Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Mystery of the Missing Moon

A young boy named Milo solves the mystery of the missing moon with the help of woodland creatures.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a little village, the moon went away one night. All the people were scared and didn’t know what to do. Milo, a young boy who liked mysteries, wanted to find the moon. He decided to look for it and help everyone.

Milo asked people in the village questions. Someone heard a loud noise in the Dark Forest. Milo went to the forest and found some animals and a smart owl named Oliver. They told Milo they hid the moon during a game and couldn’t find it.

Milo and Oliver made a plan to get the moon back. They got all the animals to help look for it. After they searched a lot, a small squirrel named Sammy found the moon behind a tree. They were all very happy and put the moon back in the sky.

The people in the village were happy to see the moon again. Milo learned that working with friends is important. Everyone learned that being together is good and they should love the world around them. At night, they looked at the moon and thought about friendship and helping each other.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1villageA small place where people live, like a tiny town.
2mysteriesSecrets or things that are hard to understand or find out.
3moonThe big, bright thing in the sky at night that is not a star.
4questionsThings you ask when you want to know more.
5animalsCreatures that are not people, like dogs, cats, or birds.
6owlA bird that is awake at night and can turn its head all the way around.
7squirrelA small, cute animal with a big, fluffy tail that likes to climb trees.
8planA way of doing something you think about before.
9searchedLooking for something very carefully.
10friendshipThe feeling of being very good friends with someone.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who went to look for the moon?
2. What did Milo find in the Dark Forest?
3. How did Sammy help?
4. Why were the people in the village happy?
5. What did Milo learn?
6. What did they think about when they looked at the moon at night?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a little village, the moon went away one night. All the people were scared and didn’t know what to do. Milo, a young boy who liked (1)______, wanted to find the moon. He decided to look for it and (2)______ everyone.

Milo asked people in the village questions. Someone heard a (3)______ noise in the Dark Forest. Milo went to the forest and found some animals and a smart owl named Oliver. They told Milo they hid the moon during a (4)______ and couldn’t find it.

Milo and Oliver made a plan to get the moon back. They got all the (5)______ to help look for it. After they searched a lot, a small squirrel named (6)______ found the moon behind a tree. They were all very happy and put the moon back in the sky.

The people in the village were happy to see the moon again. (7)______ learned that working with friends is important. Everyone learned that being together is good and they should love the world around them. At night, they looked at the moon and (8)______ about friendship and helping each other.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a mystery? Why do you think Milo likes mysteries?
2. How would you feel if the moon disappeared one night? Why?
3. Do you like playing games? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the animals felt when they couldn’t find the moon? Why?
5. Do you think it’s important to work with friends? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the people in the village felt when they saw the moon again? Why?
7. Do you like looking at the moon? Why or why not?
8. What do you think Milo and the people in the village learned from this story? Why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. village
2. mysteries
3. moon
4. questions
5. animals
6. owl
7. squirrel
8. plan
9. searched
10. friendship

Meanings:
(A) Creatures that are not people, like dogs, cats, or birds.
(B) A small place where people live, like a tiny town.
(C) A small, cute animal with a big, fluffy tail that likes to climb trees.
(D) The big, bright thing in the sky at night that is not a star.
(E) A way of doing something you think about before.
(F) Looking for something very carefully.
(G) Things you ask when you want to know more.
(H) Secrets or things that are hard to understand or find out.
(I) A bird that is awake at night and can turn its head all the way around.
(J) The feeling of being very good friends with someone.
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who wanted to find the moon?
(a) Oliver
(b) Sammy
(c) The animals
(d) Milo

2. Where did Milo find the animals?
(a) In the village
(b) In the sky
(c) In the Dark Forest
(d) In the ocean

3. Why did the animals hide the moon?
(a) They were playing a game
(b) They were scared of it
(c) They didn’t like it
(d) They wanted to keep it for themselves

4. Who found the moon behind a tree?
(a) Milo
(b) Sammy
(c) Oliver
(d) The people in the village

5. What did Milo learn from this adventure?
(a) The moon is scary
(b) Working with friends is important
(c) The animals are mean
(d) The village is dangerous

6. What did the people in the village learn from this adventure?
(a) Being together is good
(b) The moon is gone forever
(c) They should be scared of the Dark Forest
(d) They should hide the moon again

