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The Zoo

Written by: Maeve O. 

The Zoo- Short story

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Maemae. She went to school for the first day. She made friends with Clare! Clare was her first friend at the school. Clare was nice; she had long hair, she was the shortest of the two, she had long eyelashes, and she wore the same purple pants and blue shirt, just like Maemae

The class went on a field trip to the zoo. But the animals were talking about humans. Maemae did not know why. “Why are you talking about humans?” asked Maemae.

“They are destroying our world,” said the animals. “The humans were throwing trash in our habitat!” The animals felt sad. She had an idea! Her idea was to save the world by cleaning up, so they cleaned the zoo. The animals thanked them for cleaning their habitats.

Clare and Maemae visited the animals every year on their birthdays. They all wore birthday hats on their special day. The end.

Talk about the Text

1. If you went to the zoo and the animals could talk to you, which animal would you want to talk to and what would you ask them?

2. Maemae and Clare helped the animals by cleaning up their habitat. What is something you can do to help pick up trash and protect the environment in your neighborhood?

3.  Have you ever had a field trip to the zoo? If so, what was your favorite thing to see or do?

About The Author

Maeve attends the Boston Teachers' Union K8 Pilot School. She likes going to the zoo and doing Irish dance, and her favorite food is pasta.

What's Next

  • Find more Story Stops.
  • Suggest a location for a Story Stop.
  • These Story Stops are part of Boston Reads. Learn more about Boston Reads.
  • If your family is part of Boston Saves, this story counts toward your child’s reading commitment! Boston Public Schools students in K2–3rd grade who explore books for 20 minutes a day, 20 days each month, can earn $5 every three months for their Boston Saves account.

    Log in to the Savings Center. In the Exploring Books box at the bottom of the page, click on the link to fill out the current Exploring Books form. Boston Saves will add the $5 to your child’s Boston Saves account within 1-2 weeks.

    Not sure if you’re a part of Boston Saves? Go here to learn more: Boston Saves.

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