Historical (fiction), 2,165 words, Level W (Grade 4), Lexile 900L
Leaving his home in Dublin to immigrate to the United States was the last thing Patrick Kelley wanted to do. But Ireland's potato famine of 1846 forced thousands of people to either flee or starve. Once aboard the Donegal, Patrick began to feel a sense of excitement as he watched the ocean's waves crest and fall. However, only a short while later, Patrick would become the unlikely hero on his voyage to America.