Name: Class:

Kevin's Big Adventure

By Kris Bitar
2022

Kris Bitar is a writer and teacher in Aberdeen, Washington. She has taught every level in K-12 for
30 years and her joy is working with children. In this short story, a dog named Kevin visits his
grandma's house and goes on a surprise adventure when he decides to follow his nose. As you
read, take notes on Kevin’s thoughts about Ashley’s rules.

[1] “Oh, boy!” thought Kevin. The small black and

white Pomeranian dog with a missing front
tooth was loaded inside the car. “I get to go on
a car ride with Ashley. I love car rides! I hope
wherever we are going has treats.” Kevin
bounced around the car like a wrecking ball.

“Be careful, Kevin!” said Ashley. “You’re

jumping on my homework!”

Kevin didn’t see any reason to stop jumping

around in the car. He was too excited. Ashley
even had the windows open — he loved that!
Kevin accidentally1 put a wet, dirty paw print
on Ashley’s homework.

“Kevin!” said Ashley. “Calm down or you won’t "Kevin's Big Adventure" by Fiona Torok is
be able to go next time.” licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

[5] Kevin paid no mind and continued jumping from window to window to see outside. He could
smell all the wonderful smells in the air. Like the neighbor’s barbecue,2 fresh-cut grass, and
other dogs in their neighborhood. Kevin knew to sit down in the car, but he was just too
excited.

Ashley pulled into her parents’ driveway. “Jackpot!” thought Kevin. He could smell fresh baked
sugar cookies coming from the house. Kevin jumped from the front seat to the back seat and
back to the front seat. He wouldn’t calm down enough so Ashley could pick him up.

1. without meaning to
2. an outdoor grill used to cook food

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 “Stay in the car, Kevin, while I bring in the laundry,”3 commanded Ashley. She opened the car
door and stepped out. “Then I’ll come back for you.”

But Kevin was too fast. He bolted out of the car and ran to the front door. Ashley followed
behind him with a large, white laundry basket.

After unlocking the door, Ashley went inside and put down the basket. Kevin ran around her in
a circle, then he ran around the living room. He barked happily the whole time.

[10] “Please stop barking, Kevin!” said Ashley.

Kevin barked again. He wasn’t watching where he was going, and he ran into the laundry
basket. It tipped over, and Ashley’s clothes spilled onto the floor.

Ashley sighed. “Kevin, you are like an unruly4 child,” she said. “You need to learn to do what I
ask.”

But Kevin wasn’t listening. His nose was picking up the strong scent of butter, vanilla, and warm
cookies. It was going to be a marvelous5 day, Kevin decided.

Kevin loved Ashley’s mom. Everyone said Kevin was like her grandson, even though he was a
dog. He felt like a king at Grandma’s house. He ate part of a wonderful, soft sugar cookie. He
was supposed to get only a bite, but half the cookie broke off and fell to the floor. Kevin moved
quicker than Grandma to get it.

[15] “Kevin is being quite a rascal today,” Ashley told her mom. “He just isn’t listening as he should.”

Kevin heard Ashley but didn’t care. His tummy was so full and warm. All he wanted now was a
nap.

Grandma brought Kevin a fuzzy, baby blue dog bed. Kevin spotted it immediately, and off he
went for a snooze. Kevin climbed in and made three trips around in a circle before settling
down. He stretched out his full belly, rubbed his face into the soft bed, and closed his eyes.

Some time later, Kevin woke up to the smell of a steak cooking on the grill. He decided to
explore. Kevin’s nose led him to the front door. He realized Ashley had forgotten to close the
door. She had probably been too distracted6 by Kevin running around and knocking over the
laundry basket to remember.

3. dirty clothes and sheets that need to be washed

4. impossible to handle; wild
5. Marvelous (adjective) amazing; wonderful
6. not able to notice

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 Kevin stuck his head out of the door and breathed in a big whiff of steak. Kevin knew he
shouldn’t leave the house. Ashley had a rule that he couldn’t leave the house alone. But it
smelled so yummy! He stepped outside. “I’ll just go to the edge of the yard,” thought Kevin.

[20] Here, the smell was even stronger. “I’ll just go a little farther,” decided Kevin.

The smell was so delicious. Kevin decided to walk to the neighbor’s house and see if they would
give him a little bite. “Hmm,” thought Kevin, “I don’t see anyone cooking.” He thought it must be
farther down the street.

Kevin moved as quickly as his furry, little legs would carry him, but he still didn’t see anyone
cooking delicious food. “Maybe it’s around this corner,” thought Kevin. He continued his
adventure down the street.

Kevin walked and smelled some more. He couldn’t find anything! He kept walking and smelling.

Eventually, Kevin stopped and looked around. He looked to the right, to the left, and behind
him. He didn’t know where he was! He spun around, but that just confused him even more.
Kevin trembled. He didn’t know what to do. He needed Ashley and Grandma, but they were
nowhere to be seen. He remembered Ashley’s rule. This was why he was not to leave the house
without her. Kevin decided he needed to start listening to Ashley, whom he missed very much.

