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The story: Empire Jeans and the Pocket Surprise

Leo laid his new Empire Jeans on his bed. The legs were wide, and the pockets were deep. Several boys in his class wore baggy jeans like these.

Leo liked how the soft denim felt. He could bend his knees and sit on the floor without feeling squeezed.

Before school, he folded a tiny paper kite. He tucked it into one of the big pockets.

At recess, his friend Ben pointed at the jeans. “Those pockets look huge! What is inside?”

“A surprise,” Leo said.

He reached into his pocket. Out came the bright red, blue, yellow, and green kite. Its long paper tail curled around his hand.

“Can it fly?” asked Amir.

“Let’s find out,” Leo said.

The boys walked to an open spot in the schoolyard. Leo held up the kite, but it dropped onto the grass.

Ben looked at the tail. “It might be too heavy.”

Amir helped Leo shorten it. Then they tried again. A small breeze caught the paper. The kite lifted and bobbed above Leo’s hand.

All three boys cheered.

“Your jeans are cool,” Ben said. “But that kite is even cooler.”

Leo grinned. He liked his new jeans, but sharing a good idea with his friends felt better than showing off new clothes.

After recess, he tucked the kite back into his pocket. There was still room for tomorrow’s adventure.

Words to explore

Baggy means loose and roomy.

Denim is the strong cotton fabric used to make jeans.

A breeze is a gentle wind.

Bobbed means moved up and down.

Think and talk

1. What did Leo put in his pocket before school?

Use a voice recording

2. Why did the boys shorten the kite’s tail?

Use a voice recording

3. How did Ben and Amir help Leo?

Use a voice recording

4. What do you think Leo liked more: showing his jeans or sharing his kite? Find a clue in the story.

Use a voice recording

5. What does “baggy” mean in this story?

Use a voice recording

Your turn to write

Write 3–5 sentences about something you would carry in a big pocket. What is it? Why would you take it? What could you do with it?

Use a voice recording

Start with: “If I had a big pocket, I would carry…”

A note about this story

This is a made-up story for reading practice. The characters and events are fictional.

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AssignmentsGrade 3ReadingWriting