📚 Stories to Read
28 short texts in five levels. Tap any word to hear it, press "Read it to me" to listen to the whole text, then answer the questions.
🌱 Level 1
Very short texts in simple present-tense sentences, about everyday things.
Story🐱 My Cat MitziA child describes the family cat, Mitzi: what she looks like and what she does every day.Fable🦁 The Lion and the MouseA tiny mouse wakes a big lion, and later turns out to be the one who can save him.Story🏖️ A Day at the BeachA family spends a hot day at the beach with a sand castle, watermelon and a sunset.Fact text🐪 CamelsA short fact text about camels: where they live, what is in a hump and why they are called ships of the desert.Diary🎂 My BirthdayJonah writes a diary entry about his ninth birthday: a crown at school, a park party and a gift from a friend.
🌿 Level 2
Stories, fables, letters and short fact texts, now with the past tense.
Fable🐜 The Ant and the GrasshopperA busy ant prepares for winter while a grasshopper only sings and dances. What happens when the cold arrives?Fact text🌙 Our Neighbor, the MoonWhy the Moon seems to change shape, why nothing lives there and who has walked on it.Letter✉️ A Letter from the KibbutzGrandma Rina writes to her granddaughter Tamar about the first rain, picking avocados and a new chicken coop.Fact text🐦 The Hoopoe: Israel's National BirdHow the hoopoe was chosen as a national bird, what it looks like and what it eats.Story🍉 Lost in the MarketElla gets lost in a busy market in Washington, D.C. and remembers exactly what to do.Diary🚲 Dear Diary: My New BikeA girl writes about the bike she got for her birthday and her first ride with her brother.
🌳 Level 3
Medium-length texts about nature, space and travel, plus diaries and emails.
Fact text🌊 The Dead SeaThe lowest place on land: why people float in it, why it is called dead and why it is shrinking.Fable🐺 The Boy Who Cried WolfThe well-known fable of a young shepherd who shouted "Wolf!" as a joke until a real wolf came.Diary🌄 Sunrise at MasadaA diary from a school trip: climbing the Snake Path in the dark and watching the sun rise over the Dead Sea.Fact text🐢 Sea Turtles on Israel's BeachesLarge sea turtles lay their eggs on quiet beaches. Learn about the danger of city lights and the people who protect the nests.Fact text🔴 Mars, the Red PlanetWhy Mars is red, how cold it gets, the biggest volcano in the solar system and the robots that explore it.Letter📧 An Email from HaifaShira writes to a pen pal in Canada about her city: the mountain, the tiny underground train and the Baha’i Gardens.
🍀 Level 4
Longer fact texts, a fable, a diary and a letter for confident readers.
Fact text🌋 How Volcanoes WorkWhat magma and lava are, where most volcanoes are found and what is left of volcanoes in the Golan Heights.Fable☀️ The North Wind and the SunA contest between the North Wind and the Sun: who can make a traveler take off his coat?Diary📦 Four Hundred BoxesA teenager writes about volunteering at a food bank for the first time and packing holiday food boxes.Fact text🛰️ A Home in OrbitHow fast the International Space Station travels, what life is like without gravity and the second Israeli in space.Fact text🐐 Ein Gedi: An Oasis in the DesertWhere the springs come from, which animals live there and what ancient finds tell us about the oasis.Letter💌 A Letter to My Future SelfA fourteen-year-old writes to herself ten years from now about her life, her dreams and her questions.
🎓 Level 5
Long articles, an opinion essay and short stories with more complex ideas.
Fact text🦈 The Sharks of HaderaWhy dozens of sharks gather every winter near a power station, what researchers learn and why you should keep your distance.Story🚌 The Last BusNolan misses the last bus home and meets an old man on the bench who has a story of his own.Fact text🌌 Where Did the Stars Go?Light pollution: why most people can no longer see the Milky Way, how it harms animals and people, and how to fix it.Opinion essay📝 Should Homework Be Banned?A student argues about homework, with points for and against, and suggests another way.Story⌚ Grandpa's WatchYael inherits an old pocket watch and discovers her grandfather's story of coming to a new country.