Yahaaa · Reading
Stories for the classroom
Short narratives that put vocabulary into a scene a learner can follow. 7,399 on the shelf, each with a discussion question.
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Story Common Nouns in English: shopping 3
The Jokester of Marty's Mart
A young girl named Sarah becomes the official joke teller at Marty's Mart and receives special deals from the silly and fun-loving owner after making everyone in the store laugh.
Talk about it 1. What was Sarah's goal when she went to Marty's Mart for the first time? 2. What made Sarah become a member of Marty's Mart? 3. What was Sarah's reaction when she found out the price of the toy she wanted to buy had gone up? 4. How did Sarah get the toy for the original price? 5. Why did Marty give Sarah the toy for the original price? 6. What did Sarah become known as at Marty's Mart? 7. Why do you think Marty was such a fun-loving owner? 8. Do you think you could make everyone in a store laugh like Sarah did? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: shopping 4
The Adventure of Lily and the Magical Toy Sale
The Adventure of Lily and the Magical Toy Sale" is a story about a seller's quest to find and return a toy for a little girl, highlighting the importance of excellent customer service.
Talk about it 1. Why was the seller willing to go on an adventure to bring back the toy for Lily? 2. What did Lily think of the seller's customer service? 3. How did the seller's adventure make Lily feel? 4. Why do you think the seller was so dedicated to finding the toy for Lily? 5. Have you ever received excellent customer service like Lily did at Fun-a-Lot? If so, what made it special? 6. If you were the seller, what kind of adventure would you go on to bring back a special toy for a customer? 7. What do you think the future holds for Lily and Fun-a-Lot?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: chemistry 1
The Adventures of Catalyst: The Mischievous Cat and the Perfect Solution
The Adventures of Catalyst: The Mischievous Cat and the Perfect Solution" is a story about a clever cat who uses his quick thinking to save the day and become a hero in a kingdom filled with atoms and molecules.
Talk about it 1. What was Catalyst's discovery in the story? 2. What happened when Catalyst used too much of the secret formula? 3. How did Catalyst fix the situation and make the other atoms and molecules happy again? 4. What did Catalyst learn about thinking before acting? 5. Can you explain what an anion, acid, base, atom, catalyst, cathode, and anode are? 6. Who was the hero of the story and why? 7. Why do you think the story is important for kids to know? 8. How can you apply what you learned from the story to your own life?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: chemistry 2
The Elements' Fun Race and the Importance of Safety
A group of elements who loved to race and play, learned the importance of safety when an ion stopped their race, leading them to play a game of hydrolysis instead and live happily ever after.
Talk about it 1. Who were the elements in the story? 2. Why did the ion stop the race between the elements? 3. What game did the elements play instead of racing? 4. What did the elements learn from the ion about safety? 5. How did the elements feel at the end of the story? 6. Can you think of a different substance that the elements could have dissolved in their game of hydrolysis? 7. Why do you think it's important to play safely? 8. What other activities do you think the elements could have done together? 9. If you were an element, what would you have done in the story? 10. How can you apply the lesson from the story to your own life?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: chemistry 3
Pucky the Proton's Adventure to the Octet Club
Pucky the Proton goes on a journey to learn about atoms and solve a mixing problem, impressing the members of the Octet Club and earning his place as the smartest and most creative particle in the land.
Talk about it 1. Who is Pucky and what does he want to do? 2. Who is Moley and what does he teach Pucky about atoms? 3. What is the problem that Pucky needs to solve? 4. How does Pucky solve the problem with the solute and solvent? 5. How does Pucky become a member of the Octet Club? 6. What did you learn about atoms from the story? 7. What did you think was the most interesting part of the story? 8. If you were Pucky, what other adventures would you like to go on?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: seasonings 1
The Great Spice Cook-Off: A Flavorful Adventure
The Great Spice Cook-Off: A Flavorful Adventure" is a story about a group of spices who audition to become the new chef for the king of the kingdom, with Basil ultimately winning and becoming the official chef with the help of his magic stew.
