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Private Notes
When Martha eats alphabet soup, the letters go to her brain and she develops the ability to talk. And boy, does she talk. After her family complains that she talks too much, she clams up and stops eating her soup. Then a cat burglar breaks into her house, and Martha finds herself speechless. Can she get help in time?
Vocabulary:
(E) express, discuss, mumble, exclaim, shout
(I) speak, jabber, talk, whisper, communicate
Helen's cousin Carolina is a little bit older but a lot more fashion–conscious. Helen tries to take her advice, even though she's pretty happy with how she looks already. Then Martha becomes the new host of a radio advice show, and people start doing some pretty strange things. Will Helen learn whose opinion really matters?
Vocabulary:
(E) persuade, defend, encourage, groan, advice
(I) disagree, agree, suggest, offer, plead, sigh,
A new puppy joins Martha's household, bursting with puppy energy and the desire to chew everything. Unlike Martha, when Skits eats alphabet soup, nothing comes out except "Woof." Feeling like he's let the family down, Skits runs away. But soon Skits discovers that everybody is special in their own way.
Vocabulary:
(E) exceptional, stupendous, unique, specialize, extraordinary
(I) one of a kind, excellent, perfect, super
Helen is miserable after Martha volunteers her for a part in the school play. With practice—and a little help from Martha—Helen finds she can do anything she wants, if she puts her mind to it.
Vocabulary:
(E) talent, expert, knack, gift, outstanding
(I) superb, terrific, fantastic, practice, perform, cue, play
It's Alice's birthday and everybody's invited, including Martha. The only problem is that Nelson (Martha's cat nemesis) will be there too. When somebody—or some animal—ruins the birthday cake, Alice's brother Ronald thinks Martha's responsible. Martha proclaims her innocence . . . but why was she surrounded by cake crumbs?
Vocabulary:
(E) innocent, guilty, biased, witness, evidence
(I) judge, jury, trial, prove, true, truth
Martha, Helen, and T.D. uncover a plot to rob the jewelry store, or so they think until their two suspects turn out to be police detectives on a stakeout. Now that everybody has gone home in disgrace, how will Martha catch the real criminals?
Vocabulary:
(E) suspicious, accomplice, plotting, proof, expression
(I) fishy, partner, planning, positive
Martha is inspired by her favorite show, "Courageous Collie Carlo." Unfortunately, her attempts to become a doggie hero don't quite work out the way she plans. In the end, both Martha and Helen discover they can be courageous when it really matters.
Vocabulary:
E) rescue, courageous, danger, protect, hero
(I) save, strong, harm, escape, trouble
Ronald finds out that Helen and Alice plan to go camping and warns them about Big Minnie, a mythical monster who lives in the woods. Undeterred, the campers set off. After all, everybody knows Big Minnie's imaginary. Or is she?
Vocabulary:
(E) honorary, brave, earn, merit badge, frightened, helpful
(I) guard, scared, afraid
Helen, Martha, and T.D. visit T.D.'s grandpa CK on his farm. When Martha tries to help with chores, things get a little out of hand. She doesn't think she's cut out to be a farm dog, until she raises the alarm, just in the nick of time.
Vocabulary:
(E) chores, herd, pasture, responsibility, task, toil
(I) job, tired, rise
When Helen gets mad, Martha feels unappreciated and decides to run away. She finds the perfect job to match her abilities—as a telemarketer—and enjoys career success. But she realizes that no amount of success is a substitute for a loving family.
Vocabulary:
(E) success, appreciate, opportunity, promote, employ
(I) manage, hire, work, boss
Granny Flo decides to cut costs at the soup factory. Who would notice if each bowl of soup had only half the letters of the alphabet anyway? Martha would, that's who. As the letters are subtracted from the soup, they're also subtracted from her speech, and Martha loses her ability to communicate. Has Martha ordered her last burger?
Vocabulary
(E) limit, add, subtract, reduce, diminish
(I) few, greater, higher, more, less
Now that Skits is full grown, his rambunctious behavior has really gotten out of hand. Mom and Dad tell Helen she has to train Skits or he will have to be an outside dog. Helen tries all the latest training techniques with no success, until she realizes there's only one sure–fire training method: practice, lots of practice.
