Read fantasy with illustrations
key notes:
Sometimes authors don’t explain everything that you need to know in a story. So, you may need to make guesses, or inferences, about what happens and why. Making inferences will help you understand the whole story, even the things that the author doesn’t say openly.
Learn with an example
🐵Read the first part of the story
The Door to Unicorn Village
- People sometimes expected Sima and Rohan to act the same because they were twins. And it was true that they both loved reading. But the minute they walked into any bookshop, Sima and Rohan went in different directions. Sima wanted stories about magical creatures, while Rohan found books that explained how trains work.
- This time, Sima tugged her brother’s arm before they parted ways. ‘You should come with me. Life’s more fun with magic in it.’
- ‘I’m not interested in magical stories,’ Rohan said. ‘It’s all fake.’
- Sima pointed at a winged creature flying near a lamp. ‘Then why is there a fairy over there?’
- Rohan laughed. ‘That’s just a moth,’ he said. ‘I’m going to find a book with something real in it. See you later.’ He walked off.
- ‘So what if that fairy was only a moth?’ Sima muttered. ‘It looked like a fairy, and that’s what made it fun.’
How is Sima different from Rohan?
- Sima likes to read books more than Rohan does.
- Sima enjoys things that are make-believe, but Rohan likes facts.
- Sima is a magical being, but Rohan is a real person.
- Sima knows more about winged creatures than Rohan does.
In the story, Sima wants to find books about magical
beings, but Rohan wants to find books that explain how trains
work. Magical beings are not real, but books that explain how trains work tell facts about real things. This shows that Sima likes things that are make-believe, and Rohan likes facts.
🐵Read the first part of the story.
Charlie’s Wish
- Charlie needed to leave for swimming training, but his dog Max was still digging in the back garden. When Charlie went to bring him inside, he noticed a shiny object in the dirt.
- ‘Looks like you dug up someone’s necklace,’ Charlie said, taking it out of the hole.
- Max looked up to see Charlie in his swimming shorts and gave a happy bark.
- Charlie sighed. He’d once asked his swimming coach Robert if he could bring Max to the pool. But Robert had said no.
- Charlie dusted the dirt off the necklace’s red jewel and looked at Max’s sad eyes. ‘I know you love the water, mate,’ said Charlie. ‘Believe me, I wish you could come to the pool with me.’
- Suddenly, the necklace glowed, and Charlie heard a strange hum. ‘That’s weird,’ Charlie said. He didn’t have time to worry about it now, though. He tossed the necklace into his swimming bag and headed inside.
When does the necklace start to glow and hum?
- right after Charlie sees a shiny object in the dirt
- right after Max digs in the back garden
- right after Charlie calls for Max
- right after Charlie makes a wish
Read this part of the story again:
‘I know you love the water, mate,’ said Charlie. ‘Believe me, I wish you could come to the pool with me.’
Suddenly, the necklace glowed,and Charlie heard a strange hum.
It tells you that the necklace starts to glow and hum right after Charlie makes a wish.
🐵Read the first part of the story.
The Noisy Dragon
- ‘Aaaaiieeee!’
- The sun was just rising when Petunia, the village baker, heard the awful sound.
- ‘There goes that dragon in the hills again,’ she grumbled. ‘Good thing I can sleep through any noise.’
- But she knew the other villagers would be angry. All week, the dragon’s loud screams had kept all of them from getting enough sleep.
- With a sigh, Petunia put down the baking tray full of unbaked buns and went to make a fire for her oven.
- At least the villagers will have freshly baked buns, she thought.
- But when Petunia looked in the woodbox, there were no logs. There were just a few twigs left. She groaned. Only now did she remember that the village woodcutter hadn’t done his job yesterday.
What was the village woodcutter probably supposed to do for Petunia?
- plant a tree near her bakery
- bake buns for the village
- bring logs for her woodbox
- find the noisy dragon
In the story, Petunia goes to make a fire for her oven. But when she looks in the woodbox, there are no logs left. Then she remembers that the village woodcutter didn’t do his job.
A woodcutter’s job is to chop wood for people to use to make fires. But Petunia doesn’t have any wood for her oven. So, you can guess that the woodcutter was supposed to bring logs for Petunia’s woodbox.
let’s practice!
Read the first part of the story.
The Magic Machine
It seemed like any other morning in Goblinwood when Gabloon awoke. But when he peered out his window, he blinked in surprise. The fairy family next door had a big machine in their garden!
Gabloon watched the fairy mother put a chicken bone into the machine. Right away, the machine whizzed and whirred. Then, the machine spit out a whole roast chicken! Gabloon had never seen anything like it.
Later, Gabloon watched the fairy daughter put a piece of fuzz in the machine. After more whizzing and whirring, the machine spit out a pair of cosy wool socks.
That evening, he watched as the fairy son put in a teaspoon of water. Next, the machine spit out a big bath full of steaming, soapy water.
