A Place at the Table
The first thing Maya noticed about Thanksgiving in the United States was the quiet. No school buses rattled down the street, and the bakery on the corner had a sign in its window: CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY.
The second thing she noticed was the smell drifting from her aunt Rosa’s kitchen. It was warm and sweet, with a sharp hint of herbs.
“Is that the turkey?” asked her friend Leo, who had traveled with Maya and her family from Spain to visit Rosa in New Jersey.
“That’s the stuffing,” Rosa called. “The turkey is still in the oven. And before you ask, no, I didn’t get up at four in the morning to put it in.”
Leo grinned. “I wasn’t going to ask.”
“You were thinking it.”
Maya was glad to hear him laugh. For weeks, they had talked about their trip, imagining crowded city streets and enormous Thanksgiving dinners like the ones they had seen in movies. But this morning, Maya had heard Leo on the phone with his mother, promising not to forget their video call. It was his first time away from home for a holiday, and he had been unusually quiet since hanging up.
- drifting:
- Moving slowly through the air.
- grateful:
- Feeling thankful for something or someone.
- colonists:
- People who settle in a place controlled by another country.
- uncomplicated:
- Simple and without difficult parts or problems.
- observe:
- To mark or honor a day or event in a particular way.
- hesitated:
- Paused before acting, often because of uncertainty.
- rearranging:
- Changing the order or position of things.
- edible:
- Safe or suitable to eat.
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.
Point of View
Identify who presents the text and analyze how perspective shapes what the reader receives.
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.
Language & Tone
Interpret nonliteral language and analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
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
- 11. What does Leo's question about being grateful for something far away reveal about him?
- 22. How does Rosa make the gratitude activity welcoming to everyone?
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About this short story passage for 8th Grade
“A Place at the Table” is a short story reading passage about Gratitude, written for 8th Grade. It takes about 8 minutes to read (1,134 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.