Yahaaa · Reading
Stories for the classroom
Short narratives that put vocabulary into a scene a learner can follow. 7,459 on the shelf, each with a discussion question.
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Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Goldilocks and the Other Three Bears
Spark's Curious Adventure at the Volcano
A curious dragon named Spark learns the importance of listening to advice and being safe after his adventure at a volcanic mountain.
Talk about it 1. What did Spark want to see at the volcano? 2. Why did Spark's mother warn him to stay away from the lava? 3. What did Spark hear coming from inside the volcano? 4. Why was Spark scared when he heard the noise? 5. Why was it important for Spark to listen to his mother's advice?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Helen Keller
Lily's Journey: Overcoming Challenges with Inspiration and Communication
Lily, a girl with a disability, learns sign language and Braille, discovers her senses and overcomes her challenges to live a happy life, inspiring others along the way.
Talk about it 1. What was Lily's disability? 2. How did Lily learn to communicate with others? 3. What did the blind man teach Lily about understanding the world? 4. How did Lily feel about her disability before and after meeting the blind man? 5. How did Lily inspire others in the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: History to Chew On
The Tacky Barn Candles
A farmer turns sap into beautiful and sturdy candles by pouring melted wax into discarded latex gloves.
Talk about it 1. What did the farmer do with the sap he found in the discarded vat? 2. Why was the farmer disappointed with the first attempt at making candles from the sap? 3. How did the farmer solve the problem of the candles not holding their shape? 4. What material did the farmer use as molds for the candles? 5. How did the farmer feel after he removed the latex gloves to reveal the candles?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: I Am the Hope Diamond
The Missing Jewels Mystery: A Tale of Adventure and Charity
A valuable set of jewel-encrusted pendants goes missing from a museum during a charity event, but is eventually recovered by detectives and returned to their rightful place.
Talk about it 1. What was the mystery in the museum? 2. Who helped solve the mystery of the missing pendants? 3. What happened to the thief who stole the pendants? 4. Why was the charity event important in the story? 5. What was special about the pendants and why were they valuable?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Ichiro Suzuki
Ken's Journey to Becoming a Baseball Champion
A young Japanese baseball player named Ken becomes a league all-star by breaking records and playing in the championship game with determination.
Talk about it 1. What was Ken's dream and how did he achieve it? 2. How did Ken become known in the league? 3. What was the most important moment in Ken's journey to becoming a champion? 4. What can you learn from Ken's story about hard work and determination?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Inside the Beast
Max the Hangdog: Protector of the Leftovers
Max the hangdog becomes a hero in his town by removing contaminated leftovers and the source of a foul ooze.
Talk about it 1. Why did Max become the protector of the leftovers? 2. How did Max remove the contaminated food? 3. Why was Max considered a hero by the townspeople? 4. What kind of character traits does Max have? 5. What would you have done if you were in Max's place?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Landons Pumpkins
The Stubborn Farmer and the Magic of Composting
A stubborn farmer learns the benefits of composting and reducing waste, leading to a bountiful harvest and a happier life.
Talk about it 1. Why was the farmer skeptical about composting at first? 2. What happened to the farmer's crops after he started composting? 3. How did composting help the environment and reduce waste? 4. How did the farmer feel about composting in the end? 5. What can we learn from the farmer's story about composting and reducing waste?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Magnetism
The Secret Message of Bolt the Robot
A little robot named Bolt builds an electromagnet and encodes a message to send secret messages to his friends.
Talk about it 1. What did Bolt learn about electromagnets in the story? 2. What was Bolt's goal in building his electromagnet? 3. How did Bolt turn his message into a secret code? 4. What happened when Bolt tested his electromagnet for the first time? 5. What was Bolt known for after he finished building his electromagnet and encoding his message?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Magnetism
Max and the Power of Magnetism
Max learns about the power of magnetism through an adventure with a lodestone and a generator.
Talk about it 1. What is magnetism? 2. How do magnets attract and repel each other? 3. What did Max learn about magnetism on his adventure? 4. Why was the generator important in the story? 5. What could you use magnetism for?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Martin Luther King Jr
The Fight for Equality: A Story of Civil Rights
A group of people protest against segregation and eventually win the Civil War for equality and the end of violence.
Talk about it 1. Why did the people protest against segregation? 2. What was the boycott about? 3. What happened in the Civil War? 4. What was the result of the people's fight for equality? 5. Do you think it is important for everyone to be treated equally? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Musical Instruments
The Magic Music School Concert
The instruments at a magical music school come to life and play together to create beautiful music.
Talk about it 1. What was the name of the magical music school? 2. Who was in charge of making sure everyone could hear the music? 3. What did the bow of the violin play first? 4. How did the other instruments join in? 5. What was the result of the instruments playing together? 6. How did the amplifier feel at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: My Uncle Is a Firefighter
Jack the Firefighter: A Brave Rescue Adventure
A brave firefighter named Jack saves people from a burning building and takes kids on a tour of the fire station, showing them his equipment and how he helps in emergencies.