Vocabulary
(E) improve, progress, expand, behave, develop
(I) better, misbehave, grow, manners, learn
Martha inadvertently helps some stray dogs rob Karl the butcher. Worried that she'll get blamed for the crime, she conceals the evidence and pretends nothing happened. When the canine criminals recruit her for another heist, she's torn between the truth and a really big salami.
Vocabulary:
(E) distressed, blame, confess, conceal, shame
(I) rob, crime, punish, suspect, honest, hurt
Martha thinks there's something fishy about the Perfect Pup Institute. Why are all these dogs behaving so, well, perfectly? Martha is determined to uncover the secret, before any more dogs lose their essential dogginess. Will she succeed or will she become a perfect pup too?
Vocabulary:
(E) train, imperfect, obedient, disobedient, misbehave
(I) wild, good, bad, sneaky, secret
Martha wants to be a firehouse dog, just like her favorite book, Firehouse Freddie. But somehow all the things Freddie makes look so easy—climbing ladders, carrying hoses—aren't as easy for a real dog to do. Will Martha give up on her dream?
Vocabulary:
(E) reality, fantasy, fiction, imagine, tale, dispatcher
(I) story, real, fact, pretend, actually
Have giant alien pickles invaded Wagstaff City? Truman saw something just like it in a movie, but he never saw the ending. Now they're racing the clock to figure out how to defeat the aliens, before they're really in a pickle!
Vocabulary:
(E) bizarre, odd, normal, farfetched, rumor, unusual
(I) weird, wacky, ordinary, strange, report
Helen agrees to take care of Mrs. Clusky's dog for a few days, and Martha can't wait to welcome their houseguest. To Martha's chagrin, François turns out to be a demanding and manipulative guest who knows just how to charm the humans. When Martha gets blamed for the teacup poodle's bad behavior, something has to be done, but what?
Vocabulary:
(E) jealous, visitor, privileges, envy, demanding
(I) houseguest, welcome, rude, polite, manners
When Martha wins a trip to the Come–On–Inn from a radio call–in show, there's only one problem: No dogs allowed. Helen and Martha put their heads together to come up with a solution. Enter Granny Martha. But when a "mad dog" eats Granny Martha, pandemonium ensues. Where's Martha and why is everybody running for the exits?
Vocabulary
(E) allow, forbid, permit, restrict, problem
(I) guest, rules, invite, vacation
Granny Flo's Alphabet Soup is taking a licking from the competition, Oodles of Os. If Granny Flo goes out of business, how will Martha communicate? To increase sales, Helen, Martha, and T.D. set out to convince Granny Flo to advertise on the popular TV show, International Icon. Who will Granny Flo choose as a spokesperson?
Vocabulary:
(E) deceive, honest, dishonest, mislead, popular
(I) trust, believe, fooling, right, wrong, advertise
Nefarious con artist Weaselgraft hatches a scheme to kidnap Martha by pretending to be Martha's long–lost owner . . . from Poland. The family sniffs something suspicious, but why has Martha suddenly begun speaking Polish? Will they really have to say pozegnalny to Martha?
Vocabulary:
(E) deny, admit, claim, false, translate
(I) switch, mistake, trick, fraud
There's a new dog in town and, boy, is he mean! He barks so much that nobody can sleep. Helen and Martha decide they have to do something. They try steak, squeaky toys, soothing music, but nothing calms the beast within. Then unexpectedly Ronald's parrot reveals the power of a few well–chosen words.
Vocabulary:
(E) annoy, beware, insult, pleasant, unpleasant
(I) bully, mean, loud, tough, naughty
Weaselgraft just can't get Martha off his mind. He must have her. Maybe he can tempt her into his clutches with some well–placed praise and a lifetime supply of bones. He invites her to a talent show, and Martha tells the gang. T.D., Truman, and Carolina are game, but they aren't the kind of game Weaselgraft was hoping to catch.
