Words where 'gh' is either silent or produces an /f/ sound.

ghost ghostly ghosts ghouls
Page 1
Gad is floating on the left side of the image beside a wooden signpost at the entrance to a dense, spooky forest. Gad is a small, round, translucent green ghost with a friendly, slightly mischievous smile with small fangs showing, and wide eyes looking directly at the viewer as if greeting them. The scene is set outdoors during daytime, with tall twisted trees forming a canopy overhead, ivy climbing the trunks, tall grass along a dirt path, and a cobweb on the signpost. The right side of the image is plain background, leaving space for text.

Hello! Don't be scared, I won't hurt you! Yes, ghosts exist, and I'm one of them! My name is Gad, but I'm a good ghost, I promise! No, I do not want to scare anybody. I'm very friendly. Some ghosts are not quite so friendly, though!

Page 2
On the right side of the image, set in a dense woodland clearing, three monsters are leaping out from behind trees to scare a passerby on a path. A large, furry creature lunges forward with a mischievous grin, mouth open wide, growling. Behind it, a bony skeleton stands with arms raised in a spooky pose, and a ghostly figure with a pale complexion and long dark hair lurches forward with outstretched hands. A frightened passerby recoils on the right edge of the scene. In the upper-left corner, Gad — a small round translucent green ghost — floats in the background observing the scene with a disapproving frown, distancing himself from the scary monsters. The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

Actually, a lot of them are really quite nasty. They love nothing more than to scare people. Those ghostly ghouls lurk in the woods all night, waiting for someone to walk by. Then, they jump out and make them scared for months! That's not really what I like to do.

Page 3
On the left side of the image, Gad — a small round translucent green ghost — peeks out from behind leafy treetops with wide, curious eyes and a surprised, excited expression, looking down from above at a park below. The scene is shown from a bird's-eye view framed by green tree canopy, where the kids are seen from above playing on a grassy field — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt — some running and some standing together near a hopscotch court. The outdoor setting is bright and sunny, with lush green trees surrounding the open play area. The right ~40% of the image is plain white background.

I like to have lots of fun! But I am very lonely, because other good ghosts don't exist. Oh, what's that down there?

Page 4
On the right side of the image, Gad — a small, round, translucent green ghost with a friendly smiling expression — is shown in a sequence floating down from a large tree, bouncing and tumbling along the big trunk toward the ground. On the lower right and middle-right, the three kids are running away in fear across a grassy outdoor park — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt — their mouths open and arms flailing in panic. One kid in the lower right foreground looks back over their shoulder with a shocked, wide-eyed expression. The scene is set outdoors in a sunny, grassy park with large trees and a dirt path.

I float down to them as nicely as I can, trying not to make them anxious. 'Hey, kids, what's going on? I'm Gad!' But they do not listen to what I am saying. They take one look at my ghostly green form and run away! 'Wait! Come back!'

Page 5
On the left side of the image, Gad — a small round translucent green ghost — floats near the bottom-left corner with an eager, outstretched pose as if calling out to the kids. The three kids are scattered across the left and center of the scene, running away from Gad at full speed with terrified expressions, kicking up dust clouds behind them as they flee along a dirt path — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie leads the group, the girl with glasses in a pink top sprints beside him, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt trails behind. A small dog sprints right alongside the kids in the middle of the scene. The setting is an outdoor suburban area with green grass, low bushes, and gentle hills with mountains in the distant background under a bright daytime sky. The right ~40% of the image is plain beige/tan background.

'Why are you afraid? I just want to play!' I shout. But it is no use, they run away as fast as their legs can carry them! They look like they have seen a ghost! Well... I suppose they have seen a ghost, but I'm a friendly ghost! I will try again.

Page 6
On the right side of the image, the scene is split into two moments at an outdoor farmers' market. In the upper-right, Gad is disguised as a green coconut sitting atop a pile of coconuts at a market stall, with his ghostly face barely visible, looking nervous. The smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt runs right past the coconut pile without noticing. In the lower-right, Gad is disguised as a green balloon among a large colorful cluster of balloons at a stall, peeking out with a cheeky grin and green face visible between the balloons. The girl with glasses in a pink top and the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie stand in the background near fruit stalls, looking around warily. Market stalls with bananas, fruits, and piles of coconuts line the right side, with a bicycle parked against one stall. A vendor sits behind one of the stalls. The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

I slip into the market and hide in a pile of coconuts. My ghostly face peeks out, but I am the only coconut with eyes. A boy runs right past without a glance. Time for Plan B, so I puff up and float into a bunch of balloons. I grin from the green one, and nobody spots the ghost in the middle.

