Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Blueberry Pie Mystery

A detective solves the mystery of the missing blueberry pies and brings together a bear family and the town.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a little town, there was a bakery that made yummy blueberry pies. One day, all the pies were gone. The lady who owned the bakery was very sad.

People in town thought animals or another bakery took the pies. So, they called a smart detective named Graspberry. He started to look for clues.

Detective Graspberry found drops of blueberry on the ground. He followed them to a small house. Inside, a family of bears was eating the pies! They said they found the pies and just ate them.

The detective had an idea. He told the bears they could eat some pies if they picked the blueberries for the bakery. Everyone in town liked the idea. The bears picked blueberries, and the bakery made more pies. The town had a big party with the bears and learned that working together is good.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1bakeryA place where you can buy bread and sweet things to eat
2yummyTastes really, really good
3detectiveA person who finds out why something happened
4cluesLittle hints that help you solve a mystery
5dropsTiny bits of liquid that fall down
6ideaA thought that pops into your head about what you could do
7pickedUsed your hand to take something off a plant or tree
8partyA fun time with music, dancing, and food
9workingDoing a job or making something with others
10togetherBeing with someone else or with other people

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who made yummy blueberry pies in the little town?
2. What happened to all the pies one day?
3. Who did the people in town think took the pies?
4. What did Detective Graspberry find on the ground?
5. Where did the detective follow the blueberry drops to?
6. What did the bears have to do in order to eat more pies?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a little (1)______, there was a bakery that made (2)______ blueberry pies. One day, all the pies were gone. The lady who owned the bakery was very sad.

People in town thought animals or another bakery took the pies. So, they called a smart detective named Graspberry. He started to look for (3)______.

(4)______ Graspberry found drops of blueberry on the ground. He followed them to a small house. Inside, a family of bears was eating the pies! They (5)______ they found the pies and just ate them.

The detective had an idea. He (6)______ the bears they could eat some pies if they picked the blueberries for the bakery. Everyone in town liked the (7)______. The bears picked blueberries, and the bakery made more pies. The town had a big (8)______ with the bears and learned that working together is good.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a bakery?
2. How would you feel if all the pies in your favorite bakery were gone?
3. Do you like blueberry pies? Why or why not?
4. What do you think happened to the pies?
5. How do you think the detective found the bears?
6. Do you think it was fair for the bears to eat the pies they found? Why or why not?
7. Why do you think the detective asked the bears to pick blueberries for the bakery?
8. Have you ever worked together with someone to solve a problem? What happened?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. bakery
2. yummy
3. detective
4. clues
5. drops
6. idea
7. picked
8. party
9. working
10. together

Meanings:
(A) Tastes really, really good
(B) Doing a job or making something with others
(C) A fun time with music, dancing, and food
(D) A person who finds out why something happened
(E) Being with someone else or with other people
(F) Used your hand to take something off a plant or tree
(G) Tiny bits of liquid that fall down
(H) A thought that pops into your head about what you could do
(I) Little hints that help you solve a mystery
(J) A place where you can buy bread and sweet things to eat
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who owned the bakery?
(a) The man
(b) The bear
(c) The lady
(d) The detective

2. What kind of pies did the bakery make?
(a) Apple pies
(b) Pizza pies
(c) Blueberry pies
(d) Chocolate pies

3. What did Detective Graspberry find on the ground?
(a) Drops of blueberry
(b) Drops of chocolate
(c) Drops of watermelon
(d) Drops of banana

4. Where did Detective Graspberry follow the drops?
(a) To a small house
(b) To a big house
(c) To a tree
(d) To a car

5. Who was eating the pies inside the small house?
(a) A family of cats
(b) A family of bears
(c) A family of dogs
(d) A family of birds

6. What did the bears say about the pies?
(a) They made them and ate them
(b) They bought them and ate them
(c) They hid them and ate them
(d) They found them and ate them

7. What did Detective Graspberry tell the bears to do?
(a) Make more pies for the bakery
(b) Eat more pies from the bakery
(c) Hide the blueberries from the bakery
(d) Pick blueberries for the bakery

