Typescript Form for Miscue Analysis

Book Title: Nightmare Hour Author: R.L. Stine

1.______1. “Halloween is ruined!” Mike declared.

2.______2. “It’s no fun trick-or-treating while it’s still light out!

3.______3. Why do we have to be home by eight o’clock?”

4.______4. Mom rolled her eyes.

5.______5. “Get in the car,” she told him.

6.______6. “And stop complaining.

7.______7. You know why there’s a curfew this year.”

8.______8. “Because parents are stupid,” Mike grumbled.

9.______9. “Because those kids disappeared last Halloween,” I said.

10.______10. “And the Halloween before.” 11. Mike shrugged. 11.______

12. “What’s that got to do with us?” 12.______

13. “Come on, Mike,” I said. 13.______

14. “Get in the car. 14.______

15. Liz and I want to get going.” 15.______

16. “But I don’t want to pick pumpkins. 16.______

17. It’s bor-ring.” 17.______

18. Mike crossed his skinny arms over his chest and made his pouty 18.______face.

19. “Why do we have to go?” 19.______

20. “Because we do it every year,” Mom replied patiently. 20.______

21. She is used to Mike’s tantrums. 21.______22. “Let’s skip it and pretend we went,” Mike said. 22.______

23. He’s a real wise guy. 23.______

24. Mike is ten, two years younger than me, and he’s angry all the 24.______time.

25. Mom says he can’t help it because he’s a redhead. 25.______

26. “Redheads have tempers,” she says. 26.______

27. I don’t know what red hair has to do with it. 27.______

28. Mike is always growling and complaining and shaking his fists 28.______and looking for trouble.

29. He got into a fight in school last week and had two of his teeth 29.______knocked out.

30. Luckily, they were already loose. 30.______

31. He looked like a jack-o’-lantern with those two teeth out. 31.______32. But when I made a joke about it, he punched me really hard in the 32.______stomach and I almost puked up my whole dinner.

33. “Come on, Mike. 33.______

34. Let’s go,” I said. 34.______

35. I gave him a playful bump from behind to get him moving. 35.______

36. He spun around and swung a fist at me. 36.______

37. “Watch it, Andrew!” 37.______

38. “Hey!” I laughed. 38.______

39. “It was an accident!” 39.______

40. “Your face is an accident!” Mike snapped. 40.______

41. “Come on, Mike,” my friend Liz chimed in. 41.______

42. “I’ve never picked pumpkins before. 42.______43. You can help me find a good one.” 43.______

44. Mike likes Liz. 44.______

45. He’s usually on pretty good behavior when she’s around. 45.______

46. Sill pouting, he climbed into the front seat of the car. 46.______

47. Liz and I rolled our eyes, relieved that we were finally on our 47.______way.

48.______48. We climbed into the backseat and buckled our seatbelts.

49. Liz is twelve like me, and she lives across the street. 49.______

50. But her parents both work till late every day, so Liz spends a lot 50.______of time at our house.

51. We both gazed out the window, watching the trees whir past. 51.______

52. Autumn leaves fell all around, like red and yellow rain. 52.______

53. Soon the trees ended, and we zoomed past farms and field plowed 53.______over for winter. 54. “Well, are you going to help me pick a pumpkin, Mike?” Liz 54.______asked.

55. “Yeah. 55.______

56. Just don’t let Andrew help you,” Mike replied. 56.______

57. “Andrew’s pumpkins are always rotten inside. 57.______

58. Just like him.” 58.______

59. “Whatever,” I said. 59.______

60. I knew he was just looking for a fight, but I really hate arguing 60.______with him all the time.

61. Why does he always have to be so wired? 61.______

62. I peered out the window and saw an orange, pumpkin-shaped sign 62.______on the side of the road.

63. It said: PALMER’S PUMPKIN FARM, 1 MILE. 63.______64. I pictured Mr. Palmer, the owner of the pumpkin farm. 64.______

65. What a scary guy. 65.______

66. He reminded me of one of his scarecrows: tall and skinny, 66.______wearing overalls that were way too big for him.

67. He always walked so stiffly, patrolling his fields, staring at 67.______everyone with frightening, blank eyes that looked like deep, dark holes in his face.

68. “Here we are,” Mom said brightly. 68.______

69. She turned into the long gravel driveway and followed it to the 69.______parking lot.

70. Four or five cars were parked near the ragged wooden fence. 70.______

71. I climbed out of the car and stretched my arms over my head. 71.______

72. It was a sunny day, cold for October. 72.______

73. I could see my breath steam in front of me. 73.______74. The farm air smelled fresh and sweet. 74.______

75. A young woman in an orange parka and orange wool ski cap 75.______greeted us at the gate.

76. “The pumpkins on the first hill are a little too ripe,” she told us. 76.______

77. “And the ones near this gate have already been picked over. 77.______

78. Try the next field.” 78.______

79. We thanked her and started through the gate. 79.______

80. “Oh – one more thing…” she called after us. 80.______

81. She pointed to the left. 81.______

82. “See that tall, green wooden fence over there? 82.______

83. Mr. Palmer doesn’t want anyone near that fence, okay?” 83.______

84. “Why not?” Mike asked. 84.______85. “What’s over there?” 85.______

86. Typical Mike. 86.______

87. “That’s Mr. Palmer’s private pumpkin patch,” the young woman 87.______answered.

88. We made our way through the gate. 88.______

89. The pumpkin fields stretched on forever, uphill then down, as far 89.______as I could see.

90. Slender, green vines unfurled like long snakes over the dirt. 90.______

91. At the ends of the vines sat pumpkins – all different sizes, 91.______hundreds and hundreds of them, like orange balloons tethered to the ground.

92. Scarecrows on tall poles tilted over the pumpkins. 92.______

93. They were just old coats stuffed with straw. 93.______

94. But from a distance they looked like tired old men leaning against 94.______the wind. 95. “Hey, Andrew,” Mike whispered, trotting to keep up with Liz and 95.______me.

96. “Let’s check out Palmer’s private patch. 96.______

97. I’ll bet he keeps the best pumpkins there.” 97.______

98. “No way!” I said. 98.______

99. “Try not to get us in trouble today. 99.______

100. Okay?” 100.______

101. “Wimp,” Mike muttered. 101.______

102. I ignored him. 102.______

103. I really didn’t want to fight. 103.______

104. My sneakers scraped over the hard dirt as I led the way to the 104.______rows of pumpkins.

105. Peering into the glare of afternoon sunlight, I saw two kids at the 105.______top of the first hill. 106. They came staggering down, struggling to carry an enormous 106.______pumpkin between them.

107. Mike laughed. 107.______

108. “Look at those geeks. 108.______

109. They’ll never make it.” 109.______

110. He bent and scooped up a softball-sized pumpkin from the dirt. 110.______

111. “Think fast, Andrew!” 111.______

112. He tossed it at me. 112.______

113. Startled, I raised my hands too late. 113.______

114. The pumpkin sailed over my shoulder and landed on the ground 114.______with a splat.

115. “Ooh – a ripe on!” Mike shouted, laughing. 115.______

116. He ducked as I heaved one at his head. 116.______117. He laughed again. 117.______

118. “Missed me, Andrew! 118.______

119. You throw like a girl!” 119.______

120. “Watch it, Mike!” Liz warned playfully. 120.______

121. “I’ll show you how a girl throws!” 121.______

122. She bent and grabbed a half-rotted pumpkin to toss at him. 122.______