Vocabulary:
(E) coax, compliment, flatter, tempt, praise
(I) tongue twister, care, friendly, practice, treat
Martha has an idea for a thrilling adventure story, so Truman, T.D., and Helen decide to draw it for her. Much to Martha's dismay, they all add their own special touches, including peanut butter, a ground squirrel, and the Incredible Exo–Skeleton–of–Wow. But when life imitates art, things get a little too exciting!
Vocabulary:
(E) thrilling, hero, villain, astonish, humongous
(I) boring, exciting, adventure, incredible, amazing, dull
Martha is thrilled when she hears Courageous Collie Carlo is coming to town. But when Martha unexpectedly reveals how uncourageous Carlo really is, she has to help him save his reputation or Carlo's TV career could be history.
Vocabulary:
(E) ecstatic, embarrass, enthusiastic, eager, reputation
(I) fear, excited, glad, upset, fan
Truman can't believe his luck when Alice invites the gang to go whale watching . . . . until he realizes that he has to actually get on a boat. Which means he'll get seasick. But Truman's desire to see Balaenoptera musculus drives him to overcome his fear, with a little help from someone who knows the true meaning of perseverance!
Vocabulary
(E) dread, nauseous, overcome, persevere, seasick
(I) ill, quit, queasy, sick, shaky
Helen comes down with laryngitis, and she's sent to bed to recuperate. Martha decides to use her powers of speech to take care of the patient and find a cure. So why are a police car, fire engine, pizza delivery van, and chimney sweep truck all blocking the road in front of Helen's house?
Vocabulary:
(E) remedy, recover, recuperate, cure, medicine
(I) hoarse, rest, well, sick
Carolina is determined to outdo Tiffany Blatsky on the science project. She organizes an expedition with T.D., Truman, and Martha to gather "exotic" plants. When the canoe capsizes, a storm blows up, and the sun starts to go down, they worry they may never get off Flea Island.
Vocabulary
(E) cooperate, consensus, government, law, supervise
(I) agree, lead, in charge, rule, team
Tiffany wants to make Helen's treehouse into a girls' clubhouse. But who should be president? When the girls hold an election (Carolina vs. Tiffany, of course), both candidates aggressively court Helen's vote.
Vocabulary
(E) campaign, debate, elect, influence, issue
(I) choose, decide, lose, vote, win, club
Martha loses her collar and winds up in the animal shelter. She leads an escape attempt, only to find that freedom isn't much without a family. (1st of two parts)
Vocabulary
(E) abandon, deserted, neglected, overlooked, fortunate
(I) alone, forgot, harsh, lonely, tough, rough
When Martha's family comes to take her home, she decides she can't leave her shelter friends behind. Adopting that many dogs is out of the question, so Martha, Helen, and T.D. cook up a plan to find families for the pound pooches. (2nd of two parts)
Vocabulary
(E) adopt, affection, devoted, embrace, loyal
(I) adore, belong, care, dream, hope
After T.D. passes in the wrong drawing in art class (a caricature of his art teacher instead of a perfectly good drawing of the back of Chuck Smith's head), he panics. With Truman and Martha keeping an eye out for the janitor, Helen and T.D. sneak into the school after hours to switch the drawings. But will they get caught, or worse still, eaten by a desert mountain snow wolf?
Vocabulary
(E) apologize, dilemma, forgive, miserable, regret
(I) mistake, solve, sorry, swap, unhappy
Martha always seems to do the wrong thing around Grandma Lucille. To prove that she's really considerate, she decides to do something really special for Grandma's birthday. But finding the perfect present for a human is a lot harder than it looks.
Vocabulary
(E) considerate, delightful, thoughtful, sincere, considerate
(I) kind, lovely, nice, sweet
Professor Monkey is coming to town to promote his craft books with co–author Beppo. But his directions to the bookstore end up under Bob the dog's fiercely guarded porch. Can Martha help Professor Monkey find the bookstore before Beppo turns in her banana suit?
Vocabulary
(E) directions, retrieves, instructions, follow, lead
(I) inside, behind, under, on top, in front, find
Truman needs Martha to help him find something he lost at Dog Head Lake. The only problem is he won't tell Martha what they're looking for because he's too embarrassed. After getting lost deep in the forest and coming face–to–face with his fears, Truman learns a valuable lesson about himself and his . . . whatsit.
