Дмитрий Алёхин
Ben and Anna

Chapter 1: A New School Day

The sun is shining. It is morning. A small alarm clock rings. "Beep, beep, beep!" Ben opens his eyes. He is seven years old. He is in his bed. His room is blue. He has toys on the floor. He has a poster of the solar system on the wall.

Ben gets out of bed. He goes to the window. He looks outside. The sky is blue. He sees a big tree and a red car. He sees a black cat on the fence. It is not his cat.

"Ben! Anna! Time to get up!" his mother calls from the kitchen.

Ben walks to his sister's room. Anna is five years old. She is still in bed. Her eyes are closed. "Anna, wake up," Ben says. Anna does not like mornings. She is always sleepy. "No… five more minutes," she says and hides under the blanket.

Ben goes to the bathroom. He washes his face with cold water. He brushes his teeth. The toothpaste is minty. It is fresh. He looks in the mirror and combs his brown hair.

Then, he goes back to his room. He takes off his blue pyjamas. He puts on his school uniform. His shirt is white. His trousers are grey. His socks are blue. He puts on his black shoes. Now he is ready for school.

Ben and Anna are in the kitchen now. The kitchen is bright and warm. Mum is at the table. She drinks coffee and reads the news on her tablet.

"Good morning, my dear children," Mum says with a smile.

"Good morning, Mum," Ben says.

Anna is quiet. She sits on her chair and rubs her eyes. She is wearing her school dress. It is blue and white. Her hair is messy.

Mum puts two bowls on the table. "What do you want for breakfast? Cereal or toast?" she asks.

"I want cereal with milk," Ben says.

"I want toast with jam," Anna says. She is a little more awake now.

They eat their breakfast. Ben eats quickly. Anna eats slowly. She looks at her spoon. Mum drinks her coffee. "Don't forget your milk," Mum says to Anna.

After breakfast, Ben and Anna brush their teeth again. They go to the hall. Their school bags are there. Ben's bag is green. Anna's bag is pink. They are heavy. There are books, pencils, and lunch boxes inside.

Ben packs his favourite book about space. Anna packs her colouring pencils and a doll.

Dad comes into the hall. He is ready for work. He wears a black suit and a red tie. He has a big bag in his hand.

"Are you ready for school, team?" Dad asks. He is always cheerful in the morning.

"Yes, Dad!" Ben says.

"Almost," Anna says. She cannot find one of her shoes.

"Where is my shoe?" Anna asks. She looks under the chair. She looks in the living room.

Ben helps her. He looks near the sofa. And there it is! The little black shoe is behind the sofa leg. "Here it is, Anna!" Ben says.

"Thank you, Ben!" Anna says. She puts on her shoes.

They are all ready. Mum gives them their lunch boxes. "Have a good day at school!" she says and kisses them.

"Goodbye, Mum!" the children say.

They go outside. The air is fresh. Dad's car is in the driveway. It is a blue car. They get into the car. Ben sits in the front. Anna sits in the back. Dad starts the car. The radio plays quiet music.

They drive down the street. Ben looks at the houses and the trees. Anna plays with her doll. They are going to school. It is the start of a new day.

Questions to the text:

What is in Ben's room? Describe it.

Why is Anna sleepy in the morning?

What do the children eat and drink for breakfast?

What do Ben and Anna have in their school bags?

Where is Anna's shoe?

Who takes the children to school?

Chapter 2: A Day at School

The blue car stopped in front of the school. The school was big and made of red brick. It had many large windows. The playground was full of children. They were running, talking, and laughing. The sound was happy and loud.

"Have a good day, you two," Dad said, turning off the car's engine. "Learn lots of interesting things."

"Bye, Dad!" Ben said, opening his door.

"Bye, Daddy!" Anna said from the back seat. She gave him a little wave.

Ben and Anna got out of the car. Ben adjusted his green school bag on his back. He held Anna's hand. "Come on, Anna. Let's find your line."

Every morning, the younger children in Class 1 and Class 2 had to line up in the playground before the bell rang. The Class 1 line was near the small play structure with a slide. The Class 2 line was next to the big wall where children drew pictures with chalk.

Ben walked Anna to her line. Her teacher, Miss Lily, was already there. Miss Lily was young and had a kind smile. She always wore colourful dresses.

"Good morning, Anna!" Miss Lily said. She looked at Ben. "Good morning to you too, Ben."

"Good morning, Miss Lily," they both said.

Anna let go of Ben's hand and stood in the line next to her friend, Sophie. Sophie had blonde pigtails and a big smile. "Anna! I have a new sticker book!" Sophie whispered excitedly.

Ben gave Anna a final nod and then walked to his own line. His class line was more noisy. His best friend, Sam, was already there, pretending his ruler was a spaceship. "Ben! My spaceship is going to the moon!" Sam said, making a whooshing sound.

"My spaceship is faster!" Ben said, getting out his own ruler. "It's going to Jupiter!"

Just then, the school bell rang. It was a loud, ringing sound that meant the school day was starting. "Okay, Class 2!" a voice called. It was their teacher, Mrs. Brown. She stood at the front of the line. She had grey hair and glasses, and she always looked very patient. "Line up nicely, please. No more spaceships for now. Time to walk to our classroom quietly."

The children stopped playing and formed a straighter line. Ben put his ruler back into his bag. They followed Mrs. Brown into the big school building.

The classroom was bright and full of light. On one wall, there was a big alphabet chart with pictures—A for Apple, B for Ball. On another wall, there were numbers from one to one hundred. There was a large whiteboard at the front of the class. Mrs. Brown's desk was tidy, with a computer and a vase with a yellow flower on it.

The children sat at small tables. Each table sat four children. Ben sat with Sam, a girl named Emma, and a boy named Leo.

"Good morning, everyone," Mrs. Brown said, standing in front of the class.

"Good morning, Mrs. Brown," the children said together.

"Let's begin with the register," Mrs. Brown said. She took a list from her desk. "When I say your name, please say 'Yes, Mrs. Brown.'"

She started reading the names. "Sarah Jones?" "Yes, Mrs. Brown." "Tom Lewis?" "Yes, Mrs. Brown." "Benjamin Miller?" Ben sat up straight. "Yes, Mrs. Brown." At school, he was Benjamin, but he preferred Ben. "Samuel Green?" "Yes, Mrs. Brown!" Sam said loudly, making some children giggle.

After the register, it was time for Maths. Today, they were learning about addition.

"Okay, class," Mrs. Brown said, writing on the whiteboard. "If I have two apples," she drew two simple apple shapes, "and Sam gives me three more apples," she drew three more apples, "how many apples do I have now?"

Many hands went up. Ben knew the answer. It was easy. "Yes, Emma?" Mrs. Brown said. "Five apples!" Emma said. "Very good, Emma! That's right. Two plus three equals five." She wrote the equation: 2 + 3 = 5.

She gave them a worksheet with simple addition problems. Ben took out his pencil and started working. He liked maths. It was like a puzzle. He finished his worksheet quickly and then started drawing a little rocket in the corner of the paper.

Meanwhile, in Class 1, Anna was having a different lesson. They were learning about colours.

Miss Lily held up a big, red flashcard. "What colour is this?" she asked the class. "Red!" the children shouted. "Very good! Can you see something red in the classroom?" Anna pointed to a red fire truck on the shelf. "The truck!" she said. "Excellent, Anna!"

Then Miss Lily held up a blue card. "And this?" "Blue!" "My dress is blue!" Sophie said, standing up to show everyone. "Yes, it is, Sophie! A beautiful blue," Miss Lily said with a smile.

They sang a song about colours. Anna loved singing. Her voice was small but she sang with happiness.

The morning passed quickly. Soon, it was lunchtime. The smell of food filled the corridors. Ben met Anna outside her classroom, and they walked together to the big hall. The hall had long tables and benches. It was very noisy, with the clatter of plates and hundreds of children talking.

They went to the line to get their food. Today, the lunch was pizza or chicken with rice. Ben chose pizza and a banana. Anna chose chicken with rice and an apple. They also both got a small carton of milk.

They found a spot at a table with their friends. Ben sat with Sam and Leo. They talked about their favourite superheroes. Sam liked Flash because he was fast. Ben liked Superman because he could fly.

At the next table, Anna sat with Sophie and a quiet girl named Chloe. They opened their lunch boxes. Mum had packed a little surprise for them: a small chocolate bar each. "Yay! Chocolate!" Anna said. They ate their chocolate first, before the main food.

After they finished eating, it was time for playtime. They had thirty minutes to play outside. The playground was a burst of energy.

Ben and Sam immediately ran to the football pitch. They joined a big game. Ben was a good runner. He kicked the ball and almost scored a goal, but the goalkeeper, a tall boy from Class 3, saved it. It was exciting. Ben's face became red and he was breathing fast, but he was smiling.

Anna, Sophie, and Chloe went to the quiet corner where there was a box of toys. They took out some skipping ropes. At first, they tried to skip by themselves. Anna could only jump two times before the rope hit her feet. Then, they decided to hold the ends of the rope and swing it while another person jumped. Sophie swung the rope, and Anna jumped. She managed five jumps in a row! It was a new record for her.

"Look! I can do it!" Anna shouted, her pigtails bouncing.

The thirty minutes felt like five. Too soon, a teacher blew a whistle. Tweeeet! "Playtime is over! Start lining up, please!" the teacher called.

The football game stopped immediately. Ben, sweating and happy, said goodbye to Sam and ran to find Anna. She was already putting the skipping rope back in the box. Her face was also red and happy.

"Did you have fun?" Ben asked, catching his breath. "Yes! I jumped five times without stopping!" Anna said proudly. "Cool! I almost scored a goal," Ben said.

They walked back to their classroom lines, tired but content. The afternoon lessons were usually quieter. In Class 2, they had Art. Mrs. Brown gave them paper and paints. "Today, you can paint your family," she said.

Ben took a blue paint and started painting his house. Then he painted five figures: a tall one for Dad, a slightly shorter one for Mum, a boy for himself, a small girl for Anna, and a small four-legged creature for Max the cat. He painted a green garden and a big, yellow sun in the corner.

In Class 1, they had Story Time. Miss Lily read them a book about a very hungry caterpillar. The children sat on a soft carpet, listening. Anna loved the pictures of the caterpillar eating all the food. When the caterpillar became a beautiful butterfly at the end, all the children went "Wow!"

Finally, the home-time bell rang. It was three o'clock. The school day was over. There was a busy sound of chairs scraping and bags zipping.

