The Secret of Apartment 4B

by Oliver Drake

A boy, a door, and a surprising sound.

Grade 1: Early readers10 pages

A curious child investigates strange sounds from the mysterious neighbor's apartment and discovers a heartwarming secret

Characters

Kenji

Mrs. Chen

+2 more

Minimalist Nordic

Story Arc

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.

Later, Kenji ate a snack. He heard his Mom talking. “Such odd noises from Mrs. Chen’s,” she said softly. Kenji listened closely.

The next afternoon, Kenji walked past again. The sound was louder today. It was like a high, humming song. Kenji wondered what it was.

“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.

Kenji walked to Mrs. Chen’s door. The humming sound was very clear now. He took a deep breath. *Knock, knock!* The music stopped.

The door opened slowly. Mrs. Chen peered out. “Hello, Kenji!” she said with a soft smile. Kenji held up the cookies.

“For you!” Kenji said. Mrs. Chen took the plate. Kenji peered inside her apartment. He saw a shiny, brown violin on a stand.

“Is that a violin?” Kenji asked. Mrs. Chen’s smile grew. “Yes! I am learning to play,” she said. “That was my practice music.”

Kenji smiled widely. The strange sounds made sense now. Mrs. Chen was not odd at all. She was a musician!

“Thank you for the cookies!” Mrs. Chen waved. “Bye, Mrs. Chen!” Kenji called. He felt happy walking home. He learned something new today.

Make one of your own next.

strange: Something that is unusual or different.; A soft, strange sound came from down the hall.
paused: To stop for a little while.; Kenji paused his game.
odd: Unusual or strange.; “Such odd noises from Mrs. Chen’s,” she said softly.
closely: Paying very careful attention.; Kenji listened closely.
humming: A low, steady sound, like singing with your mouth closed.; It was like a high, humming song.
wondered: To want to know or guess something.; Kenji wondered what it was.
handed: To give something to someone with your hand.; She handed him a plate.
peered: To look at something carefully, especially when it's hard to see.; Mrs. Chen peered out.
violin: A musical instrument that you play with a bow and has four strings.; He saw a shiny, brown violin on a stand.
practice: To do something many times to get better at it.; “That was my practice music.”
musician: A person who plays a musical instrument or sings.; She was a musician!

Questions to ask after reading together.

1
Why do you think Kenji was curious about the sounds from Mrs. Chen’s apartment?
2
How did Kenji feel when he learned Mrs. Chen was playing the violin?
3
What is something new you learned today, like Kenji?