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.

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There was a small town called Berryville that had a famous bakery named Sweet Delights. Everyone loved their blueberry pies because they smelled and tasted really good. But one day, something strange happened. When the sun came up, all the pies were gone! The people who owned the bakery and all their customers were really upset and didn’t know what to do.

People in the town started guessing who could have taken the pies. A few thought some naughty squirrels might have taken them because squirrels love to eat sweet things. Some others thought a different bakery was trying to cause trouble. The owner of the bakery, Mrs. Baker, knew she needed help, so she called a detective to find the missing pies.

This detective, named Graspberry, was very smart. He came over with his special magnifying glass and started looking for clues at the bakery. Then he saw drops of juice from blueberries on the ground leading to the forest. He followed the drops of juice all the way to a little house surrounded by blueberry bushes.

Detective Graspberry looked into the house and saw a family of bears. They were all eating the pies the detective was looking for. The detective politely knocked on their door, and the bears were nice. They told him that they found the pies and couldn’t stop themselves from eating them because they were so yummy.

The detective came back to the town with a good idea. He said the bakery should work with the bears. The bears would pick blueberries for the pies, and in return, they could have some pies to eat. The people in the town thought this was a great idea, and it worked out well. There was even a big festival to celebrate the bears helping out, and everyone learned that it’s better to solve problems by working together and being nice. They all enjoyed the pies even more now that they had made new friends.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1BerryvilleThe name of a small town
2DelightsThings that bring joy or pleasure
3bakeryA place where bread, cakes, and pastries are made or sold
4detectiveA person who solves crimes and finds out what happened
5magnifyingMaking something appear larger than it is, often used for closer inspection
6cluesPieces of information that help solve a mystery or problem
7surroundedCompletely encircled by something
8politelyIn a kind and respectful way
9festivalA big public party or event with lots of fun activities
10celebrateTo do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, or holiday
11naughtyMischievous or badly behaved
12squirrelsSmall animals with bushy tails that climb trees
13bushesPlants with many small branches, often where berries grow
14customersPeople who buy goods or services from a shop or business
15yummyReally delicious and tasty

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the name of the bakery in Berryville?
2. Why were the people upset when they woke up?
3. Who did some people think might have taken the pies?
4. Who did Mrs. Baker call for help?
5. How did Detective Graspberry find the missing pies?
6. What did the bears tell the detective when he found them?
7. What was the solution to the problem with the missing pies?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There was a small town called Berryville that had a famous bakery named Sweet Delights. Everyone loved their blueberry pies because they smelled and tasted really good. But one day, something strange happened. When the sun came up, all the pies were gone! The (1)______ who (2)______ the bakery and all their customers were really upset and didn’t know what to do.

People in the town started guessing who could have (3)______ the pies. A few (4)______ some naughty squirrels might have taken them because (5)______ love to eat sweet things. Some others thought a different (6)______ was (7)______ to cause trouble. The (8)______ of the bakery, Mrs. Baker, knew she needed help, so she called a detective to find the missing pies.

This detective, named Graspberry, was very smart. He came over with his special magnifying glass and started looking for clues at the bakery. Then he saw drops of juice from blueberries on the ground leading to the forest. He (9)______ the (10)______ of juice all the way to a little house surrounded by blueberry bushes.

(11)______ Graspberry looked into the house and saw a family of bears. They were all eating the pies the detective was (12)______ for. The detective politely knocked on their door, and the bears were nice. They told him that they found the pies and couldn’t stop themselves from eating them because they were so yummy.

The detective came back to the town with a good idea. He said the bakery should work with the bears. The bears would pick (13)______ for the pies, and in return, they could have some pies to eat. The people in the town thought this was a great idea, and it worked out well. There was even a big (14)______ to celebrate the bears helping out, and everyone learned that it’s (15)______ to (16)______ problems by working together and being nice. They all enjoyed the pies even more now that they had made new friends.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your favorite kind of pie? Why?
2. How would you feel if you woke up one day and all your favorite food was gone?
3. Do you think the squirrels in your neighborhood would steal food if they had the chance? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had a problem that you needed help to solve? What did you do?
5. How do you think the bears felt when they found the pies and couldn’t stop themselves from eating them?
6. Do you think it was a good idea for the bakery to work with the bears? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had to work together with someone to solve a problem? How did it go?
8. How do you think the people in the town felt when they found out the bears had taken the pies?
9. What would you do if you found out someone had taken something of yours without asking?
10. Do you think it’s important to make new friends? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Berryville
2. Delights
3. bakery
4. detective
5. magnifying
6. clues
7. surrounded
8. politely
9. festival
10. celebrate
11. naughty
12. squirrels
13. bushes
14. customers
15. yummy

