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The Missing Map

Reading Assessment Passage

Name: _________________________________    Date: ____________________

On Friday afternoon, Elena hurried into her grandfather’s garage. She had promised to help him clean before their family camping trip. The garage was crowded with dusty boxes, old tools, and camping gear that had not been used in years. Elena sighed. She had hoped the job would take only a few minutes.

As she moved a stack of magazines, a small wooden box slid from a shelf and landed near her feet. Elena knelt down and opened it. Inside was a folded piece of paper, yellowed at the edges. Across the top, someone had written, Trail to Eagle Rock. A dotted line twisted past a creek, a giant pine tree, and a place marked with a star.

Elena carried the paper to her grandfather. His eyes widened when he saw it. “I made that map when I was about your age,” he said. He explained that Eagle Rock was a lookout point near the campground they were visiting. Years ago, he and his older brother had hiked there together. Elena noticed that her grandfather smiled as he talked, but his voice became quieter when he mentioned his brother.

The next morning, Elena tucked the old map into her backpack. At the campground, she asked her grandfather if they could follow the trail. He hesitated and looked toward the hills. “It has been a long time,” he said. “The trail may have changed.” Elena suggested that they try anyway and turn back if the path became unsafe. After a moment, he agreed.

At first, the map seemed easy to follow. They crossed a shallow creek and found a tall pine tree beside the trail. Farther ahead, however, the path split in two. The map showed only one trail. Elena studied the ground and noticed several flat stones forming a rough line to the left. She remembered her grandfather saying that he and his brother used to place stones along the route so they would not get lost.

They followed the stones until the trees opened onto a rocky overlook. Below them, the valley stretched for miles. Elena’s grandfather stood silently for a moment. Then he pointed to a small carving on a nearby rock: two initials inside a circle. “We made that,” he said softly.

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Elena realized the map had led them to more than a lookout point. It had brought her grandfather back to an important memory. She carefully folded the paper and handed it to him. "Maybe we should keep this somewhere safer than the garage," she said. Her grandfather laughed and nodded. Together, they began the hike back, carrying the old map between them.