Nolan and the Missing Brick cover

Nolan and the Missing Brick

by Thomas Chen

A grand adventure to build a rocket!

Grade 2: Transitional readers10 pages

A wonderful story: Nolan and the Missing Brick

Characters

Nolan

Nolan

Jake

Jake

Style

Gouache & Opaque

Gouache & Opaque

Story

Story Arc

Page 1
1
Nolan and Jake loved building rockets. Today was perfect for their biggest one yet. Legobricks lay all around Nolan’s cozy room. “Almost done!” Nolan said, smiling.
Page 2
2
Jake pointed to the top of the rocket. “We need one more special blue brick,” Jake said. Nolan looked at the rocket. He looked at the floor. His brow furrowed. “Where is it?”
Page 3
3
They looked in the big red bin. They looked under the soft yellow blanket. No blue brick! It was not there. Nolan let out a small sigh.
Page 4
4
Jake crawled under Nolan’s bed. He pushed aside a robot toy and a book. “Anything there?” Nolan asked, peeking. Jake shook his head. “No luck!”
Page 5
5
Nolan sat up, thinking hard. “Maybe it rolled somewhere tricky,” Nolan wondered. Jake snapped his fingers. “The toy box!” Nolan’s eyes lit up. “Good idea!”
Page 6
6
They hurried to the tall wooden toy box. They lifted the lid. Blocks and cars filled it. Nolan carefully moved the toys around. Jake peered into every corner.
Page 7
7
No blue brick in the toy box either. Nolan leaned against his bookshelf, disappointed. His eyes scanned the colorful books. Then, a tiny spark of memory.
Page 8
8
“I remember!” Nolan suddenly said. He pointed to a gap on the shelf. Behind a big green book, it was hiding! The perfect blue brick, waiting.
Page 9
9
Nolan carefully placed the blue brick. Click! It fit perfectly on top. The rocket stood tall and proud. They had found it together!
Page 10
10
“Blast off!” Nolan yelled happily. They held the rocket high. It zoomed through the air, their amazing creation. Another adventure, built by best friends.
Back cover

The end

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Words to know

cozy
Warm, comfortable, and safe, like a favorite blanket.
Legobricks lay all around Nolan’s cozy room.
furrowed
When your eyebrows wrinkle together because you are thinking hard or are worried.
His brow furrowed. “Where is it?”
sigh
To let out a long breath because you are tired, sad, or relieved.
Nolan let out a small sigh.
peeking
Looking quickly and secretly, often from a hidden spot.
“Anything there?” Nolan asked, peeking.
luck
Good fortune or a happy chance that happens by accident.
Jake shook his head. “No luck!”
tricky
Difficult to find or deal with because it is hidden or confusing.
“Maybe it rolled somewhere tricky,” Nolan wondered.
snapped
To move your fingers together quickly with a short sound.
Jake snapped his fingers. “The toy box!”
hurried
To move or go somewhere very quickly.
They hurried to the tall wooden toy box.
disappointed
Feeling sad because something you hoped for did not happen.
Nolan leaned against his bookshelf, disappointed.
scanned
To look over something quickly, checking every part.
His eyes scanned the colorful books.
creation
Something that has been made or built, like a toy rocket.
It zoomed through the air, their amazing creation.

Talk about it

Questions to ask after reading together.

  1. 1

    What did Nolan and Jake do when they couldn’t find the blue brick?

  2. 2

    How did Nolan feel when he finally remembered where the blue brick was?

  3. 3

    What is something you like to build or create with a friend?

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