The Valencia Girls Book Club

 

 The Valencia Girls Book Club (pasado)

Six girls lived in Valencia, Spain. Their names were Mar, Lucia, Carmen, Elena, Marta, and Ana. They loved reading books, so thy decided to start a book club.

Mar was the president of the club. She was organized and liked helping everyone. The girls met once a week at the home of one of the members. One week they met at Mar's house, and the next week they met at Lucia's house. They took turns hosting the meetings.

At the beginning of each month, the girls voted on the books they wanted to read. Everyone could suggest a book. Then they raised their hands to vote. The two books with the most votes were chosen. The club read two books every month.

The girls read the books at home during the week. When they met, they talked about the stories, the characters, and their favorite parts. Sometimes they agreed, and sometimes they had different opinions.

One month, they chose a mystery book and an adventure book. Elena loved the mystery because she enjoyed solving puzzles. Marta liked the adventure book because it was exciting and full of action.

During the meetings, the girls also shared snacks and drinks. They laughed, discussed the books, and learned new words. Reading became even more fun because they could talk about the books with their friends.

After a few months, the Valencia Girls Book Club became very popular. Other students at school wanted to hear about the books they were reading. The girls were proud of their club.

Mar smiled during one meeting and said, "Books can take us anywhere, but reading together makes the journey even better."

All the girls agreed. Their book club was one of the best things they had ever started.

 

 The Valencia Girls Book Club (presente)

 

Six girls live in Valencia, Spain. Their names are Mar, Lucia, Carmen, Elena, Marta, and Ana. They love reading books, so they decide to start a book club.

Mar is the president of the club. She is organized and likes helping everyone. The girls meet once a week at the home of one of the members. One week they meet at Mar's house, and the next week they meet at Lucia's house. They take turns hosting the meetings.

At the beginning of each month, the girls vote on the books they want to read. Everyone can suggest a book. Then they raise their hands to vote. The two books with the most votes are chosen. The club reads two books every month.

The girls read the books at home during the week. When they meet, they talk about the stories, the characters, and their favorite parts. Sometimes they agree, and sometimes they have different opinions.

One month, they choose a mystery book and an adventure book. Elena loves the mystery because she enjoys solving puzzles. Marta likes the adventure book because it is exciting and full of action.

During the meetings, the girls also share snacks and drinks. They laugh, discuss the books, and learn new words. Reading becomes even more fun because they can talk about the books with their friends.

After a few months, the Valencia Girls Book Club becomes very popular. Other students at school want to hear about the books they are reading. The girls are proud of their club.

Mar smiles during one meeting and says, "Books can take us anywhere, but reading together makes the journey even better."

All the girls agree. Their book club is one of the best things they have ever started.

 

Vocabulary

 To Share - compartir

To Choose - elegir (pasado - chose) 

Proud - orgulloso

Journey (trip, voyage) - viaje, travesía

To Agree - estar de acuerdo

To Enjoy - Disfrutar

To Solve -  resolver

Our Life in Valencia

 

 Our Life in Valencia

My name is Lucas, and I live in Valencia. My best friends are Sofia, Mateo, and Clara. We are nine years old. We study at Colegio Lluís de Santángel in El Saler.

 School Days in El Saler

Every morning, we wake up early. We pack our backpacks and take the bus to school. On the bus, we talk about football, homework, and our weekend plans. Sometimes we laugh very loudly!

Our school is close to the beach and the forest. The air smells fresh. Our teachers are kind and patient. They help us learn English, math, science, and art.

At lunchtime, we go to the school cafeteria. We eat with our classmates. Sometimes we have rice, vegetables, chicken, and fruit. On special days, we have paella! We sit together and talk about our day. Lunch time is fun because we relax and enjoy our food. We talk with our friends.

Riding Bikes in Turia Park

After school, we sometimes go to Jardín del Turia. It is a very big park in the city. There are trees, flowers, and long paths.

We ride our bikes there. Mateo is very fast. Sofia rings her bike bell. Clara and I try to keep up. We also see people playing football and families having picnics.

Visiting the City Center

One weekend, we visited the old city center. We walked to Plaça de la Verge. There is a big fountain in the middle. Behind it, you can see Valencia Cathedral and a beautiful church with a blue dome.

There were many tourists taking photos. People love to visit Valencia.

Exploring Museums

Our class also visited the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia.

. Inside, we saw a bright beach painting by Joaquín Sorolla. The sea in the painting looked like our own beach. The colors were blue and white. It felt warm and sunny.

The Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia is an important art museum in Valencia, Spain. It is one of the most important art museums in Spain.

The museum building is very old. It was built in the 1600s. At first, it was not a museum. It was a college and a place for religious people. The building is called the Colegio de San Pío V.