Mrs. Brown reminded them, "Don't forget your homework, Class 2! The maths worksheet is in your bags. And read your reading book to your parents tonight."

Ben put his painting carefully into his bag. It was still a little wet. He didn't want to smudge it.

He went to Anna's classroom. She was already waiting for him, holding her pink bag and a colourful drawing of her own—a picture of their cat, Max, which was mostly a black and white circle with eyes and a lot of whiskers.

They walked together to the school gate. Parents and carers were waiting there. They saw their dad immediately, standing by the blue car and waving at them.

They ran to him. "Dad! Dad!" Anna shouted. "I made a painting of Max!" "And I have a maths worksheet for homework," Ben said.

Dad smiled and opened the car doors. "It sounds like you both had a very busy day! Tell me all about it on the way home."

They got into the car. As Dad drove away from the big red school, both Ben and Anna started talking at the same time. They talked about the pizza, the football, the skipping, the paintings, and the hungry caterpillar. They talked and talked, filling the car with their happy stories until they arrived home.

Questions to the text:

What do Ben and Anna do in the playground before the bell rings?

Who are the teachers for Ben and Anna? Describe them.

What lessons do Ben and Anna have in the morning? What do they learn?

What do the children eat for lunch? What is the surprise in their lunch boxes?

What games do Ben and Anna play during playtime?

What do Ben and Anna create in their afternoon art lesson?

What homework does Ben have?

How do Ben and Anna feel at the end of the school day? How do you know?

Chapter 3: Playtime and Homework

The car stopped at their house. Ben and Anna ran to the front door. Dad walked behind them with his big bag. "I'm home!" Dad called as he opened the door.

Mum came from the kitchen. She was wearing an apron. She was baking something. The house smelled sweet and warm. "Hello, my little students!" she said, giving them both a hug. "How was school?"

"It was good!" Ben said, taking off his shoes. "I jumped five times with the rope!" Anna said, her voice full of pride.

"Five times! That's wonderful!" Mum said. "And you, Ben?" "We played football. I almost scored a goal," Ben said. "And we have homework." He said the word "homework" with a little sigh.

"Homework is important," Dad said, hanging his jacket. "But first, you have some time to play."

Ben and Anna ran to the living room. The living room was a comfortable space. There was a big, soft sofa, a large carpet on the floor, and a bookshelf full of books and games. The sun came through the window, making the room bright.

Max, their black and white cat, was sleeping on his favourite chair. He opened one eye, looked at the children, and then closed it again. He was not very interested in their energy.

Ben went to a big box of toys. He took out his bucket of building blocks. "Let's build a castle!" he said to Anna.

"Yes! A big castle!" Anna agreed. She sat on the carpet and started taking out the red and blue blocks.

They started building. Ben built the strong walls. Anna built the tall towers. They worked together. Sometimes a tower fell down, but they built it again. They talked while they built.

"My castle will have a flag," Ben said, looking for a yellow block for the flag. "My castle will have a princess," Anna said. She found a small doll and put it inside the castle. "She lives here. Her name is Lily."

After thirty minutes, the castle was very big. It had four towers and a gate. Ben put his toy knights and soldiers around the walls. Anna placed her princess and a toy horse inside.

Mum came into the living room. She was not wearing her apron now. "What a fantastic castle!" she said. "You are great builders."

"Thank you, Mum," they said together.

"But now, it's time for homework," Mum said gently. "We need to clear the table."

Ben and Anna knew this rule. Playtime was fun, but homework was also important. They carefully put their toys back into the box, leaving the castle only in their imagination.

They sat down at the big table in the kitchen. The table was clean and wooden. Mum put a glass of water for Ben and a glass of juice for Anna on the table.

Ben took out his maths worksheet. It had more addition problems: 4 + 2, 5 + 1, 3 + 4. He also had a short reading book. The book was about a family having a picnic.

Anna took out her folder. Her homework was to practice writing the letters 'A', 'B', and 'C'. She had a special notebook with wide lines. She also had to draw one thing that started with each letter.

Ben started with his maths. It was easy for him. He liked numbers. He wrote the answers quickly: 6, 6, 7. Mum checked his work. "Perfect, Ben! All correct." Ben smiled.

Then he started reading his book. He read quietly to himself. "The family goes to the park. They have a basket. The basket has sandwiches and fruit." He read the whole book. It was not very long.

Now it was Anna's turn. She concentrated very hard. She took her pencil and wrote a big 'A' on the first line. It was a little wobbly, but it was a good 'A'. Then she wrote 'B'. The curve of the 'B' was difficult. She tried again. Her second 'B' was better.

"For my picture for 'A', I will draw an apple," Anna said. She drew a red circle with a green leaf. "For 'B', I will draw a ball," she said and drew a blue circle. "For 'C'… I will draw a cat!" she said happily. She drew a picture of Max. It looked more like a circle with ears and a tail, but it was a good cat.

Mum looked at her work. "Excellent work, Anna! Your letters are very clear, and your drawings are beautiful."

Ben and Anna put their homework back into their school bags. The difficult part of the day was finished. They felt happy and relaxed.

Just then, Dad came into the kitchen. "Homework is all done?" he asked. "All done!" the children said.

"Good," Dad said. "Then who wants to help me set the table for dinner?"

"I can help!" Anna said. She loved to help. Dad gave her the forks and spoons. She put one next to each plate very carefully.

"I can help too," Ben said. He took the napkins and put them on the table.

Dinner was almost ready. The smell was delicious. It was pasta with tomato sauce and cheese. It was their favourite.

While Mum was finishing the food, Dad and the children sat in the living room. Dad turned on the big lamp because it was getting dark outside. The room felt cozy and warm.

"Let's read a book together while we wait for dinner," Dad suggested.

"Yes! Please!" Anna said. She ran to the bookshelf and chose a book about a little bear who was afraid of the dark.

They sat together on the sofa. Dad was in the middle. Ben was on one side, and Anna was on the other. Dad started reading. He used different voices for the characters. He had a deep, grumbly voice for the big bear father and a small, squeaky voice for the little bear.

Ben and Anna listened, completely absorbed in the story. They looked at the colourful pictures. They felt safe and happy. Max the cat jumped onto the sofa and sat on Anna's lap. He started purring, a soft, rumbling sound.

When Dad finished the book, Mum called from the kitchen. "Dinner is ready!"

They all went to the kitchen table. The pasta was steaming in a big bowl. The cheese was melted on top. It looked perfect.

They sat down. They held hands for a moment, a small family tradition before eating. "Thank you for the food," Dad said.

They started eating. The pasta was tasty. "Tell me more about your castle," Dad said with a smile.

Ben and Anna started talking again, their mouths full of stories and pasta. It was a perfect end to a busy day.

Questions to Chapter 3:

What do Ben and Anna build after school?

Where is Max the cat, and what is he doing?

What is Ben's homework?

What is Anna's homework? What pictures does she draw?

What book does Dad read to the children before dinner?

What do they have for dinner?

Chapter 4: A Saturday in the Park

Saturday morning felt different. There was no alarm clock. No need to hurry. Ben woke up when the sun was already high. He could hear birds singing outside his window. He smiled. He loved Saturdays.

He went to the kitchen. Mum was drinking tea and reading a book. Dad was making pancakes. The kitchen smelled amazing.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Dad said. "Do you want a pancake?" "Yes, please!" Ben said. "Where is Anna?" "She is still sleeping," Mum said. "Saturday is her day for long sleeps."

But just then, Anna walked into the kitchen. Her hair was messy, and she was holding her favourite teddy bear. "I smell pancakes," she said, her eyes still half-closed.

The family ate breakfast together slowly. They put syrup and bananas on their pancakes. It was a special weekend treat.

"So, what is the plan for today?" Mum asked. "Can we go to the park?" Ben asked immediately. "The big park with the lake?" "Please!" Anna added.

Dad looked at Mum. "That's a wonderful idea. The weather is beautiful. We can have a little picnic."

After breakfast, everyone helped. Mum prepared food for the picnic. She made sandwiches with cheese and ham. She put carrots, apples, and a box of juice into a cool bag. She also packed some cookies.

Dad got the big blanket and his camera. Ben and Anna put on their comfortable clothes and shoes. Ben wore a green T-shirt and shorts. Anna wore a yellow dress. She put a sunhat on.

"Don't forget Max!" Anna said. "Okay, we can take Max too," Mum said. They put Max on his special lead. Max didn't like the car, but he liked to watch birds in the park.

They put everything into the car. The blue car was full of happy people, a cat, and food. They drove to the big park.

The park was huge and green. There were tall, old trees everywhere. People were walking their dogs, riding bicycles, and children were playing. There was a big, blue lake in the middle with ducks swimming on it.

They found a perfect spot under a large tree. Dad spread the blanket on the soft grass. Mum put the cool bag on the blanket.

"Can we play first?" Ben asked. He was looking at the football field. "Of course," Dad said. "Let's all play for a while."

They tied Max's lead to the tree. He sat down and started watching a little bird hopping nearby. His tail was moving slowly.

Ben, Anna, and Dad went to the open field. Dad took a big, colourful ball from the car. "Let's play catch!" Dad said.

He threw the ball to Ben. Ben caught it! He threw the ball to Anna. Anna tried to catch it, but it was too high. Dad helped her. He showed her how to hold her hands to catch the ball. She tried again. This time, she caught it! She was so happy.

Then, they played football. Ben and Dad were one team, and Mum joined to be Anna's teammate. They used two bags as goals. They ran and laughed. Dad was not very good at football, and he fell on the grass, making everyone laugh.

After playing, they were all tired and hungry. They went back to their blanket under the tree. It was time for the picnic.

They sat on the blanket. Mum gave everyone a sandwich and some carrots. The food tasted even better outside. The air was fresh, and they were hungry from all the playing.

Ben threw a small piece of bread to a duck. The duck ate it quickly. Soon, more ducks came. Anna was a little scared of them, so Dad held her hand.

After eating, Ben and Anna saw their friends! Tom from Ben's class was there with his parents and his little sister. And Sophie, Anna's best friend, was also there!

The children were very excited. They asked their parents if they could play together. The parents said yes, as long as they stayed where the parents could see them.

Ben, Tom, and some other boys started a big football game on the field.

Anna and Sophie went to the playground near the picnic area. They played on the swings. They went down the slide many times. They also played in the sandbox, building sandcastles.