8. What did the town have after the bears picked blueberries?
(a) A big race
(b) A big party
(c) A big concert
(d) A big movie

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. One day, all the pies from the bakery disappeared and the lady who owned the bakery was very sad.
2. The detective had no idea to solve the problem – he told the bears they couldn’t eat any pies even if they picked blueberries for the bakery.
3. The bears disagreed and refused to pick blueberries, and the bakery made fewer pies. The town had a small party with the bears and learned that working together is not good.
4. People in the town thought animals or another bakery took the pies.
5. Inside the house, a family of bears was eating the pies and they said they found them and just ate them.
6. There was a bakery in a little town that made yummy blueberry pies.
7. They called a foolish detective named Graspberry to help find clues.
8. Detective Graspberry found drops of cranberry on the ground and followed them to a small house.
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. Who made yummy blueberry pies in the little town?
The bakery made yummy blueberry pies in the little town.

2. What happened to all the pies one day?
All the pies were gone one day.

3. Who did the people in town think took the pies?
The people in town thought animals or another bakery took the pies.

4. What did Detective Graspberry find on the ground?
Detective Graspberry found drops of blueberry on the ground.

5. Where did the detective follow the blueberry drops to?
The detective followed the blueberry drops to a small house.

6. What did the bears have to do in order to eat more pies?
The bears had to pick blueberries for the bakery in order to eat more pies.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) town
(2) yummy
(3) clues
(4) Detective
(5) said
(6) told
(7) idea
(8) party
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. bakery
Answer: (J) A place where you can buy bread and sweet things to eat

2. yummy
Answer: (A) Tastes really, really good

3. detective
Answer: (D) A person who finds out why something happened

4. clues
Answer: (I) Little hints that help you solve a mystery

5. drops
Answer: (G) Tiny bits of liquid that fall down

6. idea
Answer: (H) A thought that pops into your head about what you could do

7. picked
Answer: (F) Used your hand to take something off a plant or tree

8. party
Answer: (C) A fun time with music, dancing, and food

9. working
Answer: (B) Doing a job or making something with others

10. together
Answer: (E) Being with someone else or with other people
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who owned the bakery?
Answer: (c) The lady

2. What kind of pies did the bakery make?
Answer: (c) Blueberry pies

3. What did Detective Graspberry find on the ground?
Answer: (a) Drops of blueberry

4. Where did Detective Graspberry follow the drops?
Answer: (a) To a small house

5. Who was eating the pies inside the small house?
Answer: (b) A family of bears

6. What did the bears say about the pies?
Answer: (d) They found them and ate them

7. What did Detective Graspberry tell the bears to do?
Answer: (d) Pick blueberries for the bakery

8. What did the town have after the bears picked blueberries?
Answer: (b) A big party
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. One day, all the pies from the bakery disappeared and the lady who owned the bakery was very sad. (Answer: True)
2. The detective had no idea to solve the problem – he told the bears they couldn’t eat any pies even if they picked blueberries for the bakery. (Answer: False)
3. The bears disagreed and refused to pick blueberries, and the bakery made fewer pies. The town had a small party with the bears and learned that working together is not good. (Answer: False)
4. People in the town thought animals or another bakery took the pies. (Answer: True)
5. Inside the house, a family of bears was eating the pies and they said they found them and just ate them. (Answer: True)
6. There was a bakery in a little town that made yummy blueberry pies. (Answer: True)
7. They called a foolish detective named Graspberry to help find clues. (Answer: False)
8. Detective Graspberry found drops of cranberry on the ground and followed them to a small house. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

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Once upon a time, there was a giant sheep who lived in a meadow. Every day, he would roam around

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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.

The Castle in the Clouds

Lily climbed a big mountain and found a magical castle where she helped a friendly man find his lost key with the help of talking animals.

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The Great Grape Escape

George the grape and his friends went on an exciting adventure, rolling through leaves, escaping a scarecrow, and even meeting a squirrel named Sammy!

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