[25] Kevin scampered over to a nearby tree to sit and figure out what to do. The tree’s shade was
nice and cool, and he was starting to get thirsty.

It was then that he heard voices coming toward him. He stood up on all four legs, but it wasn’t
Ashley or Grandma. Frightened to meet strangers, Kevin left the cool shade of the tree and
walked a little more. Kevin knew he had been gone a while because his tummy was grumbling.
It must be close to dinner time.

All of a sudden, a large tabby cat jumped out in front of Kevin, It hissed and ran past him,
scaring him. Kevin wished he never left Grandma’s house that smelled like warm sugar cookies!
He wished for his soft, baby blue bed. He wished he could tell Ashley he was sorry for not
following the rules. He wanted her to hold him and call him a good boy.

Near the sidewalk where Kevin had been walking, a car pulled up to a stop sign. The door
opened, and a lady said, “What are you doing out here? You must be lost!”

Kevin was scooped7 up and placed in a cool, air-conditioned car. He was still scared, but he was
happy to be away from the heat. The lady talked to him like Ashley did. She also gave him a
snuggle, which Kevin enjoyed.

7. Scoop (verb) to pick up quickly

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[30] They pulled up to a house Kevin didn’t recognize. The lady brought him inside and gave him a
blanket. She took his picture, and Kevin — forgetting he was lost — smiled. He remembered all
of the pictures Ashley took of him. He loved the attention!

Thinking about Ashley and how much she must be missing him made Kevin sad again. “Who will
Ashley give treats to?” wondered Kevin. “Who will she call a good boy now?” Kevin couldn’t eat
the food or drink the water the lady gave him. He wished he had never wandered away. He was
scared he would never get to go to Grandma’s house again. He fell asleep, exhausted8 and
afraid.

The next morning, the lady put Kevin in the car. They drove for a bit, and he wondered if he was
heading home. Instead, he found himself at the vet.9 “Oh, no,” thought Kevin. “Now I have to get
another shot.”

Instead, the vet brought out a little scanner and held it over Kevin. “Yep,” said the vet, “there’s
an id chip.”10 Kevin didn’t know if that was good or bad.

After the vet, the lady drove him to somewhere that smelled like the coffee shop Ashley liked to
visit. He smelled chocolate, vanilla, and other yummy scents. The lady gave him a little cup with
whipped cream in it. Kevin gobbled it up, and his tummy felt good. They continued driving, and
Kevin continued to worry that he would never return home.

[35] Soon, he was being scooped out of the car again. To Kevin’s surprise, his family ran out to greet
him. Ashley hugged him tight, and Grandma gave him a bite of a cookie. He had made it home!

As the lady was leaving, Kevin licked her hand. He was thankful she took care of him. Kevin
wanted another cookie and a big nap. It was good to be home, but now Kevin understood why
following Ashley’s rules was a good thing. Kevin’s big adventure had come to an end.

"Kevin's Big Adventure" by Kris Bitar. Copyright © 2022 by CommonLit, Inc. This text is licensed under
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

8. Exhausted (adjective) very tired

9. a doctor for animals
10. something that is put inside a dog or other pet’s body so that they can be found if they are
lost

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete
sentences.

1. What is the lesson of this story?

A. Dogs should not have to follow rules.
B. People make rules to keep others safe.
C. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.
D. If you follow the rules you will make friends.

2. Why does Ashley say that Kevin is "like an unruly child"?

A. He eats the steak off of the grill.
B. He sits quietly and does not bark at Grandma.
C. He runs around and causes messes in the house.
D. He follows Ashley everywhere and helps her with her laundry.

3. Which detail best shows how Kevin feels after getting lost?
A. "He kept walking and smelling." (Paragraph 23)
B. "Kevin trembled. He didn't know what to do." (Paragraph 24)
C. "They pulled up to a house Kevin didn't recognize." (Paragraph 30)
D. "As the lady was leaving, Kevin licked her hand." (Paragraph 36)

4. What does "rascal" mean as it is used in paragraph 15?

A. Someone who follows all the rules.
B. Someone who does not do as they are told.
C. Someone who eats a lot of cookies before dinner.
D. Someone who does not like to help with the laundry.

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5. How do Kevin's thoughts about Ashley's rules change from the beginning to the end
of the story?

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be
prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In this story, Kevin gets lost after leaving his home. Think of a time you ever got lost
or separated from an adult. How did you feel? What did you do? If you have never
been lost, imagine how you would feel. What could you do to be sure you get home
safely?

2. Kevin loves going to his grandma's house. Is there an adult's house or a place you
love to visit? Why do you love to visit there?

3. In this story, Kevin learns why rules are important. Was there a time you broke a rule
and then realized why it was necessary? What happened? If not, what's a rule that
helps keep you safe or happy?