The Birthdays That Went Wrong
Ben loves birthdays more than anyone else in the world. He knows almost by heart who loves which cake, which present will make someone happy, and which surprise will bring the biggest smile. One day, when all the birthday parties in the neighborhood start getting strangely mixed up, Ben finds himself at the door of a secret world that no one knows about. There, as he and his new friends try to rescue one colorful celebration after another, he begins to discover what truly makes birthdays special. A story about joy, friendship, and the magic of unforgettable moments, The Birthdays That Went Wrong invites children on an enchanting party adventure full of balloons, cakes, and surprises.
Free story — no account needed to read it.
20 Minutes
3 Endings
8-12
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About This Story
“The Birthdays That Went Wrong” is an interactive adventure story for children aged 8-12, about 20 minutes long. The reader decides how it goes at 10 choice points, and there are 3 different endings. It is free to read on Kitapz, with no account needed.
- Age range
- 8-12 years
- Reading time
- about 20 minutes
- Genre
- Adventure
- Format
- Interactive · 10 choice points · 3 endings
- Language
- English, Turkish
- Access
- Free, no account needed
- Characters
- Lina, Ben, Pompom, Master Archie the Party Maker
- Values
- Teamwork, Responsibility, Friendship
- Reading support
- dyslexia-friendly font, bionic reading, color-blindness filters
An Excerpt from the Story
Ben counts the nine boxes in front of the shelf, one by one, with his finger.
Ben:
“Seven, eight, nine! Nine parties, one tick for every name on my list.”
Master Archie lights the candle on the counter and sets the tray of bronze rings on the table.
Master Archie the Party Maker:
“Well, the Day Candle is lit. What do you think our seven rings will be enough for?”
Ben:
“Here's what we can do: let's head out for the first delivery right away!”
Ben holds up the list from his pocket and reaches for the first box's ribbon.
Ben (thinking):
I have to hand out every single surprise perfectly today.
Ben:
“Wait a second! What's this? Why is this ribbon's knot so loose?”
“The Birthdays That Went Wrong” · Ages 8-12 · kitapz.com
school For Parents and Teachers
In this story, children help Ben deliver nine birthday boxes on time after all their labels fall off. Time is measured by rings dropping from the burning Day Candle, so readers work out with Ben and rule-loving Lina how many trips they can make. Choices decide whether Ben carries the list alone and whether the boxes are opened.
What will children learn from this story?
- Practices combining facts such as nine parties, seven rings and a cart that holds one box, using multiplication and division to work out how many deliveries fit into a day.
- Learns why it helps to count the time, spare ribbons and cart space you have and to make a plan before starting a job.
- Notices that written rules can't cover every situation and thinks about what to do when the rules say nothing.
- Thinks about the difference between carrying a heavy responsibility alone and asking friends for help.
Curriculum links: Maths, Life skills, Language arts
Fact Box
Can you tell the time with a candle?
Yes. A candle clock is a candle marked with evenly spaced lines, so you can see how much time has passed as it burns down past each mark. King Alfred the Great of Wessex, in 9th-century England, is said to have used six candles about 12 inches (30 cm) tall and marked every inch; each mark took about 20 minutes to burn, and the six candles, burned one after another, lasted 24 hours.
Source: Wikipedia
Why do we put candles on birthday cakes?
No one knows exactly how the custom began. It is often linked to Kinderfest, a traditional German festival celebrating children, and German immigrants later brought the birthday candle tradition to the United States. Cakes came to be topped with one lit candle for each year of life, sometimes with an extra candle said to stand for the "light of life".
Source: National Geographic
Reading Comprehension Questions (5W1H)
The questions cover the opening that every reader sees, whatever they choose. Tap a question to see the answer.
-
Who? Who reads the party rules from a notebook and counts everything off as "number one, number two"?
Answer: Lina, who keeps the rulebook.
-
What? What problem does Ben find when he turns back to the shelf?
Answer: All the labels have fallen on the floor, and their sticky parts are so full of confetti dust that they won't stick, so nobody can tell the nine identical boxes apart.
-
Where? Where do the party boxes have to go?
Answer: To the doors standing in a long row along the hillside path below the window.
-
When? According to Lina's rule, when does the door close?
Answer: When the seventh ring of the Day Candle melts.
-
Why? Why does Ben say they can't peek inside the boxes?
Answer: If they cut the ribbons they can't tie them again, a box without a ribbon doesn't count as a party, and there are only three spare ribbons in the chest.
-
How? How do Ben and Lina work out how many boxes can go out today?
Answer: The cart holds one box and every trip takes two rings, so once one ring is used up tidying the shelf, the six rings left are only enough for three trips.
Questions to Talk About After Reading
- At the first choice, did you have Ben carry the list all by himself, or tell Lina and Pompom everything? Why did you pick that path?
- Have you ever tried to finish a big job on your own and then asked for help? How did asking feel?
- Lina wants to do everything by the rulebook, but page twelve is blank. What do you think people should do when the rules say nothing about a situation?
- Is it better to do something perfectly but late, or unfinished but on time? When would you choose each one?
Word List
- rulebook
- A book that lists the rules for how something must be done; Lina's rulebook holds the rules for parties.
- bronze
- A strong, reddish-brown metal made by mixing copper with tin; the rings on Master Archie's tray are made of it.
- tick
- A small check mark you put next to something on a list to show it has been done.
- hillside
- The sloping side of a hill.
- doorstep
- The step or flat stone right in front of the door of a house.
- satin
- A smooth, shiny cloth; Lina's three spare ribbons are made of it.
Activity Idea
Use nine scraps of paper as boxes and seven buttons as rings, and act out the rule that every trip costs two buttons to find out how many boxes can be delivered in one day. Then write your own party rule for the blank page twelve of Lina's rulebook.
Completion Rewards
What you'll earn when you finish this story: