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.