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How to Build a Hug

By: Amy Guglielmo
Reading Level: AD770LL
Maturity Level: 12 and under

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Amy Guglielmo, Jacqueline Tourville, and Giselle Potter come together to tell the inspiring story of autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin and her brilliant invention: the hug machine.

As a young girl, Temple Grandin loved folding paper kites, making obstacle courses, and building lean-tos. But she really didn’t like hugs. Temple wanted to be held—but to her, hugs felt like being stuffed inside the scratchiest sock in the world; like a tidal wave of dentist drills, sandpaper, and awful cologne, coming at her all at once. Would she ever get to enjoy the comfort of a hug?

Then one day, Temple had an idea. If she couldn’t receive a hug, she would make one…she would build a hug machine!

Comprehension Questions


1. What did hugs feel like to Temple?
A. The warmth of the sun
B. Being inside the scratchiest socks in the world
C. Being trapped inside a box.


2. What scent does Temple not like?
A. smelly perfumes
B. warm cookies
C. coffee

Your Thoughts


3. Did you like this excerpt? Why or why not?




Vocabulary


4. List any vocabulary words below.




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