Sammy's

Big Dream!

Written by
Sam X Renick
Illustrated by
Juan Alvarado

This book belongs to:

A Note from the Author

Greetings Readers and Champions of Big Dreams!
It is important to have great habits, especially if you want to
make big dreams come true. Reading, saving money, and learning
are great habits. So are choosing the right influences and heroes.
My dad, mom, and grandma taught me that.
I want to introduce you to two of Sammy Rabbit and my heroes
Maynard Webb and will.i.am! They are not just any heroes. They
are what Sammy and I call a YOU CAN HERO. A YOU CAN HERO
is a human source of inspiration for big dreams.
So, what makes Maynard and will.i.am YOU CAN HEROES?
One, they each believe and invest themselves in teaching kids to
dream big. Two, read their stories and you will discover they both
overcame extraordinary challenges and humble beginnings to
achieve big dreams. Three, they still have big dreams they want
to accomplish.
How did they accomplish their big dreams? What can we learn
from their stories to help us accomplish our big dreams? They
dreamed big. Others had high expectations for them too. They
worked ferociously. They made tough choices. They had a laser
focus on learning and improving. Their families and communities
encouraged their big dreams.
You can read more about Maynard and will.i.am on their websites
www.webbfamilyfoundation.org and www.iamangelfoundation.org.
Who are your influences and heroes? Who inspires your big dreams?
What are your big dreams? I hope Sammy Rabbit stories and songs
will be one of your sources of inspiration to dream big and develop
great habits. Sammy and I hope you make lots of big dreams come
true. And, we hope you inspire lots of other people to make big
dreams come true. We know YOU CAN! Enjoy Sammy's Big Dream!

Sam X Renick
Author, Entrepreneur, Champion
of Great Money and Reading Habits

A Note from Sammy,

The Get in the Habit Rabbit!

Hi!

My name is Sammy! I hope we will be friends. Feel free to

call me Sammy or any of my nicknames: Sammy the Saver,
Sammy Rabbit, the Saminator, etc. Or you can call me by my
favorite nickname, the Get in the Habit Rabbit! I like it the best
because choosing the right habits is smart. Choosing the right
habits makes us powerful. It makes us STRONGSUPERDUPER STRONG! Think about it. Most habits have predictable
outcomes. That means by choosing the right habits today, we can
create the futures we want. We can make dreams and goals come
true! Also, by choosing the right habits, we set a good example
that helps us and others, especially our families and friends.
It is a great way to LEAD and be a LEADER.
I like accepting challenges and going on missions. What about
you? I especially like challenges that help kids and families
achieve their goals and reach their dreams. My first mission
is to encourage kids and their families to Get in the Habit
of saving money. I chose saving money as my first mission
because it is a gigantic global problem and a difficult challenge
for families. It is a challenge I think kids can solve. Some
people think saving money is hard. But I think saving money
is easy, IF you make it a habit! Tell your family and friends;
thats the secret. By getting in the habit of saving and making
smart money choices, together we can take the lead and
SHOW FAMILIES THE WAY! We can help everyone, including
ourselves, make many, many, many big dreams come true!
Remember, you can do it!
Your friend,

Copyright 2003 The Its A Habit! Company, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or
copied in any form or by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping,
or informational storage or retrieval systemswithout permission of The Its A Habit! Company, Inc.
For more information, e-mail Sam X Renick at sammy@itsahabit.com or visit our website at www.sammysongclub.com.
ISBN: 0-9713664-4-6
Revised Edition 2014

Sammy's

Big Dream!

Written by
Sam X Renick
Illustrated by
Juan Alvarado

Los Angeles, California

Changing Children's Lives One Habit at a Time!

Predict the Chapter Titles

A strategic, fun, and unique feature of this book is that readers
get to predict chapter titles. Successful readers use strategies
like predicting. Predicting helps readers to think seriously about
what they are reading and to improve their comprehension.
The total number of words in each chapter title is located
in parentheses below. Clues are contained in each chapter
to guide you toward the choice the author has made for each
chapter title. If you can find the main idea of each chapter,
you will probably correctly predict the chapter title. Just in
case you need them, the answers can be found on the last
page of each chapter. Good luck!

Content
Chapter One

Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six

News

(Clue: two words)

and Three

(Clue: five words)

Is a

(Clue: five words)

Do Not

(Clue: four words)

Did !

the

14
21

(Clue: three words)

(Clue: four words)

Coaster

24

Chapter One
News

It all began the day after holiday vacation ended.

