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 Common Nouns in English: construction 8
The Giggling Wooden Castle
A group of woodcutters build a wooden castle for a princess which becomes a source of laughter and joy after it collapses upon her tripping on her heel.
Talk about it 1. Who asked the woodcutters to build a special gift for the princess? 2. What material did the woodcutters use to make the castle? 3. What special features did the woodcutters add to the castle? 4. How did the princess react when she first saw the castle? 5. Why did the whole palace start to giggle? 6. What was the castle used for after it was built? 7. Do you think the princess liked her gift? Why or why not? 8. Have you ever played with a wooden toy like the castle in the story? 9. What would you do if you were one of the woodcutters and the castle you built collapsed? 10. Do you think the woodcutters were happy with how the story turned out? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 9
Knobby the Knot's Laminating Landing
Knobby the knot creates a laminating landing for the animals in the magical forest and becomes the master of fun and laughter.
Talk about it 1. Who is Knobby in the story? 2. What did Knobby borrow from Lulu? 3. What did Knobby build with the tools he borrowed? 4. How did the animals in the forest react to Knobby's creation? 5. What happened at the end of the story? 6. Why do you think Knobby is called the "mischievous knot"? 7. How do you think the forest king felt when he first saw the landing? 8. Do you think you could build something like the landing? What would you build? 9. What is the main message of the story? 10. If you could meet Knobby, what would you like to do with him?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 10
Max the Mason's Marvelous Fireplace
Max the Mason uses his humor and creativity to build a beautiful fireplace using mortar, marble, mastic, molding, mullions, miter joints, a mantel, and muntins, impressing the wealthy man and becoming the talk of the town.
Talk about it 1. Who is Max the Mason in the story? 2. What did the wealthy man ask Max to build for him? 3. What is a mullion and what does Max use it for in the story? 4. How does Max make the mantel of the fireplace more interesting? 5. What makes Max's fireplace so special and famous in the village? 6. What is the moral of the story? 7. Can you think of any other creative ideas Max could have used in his fireplace design? 8. If you were Max, how would you have approached building the fireplace differently? 9. Do you think you could build something as amazing as Max's fireplace? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 11
The Rainbow Patio and the Mischievous Fairies
In "The Rainbow Patio and the Mischievous Fairies," gnomes and fairies put aside their pranks and come together to have fun in a magical garden filled with colorful penny-shaped pedestals and a rainbow painted patio.
Talk about it 1. Why did the fairies paint the gnomes' patio in bright colors? 2. How did the gnomes try to keep the fairies out of their patio? 3. What was the fairies' plan to get into the gnomes' patio? 4. What happened when the fairies tried to use the outrigger to get into the gnomes' patio? 5. How did the gnomes and fairies become friends? 6. Can you think of a different way the gnomes could have taught the fairies a lesson? 7. What do you think the gnomes and fairies did together in the magical garden? 8. If you were a gnome or a fairy, which one would you be and why? 9. Do you think it's okay to play pranks on people? Why or why not? 10. What lesson can we learn from the story of the Rainbow Patio and the Mischievous Fairies?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 12
Pickles the Painted Piggy: A Tale of Pilasters, Plaster, Piles, Pigments, Planks, and Pitches
Pickles the little pig becomes famous after a magical tree grants his wish for pigments and a series of events involving a pilaster, plaster, piles, pigments, planks, and a pitch result in a humorous outcome.
Talk about it 1. What did Pickles wish for from the magical tree? 2. How did Pickles become famous? 3. How did the crowd react when they saw Pickles covered in plaster? 4. What did Pickles say about how he became famous? 5. What was the purpose of the planks in the story? 6. How did the bird play a role in the story? 7. Why was Pickles known as the funniest pig in the village?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 13
The Fun Castle Adventure
A group of building supplies turn a house into a fabulous, funny, and fantastic castle, becoming known as the Fun Castle and living happily ever after.
Talk about it 1. Who were the main characters in the story? 2. What did Putty suggest they build? 3. Who was in charge of the yard work? 4. What did the building supplies turn their house into? 5. What happened at the end of the story? 6. What was the castle named? 7. What did the building supplies do for fun at the castle? 8. Why did everyone come from far and wide to see the castle? 9. How did the building supplies feel about their finished creation? 10. Can you name some of the building supplies in the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 14
The Adventure on the Roof: Uncovering the Secret of the Rosin Treasure
Mike the mouse and a group of animals work together to uncover a secret hidden under a pile of rubble, leading to the discovery of a bag of rosin and a beautiful musical performance on the roof.
Talk about it 1. What was Mike the mouse's favorite thing to do? 2. Why did all the animals in the village run towards the pile of rubble? 3. What was the secret that was hidden under the rubble? 4. What was the riser in the ground used for? 5. What was the rosin used for? 6. How did Mike and the animals create a musical performance? 7. Why did the villagers praise Mike and the animals? 8. Can you think of another way Mike could have used the rosin? 9. If you were Mike, what other adventures would you go on? 10. How can we learn to work together like Mike and the animals in the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 15
The Silly Scab and the Sapwood Trees: A Forest Folly
The Silly Scab and the Sapwood Trees: A Forest Folly" is a comedic story about a mischievous scab who tries to trick the sapwood trees, but ultimately learns his lesson and becomes a better tree.