Meanings:
(A) Things that bring joy or pleasure
(B) Plants with many small branches, often where berries grow
(C) The name of a small town
(D) Completely encircled by something
(E) In a kind and respectful way
(F) A person who solves crimes and finds out what happened
(G) Pieces of information that help solve a mystery or problem
(H) Really delicious and tasty
(I) Mischievous or badly behaved
(J) Making something appear larger than it is, often used for closer inspection
(K) A big public party or event with lots of fun activities
(L) People who buy goods or services from a shop or business
(M) A place where bread, cakes, and pastries are made or sold
(N) Small animals with bushy tails that climb trees
(O) To do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, or holiday
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the famous bakery in Berryville?
(a) Sweet Delights
(b) Berryville Bakery
(c) Blueberry Pies R Us
(d) Yummy Treats

2. Why were the people in Berryville upset?
(a) All the pies were gone
(b) The bakery closed down
(c) The pies tasted bad
(d) The bakery ran out of ingredients

3. Who did some people in the town think took the pies?
(a) The bakery’s customers
(b) Naughty squirrels
(c) A different bakery
(d) Detective Graspberry

4. What did Detective Graspberry find at the bakery?
(a) Footprints of the culprit
(b) A hidden note
(c) A broken window
(d) Drops of blueberry juice

5. Where did the drops of juice lead Detective Graspberry?
(a) To a different bakery in town
(b) To the local park
(c) To a squirrel’s nest
(d) To a little house surrounded by blueberry bushes

6. Who did Detective Graspberry find eating the pies?
(a) Naughty squirrels
(b) The bakery’s customers
(c) A family of bears
(d) Detective Graspberry himself

7. What did the bears tell Detective Graspberry?
(a) They stole the pies on purpose
(b) They were paid to eat the pies
(c) They found the pies and couldn’t resist eating them
(d) They didn’t know anything about the missing pies

8. How did the people in the town solve the problem of the missing pies?
(a) They closed down the bakery
(b) They worked with the bears
(c) They opened a new bakery
(d) They stopped eating blueberry pies

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The town of Berryville had a famous bakery called Sweet Delights known for their delicious blueberry pies.
2. Instead of punishing the bears, the detective suggested that the bakery avoid working with them. The bears would pick blueberries for their own consumption; there would be no exchange involved.
3. Detective Graspberry used his ordinary magnifying glass to search for clues and discovered strawberry juice drops leading to a house in the forest.
4. Inside the house, the detective found a family of bears who had been eating the missing pies because they couldn’t resist their deliciousness.
5. The town embraced this idea, and a festival was held to celebrate the bears’ contribution, teaching everyone the importance of cooperation and kindness.
6. Some people suspected that mischievous squirrels might have taken the pies, while others believed a rival bakery was to blame.
7. The bakery owner, Mrs. Butler, decided to seek help from a detective named Graspberry to solve the mystery.
8. One day, all the cakes in the bakery magically appeared, delighting the bakery owners and customers.
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 was the name of the bakery in Berryville?
The name of the bakery was Sweet Delights.

2. Why were the people upset when they woke up?
The people were upset because all the pies from Sweet Delights bakery were gone.

3. Who did some people think might have taken the pies?
Some people thought that naughty squirrels might have taken the pies.

4. Who did Mrs. Baker call for help?
Mrs. Baker called a detective named Graspberry for help.

5. How did Detective Graspberry find the missing pies?
Detective Graspberry found the missing pies by following drops of blueberry juice on the ground that led to a little house in the forest.

6. What did the bears tell the detective when he found them?
The bears told the detective that they found the pies and couldn’t resist eating them because they were so delicious.

