193. 30 Years Late

She found a book in her basement. It was an old book. She opened the book. It was a library book. It was an old library book. The library card was inside the front cover. The due date was on the library card. She looked at the due date. The due date was 30 years ago! Oh my goodness, she thought. 

I wonder how much money that is, she thought. I wonder how much money I owe. She didn't know what to do. She thought about it. I can just throw the book out, she thought. No one will know. No one will know if I just throw the book out. She threw the book out. 

She threw the book into the trash can. She thought about it. She felt bad. I shouldn't throw a book into the trash can, she thought. She took it out of the trash can.

Vocabulary

1. found – discovered something
   She found a book in her basement.

2. basement – the lowest room in a house, usually below ground
   She found the book in her basement.

3. old – not new; from a long time ago
   It was an old library book.

4. library – a place where people borrow books
   The book was from a library.

5. card – a small paper or plastic with information
   The library card was inside the book.

6. cover – the front or back of a book
   The library card was inside the front cover.

7. due date – the day by which something must be returned
   The due date was 30 years ago.

8. owe – to need to pay someone
   She thought, “How much do I owe?”

9. throw – to toss something away
   She decided to throw the book out.

10. trash can – a container for garbage
    She threw the book into the trash can.

11. felt – past tense of “feel”; had an emotion
    She felt bad after throwing the book away.

12. shouldn't – short for “should not”; not the right thing to do
    She thought, “I shouldn’t throw away a book.”

13. thought – had an idea in the mind
    She thought about what to do.

14. money – something used to pay for things
    She wondered how much money she owed.

15. wonder – to want to know something
    She wondered what she should do.

16. take out – to remove from somewhere
    She took the book out of the trash.

17. inside – in or within something
    The card was inside the front cover.

18. open – to make something not closed
    She opened the book and saw the card.

19. front – the beginning part of something
    The card was in the front of the book.

20. back – the opposite of front
    She didn’t throw the book in the back of the closet, but into the trash.