Page-by-page reading study guide
THE GARDEN OF HAPPINESS
G3 I2 Learners
Genre: Realistic Fiction
STUDY • REVIEW • SUCCEED
Meet the Story
First, learn these important facts.
• Genre: Realistic fiction — a story that could happen in real life.
• Main character: Marisol
• Setting: A neighborhood in New York City
• Big idea: A garden and a community can bring people happiness.
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Page 346 — The Dirty Empty Lot
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol lives near East Houston Street.
• An empty lot is full of garbage and broken things.
• The lot smells bad.
⭐ Remember: The lot is dirty and unpleasant.
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Page 347 — People Clean the Lot
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• One April morning, Marisol sees grown-ups working.
• Mr. Ortiz carries a rusty refrigerator door.
• Mrs. Willie Mae Washington picks up newspapers.
• Mr. Singh rolls a tire away.
⭐ Remember: The neighbors begin cleaning the lot.
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Page 348 — A Garden Begins
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• People dig up stones.
• Marisol asks, “¿Qué pasa?” (“What is happening?”)
• Mrs. Willie Mae Washington wants to grow black-eyed peas, greens, and sweet potatoes.
• She remembers her father’s farm in Alabama.
⭐ Remember: The neighbors want to grow food.
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Page 349 — The Garden Gets a Name
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Mr. Singh names it The Garden of Happiness.
• He plants a bean vine from Bangladesh.
• Mr. Castro and Mrs. Rodriguez prepare the soil.
• Marisol wants to plant something, but all plots are taken.
⭐ Remember: Marisol wants her own garden space.
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Page 350 — Marisol Finds a Patch
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol searches for a place to plant.
• She finds a tiny patch of earth beside the cracked sidewalk.
• She removes pebbles and loosens the soil with a stick.
⭐ Remember: Marisol does not give up.
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Page 351 — A Wall and a Garden
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Teenagers plan to paint a mural on a brick wall.
• City Arts gives them paint.
• They have not decided what to paint.
• Marisol says she is making a garden.
⭐ Remember: The garden and mural are community projects.
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Page 352 — Marisol Finds a Seed
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol has no seedlings or roots.
• She visits Mrs. Garcia, who is feeding pigeons.
• Marisol takes one big, flat seed for her garden.
⭐ Remember: The seed gives Marisol a chance to grow a plant.
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Page 353 — Marisol Plants the Seed
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol makes a hole in the soil.
• She puts the seed in and covers it with soil.
• Every day in spring, she waters it.
⭐ Remember: Marisol cares for her seed every day.
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Page 354 — The Seed Grows
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• A green shoot comes out of the soil.
• Marisol visits even on rainy days.
• The plant grows two leaves, then four.
• Soon it reaches Marisol’s knee.
⭐ Remember: The seed becomes a growing plant.
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Page 355 — A Mystery Plant
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Plants grow all around the garden.
• Mr. Castro’s plants grow big tomatoes.
• Marisol’s plant grows to her shoulder.
• Nobody knows what her plant will become.
⭐ Remember: Marisol’s plant is growing very tall.
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Page 356 — Summer in the Garden
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol pulls weeds in the late afternoon.
• She works when it is not so hot.
• The teenagers measure the wall and discuss their mural.
• Mr. Ortiz rests in his garden plot.
⭐ Remember: Everyone has a different job or activity.
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Page 357 — Mr. Ortiz’s Garden
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Mr. Ortiz enjoys fresh air after work at the factory.
• His bean plants remind him of Puerto Rico.
• Marisol asks if her plant is from Puerto Rico.
• Mr. Ortiz jokes that it might be Jack’s beanstalk.
⭐ Remember: Marisol still does not know her plant’s name.
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Page 358 — A Big Bud Appears
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• By the end of July, Marisol’s plant is taller than she is.
• A bud grows at the top.
• The bud gets bigger each day.
⭐ Remember: A bud will soon become a flower.
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Page 359 — A Sunflower Blooms
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol sees a huge flower with yellow and gold petals.
