Can you solve the Thanksgiving mystery?
Learning Objective: Students will discuss elements of mystery stories and identify them in a fiction story.
My name is Gaston LeGrande, detective and chef.
Yesterday I was on my way to get marshmallows for my
best dish. Gilda Goose ran out of her hat shop.
“Gaston!” she called. “My pumpkin pie has been stolen.”
“Give me the facts,” I said.
“I baked my pie this morning,” said Gilda. “Then I set it out in the hat shop to show my helper, Sally!”
“What happened next?” I said.
“I left the pie and went to get some new ribbons,” Gilda said. “When I got back, the pie was gone. And tomorrow is Thanksgiving!”
“Does Sally like sweets?” I said.
“I don’t know,” said Gilda.
“I love a delicious mystery,”
I said. “I will look for clues.”
Inside the shop, there were hats of all kinds.
“You have very unusual hats,” I said.
“I design them all,” said Gilda.
My chef’s nose smelled sugar and pumpkin spice. The smells were from an empty hat stand.
Then I saw some crumbs on the floor. A clue!
“These look like pie crumbs,” I said.
Just then Sally came in.
“Miss Gilda!” she said. “I was just in the back counting the money. I sold one of your best hats today!”
“That is nice,” said Gilda. “But we are busy with a mystery.”
A trail of crumbs led to the door.
Suddenly, I began to see the answer to the mystery.
“Follow that trail,” I said.
The crumbs stopped at the home of Madame LaBelle. She was coming out.
“My dear Gilda!” said Madame LaBelle. “Everyone just loves my new hat!”
“It is a good hat,” I said. “But it is a better dessert!”
“You are wearing my pumpkin pie!” said Gilda.
“It looked like a new design,” said Sally. “So I glued on a ribbon and sold it.”
“Mystery solved,” I said. “Now to get my marshmallows.”
“That gives me an idea for a new hat,” said Gilda.
“Not so fast,” I said. “I think my marshmallows belong in my belly and not on my head.”
About the Story
English Language Arts Focus
Genre
Implementation
Pairings and Text Connections
Before-Reading Resources
Suggested Reading Focus
Genre (20 minutes)
After-Reading Skills Practice