Mum and Dad sat on the blanket, talking and drinking coffee from a thermos. They watched their children play. They saw Ben running fast with the ball. They saw Anna and Sophie laughing on the swings. They felt peaceful and happy.

Dad took his camera and took many photos: a photo of Ben kicking the ball, a photo of Anna on the swing, a photo of Mum smiling, and a funny photo of Max trying to catch a butterfly with his paw.

After a long time, it was time to go home. The sun was not so high anymore. Ben and Anna said goodbye to their friends. "See you at school on Monday!" they shouted.

They helped Mum and Dad pack their things. They put everything back into the car. Max jumped into the car, tired from all the watching.

On the way home, Ben and Anna were quiet in the back seat. They were tired but very happy. Anna fell asleep with her head on Ben's shoulder.

It was a perfect Saturday.

Questions to Chapter 4:

What is special about Saturday morning for the family?

What do they eat for breakfast?

What do they pack for their picnic?

What games do they play in the park?

Who do Ben and Anna meet at the park?

How does the chapter end?

Chapter 5: A Rainy Sunday

Sunday morning was grey. Ben woke up and heard a new sound: pitter-patter, pitter-patter. It was the sound of rain on his window. He looked outside. The sky was full of grey clouds. The tree in their garden was wet. The street was shiny with water. He felt a little disappointed. He wanted to play outside.

He went to the kitchen. Anna was already there. She was looking out of the window with a sad face. "It's raining," she said. "We can't go to the park."

Mum was making hot chocolate. "A rainy day can be a fun day too," she said. "It's a day for indoor adventures."

Dad had an idea. "I know! Let's build a fortress!"

"A fortress?" Ben asked. His eyes became interested. "Yes! A big fortress in the living room. We can use blankets, chairs, and pillows."

This sounded like a fantastic idea. Ben and Anna forgot about the rain. They were excited.

They went to the living room. They took all the pillows from the sofa and the chairs. They took the big, warm blanket from Ben's bed. Dad brought some chairs from the kitchen.

They worked together. They put the chairs in a circle. Then, they put the big blanket over the chairs. It looked like a small tent. They put all the soft pillows inside.

The fortress was ready! It was a cozy, private little space. They crawled inside. It was a little dark, but the light came through the blanket, making everything soft and calm.

They brought their toys inside the fortress. Ben brought his torch and a book. Anna brought her colouring books and crayons. Max the cat was very curious. He came and sniffed at the entrance. Then, he decided he liked the fortress. He walked inside, turned in a circle on a soft pillow, and lay down, purring.

They played in the fortress for a long time. Ben read his book with the torch. It was an adventure. Anna drew pictures of the fortress with Max inside.

Then, Mum came with the hot chocolate. She had to crawl a little to get inside. She brought the mugs carefully. The hot chocolate was warm and sweet. It had little marshmallows on top. They drank their hot chocolate in their secret fortress. It felt magical.

After that, Mum had another idea. "Since we are all together, let's play a board game."

They decided to play a simple game with a dice and colourful pieces. The game was about getting to the finish line first. They sat around the low table in the living room.

It was a fun game. Ben rolled the dice and moved his red piece. Anna rolled the dice and moved her yellow piece. Dad was blue, and Mum was green. Sometimes you landed on a good square and moved forward quickly. Sometimes you landed on a bad square and had to go back.

Anna landed on a square that said "Go back to start!" She was sad for a moment, but then Ben said, "Don't worry, Anna! You can catch up!" And she did. She rolled a six and moved very fast.

In the end, Mum won the game! They all clapped for her.

The rain was still falling outside. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. But inside, the house was full of warmth and laughter.

In the afternoon, the rain became lighter. It was almost stopping. "Look!" Ben said, pointing outside. "The rain is finishing."

They went to the window. The clouds were breaking. A little bit of blue sky was visible. The sun was trying to come out.

"Let's go for a short walk," Dad suggested. "We can put on our raincoats and boots."

They put on their colourful raincoats and rubber boots. Ben had a blue raincoat. Anna had a red one with flowers. They went outside.

The air smelled clean and fresh after the rain. Everything was wet. There were puddles everywhere on the path.

Ben and Anna loved puddles. They started jumping in them. Splash! Splash! The water flew everywhere. They laughed and laughed. Their boots were perfect for jumping. Mum and Dad didn't stop them. They just smiled and watched.

They saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky. It had so many colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. "Wow! A rainbow!" Anna said, pointing. "It's beautiful," Mum said. Dad took a photo of the rainbow and the children with their colourful raincoats.

They walked around the block. The world was quiet and peaceful after the rain. Then, they went back home. Their cheeks were pink from the fresh, cool air.

They took off their wet boots and raincoats. They felt tired but happy from their rainy day adventures.

For dinner, Mum made warm soup. It was chicken and vegetable soup. It was hot and delicious. It was the perfect food for a day like this.

Before bed, Ben and Anna were not sad that the weekend was over. Their rainy Sunday was a different kind of fun. It was a day for family, for imagination, and for cozy moments inside their warm home.

Questions to Chapter 5:

Why are Ben and Anna disappointed at the beginning of the chapter?

What does Dad suggest they build?

What do they drink inside the fortress?

What game does the family play together?

What do Ben and Anna do on their walk after the rain?

What do they see in the sky?

Chapter 6: Monday Surprise

Monday morning felt different again. The weekend was over. Ben heard his alarm clock. Beep, beep, beep! He got out of bed and looked outside. The sky was blue. The rainbow was gone. It was a school day.

He went to Anna's room. "Wake up, Anna. It's school today." Anna opened her eyes. "Is it Monday?" she asked. "Yes," Ben said. "Maybe we will have something fun at school."

They got ready for school. They put on their school uniforms. They ate their cereal for breakfast. They drank their milk. Mum gave them their lunch boxes. "Have a good day," Mum said. She kissed them goodbye.

Dad drove them to school. The playground was full of children. Ben saw Sam. Sam was running to him. "Ben! Ben!" Sam said. He was very excited. "Mrs. Brown has a big box in the classroom! It has holes in it!" "Holes?" Ben asked. "What is in the box?" "I don't know!" Sam said. "It's a surprise!"

Ben was curious. What was in the box? He said goodbye to Anna and went to his line. Mrs. Brown was there. She smiled at the children. "Good morning, class," she said. "We have a special project this week."

They walked to the classroom. On Mrs. Brown's desk, there was a big cardboard box. It had small holes on the sides. All the children looked at the box. They were very interested.

Mrs. Brown stood next to the box. "Can you guess what is inside?" she asked the class. The children started guessing. "Is it a toy?" asked Emma. "Is it a robot?" asked Leo. "Is it a big book?" asked Sam.

Mrs. Brown smiled. "No," she said. "It is something alive."

Something alive! The classroom became very quiet. All the children were listening. Mrs. Brown opened the top of the box carefully. She put her hand inside. She took out something small and furry. It was white and brown. It had long ears and a little pink nose. It was moving!

"It's a rabbit!" Ben said. He was so surprised. The whole class said, "Wow!"

"Yes," Mrs. Brown said. "This is Snowy. She is our class pet for this week."

She let the children come closer to look at Snowy. The rabbit had soft fur and big eyes. She sniffed the air with her little nose.

"We will take care of Snowy together," Mrs. Brown said. "We need to give her food and water. We need to clean her box. Who wants to help?"

All the children raised their hands. "I do! I do!" they all said.

Ben was very happy. He loved animals. He had Max at home, but a rabbit was different. He couldn't wait to tell Anna.

At lunchtime, Ben ran to Anna's line. "Anna! Anna!" he said. "We have a rabbit in our class! Her name is Snowy!" "A rabbit?" Anna's eyes became big. "A real rabbit?" "Yes! She is white and brown. She is very soft." "I want to see her!" Anna said.

Ben thought for a moment. "Maybe we can ask Mrs. Brown if you can see her after school."

The rest of the school day was about the rabbit. Mrs. Brown taught them about rabbits. She showed them what rabbits eat. She gave them special rabbit food. It was dry and looked like little pellets. She also showed them fresh carrots and lettuce for Snowy.

Ben learned that rabbits like to eat vegetables. He learned that they need fresh water every day. He learned that they are very quiet animals.

Mrs. Brown made a list of helpers. Ben was the helper for Tuesday. He was excited. He would give food and water to Snowy.

When school finished, Ben and Anna went to his classroom. Mrs. Brown was there with Snowy. "Mrs. Brown," Ben asked. "Can my sister Anna see Snowy?" "Of course," Mrs. Brown said. She let Anna come closer.

Anna looked at the small rabbit. She was a little scared at first, but then she saw how soft and calm Snowy was. "She is beautiful," Anna whispered. "You can pet her very gently," Mrs. Brown said.

Anna touched Snowy's back very softly. "She is so soft!" she said. She had a big smile.

On the way home, Ben and Anna talked only about Snowy. They told Dad all about the class rabbit. Dad listened and smiled. "It sounds like you have an interesting week ahead," he said.

Ben couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Questions to Chapter 6:

What is the surprise in Mrs. Brown's classroom?

What is the rabbit's name?

What does Mrs. Brown say the children need to do for the rabbit?

What did Ben learn about what rabbits eat?

How does Anna feel when she first sees the rabbit? How does she feel after petting it?

What day is Ben the helper for Snowy?

Chapter 7: Taking Care of Snowy

Tuesday was Ben's special day. He was the helper for Snowy. He woke up early. He was too excited to sleep. He ate his breakfast quickly.

"Don't hurry, Ben," Mum said. "You have time." "But I need to feed Snowy!" Ben said. "She might be hungry."

Dad drove them to school. Ben ran to his classroom. Mrs. Brown was already there. Snowy was in her box. She was eating a piece of lettuce.

"Good morning, Ben," Mrs. Brown said. "Are you ready to be our helper today?" "Yes, Mrs. Brown!" Ben said.

First, Mrs. Brown showed Ben how to give fresh water. She gave Ben a small water bottle. It was special for rabbits. Ben had to fill it with fresh, clean water. Then he attached it to the side of the box. Snowy came and drank a little bit. Ben felt happy.

Next, it was time for food. Mrs. Brown gave Ben a small cup. "This is for the dry food," she said. Ben put the pellets into a small bowl inside Snowy's box. Snowy started eating them. She ate very fast.

Then, Ben gave Snowy a fresh carrot. Snowy liked the carrot. She held it with her front paws and nibbled on it. It was funny to watch.