Talk about it 1. Who are the main characters in the story? 2. What was the king looking for in a new chef? 3. Who won the cook-off and why was the king pleased with their dish? 4. What did each of the spices make during the cook-off? 5. How did the spices work together in the end? 6. What was the name of the story? 7. What was the main theme of the story? 8. What did you like the most about the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: seasonings 2
The Spice Race: A Flavorful Adventure of Friendship and Fun
The Spice Race" is a fun and imaginative story about six spices who learn that the joy of winning lies in helping and supporting each other.
Talk about it 1. Who were the six spices in the story and what was their special power? 2. Why did Lemon use his lemon juice to make the other spices slip and slide? 3. What did Oregano say was the most important part of the race? 4. How did the spices help each other during the race? 5. What did the spices learn at the end of the story? 6. Which spice do you think would have won the race if everyone had played fair? 7. Can you think of another special power that each spice could have had? 8. What do you think would have happened if Mint had not wafted his fresh scent towards Lemon? 9. Why do you think the spices continued to have races after the first one? 10. Do you think friendship is more important than winning? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: gaming 1
The Bursting Adventure of the Botley Clan
The Bursting Bots Clan go on a camping adventure and solve the mystery of a loud burst, ultimately adding a new member to their team.
Talk about it 1. Who was the leader of the Bursting Bots Clan? 2. What was the purpose of the bot-themed animation class? 3. What did the clan do when they heard the loud burst? 4. What did the clan find at the source of the burst? 5. What happened to the bot at the source of the burst? 6. What was the outcome of the clan's adventure? 7. Who joined the Bursting Bots Clan at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: gaming 2
The Sky Hero: A Tale of Adventure and Terror in the Flight of Horror Game
A young video game player named Billy upgrades his laser gun to a powerful Super Model and defeats the creepy creatures of the sky in the lagging game "The Flight of Horror.
Talk about it 1. Who is the main character in the story? 2. What is the mission in the game "The Flight of Horror"? 3. What happened when the game started to lag? 4. What did Billy do to upgrade his gun? 5. How did Billy defeat the incoming grenade? 6. What did Billy prove by playing the game? 7. Can you think of another creative way that Billy could have defeated the grenade?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: gaming 3
Pointy the Plasma Particle: The Rise of the Point King
Pointy, a curious plasma particle, becomes the ultimate platform player and teaches others to do the same, earning him the title of "Point King" in a world of polygon creatures.
Talk about it 1. What is the main character's name and what is he made of? 2. What was the purpose of the platform that Pointy stumbled upon? 3. What was the main challenge Pointy faced in the platform world? 4. How did Pointy overcome these challenges and become the ultimate platform player? 5. How did Pointy help others become platform players? 6. What was Pointy's reward for his actions? 7. What did you like best about the story? Why?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: gaming 4
The Twitchy Spam Squad: A Trigger Ball Tale
The Sport Squad's clever use of twitching shots in a Trigger Ball tournament leads to unexpected consequences and a lesson in the importance of humor.
Talk about it 1. What is the Sport Squad's favorite sport to play? 2. What do they add to their shots to make them more unpredictable? 3. Why were they disqualified from the tournament? 4. What did the Sport Squad learn from this experience? 5. What did the Sport Squad become known as after the tournament? 6. Why is it important to have a good sense of humor?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: cats 1
The Rainbow Cat: A Tale of Blaze the Bengal
The Rainbow Cat" is a story about Blaze, a mischievous Bengal cat who gains the power to change colors and becomes a beloved figure in his village.
Talk about it 1. What was Blaze known for before he disappeared? 2. What did the other cats do when Blaze changed color? 3. Who visited Blaze and granted him the power to change his colors? 4. What did the other cats call Blaze after he returned? 5. What kind of personality did Blaze have before he changed color? 6. Why did the other cats throw a celebration for Blaze? 7. Can you think of another story with a similar theme or idea?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: cats 2
The Great Feline Race: A Tale of Friendship and Fun
The Great Feline Race" is a story about a group of cat friends who learn that the joy of racing lies in friendship and having fun, not just in winning.
