The Case of the Missing Hardware

Question

Name:
My name is Levi, and I live in a small town called Berryville. It’s the type of place where nothing much happens, beyond cows escaping their fences, corn growing in July, high schoolers playing football on Friday night, and April tornado sirens ringing. Even though Berryville might seem kind of boring to outsiders, I like it here. Neighbors are friendly, and everyone takes care of each other. It’s the type of place where everyone knows your name and all of your relatives’ names too.
One of my favorite parts of each day is walking home from school. The Main Street shop owners always wave and try to make conversation when I pass by. I’ve known them my whole life, so they feel like family. Every day, I wave to Mr. Sanchez who owns the automobile repair shop, Mrs. Wang who owns the convenience store, Mr. Landon who owns the barber shop, and Ms. Khouri who owns the pizza parlor. Then, at the end of the block is Mrs. Ansley’s house, a pale pink house with a sky blue door. Most days, I can spot her cat
stretching out on the top of the couch to catch the afternoon sun. If I’m lucky, Mrs. Ansley will open her front door and invite me in for one of her oatmeal raisin cookies.
Although most days in Berryville feel the same, yesterday was different. When the school bell rang at 3:00 pm, I swung my backpack over my shoulder and exited the building. I turned onto Main Street and was ready to say my usual hellos to the shop owners. As I approached the line of stores, I noticed that Mr. Sanchez was over in Mr. Landon’s barber shop, yelling at him. Mr. Sanchez was shaking a greasy wrench in the air to emphasize some point. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wang was whispering with Ms. Khouri outside the convenience store, and all the other folks on the street seemed to be talking about something. Nobody was waving hello.
Trying not to appear nosy, I nodded my head politely toward Mrs. Wang and Ms. Khouri. Then, I kept moving. Although the women were talking in hushed voices, I could still catch a bit of their conversation. “Well, I heard that whoever it was stole $500 worth of items from his automobile repair shop,” Mrs. Wang whispered.
“Mr. Sanchez said he thinks it was Mr. Landon’s nephew who just moved here!” Ms. Khouri replied. “He came from some big city. Maybe Phoenix or Philadelphia. Something that started with a P.” “Oh, I don’t know about that, Dana. I just can’t see that boy doing something like that. He seems like a nice kid. Kinda shy. Doesn’t talk too much, but he helped me unload some groceries the other day when we had that big rainstorm,” Mrs. Wang whispered back.
“Well, either way, Mr. Sanchez is very upset and said that he is going to be pressing charges if Mr. Landon’s nephew doesn’t return the tools soon!” Ms. Khouri said, her voice rising an octave. “He needs to send a message that this type of crime is unacceptable in a place like Berryville. If he thinks he can get away with robbing one of us, he’ll rob us all.”
Although my interest was piqued, I decided to keep on walking home. Best not to get involved. Howev er, as I was walking, I bumped right into someone on a scooter.
“Sorry,” the teenager rider mumbled, trying to maneuver his scooter through the tight space between me and a fire hydrant.
“No worries. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” I responded.
As he edged past me, I studied the back of his head. Swooshy red hair spilled out from a backwards baseball cap with the word Pittsburgh on it. I’d never seen him before at my school, and Berryville Academy only has 78 students. I felt certain I’d remember if there was a high school student with red hair.
Suddenly, Ms. Khouri’s words rang in my memory: “Maybe Phoenix or Philadelphia. Something that started with a P.” I read his hat again, and the name of the city clicked. Pittsburgh.
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“Hey! By any chance, are you Mr. Landon’s nephew?” I asked.
The scooter stopped, and the boy turned his head back and glared at me. “Yeah, but I didn’t steal any thing!” he shouted back at me all defensively. “Just because I wasn’t born here like the rest of you, doesn’t mean I’m a thief.”
“Woah, I didn’t say you stole anything. I was just trying to figure out who you were because I couldn’t remember seeing you before. I heard Mr. Landon had a nephew in town.”
“Oh.” The teenager’s volume dropped a bit, and his voice had a slight apologetic tone. “I’m Adam. Moved here last week.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Levi. I go to Berryville Academy, so I might be seeing you around.” I reached out my hand to shake Adam’s.
“Yeah, I’ll start next Monday once my uncle gets me enrolled.”
Since Adam seemed on edge, I decided not to press the topic of the stolen items. Instead, I asked, “Which grade will you be in?”
“Eighth,” he mumbled as shifted from side to side, trying to escape the conversation. “It was nice meet ing ya, but I gotta go.”
“Okay, well, bye then,” I said as Adam took off down the alleyway. “See you on Monday.” I kept on walking, trying to decide if I believed Adam or not. As I continued, I went by Mrs. Ansley’s house. In front of the house, there was a gorgeous muscle car from the 1960s. It was candy apple red and spar kled like a lake in the summer. I whistled in awe and walked closer to peek inside the windows. Beneath the tinted windshield, I saw the shape of a man, and the driver’s side door opened. My face warmed with embarrassment.
The man got out and chuckled. With keys in his hand, he waved and said, “Hi. I’m Mrs. Ansley’s son, Cody.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Levi. Sorry, I didn’t realize you were in there. That’s a nice car you’ve got.” “Thanks. I’ve been fixing it up. The outside’s just about done, but I’ve got a lot to do on the engine. It’s a real mess.”
“Do you live in Berryville?” I asked.
“I grew up here,” Cody responded. “Left for college and worked in New York for a while. Unfortunately, when the economy tanked this summer, I was laid off from my job. Now I’m staying at my mom’s house for a while until I get things figured out.”
“I hope you find a new job. I know the feedlot just outside of Berryville is sometimes hiring. Malcolm McArthur owns it,” I said, spouting off the types of adult things I’d heard my dad say during breakfast with his friends.
“Thanks, kiddo, but fixing up this ole’ car should keep me busy for a while.” Cody popped the trunk and started hoisting out some cardboard boxes. Metal clanked as he stacked one box on top of the other. “If I can sell it, I’ll make a pretty penny.”
“Need any help?” I offered, seeing Cody struggle with the weight of the boxes.
“Nah, I got it. Thanks though. It was nice meeting you. Stop by anytime.”
I took that as my cue to leave. “Okay, nice to meet you.”
When I got home, my mom was on the phone with one of our neighbors. Again, I didn’t try to eaves drop, but I could hear everything my mom was saying. She wasn’t whispering very well, just like Mrs. Wang and Ms. Khouri.
“Well, I heard that Mr. Sanchez lost four boxes worth of tools and supplies from his store.” There was a long pause, and Mom munched on a handful of cashews while her friend babbled. Mom gasped. “No! I didn’t know that. Do you think it’s true? How old is that boy? 13? 14?” Mom sighed with a pained expression on her face. “Ugh, it really is a shame that we can’t trust kids these days.”
There was another long pause as my mom listened to the neighbor ramble. Then, there was a shift in the conversation.
“Oh, yes, yes, I met him the other day when he was taking his mom to the doctor. Such a kind man. I am so glad she has her son back in town living with her. I just hope he’s able to find a job in Berryville with the recession being like it is right now.”
“Well, anyway, you let me know if you hear anything else about who stole from Mr. Sanchez’s store! Levi’s home, so I better get started making supper. Bye, now!”
“Mom,” I said as the phone hung up. “Do you really think it was Mr. Landon’s nephew who stole the supplies from Mr. Sanchez’s shop?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Probably. I heard he was a troublemaker back at his mom’s place and that’s why she sent him to live with his uncle,” Mom replied. “Don’t repeat this to anyone, but I heard he may have stolen something in Pittsburgh. No one knows for sure, but you just can’t trust city people. It’s a sad world we live in.”
“Also, were you talking about Cody, Mrs. Ansley’s son who is back in town?” I asked. “The one who lost his job?”
Mom gave me an annoyed look, the same look she gives whenever I eavesdrop on her conversations. “Yes, but how did you know?”
“I met both of them today on my walk home from school.”
My mom looked at me and asked, “Well, do you think one of them stole the tools? Mr. Sanchez is offering a $100 prize for whoever solves the mystery.”
solve the mystery
Instructions: Work independently or with a partner to determine who stole Mr. Sanchez’s boxes of tools. Use the space below to analyze the story more deeply and brainstorm your argument. Then, turn over the worksheet to write your formal case.
1. Read through the story a second time. Highlight all of the pieces of evidence that might prove that Adam stole the boxes of tools in green. Highlight all of the pieces of evidence that could prove that Cody stole the tools in red.
2. Analyze the evidence. Debate about who you believe is the thief.
3. On the lines below, brainstorm a claim (thesis statement) about who you think is the thief. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Begin drafting your formal argument on the provided template below. It should include:
• Topic sentence with your claim
• Two pieces of evidence with direct quotes from the story
• Four pieces of commentary where you explain your reasoning
• Conclusion sentence that closes the argument
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make your case
Directions: Fill in each section of the paragraph below. Create a clear claim that explains who you believe stole Mr. Sanchez’s tools. Then, write pieces of evidence from the story to support your claim. Make sure to use direct quotes. Next, write commentary to explain your reasons. You can use phrases like “this shows” or “this proves” to begin your commentary. Finally, write a conclusion sentence that summarizes your argument and leaves your readers with something to think about.
Topic sentence (claim):
concrete detail #1 (Evidence):
Commentary #1 (Reason why the evidence proves the claim):
concrete detail #2 (Evidence):
Commentary #1 (Reason why the evidence proves the claim):
Conclusion sentence (final summary of the argument):