After lunch, it was time to clean Snowy's box. This was not so fun, but it was important. Mrs. Brown showed Ben how to do it carefully. They put Snowy in a small carrying box for a few minutes. Then, Ben took out the old newspaper from the bottom of the box. He put clean, new newspaper in the box. He also put fresh, clean hay in one corner for Snowy to sleep on.

When Snowy came back to her clean box, she was happy. She jumped a little and sniffed all around. Then she sat in the corner with the hay.

"You are a very good helper, Ben," Mrs. Brown said. Ben felt proud. He liked taking care of animals.

In the afternoon, the class drew pictures of Snowy. Ben drew a picture of Snowy eating a carrot. He drew her long ears and her little tail. He used a white crayon and a brown crayon. His picture was very good.

At the end of the day, Mrs. Brown said, "Tomorrow, we will learn how to hold Snowy correctly. But we must be very gentle with her."

Ben couldn't wait. He wanted to hold the soft rabbit.

When he met Anna after school, he told her everything. "I gave her food and water!" Ben said. "And I cleaned her box!" "You are so lucky, Ben!" Anna said. "I wish we had a rabbit in our class."

When they got home, Ben and Anna played with Max. Max was sleeping on the sofa. Ben petted him. "You are a good cat, Max," Ben said. "But today I took care of a rabbit."

Max just purred. He didn't understand about rabbits.

Before dinner, Ben did his homework. His homework was to write three sentences about Snowy. Ben wrote:

Snowy is our class rabbit. She is white and brown. She likes to eat carrots and lettuce.

He drew a small picture of a rabbit next to the sentences.

At dinner, he told Mum and Dad all about his day. "I was a good helper," Ben said. "I cleaned her box and gave her fresh water." "I'm very proud of you, Ben," Dad said. "Taking care of an animal is a big responsibility." "What is res-pon-si-bi-li-ty?" Anna asked. It was a long word. "Responsibility means you have an important job to do," Mum explained. "You need to be careful and do it well. Like when you feed Max his food."

Ben understood. He had an important job with Snowy. He felt grown-up.

He couldn't wait for school tomorrow. He wanted to learn how to hold Snowy. It was going to be the best week ever.

Questions to Chapter 7:

What are the three jobs Ben does to help with Snowy?

How does Ben feel when he is helping with Snowy?

What does Ben draw in the afternoon?

What does Mrs. Brown say they will learn tomorrow?

What is Ben's homework about?

What new word does Anna learn at dinner? What does it mean?

Chapter 8: A Friend for Anna

The next day, Anna was quiet during breakfast. She ate her cereal very slowly. Mum noticed. "What's wrong, Anna?" Mum asked. "Aren't you excited about school?" Anna looked at her bowl. "Sophie is sick. She won't be at school today." Sophie was Anna's best friend. They always sat together and played together. "I'm sorry, sweetie," Mum said. "I'm sure you'll still have a good day. Maybe you can play with another friend." Anna just nodded. She felt a little lonely.

At school, Anna's classroom felt different without Sophie. Her seat was empty. During playtime, Anna stood near the slide and watched the other children play. She missed her friend. Her teacher, Miss Lily, saw her standing alone. She came over and knelt down. "Are you missing Sophie, Anna?" Miss Lily asked kindly. Anna nodded. "We always play together." "I understand," Miss Lily said. "Look, Chloe is by the sandbox. She's drawing in the sand. Why don't you go see what she's drawing?" Anna looked at Chloe. Chloe was a quiet girl in her class. She didn't talk much, but she always had nice drawings.

Anna walked over slowly. "Hello, Chloe," she said. Chloe looked up. "Hello, Anna." "What are you drawing?" Anna asked. "It's a castle," Chloe said. She pointed at her drawing in the sand. "This is the big tower. And this is the dragon, but he's a friendly dragon." Anna smiled. "I like castles. My brother and I built a big one with blocks." "Really?" Chloe's eyes lit up. "I love building castles. Do you want to help me draw a garden for the castle?" "Yes!" Anna said.

The two girls spent the whole playtime drawing in the sand. They drew a garden with flowers and a path. They drew a river with a bridge. They talked and laughed. Anna discovered that Chloe loved the same stories she did, and they both had cats at home.

When the bell rang, Anna felt happy. She had a new friend to play with. "Can we play together again tomorrow?" Chloe asked. "Of course!" Anna said. "Even when Sophie comes back, we can all play together."

After school, Anna couldn't wait to tell Ben. "Ben! I made a new friend today! Her name is Chloe. We drew a huge castle in the sandbox!" "That's great, Anna!" Ben said. "I told you Monday could be fun." That evening, Anna drew a picture of three girls holding hands: Anna, Sophie, and Chloe. She put it on the wall in her room. She wasn't worried about being lonely anymore.

Questions to Chapter 8:

Why is Anna sad at the beginning of the chapter?

Who does Miss Lily suggest Anna play with?

What do Anna and Chloe draw in the sandbox?

What do Anna and Chloe discover they both have at home?

How does Anna feel at the end of the day?

What does Anna draw and put on her wall?

Chapter 9: The School Concert

For two weeks, the school was busy preparing for the Spring Concert. Ben's class was practicing a song about the weather. Anna's class was learning a simple dance about little flowers. Every day, they practiced in the big hall. The hall was always full of noise and music.

Ben liked singing. He learned the words quickly. "Sunshine, rainbows, wind in the trees, weather is changing, listen to the breeze!" he sang in the shower at home. Mum and Dad always smiled when they heard him.

Anna was a little nervous about her dance. She had to remember the steps: twirl like a flower, sway in the wind, and then slowly sit down like the sun setting. She practiced in her room in front of the mirror. Max watched her, his head moving from side to side as she twirled.

Finally, the day of the concert arrived. The children wore their best clothes. Ben wore a clean white shirt and dark trousers. Anna wore her favourite pink dress with a yellow ribbon. Mum and Dad sat in the big hall with all the other parents. They had big smiles and a camera.

First, the younger children performed. Anna's class went on the stage. The music started, a soft, gentle tune. Anna saw her parents in the crowd and felt a little better. She remembered all the steps. She twirled and swayed with the other children. They looked like a garden of colourful flowers moving in the wind. When they finished, everyone clapped loudly. Dad gave a big thumbs-up.

Then it was time for Ben's class. They walked onto the stage and stood in three rows. Mrs. Brown played the piano. Ben stood straight and sang loudly. He remembered all the words. His voice was clear and happy. When they sang the part about the rain, they all made soft "pitter-patter" sounds with their hands on their legs. It was very effective.

After all the performances, the head teacher stood on the stage. "Thank you, everyone, for a wonderful concert!" she said. "All the children worked very hard. Let's give them one more big round of applause!"

The clapping was like thunder. Ben and Anna felt so proud. They found their parents after the concert.

"You were both fantastic!" Mum said, giving them both a hug. "Anna, you were a beautiful flower," Dad said. "And Ben, you sang like a real professional!" Ben beamed with pride. Anna giggled happily.

On the way home, they talked about the concert all the time. "Did you see my twirl?" Anna asked. "Did you hear our rain sounds?" Ben asked.

That night, they were tired but very happy. It was a day they would remember for a long time. They learned that being a little nervous was okay, and that performing for others could be a lot of fun.

Questions to Chapter 9:

What are the two classes preparing for?

What is Ben's class performing?

What is Anna's class performing?

How does Anna feel before the concert? How does she feel after?

What special sound does Ben’s class make during their song?

What do the parents say after the concert?

Chapter 10: Max's Adventure

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. Ben was reading a book on the sofa. Anna was playing with her dolls on the carpet. Mum was working in the garden. Dad was fixing a shelf in the kitchen. The house was quiet and peaceful.

Suddenly, they heard a loud noise from the kitchen. Crash! Then a meow! It was Max.

Ben and Anna ran to the kitchen. Dad was standing there, looking surprised. A box of pasta was on the floor. The pasta was everywhere. And Max was sitting on the kitchen table, looking very guilty.

"Max! What did you do?" Anna asked. "I was fixing the shelf," Dad explained. "Max jumped on the table and knocked over the box."

Max just licked his paw, as if nothing had happened. He didn't like loud noises, and the sound of the hammer had scared him.

Ben and Anna helped Dad clean up the pasta. They picked up all the pieces and put them back in the box. Mum came in from the garden to see what the noise was about.

"Max, you are a naughty cat today," Mum said. But she wasn't really angry. She petted his head gently.

Later that day, Mum was carrying the laundry to the garden. She wanted to hang the clothes on the line. Ben and Anna were helping her. They didn't notice that Max was following them.

Mum opened the back door. She carried the big basket outside. Ben and Anna followed with the clothes pegs. Max saw a beautiful butterfly in the garden. The butterfly was yellow and white. It flew from one flower to another.

Max loved to chase butterflies. He ran after it. He jumped high in the air. But the butterfly flew over the fence into Mr. Brown's garden. Mr. Brown was their next-door neighbour.

Max didn't stop. He found a small hole in the fence and went through it. He disappeared into Mr. Brown's garden.

A few minutes later, Ben noticed that Max was gone. "Mum, where is Max?" he asked. They looked around the garden. No Max. They called his name. "Max! Max! Here, kitty!" But Max didn't come.

Anna started to worry. "Where is he? Is he lost?" "Don't worry," Mum said. "I'm sure he is nearby."

They went to look for him. They looked behind the trees. They looked under the bushes. No Max. Then Ben remembered the hole in the fence.

"Maybe he went to Mr. Brown's garden!" Ben said.

They went to Mr. Brown's house and rang the doorbell. Mr. Brown was an old man with a kind smile. He liked children and animals.

"Hello," Mr. Brown said. "How can I help you?" "We are looking for our cat, Max," Ben explained. "He is black and white. Did you see him?"

Mr. Brown smiled. "Why yes! He is in my garden. He is watching the birds. But he is very quiet and good. Come and see."

They followed Mr. Brown to his garden. His garden was beautiful, with many flowers and a small pond. And there was Max, sitting under a tree. He was watching the birds, but he wasn't trying to catch them. He was just enjoying the sunshine.

"Max!" Anna called softly. Max turned his head. He saw his family. He stood up and stretched. Then he walked slowly to them, as if his adventure was completely normal.

"Thank you, Mr. Brown," Mum said. "You are welcome," Mr. Brown said. "He is a wonderful cat. He can visit my garden anytime."

Ben picked up Max and carried him home. Anna held his paw. "You silly cat," Ben said. "You scared us." But Max just purred. He had enjoyed his little adventure.