Talk about it 1. Who was the main character in the story? 2. What was the goal of the race? 3. Who won the race and how did they do it? 4. What did the cats learn from the race? 5. How did the story end? 6. Why was the marmalade cat considered clever? 7. Why was it important for the cats to stick together? 8. If you were one of the cats, which breed would you be and why?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: real estate 1
Benny the Broker and the Appreciated Talking Rabbits
Benny the broker uses his appraisal skills to sell a piece of land to a buyer, who discovers and grows to appreciate the talking rabbits living on the property.
Talk about it 1. Who is Benny in the story? 2. What was the buyer looking for when he came to the village? 3. What was the buyer's initial reaction when he saw the sign that said "Beware of the Talking Rabbits"? 4. How did the buyer feel about the talking rabbits after he met them? 5. Why was Benny happy about the sale of the land? 6. How did the buyer and the talking rabbits become friends? 7. What did the buyer appreciate about the talking rabbits? 8. Do you think you would be afraid of talking rabbits if you saw one? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: real estate 2
Gracie's Grand Adventure with Grants and Guaranties
A curious young girl named Gracie learns about grants and leverages her newfound knowledge to obtain a castle and everything she desires, with the help of a guarantor and by adjusting for inflation with an index, becoming the official grantor in the kingdom.
Talk about it 1. Who is Gracie and what does she find in the attic of her cottage? 2. What is a grant and how does Gracie use it to obtain what she wants? 3. Who does Gracie go to for help when she needs money to repair her castle? 4. What is inflation and how does Gracie adjust for it in her grant? 5. Who becomes the official grantor in the kingdom and why? 6. What is the significance of the king becoming Gracie's guarantor? 7. What is leverage and how does Gracie use it in the story? 8. What is an index and why is it important in the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: real estate 3
The Rent-a-Rehab Adventure of Timmy the Tenant
Timmy and his parents find a creative solution to their home rehabilitation needs through the "Rent-a-Rehab" recourse, resulting in a beautifully rehabbed house and a happy family.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem that Timmy and his parents faced with their house? 2. What was the recourse that Timmy's parents found to fix their house? 3. How did Timmy feel about the builders working on his house? 4. How did Timmy and his parents feel after the house was rehabbed? 5. Why was Timmy proud of his house after the rehab was completed? 6. What did the small margin added to the rent do for Timmy and his family? 7. Can you think of another way Timmy's parents could have fixed their house? 8. Why is it important to take surveys and consider different options before making a decision? 9. Have you ever had to make a difficult decision like Timmy's parents? How did you make your decision? 10. How does the story "The Rent-a-Rehab Adventure of Timmy the Tenant" show that there can be more than one solution to a problem?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: wood 1
The Tallest Tree in the Forest: A Tale of Friendship and Growth
The ten different types of trees in the forest have a competition to see who can grow the tallest and strongest, with the young acacia tree ultimately winning with the help of the wind.
Talk about it 1. Who won the competition to become the tallest tree in the forest? 2. How did acacia become the tallest tree in just one year? 3. What did the other trees learn from the competition? 4. How did the trees help each other grow taller and stronger? 5. What did acacia do every night to become the tallest tree? 6. How did the wind help acacia grow taller? 7. Why was the competition important to the trees in the forest?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: wood 2
Teak's Tumbleweed Adventure: A Hide and Seek Story in the Forest
Teak, Poplar, Spruce, Sycamore, Pine, and Oak play hide and seek in the forest, with Teak attempting to disguise himself as a bush but ultimately tumbling down the hill in a hilarious fashion.
Talk about it 1. What was the name of the game the trees played? 2. Who was chosen to be the seeker? 3. Where did each tree hide? 4. What did Teak do differently from the others? 5. How did Teak end up tumbling down the hill? 6. What lesson did the trees learn from playing the game? 7. If you were one of the trees, where would you have hidden? 8. What would you have done differently from Teak if you were playing the game?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: military navy 1
The Bilge Rat's Adventure: A Tale of a Bear's Bearing and a Bandit's Blunder
A pirate ship and its grumpy captain, Barnacle Bob, are aided by a magical sea bear's bearing to escape from bandits and ultimately become known for their kindness and honesty.
