Ben and Anna

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?