That evening, Dad fixed the hole in the fence. But he made a small special door just for Max. Now Max could go to Mr. Brown's garden whenever he wanted, but he couldn't get lost.

After dinner, Max slept on Anna's lap. He was tired from his big day. Ben and Anna petted him gently. They were happy that their curious cat was safe at home.

Questions to Chapter 10:

What noise do Ben and Anna hear from the kitchen?

Why did Max knock over the pasta box?

What does Max chase in the garden?

Where does Max disappear?

Who helps them find Max?

How does Dad solve the problem with the fence?

Chapter 11: The Great Vegetable Battle

Ben had a problem. A big, green problem. It was on his plate, and its name was broccoli.

"I don't like it," Ben said, looking at the small green tree-like vegetable. "It looks funny and tastes funny."

"I don't like carrots," Anna said, pushing the orange pieces around her plate. "They are too… orange."

Mum sighed. Dad had an idea. "I have a challenge for you both," he said. "The Great Vegetable Battle!"

Ben and Anna looked interested. A battle sounded much better than dinner.

"Here are the rules," Dad explained. "You both have to eat one piece of the vegetable you don't like. But you have to do it in the funniest way possible. The funniest eater wins!"

"What's the prize?" Ben asked.

"The winner doesn't have to help with washing dishes tonight!" Mum said with a smile.

Ben looked at his broccoli. He imagined it was a little tree, and he was a giant. He opened his mouth wide and made a loud "ROAR!" sound. Then he ate the broccoli in one big bite. "Yum, delicious trees!" he said in a giant voice.

Everyone laughed. Now it was Anna's turn. She looked at her carrot. She put it on her nose like a clown! Then she tipped her head back, and the carrot fell into her mouth. She chewed with a silly face. "I am a rabbit! I love carrots!" she said in a squeaky voice.

Ben and Anna were both so funny. Mum and Dad were laughing hard.

"You are both winners!" Dad announced. "No one washes dishes tonight!"

"But there is one more rule," Mum said. "You have to tell me one good thing about your vegetable."

Ben thought. "Broccoli is crunchy like chips," he said.

Anna said, "Carrots are sweet like candy."

They finished their vegetables without any more complaints. Max watched from his chair, probably thinking that humans were very strange but funny animals.

That night, Ben dreamed he was a giant eating green trees, and Anna dreamed she was a rabbit in a carrot garden. Vegetables weren't so bad after all.

Questions to Chapter 11:

What vegetables don't Ben and Anna like?

What is the name of Dad's game?

What are the rules of the game?

How does Ben eat his broccoli?

How does Anna eat her carrot?

What do the children learn about vegetables?

Chapter 12: The Talking Homework

On Thursday, Mrs. Brown gave the class very strange homework. "Your homework is to talk to a plant," she said.

The children laughed. "Talk to a plant?" Sam asked. "Plants can't talk!"

"That's the experiment," Mrs. Brown explained. "I want you to talk to a plant every day for one week. Be very nice to it. Say kind words. See what happens."

Ben thought this was the weirdest homework ever. But he was a good student. He chose a small plant in the living room. It had green leaves and looked ordinary.

"Hello, plant," Ben said on the first day. He felt silly. "You have… nice leaves."

Anna heard him and laughed. "You're talking to a plant!"

"It's homework!" Ben said. "Mrs. Brown said plants grow better if we talk to them nicely."

Anna decided to try it too. She chose a different plant. "You are the most beautiful plant in the world!" she told it.

The next day, Ben forgot to talk to his plant. He was busy with football. Anna remembered. "Good morning, plant! You look happy today!"

On the third day, something funny happened. Ben's plant looked a little sad. Its leaves were drooping. Anna's plant looked bright and perky.

"Your plant is sad because you didn't talk to it!" Anna said.

"That's silly," Ben said. But he felt a little guilty. He went to his plant. "I'm sorry I forgot to talk to you. You're a good plant."

Mum saw this and smiled. She knew a secret.

Every day after that, Ben talked to his plant. He told it about school, about football, about Snowy the rabbit. Anna sang songs to her plant.

After one week, both plants looked beautiful and green. But Anna's plant had something special – a small pink flower!

"Look!" Anna shouted. "My plant grew a flower because I was so nice to it!"

Ben looked at his plant. No flower. "That's not fair," he said. "I talked to my plant too!"

Then Mum told her secret. "I gave Anna's plant special plant food yesterday," she said. "That's why it has a flower."

Ben laughed. "So talking to plants doesn't work?"

"Well," Mum said, "your plant was dying when you forgot to talk to it. But when you started talking to it, you also remembered to water it! That's why it became healthy again."

The children understood. Talking to the plants helped them remember to care for them!

At school, Mrs. Brown asked about the homework. "My plant grew a flower!" Anna said proudly.

"My plant almost died because I forgot to talk to it," Ben said honestly. "But then I talked to it and watered it, and it became happy again."

Mrs. Brown smiled. "That's a wonderful lesson. When we pay attention to something and care for it, it grows better. This is true for plants, animals, and even people."

That evening, Ben caught Anna talking to Max. "You are the best cat in the world," she said.

Max purred loudly. Maybe the homework worked for cats too!

Questions to Chapter 12:

What is the strange homework Mrs. Brown gives?

What happens when Ben forgets to talk to his plant?

What surprise does Anna's plant have after one week?

What is Mum's secret?

What lesson do the children learn from this homework?

Why does Anna talk to Max at the end?

Chapter 13: The Cookie Mystery

It was Saturday morning. Mum baked delicious chocolate cookies. The whole house smelled wonderful. She put the cookies on a blue plate to cool. "Don't touch them," she said. "They are for after lunch."

Ben and Anna said, "Yes, Mum." They went to the living room to watch cartoons.

One hour later, Mum called from the kitchen. "Who ate the cookies?" She sounded surprised.

Ben and Anna ran to the kitchen. The blue plate was empty. Only a few crumbs were left.

"It wasn't me!" Ben said. "It wasn't me!" Anna said.

They looked at each other. Then they looked at Max. Max was sleeping on his chair. He looked very innocent. But there was a small brown crumb on his white fur.

"Max! Did you eat the cookies?" Anna asked.

Max opened one eye and licked his lips. Then he went back to sleep.

"I think we have a mystery," Ben said. "We need to find the cookie thief."

They decided to be detectives. Ben got a notebook and a pencil. Anna got a magnifying glass from her toy set.

"First clue," Ben said. He pointed to the crumb on Max's fur. "Suspect number one: Max the cat."

"Second clue," Anna said. She found a small piece of chocolate on the floor near the table. "The thief was messy."

"But how did Max get the cookies?" Ben wondered. "The plate was in the middle of the table. Max can't jump on the table when Mum is in the kitchen."

They thought hard. Then Anna saw another clue. A small yellow feather was under the table.

"A feather!" Anna said. "Max doesn't have feathers."

Suddenly, they heard a noise from the garden. Tweet! Tweet! They looked out the window. A small yellow bird was sitting on the fence. It had something brown in its beak. A cookie crumb!

"The bird is the thief!" Ben shouted.

But how? The bird was outside. The window was closed.

Then they saw it. The small window in the bathroom was open. It was very small, but big enough for a bird.

The mystery was solved! The yellow bird flew through the bathroom window, took a cookie, and flew away. It did this many times. Max probably saw the bird and tried to catch it. That's why he had a crumb on his fur. Max was not the thief; he was trying to be a detective too!

They told Mum about their detective work. Mum was very impressed.

"You are good detectives!" she said. "But now we have no cookies for lunch."

"Don't worry, Mum," Ben said. "We can bake more cookies together. And this time we will close the bathroom window!"

They all laughed. Max woke up and meowed, as if to say, "I knew it was the bird all along!"

That afternoon, Ben, Anna, and Mum baked new cookies. And this time, they ate them all together. No mystery this time!

Questions to Chapter 13:

What did Mum bake?

What did the children find on Max's fur?

What clues did the children find?

Who was the real cookie thief?

How did the thief get into the house?

What did the family do in the afternoon?

Chapter 14: The Magic Backpack

Ben's backpack was very heavy. It was full of books, notebooks, pencils, and his lunch box. Every day, he carried it to school and back.

One Tuesday, something strange happened. Ben opened his backpack to get his maths book. But the book was not there. Instead, there was a funny red hat.

"Where is my maths book?" Ben asked. "And whose hat is this?"

He showed the hat to his friends. Sam laughed. "Maybe your backpack is magic!"

Ben didn't believe it. But the next day, something else happened. He wanted to eat his apple from the lunch box. He opened the backpack. The apple was gone! In its place was a small toy car.

"This is not funny," Ben said. "I was hungry!"

Anna had an idea. "Let's watch your backpack. Maybe we can catch the magic."

After school, they put Ben's backpack in the middle of the living room. They sat and watched it. For ten minutes, nothing happened. Then… zip! The backpack opened a little by itself! A small paw pushed out Ben's English book and pulled in a feather.

"Max!" Ben shouted. "You are the magic!"

They caught Max with his head in the backpack. He loved soft, dark places. Every day, when Ben wasn't looking, Max took something out of the backpack and put something else in. The hat was from Anna's room. The toy car was from the living room. The feather was from the garden.

Ben laughed. "You are a funny cat, Max. But please don't hide my school things."

From that day, Ben always checked his backpack before school. And sometimes, he found a nice surprise from Max – a pretty leaf or a soft piece of string. It was like having a magic backpack after all.

Questions to Chapter 14:

What was strange about Ben's backpack?

What things disappeared from the backpack?

What appeared in the backpack instead?

How did the children discover the truth?

Why did Max like the backpack?

What did Ben start finding in his backpack later?

Chapter 15: Anna's Invisible Friend

Anna had an invisible friend. His name was Mr. Bounce. She talked to him every day.

"Mr. Bounce is sitting here," Anna said at breakfast. "Don't sit on him, Ben!"

Ben rolled his eyes. "There's nobody there, Anna."

But Anna didn't listen. She played with Mr. Bounce all day. She saved a seat for him at the table. She read books to him. She even drew pictures of him – a round, smiling man who could bounce very high.

One day, Anna was sad. "Mr. Bounce is sick," she told Mum. "He needs medicine."

Mum played along. "What kind of medicine does he need?"

"Chocolate milk medicine," Anna said seriously.

Mum gave her a small cup of chocolate milk. Anna "gave" it to Mr. Bounce. Then she smiled. "He feels better now!"

The next day, something funny happened. Ben was looking for his favourite blue pencil. He couldn't find it anywhere.

