Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

Complete lesson plans, including stories, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

The Bizarre Blueberry Banquet

In the end, it wasn't the blueberries that made the Bizarre Blueberry Banquet special, but the spirit of the village.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a small town, people loved to have a big party for blueberries every summer. The town’s leader, Mr. Berry, liked blueberries very much, and he helped make the party.

One morning, everyone was getting ready for the party. They made costumes and decorations. But something went wrong: all the blueberries were gone! Everyone was surprised and didn’t know what to do.

Mr. Berry said, “Let’s find the blueberries!” They all looked around the town. Then they saw a little squirrel with one blueberry. They followed it and found many, many blueberries hiding behind the bushes. They were so happy!

On the party day, it started to rain very hard. But the people still had fun in their blueberry costumes. They ate blueberry food and danced in the rain. They learned that being together was the best part of the party, rain or not. The end.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1costumesClothes that make you look like someone else, like a superhero or a princess
2decorationsPretty things you put up to make a place look nice for a celebration
3surprisedWhen something happens that you did not think would happen
4findTo look for something until you see it
5squirrelA small animal with a big fluffy tail that climbs trees
6hidingStaying where no one can see you
7bushesGreen plants with lots of little leaves that can be small or big
8partyA fun time when people come together to eat, play games, and dance
9rainWater that falls from the sky like little drops
10togetherBeing with other people, not alone

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the people in the small town like to have a big party for every summer?
2. Who was the leader of the town?
3. What happened one morning when everyone was getting ready for the party?
4. What did Mr. Berry suggest they do when they realized the blueberries were gone?
5. How did they find the blueberries?
6. What did the people do on the party day, even though it was raining?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a (1)______ town, people loved to have a big party for blueberries every summer. The town’s leader, Mr. Berry, (2)______ blueberries very much, and he helped make the party.

One morning, everyone was getting ready for the party. They made costumes and decorations. But something went wrong: all the blueberries were gone! Everyone was (3)______ and didn’t know what to do.

Mr. Berry said, “Let’s (4)______ the blueberries!” They all looked around the town. Then they saw a (5)______ (6)______ with one blueberry. They followed it and found many, many blueberries hiding behind the bushes. They were so happy!

On the party day, it started to rain very hard. But the people still had fun in their (7)______ (8)______. They ate blueberry food and danced in the rain. They learned that being together was the best part of the party, rain or not. The end.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a party? Why do people have parties?
2. How would you feel if all the blueberries were gone? Why?
3. Do you like blueberries? Why or why not?
4. What do you think Mr. Berry did to help find the blueberries?
5. How would you feel if it started raining on the party day? Why?
6. What is your favorite food to eat at a party? Why?
7. Do you like to dance in the rain? Why or why not?
8. Do you think it’s important to be together with friends and family at a party? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. costumes
2. decorations
3. surprised
4. find
5. squirrel
6. hiding
7. bushes
8. party
9. rain
10. together

Meanings:
(A) Being with other people, not alone
(B) A fun time when people come together to eat, play games, and dance
(C) Pretty things you put up to make a place look nice for a celebration
(D) To look for something until you see it
(E) Clothes that make you look like someone else, like a superhero or a princess
(F) When something happens that you did not think would happen
(G) A small animal with a big fluffy tail that climbs trees
(H) Water that falls from the sky like little drops
(I) Staying where no one can see you
(J) Green plants with lots of little leaves that can be small or big
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who liked blueberries very much?
(a) Mrs. Berry
(b) Mr. Berry
(c) Mr. Smith
(d) Mrs. Smith

2. What did everyone make for the party?
(a) Costumes and decorations
(b) Cakes and cookies
(c) Toys and games
(d) Books and pencils

3. What happened to all the blueberries?
(a) They were gone
(b) They were eaten
(c) They were hidden
(d) They were lost

4. Who found the blueberries?
(a) The little squirrel
(b) Mr. Berry
(c) Mrs. Berry
(d) The people in the town

5. What happened on the party day?
(a) It was very sunny
(b) It was very windy
(c) It started to rain very hard
(d) It was very cold

6. What did the people do in their blueberry costumes?
(a) Played games and sang songs
(b) Ate blueberry food and danced
(c) Painted pictures and wrote stories
(d) Watched a movie and ate popcorn

7. What did the people learn about the party?
(a) Eating blueberries was the best part
(b) Making costumes was the best part
(c) Being together was the best part
(d) Dancing in the rain was the best part

8. How did the people feel when they found the blueberries?
(a) They were very sad
(b) They were very angry
(c) They were very scared
(d) They were very happy

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The leader of the town, Mr. Berry, really disliked blueberries and didn’t help plan the party.
2. Mr. Berry suggested that they should find the missing blueberries.
3. They learned that the worst part of the party was being together, whether it rained or not.
4. The people in the town loved having a big party for blueberries every summer.
5. They followed a little squirrel and found lots of blueberries hiding behind the bushes.
6. One morning, everyone was getting ready for the party but all the blueberries were gone!
7. They ate disgusting blueberry food and watched TV instead of dancing in the rain.
8. On the day of the party, it didn’t rain at all, but the people still had fun in their blueberry costumes.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this story in two sentences. Here are some hints:
Who are the main characters?
What happens in the story?

Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the people in the small town like to have a big party for every summer?
They liked to have a big party for blueberries.

2. Who was the leader of the town?
Mr. Berry was the leader of the town.

3. What happened one morning when everyone was getting ready for the party?
All the blueberries were gone.

4. What did Mr. Berry suggest they do when they realized the blueberries were gone?
He suggested they find the blueberries.

5. How did they find the blueberries?
They followed a little squirrel and found the blueberries hiding behind the bushes.

6. What did the people do on the party day, even though it was raining?
They still had fun in their blueberry costumes, ate blueberry food, and danced in the rain.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) small
(2) liked
(3) surprised
(4) find
(5) little
(6) squirrel
(7) blueberry
(8) costumes
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. costumes
Answer: (E) Clothes that make you look like someone else, like a superhero or a princess

2. decorations
Answer: (C) Pretty things you put up to make a place look nice for a celebration

3. surprised
Answer: (F) When something happens that you did not think would happen

4. find
Answer: (D) To look for something until you see it

5. squirrel
Answer: (G) A small animal with a big fluffy tail that climbs trees

6. hiding
Answer: (I) Staying where no one can see you

7. bushes
Answer: (J) Green plants with lots of little leaves that can be small or big

8. party
Answer: (B) A fun time when people come together to eat, play games, and dance

9. rain
Answer: (H) Water that falls from the sky like little drops

10. together
Answer: (A) Being with other people, not alone
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who liked blueberries very much?
Answer: (b) Mr. Berry

2. What did everyone make for the party?
Answer: (a) Costumes and decorations

3. What happened to all the blueberries?
Answer: (a) They were gone

4. Who found the blueberries?
Answer: (d) The people in the town

5. What happened on the party day?
Answer: (c) It started to rain very hard

6. What did the people do in their blueberry costumes?
Answer: (b) Ate blueberry food and danced

7. What did the people learn about the party?
Answer: (c) Being together was the best part

8. How did the people feel when they found the blueberries?
Answer: (d) They were very happy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The leader of the town, Mr. Berry, really disliked blueberries and didn’t help plan the party. (Answer: False)
2. Mr. Berry suggested that they should find the missing blueberries. (Answer: True)
3. They learned that the worst part of the party was being together, whether it rained or not. (Answer: False)
4. The people in the town loved having a big party for blueberries every summer. (Answer: True)
5. They followed a little squirrel and found lots of blueberries hiding behind the bushes. (Answer: True)
6. One morning, everyone was getting ready for the party but all the blueberries were gone! (Answer: True)
7. They ate disgusting blueberry food and watched TV instead of dancing in the rain. (Answer: False)
8. On the day of the party, it didn’t rain at all, but the people still had fun in their blueberry costumes. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

A young girl named Lily embarks on a daring adventure to find a hidden harbor and discovers that true treasure lies in the simple pleasures of life.

The Hidden Harbor

Lily found a secret harbor and learned that the best treasure is having fun with friends.

A princess falls in love with a humble peasant who brings her a plain potato.

The Princess and the Potato

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Penelope who loved potatoes more than anything. She said she would marry whoever gave her the best potato. Even though a fancy man brought a big potato, Penelope chose a boy named Peter with a small potato made with love. They got married and became happy together.

Three siblings embark on a daring quest to solve the mystery of the Sapphire Sphinx.

The Secret of the Sapphire Sphinx

Three siblings named Mia, Max, and Ben found a special book about a secret. They went on an adventure to find it. They had to answer tricky questions from a big blue sphinx. They worked together and used their knowledge to solve the puzzles. They found out that the real treasure was learning new things. They were happy and shared their adventure with everyone.

disaster into a triumph, creating a beautiful and unforgettable moment for everyone involved.

The Carnival of Colors

In Rainbowland, everyone had a big fun day with colors, parades, and tasty snacks. Timmy’s costume flew away, but his friends helped him fix it and win a prize.

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