In 1837, the government created the museum. They wanted to protect and show important paintings and artworks. Many paintings came from churches and old buildings.

Today, the museum has many artworks from different centuries. You can see Gothic art, Renaissance art, and Baroque art.

 

Another day, we went to the Museo de la Ciudad. We saw a large painting of Valencia from a famous artist from Valencia, Juan de Ribera Berenguer (1935-2016).

Museums help us learn about history and art. Valencia has a lot of history and a lot of art.

A Day at the Beach

In summer, we go to Playa de la Malvarrosa. The sand is soft and golden. The sea is bright blue.

We build sandcastles and play near the water. Sometimes we bring a ball. Sometimes we just run and laugh. The sun shines, and the sky is clear.

We take the metro home from the beach at the end of the afternoon. We are very tired. We like the beach.

Why We Love Valencia

Valencia has everything — beaches, parks, old buildings, and modern places. We can study, play, learn, and explore.

This is our life in Valencia. It is busy, fun, and full of adventure.

Would you like to visit our city one day?

---

Es Nuestra Vida en Valencia

Me llamo Lucas y vivo en Valencia. Mis mejores amigos son Sofía, Mateo y Clara. Tenemos nueve años. Estudiamos en el Colegio Lluís de Santángel en El Saler.

Días de Escuela en El Saler

Cada mañana nos despertamos temprano. Preparamos nuestras mochilas y tomamos el autobús al colegio. En el autobús hablamos de fútbol, de los deberes y de nuestros planes para el fin de semana. ¡A veces nos reímos muy fuerte!

Nuestro colegio está cerca de la playa y del bosque. El aire huele fresco. Nuestros profesores son amables y pacientes. Nos ayudan a aprender inglés, matemáticas, ciencias y arte.

A la hora del almuerzo, vamos al comedor escolar. Comemos con nuestros compañeros de clase. A veces tenemos arroz, verduras, pollo y fruta. ¡En días especiales comemos paella! Nos sentamos juntos y hablamos de nuestro día. La hora del almuerzo es divertida porque nos relajamos y disfrutamos de la comida.

Montando en Bici en el Jardín del Turia

Después del colegio, a veces vamos al Jardín del Turia. Es un parque muy grande en la ciudad. Hay árboles, flores y caminos largos.

Allí montamos en bicicleta. Mateo es muy rápido. Sofía toca el timbre de su bici. Clara y yo intentamos seguirlos. También vemos personas jugando al fútbol y familias haciendo picnic.

Visitando el Centro de la Ciudad

Un fin de semana visitamos el centro histórico. Caminamos hasta la Plaça de la Verge. Hay una gran fuente en el centro. Detrás, se puede ver la Catedral de Valencia y una hermosa iglesia con una cúpula azul.

Había muchos turistas tomando fotos. Nos sentimos orgullosos de nuestra ciudad.

Explorando Museos

Nuestra clase también visitó el Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia. Dentro vimos una pintura luminosa de playa de Joaquín Sorolla. El mar en la pintura parecía nuestra propia playa. Los colores eran azul y blanco. Se sentía cálido y soleado.

Otro día fuimos al Museo de la Ciudad. Vimos un gran cuadro de Valencia de hace mucho tiempo. La ciudad parecía diferente, pero todavía podíamos reconocer algunos edificios.

Los museos nos ayudan a aprender sobre historia y arte. Nos hacen sentir curiosidad.

Un Día en la Playa

En verano vamos a la Playa de la Malvarrosa. La arena es suave y dorada. El mar es azul brillante.

Construimos castillos de arena y jugamos cerca del agua. A veces llevamos una pelota. A veces simplemente corremos y reímos. El sol brilla y el cielo está despejado.

Por Qué Amamos Valencia

Valencia lo tiene todo: playas, parques, edificios antiguos y lugares modernos. Podemos estudiar, jugar, aprender y explorar.

Esta es nuestra vida en Valencia.
Es activa, divertida y llena de aventuras.

¿Te gustaría visitar nuestra ciudad algún día?

 

 

Our Adventures in Valencia / Nuestras Aventuras en Valencia

Lucas, Sofia, Mateo, and Clara are nine years old.
Lucas, Sofía, Mateo y Clara tienen nueve años.

They live in Valencia and go to school in El Saler, at Colegio Lluís de Santángel.
Viven en Valencia y van al colegio en El Saler, en el Colegio Lluís de Santángel.

---

1. On the Way to School / Camino al colegio

“Good morning!” says Sofia on the bus.
—¡Buenos días! —dice Sofía en el autobús.

“Did you finish your English homework?” asks Mateo.
—¿Terminaste los deberes de inglés? —pregunta Mateo.