"Maybe Mr. Bounce took it," Anna said. "He likes to draw too."

Ben was angry. "Anna, stop it! Mr. Bounce is not real!"

But then Anna said, "Look! There's your pencil!" The blue pencil was on the table. Nobody saw how it got there.

Later that week, Dad couldn't find his car keys. They looked everywhere. Then Anna said, "Mr. Bounce says the keys are in the refrigerator."

Dad laughed. "Why would they be there?" But he looked in the refrigerator. And there were the keys! Next to the milk.

Everyone was surprised. How did Anna know?

The next day, Ben lost his football. Anna said, "Mr. Bounce says it's in the flower garden."

They looked in the garden. There was the football! Behind the big flowers.

Now the family was confused. Was Mr. Bounce real?

That evening, Mum saw something funny. Anna was talking to the cat. "Thank you for helping me, Max. You are the best invisible friend."

Max purred and rubbed against her leg.

The mystery was solved! Max was "Mr. Bounce"! The cat saw where everything was hidden. Anna watched Max and then "guessed" where things were.

Ben laughed. "So Mr. Bounce is a cat!"

Anna smiled. "He likes his new name."

From that day, when someone lost something, they asked Anna and her "invisible friend." And Max always helped them find it. Sometimes in very strange places!

Questions to Chapter 15:

Who was Mr. Bounce?

How did Anna "help" Mr. Bounce when he was sick?

What things did Mr. Bounce help find?

Where did Dad find his car keys?

Who was Mr. Bounce really?

How did Anna know where the lost things were?

Chapter 16: The Secret Map

Ben was cleaning his room when he found something exciting under his bed. It was an old, yellow piece of paper. He carefully opened it. It was a map!

"Anna, come quickly!" he called. "Look what I found!"

Anna ran into the room. The map showed their house and garden. There was a big red X marked behind the big oak tree in the garden.

"Is it a treasure map?" Anna asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Only one way to find out!" Ben said.

They took the map and ran into the garden. The big oak tree was at the end of the garden. Its branches were like long arms.

"First clue," Ben read from the map. "Under the stone that looks like a throne."

They looked around the tree. There was a big, flat stone that looked like a chair.

"Let's move it!" Anna said.

Together, they pushed the heavy stone. Under it, they found a small box. Inside the box was another piece of paper.

"Second clue," Anna read. "Count twenty steps north from where you stand."

"What's north?" Anna asked.

Ben remembered something from geography class. "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. So north is… that way!" He pointed away from the house.

They counted twenty steps carefully. They stopped near the flower garden.

"Now look for something that doesn't belong," Ben read.

They looked carefully. Flowers, grass, a small path. Then Anna saw it – a bright blue rock among the flowers.

"Found it!" she shouted.

Under the blue rock was another box. This one had a key inside.

"Final clue," Ben said, getting excited. "The key opens what time cannot close."

They thought hard. What could time not close?

"Maybe it's something that's always open?" Anna wondered.

Then Ben had an idea. "The garden gate! It's always open for us!"

They ran to the garden gate. There was a small, hidden lock on the side that they never noticed. Ben tried the key. It fit! He turned it, and a small door in the gate opened.

Inside was a metal box. They opened it carefully. There was no gold or jewels. But there was something better.

There were old photos of their dad when he was a little boy. There was his favorite toy car. And there was a letter.

"To my children," the letter began. "If you found this, you are smart and curious. I made this treasure hunt for you when you were born. The real treasure is your wonderful family. Love, Dad."

Ben and Anna felt warm and happy inside. They showed the box to Mum and Dad that evening.

Dad smiled. "I forgot about this! I made it when Ben was born. The real treasure is seeing you both so happy and working together."

That night, Ben and Anna started making their own treasure map for their future children. Family was the best treasure indeed.

Questions to Chapter 16:

Where did Ben find the map?

What was the first clue?

How did Ben know which way was north?

What did they find under the blue rock?

What was in the final metal box?

What did the children learn was the real treasure?

Chapter 17: The Night Adventure

One night, Anna woke up because she was thirsty. She went to the kitchen to get water. When she returned to her room, she saw something strange. Moonlight was coming through the window, and something was moving in the garden.

She woke up Ben. "Ben, look! There's something in the garden!"

Ben rubbed his eyes. They both looked out the window. There were small lights moving between the flowers.

"Are they fairies?" Anna whispered excitedly.

"Let's find out," Ben said.

They quietly went downstairs. Mum and Dad were sleeping. They took a flashlight and went to the back door.

When they opened the door, the lights disappeared. But then they heard soft rustling sounds from the vegetable garden.

They walked carefully on the path. The moon was bright, so they didn't need the flashlight. Suddenly, they saw them – not fairies, but animals!

A family of hedgehogs was walking near the tomatoes. Their little noses were sniffing the air. And fireflies were flying around them, making the magical lights.

"Wow!" Anna said softly. "A hedgehog family!"

The hedgehogs didn't see the children. They were busy looking for food. The mother hedgehog found a worm, and the baby hedgehogs tried to copy her.

Then they saw something else. An owl was sitting on the fence. It turned its head almost all the way around. It was watching the hedgehogs too.

"This is like a secret night world," Ben whispered.

They sat on the garden bench and watched for a long time. They saw bats flying in the sky, catching insects. They saw a mouse running along the fence. Everything was different at night – peaceful and magical.

Then they heard a soft meow. Max was there too! He was sitting under the bench, watching the animals. He wasn't trying to catch them – he was just watching like them.

"Even Max knows about the night world," Anna said.

After a while, they started feeling cold and sleepy. They went back inside, being very quiet.

The next morning at breakfast, they told Mum and Dad about their adventure.

"We saw hedgehogs and an owl and fireflies!" Anna said excitedly.

Mum smiled. "The garden is full of life at night. But you should always tell us before going outside in the dark."

That day, Ben and Anna drew pictures of the night animals. Ben drew the owl on the fence, and Anna drew the hedgehog family. They put the pictures on the refrigerator.

That night, before going to sleep, they looked out the window again. The garden was dark and quiet, but they knew the secret world was there, waiting for the moon to rise.

They learned that sometimes the most amazing adventures happen when everyone else is sleeping.

Questions to Chapter 17:

Why did Anna wake up at night?

What did the children think the lights were at first?

What animals did they see in the garden?

What was Max doing in the garden?

Why did Mum say they should tell adults before going out at night?

What did the children learn about their garden?

Chapter 18: The Talking Tree

One windy afternoon, Ben and Anna were playing in the garden when they heard a strange sound. It came from the old willow tree near the fence. The sound was like soft whispering.

"Did you hear that?" Anna asked, stopping her game. Ben nodded, his eyes wide. "It sounds like the tree is talking!"

They approached the tree carefully. The long, green branches moved in the wind, making whispering noises. Swish-swish, whisper-whisper.

"Maybe it's magic!" Anna said excitedly.

Ben, being practical, looked around the tree. Then he noticed something unusual – a small hole in the trunk. He peered inside and gasped.

"Anna, look! There's a family of birds living here!"

Inside the hole were three baby birds. They were making soft chirping sounds that mixed with the wind through the branches, creating the "whispering" effect.

Just then, the mother bird returned with food. She chirped loudly, warning them to stay away from her babies.

"We won't hurt them," Ben said softly. "We're just watching."

Every day after school, the children visited the "talking tree." They sat under it quietly and watched the bird family. They learned to recognize the different chirps – the hungry chirps, the happy chirps, the warning chirps.

One day, they noticed the baby birds practicing flying. The first bird jumped from the branch and flapped its wings hard. It flew to the fence! The second bird followed. But the third bird was afraid. It stayed in the nest, chirping sadly.

"The little one is scared," Anna said sympathetically.

The mother bird chirped encouragingly, but the baby bird wouldn't move.

"I know how it feels," Anna said. "I was scared before the school concert too."

Ben had an idea. "Remember what Dad told you? 'Be brave like a lion, even if you feel small like a mouse.'"

The next day, they brought some bird seeds and placed them not too far from the nest. The brave baby bird saw the seeds and finally gathered courage. It flapped its wings and flew shakily to the seeds!

"He did it!" Anna cheered quietly.

Over the week, they watched all the baby birds learn to fly properly. The "talking tree" was now quieter – the nest was empty.

But one morning, they heard new sounds from the tree. Different birds had moved into the nest! The tree was still talking, just in a new "language."

Ben smiled. "The tree will always have stories to tell. We just need to listen."

That evening, they made a bird feeder to hang on the tree. Now the tree would have even more visitors and more stories to whisper through its branches.

Questions to Chapter 18:

What strange sound did the children hear?

What was causing the "whispering" sound?

Why was one baby bird different from its siblings?

How did Ben and Anna help the scared bird?

What did Dad say about being brave?

What did the children make for the tree at the end?

Chapter 19: The Colorful Experiment

Mrs. Brown had a surprise for science class. On her desk stood three clear glasses of water and some food coloring.

"Today, we're going to be scientists!" she announced. "We'll learn about colors mixing."

Ben loved science. He sat up straight, eager to begin.

Mrs. Brown put red color in the first glass, blue in the second, and yellow in the third. The water turned into bright primary colors.

"Now, what happens if I mix red and yellow?" she asked.

She poured some red water into a new glass, then added yellow water. The children watched in amazement as the water turned orange!

"Wow!" the class exclaimed.

Next, she mixed blue and yellow, and it became green. Then red and blue made purple.

"Your turn!" Mrs. Brown said.

She divided the class into groups. Ben worked with Sam and Emma. They carefully mixed colors, creating beautiful new shades.

"That's so cool!" Sam said when they made turquoise by adding more blue to green.

After school, Ben couldn't wait to show Anna. He asked Mum for food coloring, and they set up their own experiment in the kitchen.

"Let's make rainbow colors!" Anna said excitedly.

They lined up six glasses. Ben showed Anna how to make orange, green, and purple by mixing primary colors.

Then Anna had an idea. "What if we mix all the colors together?"

They poured a little from each glass into one big glass. The water turned… brown!

"Eww, it looks like mud!" Anna giggled.

"That's what happens when all colors mix," Ben explained. "They cancel each other out and make brown."

Mum brought in milk and dish soap for another experiment. They poured milk in a plate and added different food color drops. Then they touched the milk with a soapy cotton bud. The colors ran away from the soap, creating beautiful patterns!

"It's like magic!" Anna clapped her hands.

"It's science," Ben corrected, but he was smiling too.