• Mrs. Anderson recognizes it as a sunflower.
• Mrs. Majewska remembers sunflowers in Poland.
⭐ Remember: Marisol’s mystery plant is a sunflower.
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Page 360 — Sunflowers Around the World
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Mrs. Garcia remembers sunflowers in Mexico.
• Mrs. Willie Mae Washington says sunflowers grow in many sunny places.
• Marisol proudly says they grow in New York City, too.
⭐ Remember: Sunflowers grow in many places around the world.
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Page 361 — A Flower of Sunshine
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• The sunflower shines like a bright yellow circle.
• Marisol thinks it is a flower of sunshine.
• People stop and smile when they see it.
⭐ Remember: The sunflower brings happiness to the neighborhood.
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Page 362 — The Sunflower Fades
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol waters the plant too much, and water runs down the sidewalk.
• The leaves fall and the petals fade.
• Mrs. Willie Mae Washington explains that the flower’s season is over.
• Mrs. Rodriguez tells Marisol to save the seeds for next spring.
⭐ Remember: Flowers have seasons; their lives do not last forever.
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Page 363 — The Sad Garden
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• The sunflower droops.
• Marisol has collected the seeds.
• She is still upset about losing her beautiful flower.
⭐ Remember: Marisol keeps the seeds even though she is sad.
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Page 364 — Marisol Feels Sad
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• Marisol is too sad to visit the empty lot.
• For a whole week, she cannot look at the place where her sunflower grew.
⭐ Remember: Marisol needs time to feel better.
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Page 365 — The Neighbors Call
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• One day, people call Marisol’s name.
• They tell her to come quickly.
• Something exciting is happening in the neighborhood.
⭐ Remember: Marisol is invited to see something special.
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Page 366 — A Happy Surprise
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• A golden glow shines on the street.
• A big crowd gathers, like on a holiday.
• Music plays from the bodega.
• Marisol laughs, dances, and claps her hands.
⭐ Remember: The community shares a joyful moment.
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Page 367 — The Final Illustration
READ • UNDERSTAND • REMEMBER
• The final picture shows people celebrating among large sunflowers.
• The neighborhood looks colorful and full of life.
• The ending emphasizes happiness shared by the community.
⭐ Remember: People can bring happiness to a place by working together.
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Meet the Characters
Know who each person is and what they do.
Marisol — the main character; plants and cares for a seed.
Mrs. Willie Mae Washington — wants to grow vegetables and explains that flowers have seasons.
Mr. Singh — names the garden and plants a bean vine from Bangladesh.
Mr. Ortiz — helps clean the lot and grows beans that remind him of Puerto Rico.
Mrs. Rodriguez — helps prepare the garden and tells Marisol to save the seeds.
Mrs. Garcia — feeds the pigeons; Marisol finds a seed near her.
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Story Elements
These facts are useful for a reading test.
• Genre: Realistic fiction
• Main character: Marisol
• Setting: A neighborhood in New York City
• Beginning: The empty lot is dirty and full of garbage.
• Problem: Marisol cannot find a garden plot; later, her sunflower fades.
• Important events: She finds a tiny patch, plants a seed, and cares for it.
• Big moment: Her mystery plant blooms into a giant sunflower.
• Ending: The neighborhood celebrates.
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Vocabulary Review
Read each word and its easy meaning.
empty lot
unused piece of land
garbage
things people throw away
rusty
covered with rust
plot
small piece of land
mural
large picture painted on a wall
seedling
very young plant
shoot
new part growing from a plant
bud
flower that has not opened
petals
colored parts of a flower
faded
lost color or freshness
drooped
hung or bent downward
community
people living in the same area
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5 FACTS TO REMEMBER
• Marisol is the main character.
• The neighbors turn a dirty lot into The Garden of Happiness.
• Marisol plants a seed in a tiny patch of land.
• The seed grows into a giant sunflower that makes people smile.
• The story teaches us about hope, caring, and community.
You can do it! 🌻
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