“Yes!” says Clara. “It was easy.”
—¡Sí! —dice Clara—. Fue fácil.

Lucas laughs. “Easy for you!”
Lucas se ríe. —¡Fácil para ti!

“I like our school,” says Sofia.
—Me gusta nuestro colegio —dice Sofía.

“Me too,” says Lucas. “And I’m hungry already!”
—A mí también —dice Lucas—. ¡Y ya tengo hambre!

---

2. Lunchtime at School / La hora del almuerzo

At lunchtime, the children sit together in the cafeteria.
A la hora del almuerzo, los niños se sientan juntos en el comedor.

“What do we have today?” asks Clara.
—¿Qué hay hoy? —pregunta Clara.

“Rice and chicken. And fruit!” says Mateo.
—Arroz con pollo. ¡Y fruta! —dice Mateo.

“I love school lunch,” says Lucas.
—Me encanta la comida del cole —dice Lucas.

On special days, they eat paella.
En días especiales, comen paella.

“One day, I will cook paella,” says Sofia proudly.
—Un día cocinaré paella —dice Sofía con orgullo.

---

3. Bike Ride in the Park / Paseo en bici por el parque

After school, they go to Jardín del Turia.
Después del colegio, van al Jardín del Turia.

“Race you!” shouts Mateo.
—¡Carrera! —grita Mateo.

“No fair! You’re too fast!” says Clara.
—¡No vale! ¡Eres demasiado rápido! —dice Clara.

“Wait for me!” says Lucas.
—¡Esperadme! —dice Lucas.

“I love this park,” says Sofia.
—Me encanta este parque —dice Sofía.

---

4. Visiting the Old City / Visitando el centro histórico

One Saturday, they visit Plaça de la Verge.
Un sábado, visitan la Plaça de la Verge.

“Look at the fountain!” says Clara.
—¡Mirad la fuente! —dice Clara.

They see Valencia Cathedral behind it.
Ven la Catedral de Valencia detrás.

“It’s so big!” says Lucas.
—¡Es enorme! —dice Lucas.

“This is our city,” says Sofia proudly.
—Esta es nuestra ciudad —dice Sofía con orgullo.

---

5. At the Museum / En el museo

Their class visits the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia.
Su clase visita el Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia.

They see a bright beach painting by Joaquín Sorolla.
Ven una pintura luminosa de playa de Joaquín Sorolla.

“It looks like Malvarrosa beach!” says Clara.
—¡Parece la playa de la Malvarrosa! —dice Clara.

Another day, they visit the Museo de la Ciudad.
Otro día visitan el Museo de la Ciudad.

“The city was different before,” says Lucas.
—La ciudad era diferente antes —dice Lucas.

“But it is still beautiful,” says Sofia.
—Pero sigue siendo hermosa —dice Sofía.

---

6. A Day at the Beach / Un día en la playa

In summer, they go to Playa de la Malvarrosa.
En verano, van a la Playa de la Malvarrosa.

“Let’s build a big sandcastle!” says Mateo.
—¡Vamos a construir un gran castillo de arena! —dice Mateo.

“I’ll make the towers,” says Clara.
—Yo haré las torres —dice Clara.

“This is the best day ever,” says Lucas.
—Este es el mejor día de todos —dice Lucas.

“Valencia is the best city,” says Sofia.
—Valencia es la mejor ciudad —dice Sofía.

 

  They study, explore, ride bikes, visit museums, and play at the beach.
Estudian, exploran, montan en bici, visitan museos y juegan en la playa.

Every day is a new adventure.
Cada día es una nueva aventura.

 

 

 

 

The Girl from Valencia

    Marta is nine years old. She is nine. She lives in Valencia, Spain. She was born in Valencia. Valencia is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. There are many beautiful beaches in Valencia. Valencia is a big city, but not too big. It is the third biggest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. Valencia is smaller than Barcelona, but bigger than Sevilla.

She goes to school in El Saler. She takes the bus to school every day. Marta studies a lot. She is a good student. Marta can speak Spanish, Valenciano, and English. She speaks three languages. She can’t speak Chinese.

She loves hot dogs. She has a hot dog for almuerzo at school. Her friends have sandwiches. She has almuerzo every morning in the patio of her school. For breakfast, she has milk and cookies.

Marta’s house is near Central Park. Valencia has many parks.

She has one brother. Her brother is 12. He likes football.

“Do you like football,” her brother asks.

“It’s not my cup of tea,” Marta says. “I like theater.”

Marta has theater class on Tuesday. She is in a play (obra de teatro). She is the queen of Spain in the play. Marta can sing, too. She sings songs on the stage. She isn’t nervous. She isn’t afraid.

