Maggie and the Night Shapes
Maggie was a little green monster. She had fuzzy ears and a long tail.
Every night, Maggie went to her bed. She pulled up her soft blue blanket.
But tonight, the room was very dark. Maggie looked around her room.
She saw a tall, thin ghost by the door. It had long arms.
"Oh no!" Maggie whispered. She hid under her blanket.
The ghost did not move. It just stood there in the dark.
Then Maggie saw a big, bumpy shadow on the floor. It looked like a giant rock with many teeth.
Maggie felt her heart go thump, thump, thump. She was a monster, but she was still scared of the dark.
"Go away, scary shapes," Maggie said quietly. The shapes did not leave.
They stayed very still. Maggie reached out her hand.
She found her small lamp. Click! The light filled the room.
The tall, thin ghost was not a ghost at all. It was her purple coat hanging on the door.
The big, bumpy shadow was not a giant rock. It was her big pile of soft blocks.
Maggie saw her red ball under the chair. She saw her yellow duck on the rug.
"You are not scary," Maggie laughed. "You are just my toys!"
- Whispered:
- Spoke in a very soft and quiet voice.
- Shadow:
- A dark shape made when something blocks the light.
- Bumpy:
- Having a surface that is not flat or smooth.
- Truth:
- The real facts about something; what is actually real.
- Sweet dreams:
- Pleasant and happy thoughts or stories while sleeping.
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
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What kind of creature is Maggie?
- 2What color was the blanket Maggie pulled up in bed?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“Maggie and the Night Shapes” is a short story reading passage about Facing Fears, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (283 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.