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Level I (Grade 1)
11 New Words
The Secret of Apartment 4B
by Oliver Drake
A curious child investigates strange sounds from the mysterious neighbor's apartment and discovers a heartwarming secret
–
Show story details
1/31/2026
10 pages
Meet the Characters
Kenji
Mrs. Chen
+2 more
Style
Minimalist Nordic
Story
Story Arc
Order
Order Book
Realistic Fiction
Kindness
Acceptance
Curiosity
Slice of Life
Problem Solving
Love of Learning
+7 more
A boy, a door, and a surprising sound.
Page 1
Kenji played in the hallway. A soft,
strange
sound came from down the hall. It came from Mrs. Chen's door. Kenji
paused
his game.
Page 2
Later, Kenji ate a snack. He heard his Mom talking. "Such
odd
noises from Mrs. Chen's," she said softly. Kenji listened
closely
.
Page 3
The next afternoon, Kenji walked past again. The sound was louder today. It was like a high,
humming
song. Kenji
wondered
what it was.
Page 4
"Kenji, please take these cookies," Kenji's Mom said. She
handed
him a plate. "Give them to Mrs. Chen." Kenji nodded and took the plate.
Page 5
Kenji walked to Mrs. Chen's door. The
humming
sound was very clear now. He took a deep breath. *Knock, knock!* The music stopped.
Page 6
The door opened slowly. Mrs. Chen
peered
out. "Hello, Kenji!" she said with a soft smile. Kenji held up the cookies.
Page 7
"For you!" Kenji said. Mrs. Chen took the plate. Kenji
peered
inside her apartment. He saw a shiny, brown
violin
on a stand.
Page 8
"Is that a
violin
?" Kenji asked. Mrs. Chen's smile grew. "Yes! I am learning to play," she said. "That was my
practice
music."
Page 9
Kenji smiled widely. The
strange
sounds made sense now. Mrs. Chen was not
odd
at all. She was a
musician
!
Page 10
"Thank you for the cookies!" Mrs. Chen waved. "Bye, Mrs. Chen!" Kenji called. He felt happy walking home. He learned something new today.
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