They spent the whole afternoon experimenting. They made color patterns on paper with the colored water. They tried mixing paints instead of food coloring. They even tested what happened when they added more or less color.

That night, their artwork covered the refrigerator. Dad admired their colorful creations.

"I see we have two great scientists in the family," he said proudly.

Before bed, Ben wrote in his journal: "Today I learned that when you mix colors, you can create something completely new and beautiful. Maybe that's like people too – when we work together, we can create amazing things."

Anna, who was listening, added, "And if we put everything together, we get… mud! So we should keep our own colors sometimes."

They both laughed, knowing that every day could be an adventure if they stayed curious and kept experimenting.

Questions to Chapter 19:

What three primary colors did Mrs. Brown use?

What new colors did the children create by mixing?

What happened when they mixed all the colors together?

What was the second experiment with milk and soap?

What did Ben write in his journal about people?

What did Anna learn about "keeping our own colors"?

Chapter 20: The Lost Letter

One rainy Sunday, Ben was looking for a book in the living room when he found a small, hidden drawer in the old writing desk. Inside, there was a yellow envelope with faded handwriting. It was addressed to their house, but the name was different: "To the New Family at 25 Garden Lane."

"Mum, Dad, look what I found!" Ben called out.

Everyone gathered around. Anna carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a letter written many years ago.

"Dear New Family,

If you are reading this, then you are living in our beloved home. We planted an apple tree in the backyard for our daughter Mary's fifth birthday. We hid a time capsule under its roots. Please find it and remember us.

With love,

The Henderson Family, 1975"

The children's eyes widened. "A time capsule! We have to find it!" Anna exclaimed.

The rain had stopped, leaving the garden fresh and sparkling. They rushed to the backyard. There was only one apple tree, now tall and strong.

"But how do we find something buried under the roots?" Ben wondered. "We can't dig up the whole tree!"

Dad thought for a moment. "When we planted our cherry tree last year, the gardener said trees grow wider, not deeper. The capsule should be near the trunk, but not too close."

They got small gardening tools and started carefully digging around the tree. After several minutes, Anna's shovel hit something metal.

"I found it!" she shouted.

They pulled out a rusty metal box. It was heavy. With some effort, they opened it.

Inside, they discovered treasures from the past:

A black-and-white photo of a smiling family in front of their house

Mary Henderson's favorite red hair ribbon

A 1975 newspaper

A baseball card of a famous player

A list of "popular things" from 1975

And a letter from Mary

Anna read Mary's letter aloud: "Hello! I'm Mary. I'm 5 years old. My favorite color is red. I like to play hopscotch. My dad says this tree will give sweet apples. I hope you like them. Please write back to me someday."

The family sat under the apple tree, looking through the treasures. The house had been their home for only five years, but now they felt connected to all the families who had lived here before them.

"Let's make our own time capsule!" Ben suggested.

They spent the afternoon gathering items:

A photo of their family with Max

Ben's favorite football sticker

Anna's drawing of their school

Today's newspaper

A list of popular games and apps

And letters from both children

They put everything in a waterproof box and buried it next to the Henderson's capsule.

"Now we're part of the tree's story too," Anna said, patting the tree trunk gently.

That evening, Mum made apple pie from their tree's apples. As they ate, they wondered about the future family who would find both capsules someday.

Ben smiled. "Maybe in another 50 years, some children will be as excited as we were today."

The lost letter had helped them discover not just buried treasure, but their place in the long story of their home.

Questions to Chapter 20:

Where did Ben find the mysterious letter?

What did the Henderson family hide under the apple tree?

How did the children know where to dig?

What was inside Mary Henderson's time capsule?

What did Ben's family put in their time capsule?

How did finding the letter make the family feel about their home?

Chapter 21: The Best Birthday Present

Anna's birthday was coming soon. She would be six years old. She wanted a special present – a new bicycle with pink wheels. She told everyone about it.

"Are you going to get me a bicycle?" she asked Mum every day. "Maybe," Mum always answered with a smile.

Two days before her birthday, Anna saw a big box in Mum's car. It was long and narrow. It looked exactly like a bicycle box!

"I saw my present!" Anna told Ben happily. "It's a bicycle!" "Don't be so sure," Ben said. He was eight, and he knew that presents could be surprising.

On birthday morning, Anna woke up early. She ran to the living room. There were many presents, but no bicycle. The big box from the car was there, but it was a different shape now.

"Open my presents!" Anna said excitedly.

She opened the small presents first. A book from Grandma. A doll from her friend Sophie. Art supplies from Ben. But she was still thinking about the bicycle.

Finally, she came to the big box. "This is it! My bicycle!" she said.

She tore off the wrapping paper. It wasn't a bicycle. It was… a telescope!

Anna's smile disappeared. "Where is my bicycle?" she asked, trying not to cry.

Mum sat next to her. "I know you wanted a bicycle, Anna. But look at this telescope! Your Dad and I chose it specially for you. You love looking at the stars, remember?"

Anna looked at the telescope. It was black and silver, with many interesting parts. It did look cool.

"Let's try it tonight," Dad said. "We can look at the moon and stars."

That evening, they set up the telescope in the garden. Dad showed Anna how to use it. When she looked through the eyepiece, she gasped.

The moon was so big and clear! She could see its mountains and valleys. It wasn't just a white circle anymore – it was a world!

"Wow!" Anna said. "It's beautiful!"

Then they looked at stars. Some were white, some were blue, some were red. Dad told her stories about the constellations.

"This is better than a bicycle!" Anna said happily. "I can explore the universe!"

Ben looked through the telescope too. "This is so cool! Can we look at planets?"

"Of course!" Dad said. "Next week, we can see Jupiter and its moons."

That night, Anna understood something important. Sometimes you think you want one thing, but life gives you something better. The telescope wasn't just a present – it was a new way to see the world.

She wrote in her diary: "Today I got the best birthday present. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was what I needed. Now I have the whole universe to explore!"

Before going to sleep, she looked out her window at the stars. They seemed brighter now, like friends waving at her through the telescope.

Questions to Chapter 21:

What present did Anna want for her birthday?

What did she see in Mum's car?

What was in the big box actually?

How did Anna feel when she opened the present? Why?

What did she see through the telescope?

What did Anna learn about presents?

Chapter 22: The Garden Competition

Mr. Davis, their neighbor, had the most beautiful garden on the street. His roses were perfect, his lawn was like a green carpet, and he won the "Best Garden" competition every year.

"Our garden is nice too," Ben said one morning, looking at their colorful but messy garden. "But Mr. Davis's garden is… perfect."

"Maybe we can make our garden better," Anna suggested. "Let's enter the competition!"

Mum liked the idea. "Why not? But remember, gardens are for enjoying, not just for winning."

They worked hard every day after school. Ben pulled out weeds. Anna planted new flowers. Mum trimmed the bushes. Dad fixed the old fence. Even Max "helped" by digging small holes – though his help wasn't very useful.

They planted sunflowers along the fence. They added a small pond with water plants. They made a bird bath from an old bowl. The garden was becoming beautiful and lively.

Meanwhile, Mr. Davis worked in his garden too. His plants were straight in perfect lines. Every flower looked the same size. There were no weeds anywhere.

"The competition is next week," Ben said. "Mr. Davis's garden still looks better."

But then something interesting happened. Birds started visiting their new bird bath. Bees buzzed around their flowers. A friendly frog moved into their small pond. Their garden was full of life!

On the day of the competition, the judge walked through all the gardens on their street. He spent a long time in Mr. Davis's perfect garden. Then he came to their garden.

He smiled when he saw the bees on the flowers. He watched the birds splashing in the bird bath. He even took a picture of the frog in the pond.

That evening, everyone gathered for the results. The judge stood up to speak.

"This was difficult," he said. "Mr. Davis's garden is perfectly maintained. But the first prize goes to the garden at number 25 – for being not just beautiful, but alive!"

They won! Ben and Anna jumped with happiness.

Mr. Davis came over to congratulate them. "Your garden is wonderful," he said. "It has… character. Maybe I'll add a bird bath too."

That night, they had a celebration picnic in their award-winning garden. As they ate, butterflies flew around them, and the frog sang in the pond.

"You were right, Mum," Anna said. "Gardens are for enjoying. And we're definitely enjoying this!"

Their garden wasn't perfect, but it was full of life and happiness – and that turned out to be even better than being perfect.

Questions to Chapter 22:

Why did Mr. Davis always win the garden competition?

What did Ben's family add to their garden?

How did Max "help" with the gardening?

What visitors came to their garden?

Why did the judge choose their garden as the winner?

What did Mr. Davis learn from them?

Chapter 23: The Day Everything Went Wrong

It started at breakfast. Ben spilled milk on his school uniform. Then Anna couldn't find her homework. Dad burned the toast. Mum couldn't find her car keys.

"It's going to be one of those days," Mum said with a sigh.

At school, things got worse. Ben forgot his sports shoes for PE class. Anna's best friend Sophie was absent. Then it started raining, so they couldn't go outside for playtime.

After school, Mum picked them up. "Bad news," she said. "The car has a flat tire. We have to walk home."

The walk home in the rain felt long and miserable. When they finally got home, they discovered that Max had knocked over a plant, and soil was everywhere.

"Everything is going wrong today!" Ben said, almost crying.

But then Dad came home early from work. He saw their sad faces and had an idea.

"You know what?" he said. "When everything goes wrong, sometimes you need to make it go wrong on purpose!"

He went to the kitchen and came back with a chocolate cake. "Let's have cake for dinner!"

Mum laughed. "Why not? It's that kind of day."

They ate cake first. Then they put on their pajamas even though it was only 5 o'clock. They built a big blanket fort in the living room and watched funny movies. They made popcorn and put extra butter on it.

Max jumped into the fort and purred loudly. The rain outside made the fort feel extra cozy.

"You know," Anna said, eating popcorn, "this might be the best day ever."

Ben thought about it. "It started bad, but it's ending great!"

Dad smiled. "That's the secret. When things go wrong, you can choose to be sad, or you can choose to make a fun new plan."

That night, as they went to bed (in their pajamas they'd been wearing for hours), Ben thought about the day. Maybe bad days weren't really bad – they were just days that needed a little extra creativity to make them good.

The spilled milk, the flat tire, the rain – they all led to the blanket fort and chocolate cake dinner. And he decided that was a pretty good trade.

Questions to Chapter 23:

What went wrong in the morning?

What problems happened at school?

What was wrong with the car?

How did Dad change the bad day?