Talk about it 1. Who was the main character in the story and what was he like? 2. Why did the sapwood trees believe the scab's trick? 3. How did the other trees in the forest help the sapwood trees? 4. What did Scratch learn from his experience? 5. Why do you think the story is called "The Silly Scab and the Sapwood Trees: A Forest Folly"? 6. What can you learn from the story about being careful and checking the truth before believing something?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 16
The Uneven Roof and the Sleeping Sleeper
A group of construction workers building a house encounter a setback with an uneven roof, but find a solution using shims and eventually realize the real problem lies with the house's siding, leading to a happy resolution in "The Uneven Roof and the Sleeping Sleeper.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem that Spike and the construction workers were facing with the roof of the house they were building? 2. How did Spike come up with a solution to the problem? 3. What happened when Sleeper fell asleep on the slab of slate? 4. Why was the roof still uneven even after the shingles were put on? 5. How did the workers eventually fix the problem with the house?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 17
Stud the Square's Giant Adventure
Stud the Square goes on an exciting adventure in a giant subdivision after exploring a mysterious stain and finding a spline that transports him to a new world.
Talk about it 1. What did Stud discover when he found the stain on the ground? 2. What did Stud think of the giant subdivision he was transported to? 3. How did Stud get back to his own world after his adventure? 4. What do you think would have happened if Stud had stayed in the giant subdivision? 5. Do you think you would like to go on an adventure like Stud's? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 18
Tint's Taping Adventure in the Swale
Tint, a curious and adventurous boy, stumbles upon the Swale, a vast swamp full of strange creatures, and has a hilarious time playing with the Tape Creatures who are covered in tape.
Talk about it 1. What was Tint's personality like? 2. What did Tint discover when he entered the Swale? 3. Who were the Tape Creatures and what were they doing in the cave? 4. How did Tint feel when he first encountered the Tape Creatures? 5. What did Tint and the Tape Creatures do together? 6. How did the story of Tint and the Tape Creatures become a legend? 7. What did you think was the most interesting or funniest part of the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: construction 19
Tim's Electric Adventure: A Story of Creativity and Quirky Inventions
A quirky inventor named Tim creates an electric vehicle using trellis, turpentine, varnish, volts, and other supplies, which becomes a huge success in the valley and leads to more creative adventures.
Talk about it 1. Who is the main character in the story? 2. What did Tim want to create? 3. What did Tim use to build the frame of the vehicle? 4. How did Tim power the vehicle? 5. How did the people in the valley react to Tim's creation? 6. What did Tim continue to create after his first success? 7. What is the moral of the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: music theory 1
Bass and the Canon Bar: A Musical Tale of Harmony and Self-Discovery
Bass, a new musical note with a funny accent, learns to embrace his uniqueness and becomes the leader of the Canon Bar through his impressive bass playing skills and the beautiful harmonies he creates with his fellow notes.
Talk about it 1. What made Bass different from the other musical notes? 2. Why did the other notes think Bass was silly? 3. What did Bass do to try to fit in with the other notes? 4. What happened at the big music contest at the Canon Bar? 5. How did Bass make the other notes realize his true worth? 6. What did Bass learn about himself and the importance of being true to himself? 7. What was the climax of the story? 8. What was the lesson learned in the story? 9. What did the other notes think of Bass after the music contest? 10. How did Bass become the King of the Canon Bar?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: music theory 2
Forte and the Fugue of Friendship
A tiny creature named Forte helps an old violin player regain his musical skills and together they embark on a journey to spread the love of music through a beautiful fugue.
Talk about it 1. Who is Forte and what does he do? 2. Who does Forte meet in the village and what is their problem? 3. How does Forte help the old creature play better music? 4. What is a fugue and how does Forte learn to play it? 5. What is the result of Forte and the old creature's friendship and musical collaboration? 6. What message do you think the story is trying to convey to the reader?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: music theory 3
The Modulating Melody Adventure
A musical band creates a new and exciting song using the magic of modulation, pentatonic scales, and quavers in "The Modulating Melody Adventure.
Talk about it 1. Who was the leader of the musical band in the story? 2. What was the new song the band was creating? 3. What is modulation in music? 4. What is a pentatonic melody? 5. Can you name one of the instruments in the band? 6. What happened to the song after the band played it? 7. What did the drum player do to match the modulation in the song? 8. How did the song make people feel? 9. What did the saxophone player explain about the melody going up an octave? 10. Can you name the final title of the story?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: music theory 4
Rhythmi and the Musical Adventure: The Dance of the Rest
Rhythmi joins a group of musical animals and adds his own twist by dancing during the "Rest" section, making it the most exciting part of their performances.
Talk about it 1. What is the name of the main character in the story? 2. What did Rhythmi learn about music from the wise old owl? 3. What did the animals do during the "Rest" section of the song? 4. How did the other animals feel about Rhythmi's dancing during the "Rest" section? 5. What happened to Rhythmi after he joined the musical group of animals?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: music theory 5
Treble the Brave Bird: A Symphony Adventure
Treble the bird becomes the star of the show at a musical symphony in the meadow despite facing challenges and inspires the other animals to make beautiful music together.
