Barnaby's Special Bubbles
Barnaby was a small, green dragon.
He lived on a high, rocky mountain.
He had shiny scales and a long tail.
He had two small, flappy wings.
All his friends could breathe hot fire.
They made big clouds of gray smoke.
They could toast marshmallows for a snack.
They looked like very strong dragons.
Barnaby tried to breathe fire too.
He opened his mouth very wide.
He squeezed his tummy very hard.
He took a very deep breath.
But no fire came out of his mouth.
Only shiny, wet bubbles came out.
The bubbles were pink and blue.
They floated softly in the morning air.
Barnaby felt very sad and small.
"I am not a real dragon," he sighed.
He sat on a big, flat rock.
He watched his friends blow fire.
One day, a very strong wind blew.
It shook the tall, old pine trees.
A small bird nest began to fall.
The nest was high up in a tree.
Three tiny blue eggs were in the nest.
The mother bird was very scared.
She chirped and flapped her wings.
The nest slipped off the branch.
The other dragons ran to the tree.
They tried to catch the falling nest.
But their fire was much too hot.
Their smoke made it hard to see.
- Breathe:
- To take air into your lungs and send it out again.
- Float:
- To move slowly through the air or on top of water.
- Hero:
- A person or animal who is very brave and helps others.
- Gift:
- A special talent or something that makes a person special.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts â 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
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What color is Barnaby and where does he live?
- 2What two things do Barnaby's friends breathe out of their mouths?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
âBarnaby's Special Bubblesâ is a short story reading passage about Self-Acceptance, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (378 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.