Oxford Reading Tree: Stage 12: TreeTops: The Terrible Birthday Present: Terrible Birthday Present

Poor Holly, all she wanted was a black skirt for her birthday. But Aunty Sue had other ideas, and Aunty Sue was so nice and kind. How could Holly tell her the truth? This is part of the "Oxford Reading Tree: Treetops" series of fiction with built-in progression for pupils aged seven to 11. Specially written for children who need the support of carefully monitored language levels, the stories aim to be accessible, motivating, and humorous. The series is organized into "Oxford Reading Tree" stages (from Stage 10 to Stage 14), with each stage introducing more complex narrative forms, including flashbacks and changes in viewpoint; descriptive writing; extended reading vocabulary; and more pages, more text, and fewer illustrations. Each stage is supported by a teacher's guide, which offers guidance on using "Treetops" to assess children's reading ability, and includes a variety of activities, many on photocopiable sheets.