Instructions
Read the short story below carefully. Once you have finished reading, complete the activities that follow. Try to answer in full sentences where appropriate.
The Case of the Missing Locket
The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. But the cheerful light did little to lift the gloom in the living room. Twelve-year-old Leo watched his younger sister, Maya, who was utterly distraught. Her face was red and blotchy from crying. The cause of this misery was the disappearance of their grandmother’s antique silver locket.
“I just had it this morning,” Maya sobbed, gesturing to the small, velvet-lined box on the mantelpiece. “I was just looking at it, and now it’s gone!”
Grandmother, looking worried, patted Maya’s shoulder. “Now, now, dear. It’s only an object. We’ll find it.” But Leo could see the sadness in his grandmother’s eyes; the locket was a precious family heirloom.
This was a case! Leo, an avid reader of mystery novels, felt a thrill of excitement mixed with concern. He grabbed a small notebook and a pen. “Don’t worry,” he announced in his most serious detective voice. “I will investigate.”
He started by examining the “scene of the crime.” He looked meticulously around the mantelpiece and the floor below it. He found nothing but a stray ginger-colored hair. His prime suspect was their ginger cat, Marmalade, who was currently sleeping peacefully on the armchair, looking far too innocent to be the culprit. Besides, how could a cat open the box and take only the locket?
Leo interviewed his sister. “Where did you go after you looked at the locket, Maya?”
“Nowhere!” she wailed. “I just sat on the rug to play with my dolls.”
Leo’s eyes scanned the room again, landing on the armchair where Marmalade was purring. The cat stretched, and as he did, a small, lumpy section of the cushion he was lying on became visible. Curiosity piqued, Leo gently moved the sleepy cat. Tucked deep into the crease of the armchair cushion was a small, shiny object. It was the silver locket, slightly warmed by the cat’s body. Marmalade must have playfully knocked it from the open box on the mantelpiece, and it had fallen perfectly into the chair’s crevice.
“I believe I’ve found our culprit,” Leo said with a grin, holding up the locket. “Or at least, the reason for its disappearance!”
Part 1: Comprehension Questions
Answer the following questions based on the story.
- What specific item went missing in the story?
- How did Leo know that the locket was also very important to his grandmother, even though she said it was "only an object"?
- Why did Leo decide to investigate the disappearance?
- What was the first clue Leo found, and who did it make him suspect?
- Explain in your own words how the locket ended up in the armchair.
Part 2: Vocabulary Builder
Match the word from the story with its correct definition. Write the letter of the definition next to the correct word.
| Word | Definition |
| 1. Antique _____ | A. To examine something carefully to discover the truth |
| 2. Distraught _____ | B. The person or thing responsible for a crime or problem |
| 3. Investigate _____ | C. In a way that shows great care and attention to detail |
| 4. Meticulously _____ | D. Being old and often valuable |
| 5. Culprit _____ | E. Extremely worried, upset, or agitated |
Part 3: Grammar Focus - Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (a person, place, or thing). For example, in the phrase "the red car," the word "red" is the adjective.
Find five different adjectives in the story and write them on the lines below.
- ____________________
- ____________________
- ____________________
- ____________________
- ____________________
Part 4: Creative Writing
Imagine you are Leo. Write a short entry in your "Detective's Notebook" summarizing how you solved The Case of the Missing Locket. Be sure to mention your initial suspect and how you found the real "culprit."
Answer Key
Part 1: Comprehension Questions
- The missing item was Grandmother's antique silver locket.
- Leo could see the sadness in his grandmother's eyes.
- Leo is an avid reader of mystery novels and was excited by the idea of solving a real case. He also wanted to help his upset sister and grandmother.
- The first clue Leo found was a stray ginger-colored hair. It made him suspect their ginger cat, Marmalade.
- Marmalade, the cat, likely knocked the locket off the mantelpiece while playing. It then fell down into a crease in the armchair cushion where the cat was sleeping.
Part 2: Vocabulary Builder
- Antique: D
- Distraught: E
- Investigate: A
- Meticulously: C
- Culprit: B
Part 3: Grammar Focus - Adjectives
(Accept any five of the following, or other correct adjectives from the text.)
Possible answers include: cheerful, younger, distraught, red, blotchy, antique, silver, small, velvet-lined, precious, family, avid, serious, ginger-colored, prime, innocent, sleepy, lumpy, shiny.
Part 4: Creative Writing
Answers will vary. The student's response should be written from Leo's perspective and should accurately summarize the events of the story. It should mention Maya's distress, the initial investigation, the clue of the ginger hair, the suspicion of Marmalade the cat, and the final discovery of the locket in the armchair.