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 V: Sister Sleuth and the Silver Blaze
Max's Memorable Detour: A Tale of Overcoming Depression
A tweed-wearing carriage driver helps a colleague overcome depression through an exciting journey filled with laughter and good memories.
Talk about it - How do you think Max’s colleague feels about his depression before he goes on the journey with Max? - What does Max do to help his colleague overcome his depression? - How does the journey change the colleague's life? - What can we learn from this story about overcoming depression and helping others?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Battle of the Alamo
The Siegeville Pretend War Adventure
Two teams play a game of pretend war in Siegeville, but their hostility turns to friendship after realizing it was just for fun.
Talk about it 1. Why did the people of Siegeville decide to play a pretend war game? 2. How did the cavalry help the defenders win the game? 3. What happened when the hostility between the two teams disappeared? 4. What did they learn from playing this game?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Calgary Stampede
Duke and the Dude's Rodeo Adventure
A draft horse named Duke and a rodeo participant named Dude become an entertaining duo in rodeos across their province.
Talk about it 1. Who was Duke? 2. What did Duke love to do in rodeos? 3. Who wanted to ride Duke during the demonstration? 4. How did the audience react to Duke and the Dude's performance? 5. Why did Duke and the Dude become famous in their province?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Case of the Vanishing Anasazi
The Adventures of Little Hawk and the Magic Bird
A young Native American boy, Little Hawk, embarks on an adventure to find a magical bird that leads him to a plant that can bring rain to his drought-stricken land.
Talk about it - Who is Little Hawk and what is his mission? - Why was there a drought in the Native American land? - What was the petroglyph that Little Hawk saw in the kiva? - How did Little Hawk and his friends find the magical plant that could bring rain? - What was the condition given by the magical bird? - How did Little Hawk become the hero of the day?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Gossip Monster
The Consequences of Gossip: A Lesson Learned by Mischievous Friends
A group of friends learn the hard way that spreading rumors and making assumptions can have serious consequences when they are all expelled from school.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think the friends spread rumors in the story? 2. How did the spreading of rumors affect the classmates in the story? 3. What do you think the friends learned from their experience? 4. What can you learn from this story? 5. How can you be more mindful of what you say and how it might affect others?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Last Great Race
The Tundra's Grueling Shot Race
A musher turns mandatory diphtheria shots into a fun relay race for dogsledders in the tundra, making it a success.
Talk about it 1. Why did Max turn the diphtheria shots into a fun relay race? 2. What was the incentive for the mushers in the race? 3. How did the dogs react to getting their shots? 4. What do you think would have happened if Max didn't come up with this idea? 5. Can you think of any other ways to make getting shots less scary for kids?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Lost Dutchman
The Mesmerizing Journey with the Magic Burro
A prospector finds treasure with the help of a magical talking burro in the mesmerizing ridge.
Talk about it 1. How did Jack feel when he first saw the burro? 2. What did the burro give Jack? 3. Why do you think the burro disappeared at the end of the story? 4. If you were Jack, what would you have done with the treasure? 5. Can you think of other things the magical burro could have helped Jack find?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Lost Dutchman2
The Gila Monster's Toy Stash: A Lesson in Belief for Timmy the Skeptic
A skeptical boy learns to believe in the goodness of others through a Gila monster's toy stash.
Talk about it 1. Why was Timmy skeptical? 2. What did the Gila monster use to whittle his claws? 3. Was Timmy's theory about the Gila monster correct? 4. What was in the Gila monster's stash? 5. What did Timmy learn from following the Gila monster?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Roman Empire Faces Attila
The Siege of Barbarian Empire: A Tale of Humanity Prevailing
A Germanic ally with a hidden plan siege the empire ruled by the Barbarian King, but humanity prevails in the end.
Talk about it - What was the Germanic ally's hidden plan? - How did the people of the kingdom show their humanity? - Why did the Barbarian King accept the dowry? - Why was the king and his army shocked at the end of the siege? - What message did the story convey?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Sun
The Adventures of Spotty the Sunspot
A mischievous sunspot named Spotty goes on an adventure to help a planet in need by using his powers for good.
Talk about it 1. What did Spotty like to do on the sun's surface? 2. Where did Spotty go on his adventure? 3. What did Spotty do when he found a planet powered by solar cells? 4. How did people on the planets react to Spotty's actions? 5. How is the energy produced on the planets after Spotty's visit?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: The Tuskegee Airmen
The Laughter Squadrons: A Tale of Equality and Obstacle-Busting Stunts
A group of fighter planes use their stunts and laughter to defeat a segregationist invasion and escort equality-seeking aliens to their new planet.
Talk about it 1. What was the mission of the fighter planes in the story? 2. What obstacle did they face, and how did they overcome it? 3. Why do you think the invading squadron stopped their invasion? 4. How did the fighter planes use creativity to solve the problem? 5. What can we learn from the story about equality and overcoming obstacles?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Treasure in the Puget Sound
The Marooned Mutineers' Mutiny
The perceptive pirate captain leads the civil pirates in reclaiming their ship from hideously ugly hijackers on the "Marooned Mutineer".
Talk about it 1. Who were the hijackers in the story? 2. What did the pirate captain do to reclaim the ship? 3. Why were the other pirates surprised by the captain's actions? 4. How did the pirates manage to overcome the hijackers? 5. What did the pirates learn from this experience?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Treasure in the Puget Sound2
The Scoundrel's Voyage of Redemption
A scoundrel sets out on a journey to retrieve a cursed treasure, but learns the true value of kindness and redemption.
