Title: Friends in America Level: R
Story Overview
Characters:
LI Margaret — a 12-year-old girl from Germany
LI Mr. Ober —meat merchant
LI Albert — fruit merchant
LI Gretchen Schmidt —redemptioner
LI Captain of the ship
Setting:
o High Street in Philadelphia; Friday morning during Colonial times
Plot:
LI Margaret, a 12-year-old girl, was shopping at the marketplace alone, while her mother was sick at home.
Li She went to see old Mr. Ober, who raised the best chickens. But Mr. Ober was impatient with Margaret because he wanted to go to the pier to look over the redemptioners, since his redemptioner had run away weeks ago. He and his wife needed someone to help prepare meals and clean.
LI Redemptioners had to remain on board a ship until someone paid for their fare. In return, they had to work for that person for a number of years.
LI Margaret was glad that when her family left Germany, they could afford to purchase their own tickets, so she didn’t have to be a redemptioner.
LI Margaret met up with Mr. Albert to buy some apples. She learned they had come to America to start a new life. Unfortunately, Mr. Albert’s wife was weak and had a bad cough.
LI Margaret recognized that Albert was an honest merchant, and purchased apples.
LI Margaret took the long way home passing by Front Street to see the new ships at the pier. She heard someone calling her and discovered it was Gretchen Schmidt, her best friend from the German town where Margaret was born.
Li Gretchen told Margaret of the trip coming over and how many people had died of sickness, including her parents.
Problem:
LI Since Gretchen was a redemptioner, she couldn’t leave the ship. The captain had told her that someone needed to pay for her voyage and she would have to work for that person until she paid the money back.
LI At the same time, Margaret noticed Mr. Ober and pointed him out to Gretchen, so she would stay away from him.
LI Margaret rushed back to the market to find someone to pay for Gretchen’s ticket. She bumped into Albert and told him of Gretchen’s situation. So Albert went with Margaret to the pier.

11 Margaret and Albert met up with the captain, Mr. Ober, and Gretchen. Margaret questioned whether Mr. Ober had paid for Gretchen’s ticket. Mr. Ober said, “No, for she is a lazy and disobedient girl?”
Margaret exchanged glances with Gretchen relieved that whatever Gretchen had said to Mr. Ober had worked.
Resolution:
U Albert paid ten pounds for Gretchen. He needed a trustworthy person to help his wife. Albert knew a friend of Margaret’s was the kind of person he needed.
Ending:
U Margaret and Gretchen hugged each other and knew they would be friends again, “friends in America.”

Text		Anchor Texts		Reasons	Text Evidence
Friends In AI1CnCQ	• •	Saiah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachian Hatchet by Gary Paulsen	• • •	sentence length historical fiction- historical places and time settings new vocabulary but	• sentence length “After the ship arrived in the colonies, redemptioners had to remain on board until someone paidfor their fare.” (p. 2)
(50)	•	Poppy by		explains it	• historical places and tune settings
R		Avi	• .	vocabulary and language are sophisticated and offer challenge to the reader empathize with historical characters	“Margaret hurried down High Street with her basket. It was Friday, all the farmers brought their goods to Philadelphia. “(p. 1) • new vocabulary but explains it “She knew that redemptioners were passengers who were unable to pay for their trip. “(p.2)