Page 7
On the left side of the image, Gad floats as a green balloon with a friendly smiling face above the kids, who are huddled together on a grassy hill looking anxious and uneasy — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt stand close together. Below, in a second vignette, the kids stand clustered together with worried expressions while Cat — a small, round-bodied gray tabby cat with white muzzle and pink nose — leaps toward Gad-balloon with claws extended and back legs flexed in a powerful spring. Gad-balloon now has a scared, wide-eyed expression. The scene is set outdoors on a bright day with a clear blue sky. The right side of the image is plain white background.

I float over to the kids as a green balloon, trying not to seem too much like a ghost. 'Hey kids, who wants to play with me! I'm just a talking balloon,' I say. The kids still look a little scared.

Page 8
On the right side of the image, a comic-strip sequence of three rows shows the action unfolding. In the top row, Cat — a small round-bodied gray tabby with white muzzle — pounces and swats at Gad-balloon with boxing paws, while Gad squishes and bends flexibly to dodge, and the kids huddle together watching with wide eyes. In the middle row, Cat leaps and flops about energetically as Gad stretches into silly shapes and pulls funny faces, with the kids starting to grin and giggle. In the bottom row, Gad makes a big, goofy face close-up with rosy cheeks and a wide smile, while the three kids — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt — jump and cheer with their arms up, laughing joyfully, one of them saying 'You're not a scary ghost after all!' The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

Just then, a curious cat spots me bobbing in the air and pounces! The cat tries to pop me, but I am more flexible than that! It flops and jumps about while I make funny ghostly faces. The kids start laughing!

Page 9
On the left side of the image, Gad is shown in multiple poses — whizzing through the air as a small round shape-shifting ghost, changing colors and sizes, with a cheerful grinning expression, looping and zooming around the kids on a grassy hillside. In the upper left, the three kids — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt — are running and jumping with arms raised, laughing and chasing after Gad as he zips about. In the lower left foreground, the kids lead Gad up the hill toward a volleyball area visible in the distance, and Gad's expression shifts — his green complexion turns a darker, worried shade of green as he realizes where they are heading. The scene is set outdoors on a sunny day with fluffy white clouds and a bright sky behind the rolling green-gold hill. The right ~40% of the image is plain white background.

The kids laugh so hard that they beg me to play with them. 'I thought you'd never ask!' I say. I change colors and shapes to make them smile even more. I whizz around like a ghost on a mission, getting smaller and bigger. They chase me up the grassy hill, laughing and grabbing at the air, until I spot just where they are leading me.

Page 10
On the right side of the image, the kids are split into two teams facing each other across a volleyball net on a grassy field. On one side, the three known kids — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt — are jumping and reaching with excited, laughing expressions, in on the secret. The opposing team of unfamiliar kids reacts with shock and horror, their faces turning white as sheets. Gad is flying through the air between the two teams as the volleyball, shown mid-arc as a round green ghost-ball with a mischievous grin shouting 'Boo!', motion lines trailing behind him. The scene is set outdoors on a sunny day in a suburban neighborhood park with a volleyball net, mowed grass, leafy deciduous trees, and houses visible in the background. The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

Oh, we're going to play volleyball! And I'm the ball! I can't wait until the other team finds out that I am a ghost! Well, here goes nothing. 'Boo!'

Page 11
On the left side of the image, a dynamic volleyball scene unfolds on a bright green grassy field with a net. Gad — the round green ghost-ball — bounces wildly in unpredictable arcs with motion lines, shown in multiple positions: phasing straight through one opponent's outstretched hands, bouncing the opposite direction from a serve, and flying off at a crazy angle after a hit, with every flexion of his ghostly body sending him in a new direction. The opposing team kids are exhausted and defeated — some bent over panting, some flopping onto the grass, completely taxed from trying to hit a ghost ball. On the left side of the net, the three known kids — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt — celebrate with fists pumping and huge grins, clearly the winners. The right ~40% of the image is plain white background.

I am great at volleyball. When they try and serve me, I bounce the opposite way. When they try to hit me, I pass straight through them! My ghost ball tricks leave the other team too tired to keep up. Of course my team wins!

Page 12
On the right side of the image, the three kids — the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt — stand together on a grassy hillock beside a large tree at golden-hour sunset, all with big warm smiles. Gad — a small round translucent green ghost — floats happily among them at their height, glowing softly, with a wide joyful grin, clearly part of the group now. The kids wave goodbye to Gad as he begins to float upward toward the treetops, heading back toward the forest in the distance. The scene is set outdoors in warm late-afternoon light with a lush green tree as the focal point, the park and suburban houses visible in the background, and the left side left as plain white background.

What a fun day I had today! I met some new friends, and they now know good ghosts exist! The other ghosts in Ghost Town will be so jealous.

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