What special things did the family do?

What did the children learn about bad days?

Chapter 24: The Mystery of the Missing Socks

It was laundry day, and Mum was frustrated. "Again!" she said. "I'm missing three socks! Where do they all go?"

Ben and Anna looked at the basket of single socks. There were blue ones, striped ones, even Anna's favorite unicorn sock – but all without partners.

"This is a mystery," Ben said seriously. "We need to find the sock thief."

They decided to investigate. First, they checked Max's bed. Sometimes he took things to sleep on. But they found only a teddy bear and a woolen scarf – no socks.

Next, they looked under the washing machine. Anna found a pencil and a hair clip, but no socks.

"Maybe there's a secret sock door to another world," Anna suggested.

"Let's be scientific," Ben said. He got paper and made a list of all the missing socks and when they disappeared.

They noticed something interesting. Socks usually went missing on sunny days when the laundry was hung outside.

The next sunny day, they hid near the laundry and watched carefully. The socks danced in the wind. Then they saw it – a flash of black and white.

"Max!" Anna whispered.

But Max was just walking by. He wasn't interested in the socks.

They kept watching. Suddenly, a big crow landed on the fence. It looked at the blowing socks with its head tilted. Then – quick as lightning – it flew to the laundry line, grabbed a red sock in its beak, and flew away!

"The crow is the sock thief!" Ben exclaimed.

They ran to tell Mum. "The crows are taking our socks!"

Mum laughed. "I've heard that birds sometimes take colorful things for their nests."

They followed the crow's direction and found its nest in the big tree at the end of their garden. And there, woven into the nest, were all their missing socks! The red one, the blue striped one, and even Anna's unicorn sock.

"We can't take them back now," Mum said. "The birds need them for their babies. The socks are keeping the nest warm."

Anna looked at her unicorn sock in the nest. "Okay," she said. "The baby birds need it more than I do."

That afternoon, they did something funny – they hung old colorful rags on the laundry line specially for the crows. And you know what? The crows took the rags and left their socks alone!

Now, whenever they see crows flying with colorful fabric, Ben and Anna smile. They know some baby birds are sleeping warm and cozy in their old socks.

Questions to Chapter 24:

What was missing in the laundry?

Where did the children look for the socks?

What clue helped them solve the mystery?

Who was the real sock thief?

Why didn't they take the socks back from the nest?

How did they solve the sock problem?

Chapter 25: The Super Secret Code

Ben found a strange message on his desk at school. It said: "Gur yvtug vf ba ng frira!"

"What does this mean?" he asked Sam. Sam looked at it. "It looks like a secret code!"

They tried to decode it all day. They tried numbers for letters. They tried backward alphabets. Nothing worked.

That evening, Ben showed the message to Anna. "It's a secret code," he explained.

Anna looked at it carefully. "The words look almost right… but wrong."

Dad saw them studying the paper. "Ah, a Caesar cipher!" he said. "What's that?" Ben asked.

"It's a simple code where you shift each letter," Dad explained. "For example, if you shift one position, A becomes B, B becomes C, and so on."

They tried shifting different amounts. When they shifted 13 positions, the message suddenly made sense!

"Gur yvtug vf ba ng frira!" became "The light is on at seven!"

"But what does it mean?" Anna wondered.

At exactly seven o'clock, Ben's friend Tom called. "Did you get my message? The clubhouse light is on – come to my treehouse!"

Ben laughed. "We just decoded it now!"

The next day at school, Ben, Tom, and Sam made their own secret code. They decided to shift 3 positions this time. A became D, B became E, C became F…

They started writing notes to each other in code. Other children became curious. Soon, half the class was learning the secret code!

Mrs. Brown noticed all the strange notes. "What's going on?" she asked.

Ben explained about the codes. Mrs. Brown smiled. "That's a wonderful way to learn! Let's have a code-breaking competition!"

She divided the class into teams and gave them coded messages to solve. Ben's team won because they had the most practice.

That weekend, Ben and Anna made a secret code for their family. They left coded messages for Mum and Dad:

"Pxwweh hqjv wkh errnvkhoyh" ("Let's clean the bookshelf") "Uhphpehu wr ex\ plon" ("Remember to buy milk")

Mum and Dad had fun decoding the messages. Even Max got a message: "Iulgh ilvk iru pd[" ("Give fish to Max")

The secret code made ordinary things exciting. And without realizing it, Ben and Anna were practicing their spelling and reading in the most fun way possible!

Questions to Chapter 25:

What was the strange message Ben found?

What is a Caesar cipher?

How many positions did they shift to decode the first message?

What did the decoded message mean?

How did Mrs. Brown use the codes in class?

What messages did the children write for their family?

Chapter 26: The Memory Box

Grandma was coming to visit, and Ben and Anna were excited. But when she arrived, they noticed something different. Grandma kept forgetting things.

"Where did I put my glasses?" she asked five times in one hour. "What day is it today?" she wondered.

Mum explained that Grandma's memory wasn't as good as it used to be. "We need to be patient and help her," she said.

Ben felt sad. He missed the Grandma who remembered all his stories and could find anything she'd misplaced.

Then Anna had an idea. "Let's make a memory box for Grandma!"

They found a beautiful box and started filling it with things that might help Grandma remember:

Photos with everyone's names written on the back

A large-print calendar

A list of important phone numbers

Labels for different rooms in the house

A notebook to write things down

But the most special part was the "memory section." They put in:

The recipe for Grandma's famous cookies

A map of her old neighborhood

Dried flowers from her garden

A recording of Grandpa's favorite song

Stories about when Mum was a little girl

When they gave the box to Grandma, her eyes filled with happy tears. "This is the most wonderful present," she said.

The box really helped. When Grandma forgot something, she could look in her memory box. The photos helped her remember names. The recipes helped her cook. The stories helped her remember happy times.

One afternoon, Grandma was looking at the photos. "This is your mother on her first day of school," she told Ben and Anna. Then she told them the whole story – without forgetting any details!

The memory box didn't fix everything. Grandma still forgot things sometimes. But it gave her back some of her favorite memories.

Ben learned that even when memories fade, love doesn't. And sometimes, the best way to help someone remember is to help them feel loved and safe.

The memory box stayed on Grandma's bedside table. Sometimes, when she had trouble sleeping, she would look through it and remember that she was surrounded by people who loved her – even if she sometimes forgot their names.

Questions to Chapter 26:

What was different about Grandma?

What did the children create to help her?

What kind of things went into the memory box?

What was in the "memory section"?

How did the box help Grandma?

What did Ben learn about love and memories?

Chapter 27: The Great Indoor Camping Adventure

The weather forecast predicted a huge storm. Dark clouds gathered, and the wind began to howl.

"No camping trip this weekend," Dad said, looking at the storm outside. Ben and Anna had been planning to go camping in the backyard for weeks. Their faces fell.

"But we have our tent ready!" Ben said, pointing to the backpack filled with camping gear.

Mum smiled. "Who says we need to go outside to go camping?"

And so began the Great Indoor Camping Adventure. They set up the tent right in the middle of the living room. It was a real tent, and it just fit between the sofa and the television.

"First, we need a campfire," Anna declared. They built a "fire" using red and orange construction paper and a flashlight. Dad showed them how to make shadow animals on the tent walls. A rabbit, a dog, even an elephant!

For dinner, they made "campfire food" in the kitchen. Hot dogs became "sausages roasted over the fire." Potato chips were "foraged forest roots." And they made s'mores in the microwave! The marshmallows puffed up perfectly.

As they ate their indoor picnic, the storm raged outside. Thunder boomed, and rain lashed against the windows. But inside the tent, they were cozy and safe. They told spooky stories with the flashlight under their chins.

Max wasn't sure about the tent at first. He sniffed it carefully. Then he decided it was the best new bed ever and curled up in the middle of the sleeping bags.

Later, they "went fishing" in the hallway using a toy fishing rod and paper fish. They had a "bear hunt" around the furniture, hiding from the imaginary bear (which was Dad wearing a fuzzy hat).

Before bed, they turned off all the lights and used their flashlight to read camping stories. The storm outside made the adventure feel even more real.

"This is even better than real camping!" Anna whispered as she drifted off to sleep in her sleeping bag. "No bugs, and we have a real bathroom!"

Ben agreed, listening to the rain on the roof. "And the best part is, we're all together."

The next morning, the storm had passed. Sunshine streamed through the windows. They had pancakes for breakfast, still in their pajamas, sitting in the tent.

They learned that you don't need perfect weather or a special place to have an adventure. You just need imagination – and maybe a tent in the living room.

Questions to Chapter 27:

Why couldn't they go camping outside?

Where did they set up their tent?

How did they make a "campfire"?

What special food did they make for dinner?

How did Max react to the tent?

Why did Anna think indoor camping was better?

Chapter 28: The Kindness Project

Mrs. Brown wrote two words on the whiteboard: "Kindness Project."

"For the next week," she said, "your homework is to do one kind thing for someone else every day. You don't need to tell anyone – it's a secret kindness mission."

Ben liked this homework. That afternoon, he saw his neighbor, Mrs. Gable, struggling with her grocery bags. He ran to help her carry them to her door.

"Thank you, young man!" she said, smiling. Ben felt warm inside.

Anna decided to help Mum without being asked. She set the table for dinner and put flowers in the middle. Mum's surprised smile made Anna happy.

The next day, Ben saw a new boy sitting alone at lunch. He remembered how scary it felt to be new. He went over and asked if the boy wanted to join his table.

Anna noticed her friend Chloe had dropped her art supplies. She helped pick everything up, even though she was in a hurry to go outside.

Each day, they found new ways to be kind:

Ben helped Dad wash the car

Anna read a story to Max

Ben shared his cookies with Sam

Anna drew a picture for her teacher

But the most special kindness happened on Friday. They saw an old man sitting alone on a park bench, looking sad. They didn't know him, but they decided to do something.

They bought an ice cream with their pocket money and gave it to him. "This is for you," Anna said shyly.

The man's face lit up. "You've made an old man very happy," he said. "My wife loved ice cream. She's… not here anymore." He looked at the ice cream with tears in his eyes. "Thank you for remembering that old people get lonely too."

On Monday, Mrs. Brown asked about their projects. Many children had wonderful stories. But Ben and Anna didn't tell about the ice cream. Some kindnesses felt too special to share.

That night, Mum found a note on her pillow: "You are the best Mum in the world. Love, your secret admirer." She never knew who wrote it, but it made her happy for days.

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