Boys and girls, I have fantastic news! said our
teacher, Mrs. Gold. We won the space science
essay contest.
All right! we cheered.
The prize is that we all get a chance to ride the
worlds first space coaster, she said.

I began to daydream about the fantastic news and

opportunity to make a big dream come true.
Calm down, kids. There are two conditions, said Mrs. Gold.
You will need permission to go from your parents, and you
will also need three-hundred dollars each.

The news was so fantastic that I did

not stop daydreaming to think about
where I would get three-hundred dollars.

Were you able to predict the title of chapter one?

Fantastic News

Chapter Two
As soon as the bell rang, I ran
home as fast as I could.

and Three

Mama! Papa! I yelled.

Theyre not home, said my
brother, Garbanzo.
Guess who is going to
ride the worlds first space
coaster? I bragged.

Huh? said Garbanzo.

I just need permission
to go and three-hundred
dollars, I said.

Not a chance, laughed

Garbanzo. Mama and
Papa will never give
you permission and
three-hundred dollars.

Just then, my parents

came home.
Mama! Papa! I began.
My class won the space
science essay contest.
We get to ride the worlds
first space coaster.
May I go? The whole trip
only costs three-hundred
dollars. May I go?
Three-hundred dollars!
gasped Papa.
Pleeeeease, Papa?
I begged. It would be
a dream come true.

You cannot give him three-hundred dollars,

said Garbanzo.
That was when I jumped on Garbanzo and
tackled him.

Sammy, get off your brother! said Mama.

Let Papa and me talk this over.

Were you able to predict the title of chapter two?

Permission and ThreeHundred Dollars

Chapter Three
Is a

That night, Papa said, Sammy,

I know this is one of your big
dreams.
Yes, Papa, it is, I said.
Mama and I have decided to give
you half the money for the trip from
our savings account, if you can earn
and save the other half. Can you do it?

I remembered the secret

Auntie Squirly had taught me:
Saving is a great habit!
I can do it! I said.

10

The announcement startled Garbanzo.

You must be kidding, right, Sammy?
You will never be able to save
one-hundred-fifty dollars in time for
the trip.
I only need to save one-hundred
dollars, I said. I already have
fifty dollars in my savings account.

11

You will not be able to save one-hundred

dollars either, said Garbanzo.
Maybe Sammy can save the money,
said my sisters, Dyme and Penny.

No, he cant.
Yes, he can!
Cannot!
Can too!

12

I left them arguing and ran down the hall to my room.

I had to make a plan. I counted the days on my calendar.
It was exactly one-hundred days to blast off. If I earn and
save one dollar a day, I can go, I thought.
Saving is a great habit! I said to my dog, Nickel.
Saving is a great habit. I can do this.
Woof ! replied Nickel. (I took that as a yes.)

Were you able to predict the title of chapter three?

Saving Is a Great Habit!

13

Chapter Four
Do Not

14

I worked and saved every day for weeks.

I did not stop even to play with my friends.

Everything was all right until some of the kids in my class lined
up early one morning to buy their tickets for the space coaster.
Sammy, they asked. When are you going to buy your ticket?
I am not sure, I said. I have to earn and save some more money
first. How did you earn and save your money so fast?
We did not need to, they replied. Our parents just gave us the money.

15

Snap! I broke the pencil

I was holding.
That is not fair, I growled.
Take it easy, Sammy, said
my friend, Jammer. Breaking
your pencil will not help.
But we could work and save
together. That might help.
We could try, I guess. I sighed.

16

When I got home, Mama knew

something was wrong.
Sammy, you look sad. What is
wrong?
Other kids are already buying
their tickets for the space trip,
I said. I will never be able to save
enough money in time to go.

17

Things are not always easy, Sammy, said Mama. But you can
do anything you want to if you work hard and do not give up.
Your mama is right, Sammy, said Auntie Squirly. Do not give up!
Keep working toward your goal. You will make it.

18

All right. I grinned. Ill keep trying.

That night, I dreamed about the space

coaster. I was racing through space, past
moons, meteors, and stars.

19

But suddenly the dream turned

into a nightmare.
You wont be able to save
one-hundred dollars, teased
Garbanzo.
That is it!
I thought.
I will save
more than
one-hundred
dollars, no
matter what.

Were you able to predict the title of chapter four?

Do Not Give Up!

20

Chapter Five
Did !

In order to save more, I decided to say NO to buying some of my favorite

things, like ice cream, candy, and baseball caps. Keep saving! I told myself.
I was more determined than ever to ride the worlds first space coaster.

21

Finally, the last day to buy a ticket had arrived.

