A Bedtime Friend for Leo


Leo brushed his teeth. He put on his warm pajamas.
It was time for bed. Leo climbed into his soft blankets with a picture book.
Then, Leo heard a tiny sound. It came from under his bed.
Scratch, scratch, tap.
Leo peeked over the edge of the mattress.
Two big, round eyes blinked back at him. The creature had fuzzy purple fur.
It had two floppy ears and a round tummy.
"Hello?" whispered Leo.
"Mumble, mumble," said the creature in a low, gentle voice.
Leo was not afraid. The fuzzy monster smiled a wide, friendly smile.
The monster pushed a small red book out from under the bed. It pointed a fuzzy finger at the cover.
"Do you like books?" asked Leo.
The monster nodded its big head. "Mumble, mumble!" it chirped.
"My name is Leo," the boy said. "I will call you Mumbles."
Mumbles clapped his soft paws together.
Leo hopped out of bed and sat on the cozy rug. He patted the space next to him.
Mumbles waddled out from under the bed. He sat right beside Leo.
Leo opened his book about a silver rocket ship. Mumbles leaned close to look at the bright pictures.
Leo read every word out loud in a calm voice. Mumbles listened quietly and smiled.
- pajamas:
- Comfortable clothes worn for sleeping in bed.
- creature:
- A living animal or monster.
- floppy:
- Bending or hanging loosely instead of staying stiff.
- gentle:
- Quiet, soft, and careful not to hurt or scare anyone.
- waddled:
- Walked with short steps while swaying from side to side.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What did Leo do before climbing into bed?
- 2What sound did Leo hear coming from under his bed?
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About this fiction passage for Lower Elementary
“A Bedtime Friend for Leo” is a fiction reading passage about Bedtime Stories, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (253 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.