Talk about it 1. Who is Barnacle Bob and what was his reaction when the anchor got stuck? 2. What did the sea bear offer to do to help the Bilge Rat? 3. What was the magical object that the sea bear gave to Barnacle Bob? 4. What happened when the Bilge Rat was being chased by bandits? 5. How did Barnacle Bob and his crew change after their adventure on the sea?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: military navy 2
The Adventure of Bosun and the Brass Boot
Bosun, the chief mate of the pirate ship Brassy Bow, fixes the broken bracket of the ship's mast with a brass boot and a "boom" becoming a legend among the crew.
Talk about it 1. What was Bosun's job on the ship? 2. What happened that caused Bosun to come up with a solution to fix the ship? 3. What did Bosun use to fix the broken bracket? 4. How did the crew react to Bosun's solution? 5. How did Bosun become a legend among the pirates? 6. Have you ever had to come up with a creative solution to a problem like Bosun did in the story? 7. What did you learn from Bosun's adventure about problem-solving and determination?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: military navy 3
The Chief and the Dancing Capstan
The Chief Chippy helps guide a lost pirate ship back to its course and fixes the broken capstan by having the sailors sing a pirate song.
Talk about it 1. Who is Chief Chippy? 2. What did the captain of the pirate ship ask Chief Chippy for help with? 3. Why was the capstan broken? 4. How did Chief Chippy fix the capstan? 5. What happened when the sailors sang a pirate song while turning the capstan? 6. Why did the sailors always want to bring Chief Chippy along on their adventures? 7. What did the captain reward Chief Chippy with at the end of the story? 8. Why is Chief Chippy a special kind of chief? 9. What did Chief Chippy use to guide the pirate ship back to its course? 10. Can you think of another way that Chief Chippy might have fixed the cap
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: military navy 4
Divvy the Dog Director: A Tale of Clever business and theatrical success
Divvy, a clever dog, starts a division of the canine commission and becomes a successful dog director through his love of division, commission, davits, deadheading, drafts, directors, dogs, covers, decks, commanders, duffels, and compartments.
Talk about it 1. What was Divvy's brilliant idea? 2. How did Divvy transform his doghouse into a draft office? 3. What did the cats hire Divvy to do? 4. What made Divvy's division so successful? 5. What does the word "deadhead" mean in the story? 6. How did Divvy become rich and successful? 7. Can you think of another creative idea for a dog-run business? 8. What did the cats think of Divvy's play? 9. How did Divvy feel about his success? 10. Why was Divvy's division different from other dog director businesses?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: military navy 5
The Brave Engineer: Fathom's Funtastic Adventure!
Fathom, a mischievous engineer, saves the day by fixing the fenders in the engine room during a storm and becomes known as the bravest engineer in all the land.
Talk about it 1. Who is Fathom in the story? 2. What was the problem with the engine? 3. What did Fathom do to solve the problem? 4. What was the exec's reaction when he entered the engine room? 5. How did Fathom become known as the bravest engineer in all the land? 6. What do you think was the most exciting part of the story? 7. If you were Fathom, would you have done the same thing? Why or why not? 8. What is an ensign, fender, fantail, and exec? 9. What was the lesson you learned from this story? 10. Can you think of another adventure that Fathom could go on?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: military navy 6
The Fun-Filled Adventure of the Treasure Hunting Gang
A gang of adventurous creatures set off on a treasure hunt and use their unique skills to find the treasure and bring it back in a hilarious and creative way.
Talk about it 1. Who was in the gang of treasure hunters? 2. What did they use to carry the treasure back to the freighter? 3. How did they get into the building where the treasure was kept? 4. Why was the gang known as the funniest and most creative treasure hunters in the swamp? 5. What did they do to celebrate their victory? 6. Can you think of any other creative ways they could have found the treasure?
Open reading