Vocabulary
(E) track, trail, misplace, locate, search
(I) lost, found, missing, near, far, around
Carolina decides to enter François in the dog show, and Helen just can't help herself. She has to enter Martha, too, so she can show Carolina who the true champion really is. A little competition between cousins isn't a bad thing, or is it?
Vocabulary
(E) competition, contest, champion, rival, victory
(I) beat, enter, lose, prize, win
Why does Truman want to become a hobo and/or join the circus? Is he actually trying to run away? Maybe it has something to do with tomorrow's softball game, and the fact that Truman can't actually catch the ball. Can Martha and Alice help?
Vocabulary:
(E) achievement, attempt, concentrate, effort, patient
(I) throw, catch, toss, lesson
Is someone fixing up the haunted house? If not, who ordered those flowers? Was it the ghost of Mrs. Parkington's Great–Aunt Martha? Whoever or whatever it was, Martha has to go in there to protect Helen, before it's too late!
Vocabulary:
(E) eerie, explain, gullible, logical, impossible
(I) creepy, ghost, haunted, unlikely, spook
Uh–oh. Martha walked under a ladder—and broke a mirror—so now she thinks she's jinxed. And she's worried her bad luck is rubbing off on everybody else. Helen tries to explain that all the accidents are just coincidence, but things just keep getting worse.
Vocabulary
(E) jinx, superstitious, curse, coincidence, reason
(I) luck, chance, accident, fluke, doomed
Skits and Martha are feeling desperate while they wait in the broiling sun for Helen to finish shopping. Fed up, Skits decides to follow the cool air into the store, and Martha has to follow to get him out. What are they going to do now that they're stuck in the bathroom and the store is about to close?! (1st of two parts)
Vocabulary
(E) escape, entrance, flee, stuck, trapped
(I) hurry, closed, inside, open, outside
Helen can't find Martha and Skits anywhere. Little does she know, they're trapped inside the darkened department store, trying to find the exit . . . when they aren't distracted by the comfy beds, overflowing garbage cans, and automatic tennis–ball shooter. Will they find their way out before it's time to blow out Mom's birthday candles? (2nd of two parts)
Vocabulary
(E) avoid, capture, distract, exit, intruder
(I) catch, door, get away, guard, hide
Martha can't keep her paws away from her itchy ear mites. Until they're gone, she has to wear a cone on her head to keep her from scratching. Martha hates the cone; it gets in the way and makes everything sound weird. Worse than that, it terrifies Jake. Will Martha have to live in the cellar until she gets better?
Vocabulary
(E) device, contraption, devise, invent, variation
(I) helmet, gadget, machine, idea, cone
The gang decides to make homemade valentines for each other. But when everybody's art supplies begin disappearing, their affectionate mood begins to fade. Can Martha solve the mystery of the stolen supplies?
Vocabulary:
(E) craft, personalized, design, exquisite, original
(I) draw, create, supplies, materials, decorate
Martha can't believe that Helen and Alice are making such a fuss about a kitten. Everyone knows kittens are not to be tolerated. But could this kitten be different?
Vocabulary
(E) discriminate, prejudice, territory, tolerate, socialize, sociable
(I) buddy, pal, greet, ignore
Alice is shocked to discover that Truman has never actually tried ice cream. Alice thinks deciding you won't like ice cream without trying it is, well, prejudiced! Can Helen and T.D. find a compromise that satisfies Alice but doesn't force Truman to give in to peer pressure?
Vocabulary
(E) aversion, disgust, peer pressure, prefer, narrow–minded
(I) against, choice, dislike, flavor, like
Being able to translate animal speech sure comes in handy when Martha gets a job as the vet's assistant. But when Mrs. Clusky's niece brings her puppy to the vet — and he speaks nothing but incomprehensible puppy talk — artha's going to need more than her linguistic skills to figure out what's wrong.
