Before we start reading Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris, let's think about why we are reading it. Setting a purpose for reading helps us focus and understand the story better. For this book, let’s ask ourselves:

• What do I want to learn from this story?
• What message do I think the author wants to share?
• How might this story inspire me?

As we read, let's pay attention to how the main character learns about ambition and confidence. Think about what ‘ambition’ means to you and how you can be ambitious in your own life. Our purpose for reading is to understand the message of the story and how it connects to our own dreams and goals

Sometimes, we can break a word into smaller parts to help us figure out its meaning. Let’s look at the words flowering and empowering.

First, let's find the base word in each:

• In flowering, the base word is flower—a plant that blooms. The ending -ing means something is happening now. So, flowering means a flower is growing or blooming.
• In empowering, the base word is power—which means strength or ability. The beginning em- means ‘to give’ and -ing shows action. So, empowering means giving someone strength or confidence.

By looking at word parts, we can figure out the meaning of new words and become stronger readers!

Look closely at the punctuation to signal intonation, vocal stress, pitch, loudness, tempo, and rhythm. Repeated reading can strengthen the voice within this text.

Interesting words in this text include: ambitious, assertive, persistent, confident, proud, resist, valued, purpose, “make space for more,” disrupt, flowering, empowering, “make some noise,” “ready to use my voice,” reframe, redefine, reclaim