The thermometer shows that Chad has a fever. His grandmother explains temperature and degrees to him as he takes a sick day. He learns about thermometers, including outside thermometers, and how they work. Even though he's sick he has a fun day of learning. After he's rested they figure out how the temperatures have changed since the morning. This fiction title is paired with the nonfiction title We Can Read a Thermometer for connecting across texts and comprehension through connection strategies.