Vocabulary
(E) examine, observe, research, symptom, vaccine
(I) test, treat, checkup, veterinarian, healthy
Carolina is starting a newspaper, the Carolina Town Crier, and she needs some crack reporters to track down the news. T.D. turns investigative reporter, until he becomes the headline himself. Martha thinks she's uncovered a real scoop, but Carolina disagrees, no bones about it.
Vocabulary
(E) inspect, information, investigate, scoop, uncover
(I) news, story, headline, cover, print
Alice is a talented athlete, but grace is not her middle name. After she sees a performance of the ballet, she secretly wishes she could take ballet lessons. But how can she ever admit she's interested when she knows her brother Ronald will tease her mercilessly?
Vocabulary
(E) awkward, balance, clumsy, graceful, coordinated
(I) athlete, dancer, klutz, stumble, beautiful
After she sees a dog agility course on TV, Martha decides being an agility dog is just the thing for her. But when she tries out a course that Mrs. Clusky built for François, her agility dream becomes a nightmare. Now Martha won't even walk in public. How can Helen and Alice get Martha back on her feet?
Vocabulary
(E) agility, flexible, nimble, challenge, course
(I) speed, smooth, quick, move, fall
Martha wakes up singing and not just because she's happy. She can't stop! Helen and Martha visit the vet, some musicians, and an opera singer, trying to discover the source of her musical malady to no avail. Will Martha ever be able to talk without a tempo again?
Vocabulary
(E) instrument, musician, vocalist, recording, tempo, melody
(I) sing, song, music, hear, sound
Everybody's singing about Shecky the Sea Lion and it's driving T.D. nuts! He could write a better song than that, and that's just what he's going to do! He recruits the gang to join his band and then sets out to write a hit song. . . . about Belgium? Inspiration strikes, but what will they do for an encore?
Vocabulary
(E) lyrics, audience, rhythm, inspiration, encore
(I) band, beat, hit, concert, catchy
Martha and Skits hate the sound of thunder. One day Skits gets fed up and tries to outrun the storm, but soon discovers that all roads somehow lead back home.
Vocabulary
(E) storm, thunder, lightning, shower, precipitation, hail
(I) wet, downpour, rainfall, drizzle
Windy McCloud, Wagstaff City's meteorologist, wants Martha to be her weather dog. Martha's thrilled that she'll be able to change the weather to suit Helen and her friends, until she finds out she's not going to make the weather, she's going to predict it. But all her predictions are way off. What should she tell Windy?
Vocabulary
(E) forecast, temperature, meteorologist, predict, weather
(I) sunny, shower, snow, rain, cloudy, lightning
Martha just wants a nice quiet place to take a nap. All she needs is for everybody to be quiet for, oh, 16 hours a day. Is that too much to ask? Helen and the gang try to help by designing a doghouse for Martha.
Vocabulary
(E) architect, blueprint, construction, shelter, model
(I) build, building, tools, sketch, porch
Carolina is over the moon when she finds out that Mindy Munchhausen, host of "Operation Catwalk," will be judging Wagstaff City's dog costume parade. She teams up with Helen to design outfits for Martha and Skits, sure that this will be her big break. Is Carolina on her way to Fashion Avenue?
Vocabulary
(E) apparel, measurement, outfit, pattern, style
(I) sew, fit, hem, model, fashion
T.D. gets hoodwinked by Weaselgraft and Pablum into buying a steak tree. He's sure if he takes good care of it, soon he'll be harvesting freshly blossomed steaks. But when the buds open to reveal flowers instead of sirloins, T.D. has to think fast before he's humiliated in front of his friends.
Vocabulary
(E) bloom, blossom, harvest, sprout, trend
(I) branch, bud, grow, plant, pick
Martha, T.D., and T.D.'s dad spend the weekend at CK's farm, trying to keep a gopher from eating all the crops. After many failed schemes to catch the gluttonous gopher, they realize the best way to keep him from eating the crops is by offering him a better meal elsewhere!
Vocabulary
(E) agriculture, burrow, crop, pest, produce
(I) farm, gnaw, plants, trap, underground
Alice's family gets a robotic pet called Dynamo who can do everything a real dog can do and help you with your math homework. Martha decides to show that she's even more perfect than the perfect pet, so Helen won't replace her with a mechanical mutt. If that fails, can she work with Nelson to get rid of Dynamo?
