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A level 2 Oxford Bookworms Library graded reader. This version includes an audio book: listen to the story as you read.Written for Learners of English by Peter Foreman.Allegra is an unusual name. It means ‘happy’ in Italian, but the little girl in this story is sometimes very sad. She is only five years old, but she tells Adrian, her new friend, that she is going to die soon. How does she know?And who is the other Allegra? The girl in a long white nightdress, who has golden hair and big blue eyes. The girl who comes only at night, and whose hands and face are cold, so cold...
A young girl named Allegra claims she is going to die soon, sparking a mystery that pulls her new friend Adrian into a haunting investigation. Adrian, a newcomer to Allegra's life, attempts to understand the source of the child's unsettling premonitions and her strange behavior. The narrative follows their interactions as Adrian encounters a second, spectral version of the girl who appears only at night. The story operates within a framework of suspense, utilizing the limited perspective of a learner-focused narrative to maintain tension while exploring themes of childhood innocence and the supernatural.
Readers frequently highlight the effectiveness of this story as a tool for language acquisition due to its clear, controlled prose. Discussion often centers on the eerie atmosphere created within the constraints of a simplified vocabulary level. Critics note that the narrative successfully balances the mystery of the dual Allegras with the emotional weight of the protagonist's claims. The pacing is generally described as steady, allowing learners to follow the plot without becoming overwhelmed by complex sentence structures. Many find the supernatural twist to be a compelling hook that maintains interest throughout the reading experience.
Page Count:
56
Publication Date:
2014-09-30
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0194631850
ISBN-13:
9780194631853
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