Talk about it 1. Who is Treble and what is special about him? 2. What was the symphony in the meadow about? 3. Who were the other animals performing in the symphony? 4. What was Treble's role in the performance? 5. What happened to Treble during the performance? 6. How did Treble inspire the other animals during the symphony? 7. What was the outcome of the symphony? 8. Why do you think Treble was brave? 9. If you were in the audience at the symphony, what would you have felt when Treble continued singing? 10. What did you learn from Treble's determination and bravery?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: corporate job 1
The Wackyville Workers: A Tale of Quirky Jobs and Fun Adventures
The Wackyville Workers are a group of quirky and loveable characters who make their jobs, and the town they live in, a fun and adventurous place.
Talk about it 1. Who is Mr. Clerk and what does he like to do while he works? 2. What does Mrs. Assistant always carry with her? 3. What is Mr. Bumbling's job and what is his most memorable characteristic? 4. How does Mrs. Doodle design her buildings? 5. What does Mr. Data collect information about in Wackyville? 6. Who is always ready to lend a helping hand in the town? 7. What is Mr. Shopping's favorite thing to do? 8. How does Mrs. Countess keep track of the town's finances? 9. Who is Mr. Secret and what is his job in Wackyville? 10. Why is Wackyville a fun place to live and work in?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: corporate job 2
The Amazing Adventure of the Treehouse Builders
A group of animals work together, each using their unique skills, to build the most amazing treehouse in the forest and live happily ever after.
Talk about it 1. What animal was in charge of building the treehouse? 2. Who made sure everyone was working together? 3. Who was responsible for making all the decisions? 4. Who made sure the project was on schedule and within budget? 5. Who came up with new and innovative ideas for the treehouse? 6. Who made sure the treehouse looked amazing? 7. Who taught everyone how to build the treehouse safely? 8. Was the treehouse completed on time? 9. How did the animals feel when the treehouse was finished? 10. What did the animals do to celebrate the completion of the treehouse?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: corporate job 3
The Sweet Castle Adventure of Supervisor, Producer, Strategist, Specialist, Technician, and Representative
A group of friends working on a castle project encounter a wish-granting machine that leads to a surprisingly sweet and humorous outcome.
Talk about it 1. Who were the six friends in the story and what were their jobs? 2. What happened when Specialist found the strange machine? 3. Why were Supervisor, Producer, Strategist, Technician, and Representative surprised by the finished castle? 4. What did the friends learn from this experience? 5. How would you feel if you were Specialist and found a wish-granting machine? 6. Do you think you would have wished for something different than Specialist? If so, what would you have wished for? 7. If you could go on a similar adventure like the six friends, where would you go and what kind of adventure would you have?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: driving 1
Speedy's Adventure on Cloverleaf Circle
Speedy the car goes on a bumpy but exciting journey through a secret alley, a clover-filled curve, a bridge, and an avenue, ending with a dance on Cloverleaf Circle.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem that Speedy faced in the beginning of the story? 2. What was the solution to Speedy's problem? 3. Who were the singing and dancing clovers in the story? 4. What did the clovers help Speedy do? 5. What did Speedy learn from his adventure on Cloverleaf Circle? 6. What other secret paths do you think Speedy will discover on his future drives?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: driving 2
Zoom's Road Adventure in Happyville
Zoom the car goes on an adventure exploring all the roads in Happyville, from the highway to the parkway, and finds that each road has its own special qualities.
Talk about it 1. Which road did Zoom enjoy the most and why? 2. Why did Zoom take the parkway on the way back home? 3. What did Zoom learn from his road adventure? 4. What was the scariest road for Zoom and why? 5. If you were Zoom, which road would you like to explore first and why?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: driving 3
Speedy the Snail: The Champion of the Roadway
Speedy the snail wins a race by taking a nap on the shoulder of the roadway and using his speed to zoom past the other creatures in the kingdom.
Talk about it 1. Why did Speedy want to participate in the race? 2. What was Speedy's secret weapon in the race? 3. How did Speedy feel when he realized all the other creatures were far ahead of him? 4. What did the other creatures think of Speedy after he won the race? 5. Do you think you could be like Speedy and never give up on your dreams? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story Common Nouns in English: linear algebra 1
The Matrix Prince: A Magical Adventure in the Land of Matrices
The curious and adventurous Prince Max embarks on a quest to the kingdom of sorcerers, where he learns the magic of matrices and uses his newfound knowledge to solve problems and spread joy in his own kingdom.
Talk about it 1. What was Prince Max's favorite subject? 2. What was the magical kingdom that Prince Max was curious about? 3. What were some of the matrix concepts that Prince Max learned from the sorcerers? 4. How did Prince Max use his newfound knowledge to help others? 5. Can you think of any real-life situations where matrix magic might come in handy? 6. What do you think Prince Max might learn about matrices next? 7. What do you think is the most powerful magic of matrices, according to the story? 8. Can you think of any other magical powers you would like Prince Max to learn in the future?
Open reading