Vocabulary
(E) command, function, manual, mechanical, program
(I) robot, charge, fetch, alive, button
While playing with Alice's laptop computer, Martha accidentally hits the wrong button and gets zapped inside! Will Helen figure out a way to get her out of there before those marauding video monsters gobble her up?
Vocabulary
(E) deleted, attach, email, folder, file
(I) computer, send, desktop, laptop, icon
Every spring, Martha gets an urge to dig that she just can't control. When Martha's habit gets her in trouble with the whole neighborhood, the family decides they need to put her desire to dig to good use.
Vocabulary
(E) habit, weakness, urge, crave, drive
(I) want, stop, desire, need, irresistible
Ronald gives Helen his old gamekid, and pretty soon she's hooked! She forgets to walk Martha, neglects her homework, and becomes completely preoccupied. When Helen forgets to feed Martha and Skits again, and misses the fieldtrip because she forgot her permission slip, she turns to Martha for help. Can Helen break the habit?
Vocabulary
(E) addict, obsessed, preoccupied, monitor, restraint
(I) hooked, quit, level, rid, break
Helen is sad when her drawing doesn't win the art competition, so Mom decides to bake her a cake to cheer her up. But when a last–minute order comes in at the flower shop, Martha and Skits decide to take over. Do two dogs with no thumbs (and a cookbook) have what it takes to bake?
Vocabulary
(E) recipe, ingredients, from scratch, blend, beat
(I) mix, pour, bake, oven, stir
Always on the lookout for a way to avoid bathing, Martha decides T.D.'s dad O.G. should invent a perfume that will cover up her doggy scent. After a few tries, he concocts the perfect pooch perfume. So why is Martha begging for a bath?
Vocabulary
(E) combine, concoct, dissolve, separate, extract
(I) spritz, drop, spray, fragrance, perfume, strong
Mrs. Demson hates dogs and blames them for everything, which is a problem since she lives right down the street from Martha. But she changes her tune after Martha witnesses an accident that destroys Mrs. Demson's lawn furniture. Now Mrs. Demson will do anything to get Martha to appear as her witness in court.
Vocabulary
(E) accuse, testify, defendant, plaintiff, objection
(I) describe, answer, question, explain, accident
Something smells bad and it's Martha. Faced with yet another bath, Martha makes a stand for her right to, well, stink. But if Martha is going to stand up for her rights, Dad says she can do it outside. Will Martha be an outside dog forever?
Vocabulary
(E) right, compromise, principle, resolve, option
(I) fair, unfair, give in, freedom, civilized, demand
T.D. thinks it would be funny to put Martha's name on the list for substitute teachers. What started out as a joke, turns into a nightmare for Helen, Alice, and T.D., when Martha gets the job and takes it very seriously.
Vocabulary
(E) attendance, substitute, attention, behavior, report
(I) teacher, lesson, student, school, homework
T.D. swears he'll start working on his report just as soon as he watches the "Harry Blotter, Boy Wizard" movie marathon, all nine parts! As Helen predicted, T.D. winds up in a panic until he has a moment of inspiration. Can he pull off his project in time?
Vocabulary
(E) assignment, inventor, discover, biography, subject
(I) chapter, study, project, class, grade
Helen's mom and dad are starring in the community theater production, and Helen's the stage manager. Even Martha gets a part... as a bull. When the big night finally comes, Mom and Dad get trapped in their dressing room. The play must go on, but now the bull is the bullfighter and the bullfighter is... her sister? What will they do for an encore?
Vocabulary
(E) tradition, custom, culture, generation, annual
(I) family, different, community, theater, marry
When Helen leaves Martha off her family tree, Martha decides to make her own pack. However, the call of the wild becomes the call of the can opener for her pack mates, and soon Martha is left alone at Doghead Lake, hunting for dinner. But can she really eat that poor wounded duck?