Answer 1

Make Your Case:

Topic Sentence (Claim):
I believe that Adam, Mr. Landon’s nephew, is the one who stole Mr. Sanchez’s tools.

Concrete Detail #1 (Evidence):
Mrs. Wang overheard during a conversation that “Mr. Sanchez said he thinks it was Mr. Landon’s nephew who just moved here!”

Commentary #1 (Reason why the evidence proves the claim):
This shows that there is suspicion surrounding Adam, as even the shop owners in Berryville suspect him due to his recent arrival in town and the circumstances of the theft. The fact that Mr. Sanchez immediately points at Adam indicates he had a motive to believe it because it appears that Adam might not yet be fully accepted by the town.

Concrete Detail #2 (Evidence):
Adam stated defensively, “Yeah, but I didn’t steal anything!” when Levi asked if he was Mr. Landon’s nephew.

Commentary #2 (Reason why the evidence proves the claim):
This proves that Adam is feeling guilty or at least knows that he is being suspected of the theft. His defensive demeanor suggests an awareness of the accusations surrounding him. It raises questions about his intentions and suggests that he might feel cornered because of the allegations against him, which can often push a person to react defensively, especially if they have something to hide.

Conclusion Sentence (Final summary of the argument):
In conclusion, the evidence points strongly toward Adam as the likely thief who stole Mr. Sanchez’s tools, indicated by the immediate suspicion from the townspeople and his own defensive reaction, suggesting that his arrival from the city may harbor a troubled history.