7. What did Milo and his friends do with the moon?
(a) They kept it for themselves
(b) They gave it to the animals
(c) They threw it away
(d) They put it back in the sky

8. What did the people in the village do at night?
(a) They went to sleep
(b) They hid from the moon
(c) They looked at the moon and thought about friendship
(d) They forgot about the moon

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Milo and Oliver made a plan to find the sun and got all the animals to help.
2. The animals told Milo they hid the moon during a game and couldn’t find it.
3. Milo went to the beach and found some animals and a wise owl named Oliver.
4. Milo, a young boy who liked mysteries, wanted to find the moon and help everyone.
5. Sammy, a small squirrel, found the moon behind a tree after they searched a lot.
6. Everyone in the village was happy to see the moon again and they learned the importance of friendship and helping each other.
7. The moon appeared one night and the people in the village were thrilled.
8. Milo asked people in the city for help and no one heard a loud noise in the Dark Forest.
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 went to look for the moon?
Milo went to look for the moon.

2. What did Milo find in the Dark Forest?
Milo found some animals and a smart owl named Oliver.

3. How did Sammy help?
Sammy, the small squirrel, found the moon behind a tree.

4. Why were the people in the village happy?
The people in the village were happy because they saw the moon again.

5. What did Milo learn?
Milo learned that working with friends is important.

6. What did they think about when they looked at the moon at night?
When they looked at the moon at night, they thought about friendship and helping each other.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) mysteries
(2) help
(3) loud
(4) game
(5) animals
(6) Sammy
(7) Milo
(8) thought
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. village
Answer: (B) A small place where people live, like a tiny town.

2. mysteries
Answer: (H) Secrets or things that are hard to understand or find out.

3. moon
Answer: (D) The big, bright thing in the sky at night that is not a star.

4. questions
Answer: (G) Things you ask when you want to know more.

5. animals
Answer: (A) Creatures that are not people, like dogs, cats, or birds.

6. owl
Answer: (I) A bird that is awake at night and can turn its head all the way around.

7. squirrel
Answer: (C) A small, cute animal with a big, fluffy tail that likes to climb trees.

8. plan
Answer: (E) A way of doing something you think about before.

9. searched
Answer: (F) Looking for something very carefully.

10. friendship
Answer: (J) The feeling of being very good friends with someone.
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who wanted to find the moon?
Answer: (d) Milo

2. Where did Milo find the animals?
Answer: (c) In the Dark Forest

3. Why did the animals hide the moon?
Answer: (a) They were playing a game

4. Who found the moon behind a tree?
Answer: (b) Sammy

5. What did Milo learn from this adventure?
Answer: (b) Working with friends is important

6. What did the people in the village learn from this adventure?
Answer: (a) Being together is good

7. What did Milo and his friends do with the moon?
Answer: (d) They put it back in the sky

8. What did the people in the village do at night?
Answer: (c) They looked at the moon and thought about friendship
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Milo and Oliver made a plan to find the sun and got all the animals to help. (Answer: False)
2. The animals told Milo they hid the moon during a game and couldn’t find it. (Answer: True)
3. Milo went to the beach and found some animals and a wise owl named Oliver. (Answer: False)
4. Milo, a young boy who liked mysteries, wanted to find the moon and help everyone. (Answer: True)
5. Sammy, a small squirrel, found the moon behind a tree after they searched a lot. (Answer: True)
6. Everyone in the village was happy to see the moon again and they learned the importance of friendship and helping each other. (Answer: True)
7. The moon appeared one night and the people in the village were thrilled. (Answer: False)
8. Milo asked people in the city for help and no one heard a loud noise in the Dark Forest. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

Three friends stumble upon a magical peach palace filled with talking animals and enchanted treasures, unlocking their own creativity and joy.

The Peculiar Peach Palace

Max, Sam, and Mia found a special house with talking animals and fairies that made them laugh. They discovered magic inside and learned that they could make their own magic too.

A sleepy snowman named Frosty embarks on a quest to find his missing carrot nose.

The Sleepy Snowman

Frosty the snowman takes a nap, but when his carrot nose goes missing, he goes on an adventure to find it with his animal friends.

A dragon and a squirrel team up to find an enchanted treasure, but the squirrel has a secret plan.

The Dragon’s Dream

Dillon the dragon had special dreams that showed him exciting adventures, like finding a shiny treasure!

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