Vocabulary
(E) family tree, ancestors, descendant, pack, relatives
(I) wolf, sister, brother, cousin, daughter
Martha is secretly trapped inside Pablum and Weaselgraft's hideout. She manages to call Helen and tell her how to get there by smell. Can Helen and T.D. follow her scent map and uncover Weaselgraft and Pablum's lair?
Vocabulary
(E) aroma, fragrance, scent, stench, reek
(I) smell, stink, whiff, odor
For the same story from a different sensory perspective, Martha once again finds herself trapped in Weaselgraft and Pablum's lair, but this time she leads Helen and T.D. to their hideout by describing what she hears. It sounded like a good idea. . . .
Vocabulary
(E) blaring, clanging, creak, rumble, audio
(I) noise, listen, siren, bell, ears
Why is Martha so grumpy? She's offended just about everybody with her insults. Truman figures out that she's saying the exact reverse of what she means to say. But can they figure out the cure before she ruins Grandpa Bernie's birthday party?
Vocabulary
(E) exactly, correct, offend, reverse, contrary
(I) opposite, meant, top, backwards, bottom
Truman and T.D. both wish they had a brother. If Skits and Martha can be sort of siblings, why can't the two of them? Helen and Alice bet the boys that they can't keep the brother thing up for a week, because they don't exactly have a lot in common.
Vocabulary
(E) sibling, common, similar, contrast, identical
(I) together, alike, twins, both, only
Martha hosts a TV show where she helps people understand their animals better by explaining what they're saying. Unfortunately, the only viewers are Martha and her friends, so the producers try a new format, Crime Scene Doggie.
Vocabulary
(E) interview, conversation, understand, interpret, comprehend
(I) chat, thoughts, think, mind, know
Martha and Skits don't want to share their newest, coolest dog toy. Their bickering is driving Helen nuts, and now T.D. and Alice have taken sides. Can't they all just get along?
Vocabulary
(E) quarrel, bicker, negotiate, barter, truce
(I) selfish, fight, share, take a turn, trade
Martha becomes a hospital therapy dog, spreading cheer among the patients. But trouble brews when Mrs. Demson, who claims a horrible allergy to dogs, is admitted for an invisible rash. Can Martha sneak in to help the other patients without Mrs. Demson knowing?
Vocabulary
(E) therapy, patient, cheer, relief, treatment
(I) hospital, rash, pain, doctor, nurse
Ralph, the wounded duck from the lake, has settled in at Martha's house to convalesce. Pretty soon, it feels like the duck is taking over. How long does it take for a duck's wing to heal anyway? Is it possible that Ralph has gotten a little too comfortable?
Vocabulary
(E) mend, heal, fake, mood, spirits
(I) feel, worse, glum, down, low
Where has Truman been and why is he acting so weird? He's hiding in the garage, lurking in the shadows. He finally agrees to tell the whole gruesome story, but will it be too horrible for them to bear?
Vocabulary
(E) appearance, self–conscious, mortified, flaw, vain
(I) picture, horrible, barber, photo, haircut
Skits loves to watch Malcolm, the blue monkey on TV. In fact, he loves Malcolm so much he wants to be Malcolm, and he starts wearing a polka dot bowtie. Martha is mortified to be seen with him in public. How long is this phase going to last—or could it be permanent?
Vocabulary
(E) phase, temporary, outgrow, imitate, mature
(I) copy, same, babyish, younger
What's gotten into Bob? He's off his chain and he's chasing Truman all over town. Soon Truman, Helen, Alice, T.D., Kazuo the dog officer, the pizza guy, and Bob's owner are all up a tree, imprisoned by a barking Bob. Can Martha figure out what's bothering Bob?
Vocabulary
(E) anxious, serene, provoke, disturb, bother
(I) calm, settle down, relax, awful, quiet
It's sweltering hot and everybody is miserable. To distract Jake from the heat, Martha tells him about Goldi–Martha and the Skits Hatter and Little Red Riding Helen and their adventures among giants, queens, and a very familiar fire–breathing cat.
Vocabulary
(E) irritating, soothing, comfortable, cozy, sweltering
(I) scratchy, cool, lumpy, bumpy, hot