I do not think I have saved enough money,
I said to Nickel. I held my breath as the teller
counted my money.
Ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, one-hundred,
one-hundred-fifty, two-hundred dollars.
I did it! I shouted. Nickel, I did it!

22

I raced home with Nickel barking and chasing me.

Mama! Papa! I yelled. I did it! I did it! I earned
and saved an extra one-hundred-fifty dollars! I
have two-hundred dollars in all! With the onehundred-fifty you gave me,
I have fifty dollars more
than I need. I can go!

Thump!

Everyone looked around.

Garbanzo had fainted.

Were you able to predict the

title of chapter five?

I Did It!

23

Chapter Six
the

Coaster

Just then, the phone rang.

Sammy, I have bad news, said
Jammer. I cannot go. I still need
twenty-five dollars more.
Hold on, Jammer, I said. Mama,
may I give Jammer twenty-five
dollars so he can ride the space
coaster too?
Sammy, its your money. You earned
and saved it, said Mama. You may
give it to Jammer if you want to.
Jammer, you can go! I said. I have
twenty-five dollars I can give you.
No way! said Jammer. Really?
Yes, really, I said. It would not be fun
riding the space coaster without you.

24

Jammer spent the night at my house.

Can you believe it? I asked.
Tomorrow we will be
riding in the worlds
first space coaster!
I can hardly
wait! said
Jammer.
Me either,
I said.

25

Just like in my dream,

we went flying past stars,
meteors, and the moons
of planets far from Earth.
Yahoo! I yelled.

26

Ahhhhhhhhh.
I think I am getting
sick, said Jammer.
Hold on, I said to
my friend. The ride
is almost over.
I cannot wait to tell
Garbanzo about it.
He will probably
faint again.

27

As we rode home, I pointed out the window.

Jammer, I want to go there next.
Jammer grinned and said, You will make that big
dream come true sooner than you think, Sammy, if
you just keep remembering what Auntie Squirly says.
Right! I laughed. You remember it too.
Saving is a great habit!

Were you able to predict the title of chapter six?

28

Riding the Space Coaster

Discussion Questions
Predicting Chapter Titles Reading Comprehension
1. Review each chapter title. Can you locate word clues from
each chapter that might have helped the author decide on
the title for each chapter?
2. Which pictures in each chapter helped you find clues to
the chapter titles?
3. How many times are the words from the chapter title
used in the chapter?
4. If you were the author, would you change any chapter
title? If so, which one(s) and why?
5. If you were the author, would you change the story?
If so, how?
6. How did making saving a habit help Sammy? How did
planning and setting a goal help Sammy?
7. Do you think its important to save, to make plans, and
to set goals? Why?
8. How do you think saving, planning, and setting goals made
Sammy feel?
9. How do you think making a big dream come true made
Sammy feel?
10. What are some of your big dreams? Do you have written
plans and strategies to help make them come true? Do
your plans include getting in the habit of saving money?

Did you know people who go to college and make life

long learning a priority usually earn more money throughout

their lives?

Executing the Mission!

Sam X Renick
The Author

Sam X Renick (a.k.a. Sam, Sam, the Money Man) is CEO and Founder of The Its
A Habit! Company, Inc. and primary author of Sammy's Big Dream! He is
a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University.

Juan Alvarado
The Illustrator

Juan Alvarado (aka The Honduran Express) has been illustrating since the
age of six. He is a graduate of Pasadena Art Center College of Design. You can
discover more about him and his passion for art at: www.junduras.com.

Message to Kids from Team Sammy!

...This is a land of dreamers, doers, and entrepreneurs
Where big dreams can come true
For everyone that means me and that means you...
I got a big ol dream, its a beautiful thing
Inspiring, I feel I can do anything...
Lyrics from the song Big Ol' Dream

The Its A Habit! Company, Inc. develops resources and strategies

to assist adults in teaching children ages 5 and up great money habits.
Our mantra: Changing Childrens Lives One Habit at a Time!

Sammy's 12 Steps To Make

Big Dreams Come True!
Big dreams take time, but they are worth waiting and working for.
- Sammy
1. Dream Big
2. Set Goals
3. Have a Written Plan
4. Make Your Choices Count
5. S-A-V-E
6. Always Be Learning
7. Take Small Steps Regularly
8. Measure Your Progress
9. Adjust When Necessary
10. Give Your All Enthusiastically
11. Don't Quit
12. Remember - You Can Do It!
Visit Sammy's Dream Big Center for
FREE resources and activities at www.sammysongclub.com

What is
Your
Big Dream?