Talk about it 1. Why did Sam receive a summon from the ruler of the land? 2. What was the treasure guarded by and how did Sam defeat it? 3. How did the curse affect Sam and what did he have to do to reverse it? 4. What did Sam learn about the consequences of his actions? 5. What do you think happened to Sam after the curse was broken?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Two Kettles
The Prankster Duo of Nasump: Max and Quahog
Max and Quahog, two friends in Nasump, play pranks on each other using a musket, deerskin, hearth, quahog, and fowling.
Talk about it 1. What is the main problem or conflict in the story? 2. Why did Max play a trick on Quahog? 3. How does Quahog react to Max's prank? 4. What do you think Max and Quahog will do next? 5. How does the story show the importance of friendship and humor?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Volcanoes
Vesuvius and Caldera's Volcanic Adventure
Vesuvius, a dormant volcano, plays a prank on Caldera, his new friend, leading to a volcanic adventure filled with laughter and friendship.
Talk about it 1. Why did Vesuvius accumulate cinders and magma inside him? 2. Was Caldera afraid of Vesuvius when she first met him? 3. What happened when Caldera climbed to the top of Vesuvius? 4. Was Vesuvius active or dormant? 5. How did Vesuvius and Caldera become friends in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Volcanoes2
The Adventures of Dr. Volc: Saving the Town from Tectonic Tumult".
A volcanologist named Dr. Volc saves a town from a dangerous eruption by using his special geyser-stopping hat.
Talk about it - What was Dr. Volc's job? - How did Dr. Volc stop the eruption from causing damage to the town? - What happened to Dr. Volc's device in the story? - Why was the town in danger from the eruption? - What did Dr. Volc use in the end to stop the eruption?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Who Owns the North Pole
The Arctic Island Adventure: A Tale of Cooperation and Purpose
A group of animals on a remote Arctic island resolve an international dispute over mineral resources by working together for a common purpose.
Talk about it 1. Why did the animals on the remote island have a dispute over the petroleum and minerals? 2. How did the animals resolve the dispute and work together? 3. What was the purpose of the plan they created for extracting the resources? 4. Can you think of a time when you had to work with others to solve a problem?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Who Owns the North Pole2
The Fox and the Treasure Hunt: A Climate Change Adventure
A group of tundra animals go on a journey to find a new territory with valuable resources, led by a brave fox, to escape the effects of climate change.
Talk about it 1. What is the impact of climate change on the tundra in the story? 2. Why did the animals decide to leave their old territory? 3. Who led the group of animals on their journey? 4. What valuable resources did the animals find in the end? 5. Why was it important for the animals to find a new home?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Wild and Wacky World of Wigs
The Resin Mesh Fashion Princess
The Princess creates a new fashion style using resin and mesh, becoming famous as the "Resin Mesh Fashion Princess".
Talk about it 1. What did the Princess want to create? 2. What did the King do when he heard of the Princess's idea? 3. What was the Princess's new profession called? 4. How did people react to the Princess's creations? 5. Why did the Princess love her profession?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Wild and Wacky World of Wigs2
The King's Hilarious Wig Mix-Up
A king's search for the perfect wig leads to a hilarious mix-up in the kingdom.
Talk about it 1. What did the king have on his head that was funny? 2. Why did the king try on different wigs? 3. What did he do to find the perfect wig? 4. How did the people in the kingdom react to the new wig? 5. What lesson did the king learn from this experience?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Women and the Vote
The Picket for Justice: A Magical Kingdom Tale
A group of animals organize a picket to protest against injustice and successfully amend the Constitution with the help of their king.
Talk about it 1. What inspired the rabbits to organize a picket? 2. Why did the other animals join the movement? 3. What did the king do to help the animals achieve their goal? 4. Why was it important for the Constitution to be amended? 5. How did the story show the power of coming together to fight against injustice?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Word Smith Private I
Pum & Nan's Word Adventure: A Fun Tale of Anagrams, Palindromes and Phonics
Pam changes her name to Pum and becomes known as the Pum Heiress, then has a word game contest with her friend Nan, using anagrams, palindromes and phonics.
Talk about it 1. Why did Pam change her name to Pum? 2. What kind of contest did Pam and Nan have? 3. What was the result of the contest? 4. What kind of word game did Pam and Nan play after the contest?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Yosemite and the Badge
Bob the Conservationist's Hilarious Replicas
Bob, a conservationist and naturalist, impresses a Native American tribe with his hilarious animal replicas, becoming their official jester and bringing joy to both the tribe and the animals of the forest.
Talk about it 1. Who is Bob and what does he do? 2. What was the tribe's reaction to Bob's first replica? 3. Why did the tribe love Bob's replicas so much? 4. What was the impact of Bob's replicas on both the tribe and the animals in the forest? 5. How can you be creative and bring joy to your community like Bob did?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary W: Acropolis Adventure
The Wobbly Octagonal Temple of Laughter
A temple in Athens known for its perfect proportion becomes famous for its comedy after the gods change its perspective, making it wobbly and hilarious.
Talk about it 1. What was the temple in Athens known for before the gods changed its perspective? 2. How did the temple's appearance change after the gods played their trick? 3. Why did people start coming from all over the world to visit the temple? 4. Can you think of any other things that could be funny because of their perspective or proportion being off?
Open reading