Marta goes to Serra, a village twenty-four (24) kilometers from Valencia. Villages are smaller than cities. Only 8,000 (eight thousand) people live in Serra. She walks in the Christmas market. In the summer, Marta goes to the pool. She can swim.

***

Marta tiene nueve años. Vive en Valencia, España. Nació en Valencia. Valencia está en la costa del mar Mediterráneo. Hay muchas playas hermosas en Valencia. Valencia es una ciudad grande, pero no demasiado grande. Es la tercera ciudad más grande de España después de Madrid y Barcelona. Valencia es más pequeña que Barcelona, ​​pero más grande que Sevilla.

Va al colegio en El Saler. Toma el autobús al colegio todos los días. Marta estudia mucho. Es una buena alumna. Marta habla español, valenciano e inglés. Habla tres idiomas. No puede hablar chino.

Le encantan los perritos calientes. Come un perrito caliente para el almuerzo en el colegio. Sus amigos comen bocadillos. Marta almuerza todas las mañanas en el patio del colegio. Para desayunar, toma leche y galletas.

La casa de Marta está cerca de Central Park.

Tiene un hermano de 12 años. Le gusta el fútbol.

"¿Te gusta el fútbol?", le pregunta su hermano.

"No es lo mío", dice Marta. Me gusta el teatro.

Marta tiene clase de teatro el martes. Actúa en una obra de teatro. Interpreta a la reina de España. Marta también puede cantar. Canta canciones en el escenario. No está nerviosa. No tiene miedo.

Marta va a Náquera, un pueblo a veinticuatro (24) kilómetros de Valencia. Los pueblos son más pequeños que las ciudades. En Náquera viven solo ocho mil personas. Pasea por el mercado navideño. En verano, Marta va a la piscina. Puede nadar.

The Thief of the Night

Carol, Alex, Alie, and Sally are four best friends. They go to the same school in Valencia, Spain. They do everything together: study, play, and do sports. They like to read mystery stories.

At their school, there is a very famous painting. The painting is called Old Woman Frying Eggs by Diego Velázquez. It is very old and very important. The painting is priceless. It is worth millions of euros.

The Painting Disappears

One morning, the students arrive at school. Everyone is shocked. The painting is gone. Someone stole the painting!

The teachers call the police. The students whisper and worry. Someone says, “Maybe it was The Thief of the Night,” a policeman says.

The Thief of the Night is very famous. No one knows his real name. No one has ever seen his face. He steals famous paintings and diamonds. He always wears a mask and a chef's hat.

The four friends decide to investigate. They love the painting and want to see it again in their school. They want to solve the mystery.

A Suspicious Cook

Carol thinks carefully. “Who works near the painting?” she asks.

“The cafeteria is close to where the painting was,” Alex answers.
Alie nods.

“The cook works late,” Carol says.

Sally says, “His name is Santo.”

Santo is quiet. He never talks to anyone in the cafeteria. He works at night. He wears expensive watches and rings. Why does he have so much money? The girls feel something is wrong.

A Short History of Diego Velázquez

Before they continue, their art teacher tells them more about Velázquez.

Diego Velázquez was born in Sevilla in 1599. He was a very talented painter. He painted real people and real life. Later, he moved to Madrid. He worked for King Philip IV. He painted the king and the royal family.

Velázquez loved light and shadow. His most famous painting is Las Meninas. It is in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

 The stolen painting is also very important. The police must find it.

Following Santo

After school one day, the four friends follow Santo. They are quiet and careful. Santo has a big package under his arm. What is in the package?

Many blocks from their school, they see Santo meet another man. He shows him the painting. The man is a fence — someone who buys stolen art. Sally calls the police.

Suddenly, police cars arrive. The police arrest Santo.

“The Thief of the Night is Santo!” everyone says.

A Big Reward

There is a big reward. Five millions euros!

The police thank the girls. They give them the reward.

“What will we do with the money?” Carol asks.

 “We should have a party for the whole school,” Alex says.

“Great idea!” Sally answers.

Alie smiles and nods. They all agree.

The Best Party Ever

The school party is enormous. There is music, games, and laughter. There is a lot of food. Of course, they cook two big paellas because this is Valencia. Everyone is happy.

After the party, the girls still have a lot of money.

“What will we do with all this money?” Alex asks.

“I want to buy Lego. It’s very expensive,” Sally says.

The girls are heroes — and best friends forever.

Vocabulary

Priceless – invaluable, inestimable, sin precio

To Whisper – murmurar, susurrar

To Nod - inclinación de cabeza, asentir

To Follow - seguir

Fence- cerca, valla, verja.  #2 Perista -Comprador de objetos robados.