7. What was the solution to the problem with the missing pies?
The solution to the problem was that the bakery worked together with the bears. The bears would pick blueberries for the pies, and in return, they could have some pies to eat.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) people
(2) owned
(3) taken
(4) thought
(5) squirrels
(6) bakery
(7) trying
(8) owner
(9) followed
(10) drops
(11) Detective
(12) looking
(13) blueberries
(14) festival
(15) better
(16) solve
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Berryville
Answer: (C) The name of a small town

2. Delights
Answer: (A) Things that bring joy or pleasure

3. bakery
Answer: (M) A place where bread, cakes, and pastries are made or sold

4. detective
Answer: (F) A person who solves crimes and finds out what happened

5. magnifying
Answer: (J) Making something appear larger than it is, often used for closer inspection

6. clues
Answer: (G) Pieces of information that help solve a mystery or problem

7. surrounded
Answer: (D) Completely encircled by something

8. politely
Answer: (E) In a kind and respectful way

9. festival
Answer: (K) A big public party or event with lots of fun activities

10. celebrate
Answer: (O) To do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, or holiday

11. naughty
Answer: (I) Mischievous or badly behaved

12. squirrels
Answer: (N) Small animals with bushy tails that climb trees

13. bushes
Answer: (B) Plants with many small branches, often where berries grow

14. customers
Answer: (L) People who buy goods or services from a shop or business

15. yummy
Answer: (H) Really delicious and tasty
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the famous bakery in Berryville?
Answer: (a) Sweet Delights

2. Why were the people in Berryville upset?
Answer: (a) All the pies were gone

3. Who did some people in the town think took the pies?
Answer: (b) Naughty squirrels

4. What did Detective Graspberry find at the bakery?
Answer: (d) Drops of blueberry juice

5. Where did the drops of juice lead Detective Graspberry?
Answer: (d) To a little house surrounded by blueberry bushes

6. Who did Detective Graspberry find eating the pies?
Answer: (c) A family of bears

7. What did the bears tell Detective Graspberry?
Answer: (c) They found the pies and couldn’t resist eating them

8. How did the people in the town solve the problem of the missing pies?
Answer: (b) They worked with the bears
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The town of Berryville had a famous bakery called Sweet Delights known for their delicious blueberry pies. (Answer: True)
2. Instead of punishing the bears, the detective suggested that the bakery avoid working with them. The bears would pick blueberries for their own consumption; there would be no exchange involved. (Answer: False)
3. Detective Graspberry used his ordinary magnifying glass to search for clues and discovered strawberry juice drops leading to a house in the forest. (Answer: False)
4. Inside the house, the detective found a family of bears who had been eating the missing pies because they couldn’t resist their deliciousness. (Answer: True)
5. The town embraced this idea, and a festival was held to celebrate the bears’ contribution, teaching everyone the importance of cooperation and kindness. (Answer: True)
6. Some people suspected that mischievous squirrels might have taken the pies, while others believed a rival bakery was to blame. (Answer: True)
7. The bakery owner, Mrs. Butler, decided to seek help from a detective named Graspberry to solve the mystery. (Answer: False)
8. One day, all the cakes in the bakery magically appeared, delighting the bakery owners and customers. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

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

The Sleepy Snowman

Frosty, the sleepy snowman, embarks on an adventure to find his lost carrot nose and discovers the importance of friendship and staying positive.

A snail named Sam learns that true happiness comes from following your own path.

How the Snail Found His Shell

Sam, a shell-less snail, embarks on a quest to find the perfect shell but discovers that true happiness comes from being yourself.

A small village is transformed by a baker's magical pies, teaching the importance of sharing.

The Peculiar Purple Pie

Mr. Higgins accidentally makes a magical pie that turns people into floating, singing, rhyming, and funny beings, bringing joy to the village, but greed threatens their happiness until they learn the importance of sharing.

Lily and her animal friends explore a crystal cave, discovering magical powers and learning important lessons.

The Crystal Cave

Lily and her animal friends discover a magical crystal cave, where they have exciting adventures and learn important life lessons.

An invisible unicorn named Bella discovers the power of friendship and the magic of being seen.

The Invisible Unicorn

Bella, a unicorn that nobody could see, discovers the power of friendship and being seen for who she truly is.

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

The Bizarre Blueberry Banquet

In a village called Berryville, the blueberries disappeared before the big party, but they found a secret blueberry bush and had a blast at the rain-soaked celebration.

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