Talk about it 1. What did Jack do when he got a call about an emergency? 2. How did Jack rescue the people trapped in the building? 3. What did Jack show the kids at the fire station? 4. What did the kids get to do at the fire station? 5. Why is Jack a brave firefighter?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Rockin Rhythm and Sweet Harmony
Harmony in the Kingdom of Imperfection
A dragon learns to live in harmony and peace by accepting imperfection and embracing the routine of life.
Talk about it 1. What made Scratchy nervous? 2. How did Scratchy feel when he realized everyone makes mistakes? 3. What did Scratchy learn about the harmony in the kingdom? 4. How can you embrace imperfection and find peace like Scratchy did?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Rockin Rhythm and Sweet Harmony
Max's Musical Journey: Overcoming Problems and Achieving Dreams
A young pianist named Max overcomes a problem with his melody and wins first prize in a competition through hard work and determination, with help from his teacher.
Talk about it 1. What was Max's goal? 2. Why did Max have a problem with his melody? 3. How did Max's teacher help him? 4. What did Max learn from the competition? 5. How did Max feel when he won first prize?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Seals Sea Lions and Walruses
Marina's Migration Adventure
Marina, a young pinniped, learns the importance of migration, molting, and relying on her blubber for protection from predators during her adventure to find her family.
Talk about it 1. Why did Marina and her family have to migrate every year? 2. How did Marina's blubber protect her from predators? 3. What did Marina learn about migration and safety during her adventure? 4. Why was "haul out" such a special place for Marina and her family?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Shelter Pets Are Best
Max's New Adventure
A purebred dog named Max finds a new home with a breeder after living in a shelter and receiving obedience training from a counselor.
Talk about it 1. Why was Max taken to the shelter? 2. Who helped Max adjust to his new lifestyle at the shelter? 3. What did the breeder do for Max when she took him home? 4. How was Max's life different after he found a new family? 5. What did Max learn from the obedience training he received?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Sonia Joins the Supreme Court
Lily the Representative and the Missing Treasure Case
A young girl named Lily solves a missing treasure case and becomes the representative of a magical kingdom.
Talk about it 1. Who is Lily and what does she love to do? 2. Why did the king ask Lily for help? 3. What was the case about? 4. Who did Lily meet on her adventure? 5. How did Lily solve the case and find the treasure? 6. What did the king do to show his gratitude to Lily?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Sonia Joins the Supreme Court
The Diabetes Advocate: A Story of Justice and Hope
A young girl named Sarah becomes a lawyer to fight for the proper medical treatment of people with diabetes and succeeds in making a positive change.
Talk about it 1. Why did Sarah decide to become a lawyer for people with diabetes? 2. What was Sarah's goal in taking people's case to court? 3. How did Sarah's education and dedication help her make a positive change for people with diabetes? 4. Do you think it's important for everyone to have access to proper medical treatment? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: The 100th Day Project
Lily's Creative Gift
Lily uses her creativity to conceive a special birthday gift for her friend, showcasing the power of imagination and earning recognition at the party.
Talk about it 1. What did Lily make for her friend's birthday? 2. How did Lily feel when her friend opened the present? 3. How did others react to Lily's creation? 4. Why is creativity important to Lily? 5. How does Lily's creativity make the world a better place?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: The Creature Constitution
Benny the Bear Saves the Forest
A little bear named Benny convinces the king to sign a treaty protecting the forest from being cut down, saving the homes of the animals and the future of the planet.
Talk about it 1. Why was Benny concerned about the forest? 2. How did Benny convince the king to sign the treaty? 3. What was the result of the treaty being signed? 4. How did Benny feel after the issue was solved? 5. What can we learn from Benny's actions in the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: The Creature Constitution
The Constitution's Convince
A group of leaders come together to draft a constitution for their country, and successfully convince a dissenting leader to sign it.
Talk about it 1. Why did the people in the country feel unhappy? 2. What did the leaders write in the document called the constitution? 3. How did the leaders convince the unhappy leader to sign the constitution? 4. What happened after the unhappy leader signed the constitution? 5. Why was it important for the leaders to work together to make the country better?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: The Homework Lesson
The Talons of Responsibility
An enormous bird named Talon learns the importance of facing his responsibilities by using his sharp talons to get an extension for a homework assignment.
Talk about it 1. What did Talon hate doing? 2. How did Talon solve his homework problem? 3. What did Talon learn in the end? 4. How did Talon feel when he got an A+ on his assignment? 5. What can we learn from Talon's story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Fawn's Stunning Escape
A fawn escapes a scorched forest and finds a stunning waterfall to call home.
Talk about it 1. How does the fawn escape the fire in the forest? 2. What do you think the fawn was feeling when it saw the waterfall for the first time? 3. What would you do if you were the fawn and had to find a new home? 4. Can you think of another way the fawn could have escaped the fire? 5. How did the fawn feel after it found the waterfall?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Mystery of the Haunted House
A brave girl discovers that a supposedly haunted house is just a group of children playing a game and joins in the fun.
Talk about it 1. What made Sarah brave enough to go into the haunted house? 2. Why did people believe the house was haunted? 3. What did Sarah find in the haunted house? 4. Why was the house not haunted after all? 5. What did Sarah do when she found out the truth?
Open reading