Episode 4: The Library Adventure

Hi there, and welcome back to Classes with Cass—the podcast where you learn English through stories! I’m your host, Cass, and today, we’re going on a little adventure to one of my favourite places—the library!

In this episode, you’ll hear a story filled with useful vocabulary about books, reading, and exploring a library. Listen carefully and see if you recognize any of the words. If you miss a word or want to follow along with this episode, you can find the transcripts on my website classeswithcass.com.

Before we start, here’s a little note about today’s story: it’s told in the simple and continuous past tenses. This means you’ll hear verbs in their past forms, like walked, found, said, and decided. Listening to stories in the simple past tense is a great way to get used to how past events are described in English!

Are you ready? Let’s begin!

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Mia loved books. She could spend hours reading stories about adventures, mysteries, and faraway places. One Saturday morning, she decided to visit the library to find a new book to read.

She got her library card, put on her jacket, and walked to the big brick building at the end of her street. As she stepped inside, the smell of old books and fresh coffee filled the air. It was quiet, except for the soft sound of pages turning and the clicking of a librarian’s keyboard.

Mia smiled. She felt at home.

She wandered through the aisles, running her fingers along the spines of books. Should she choose a mystery? A fantasy novel? Or maybe a history book? She pulled out a few books and read the summaries on the back covers. Each one sounded interesting, but she still couldn’t decide.

As she was about to pick a book about famous explorers, she heard a whisper.

"Psst! Excuse me… can you help me?"

Mia turned around. A little boy, about seven years old, was standing there holding an open book upside down.

"I think I lost my place," he said sadly.

Mia smiled and gently turned the book the right way. "What are you reading?"

"A story about a pirate," he said excitedly. "But I forgot which page I was on."

Mia pointed to the corner of the book. "Look! The page number is right here. Were you on page 22?"

The boy’s eyes lit up. "Yes! That’s it! Thank you!"

Just then, the librarian walked over. "I see you’ve made a new friend, Mia. Are you looking for a book today?"

"Yes! But I can’t decide what to read," Mia said.

The librarian smiled and handed her a book. "Try this one. It’s a wonderful adventure story. I think you’ll love it."

Mia took the book, read the title, and grinned. "This looks perfect!"

As she walked toward the checkout desk, she spotted a cozy reading corner with big couches and a large window. A few people were sitting there, quietly reading. She reminded herself to come back and spend an afternoon reading there one day.

Before leaving, she sat down for a moment, flipping through the first few pages of her new book. The story was about a young girl who found a secret door in a library. Mia loved stories like this—full of mystery and adventure.

After checking out her book, she stepped outside, feeling the cool breeze on her face. The sun was shining, and she decided to take a short walk before heading home. She passed by a small café and thought, Maybe I’ll stop for a cup of tea and start my book there.

Mia found a seat by the window, opened her book, and started reading. The first page pulled her in right away—it was about a young girl discovering a hidden treasure map. She sipped her tea and turned the page, completely lost in the story.

She looked around the café. Other people were reading too. One man was reading a newspaper, a woman was studying from a textbook, and a little girl was looking at a colourful picture book. Mia smiled, feeling happy to be surrounded by people who loved books as much as she did.

After a while, she checked the time and realized she had been reading for almost an hour! She packed up her book, finished her tea, and started walking home, excited to continue reading her book later that evening.

She smiled. It turned out to be a perfect day.

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What did you think of Mia’s visit to the library? In this story, you heard many words related to books and reading. Let’s go over some of them:

Library – A place where you can borrow books. 

Librarian – A person who works in a library and helps people find books. 

Aisle – A space between shelves where books are kept. 

Spine – The outer part of a book that holds the pages together. 

Check out – When you borrow a book from the library. 

Library card – A card that allows you to borrow books from the library. 

Summary – A short description of a book’s story. 

Cozy – Warm, comfortable, and inviting.

Try using these words in sentences! You could say:

"I checked out a new book from the library today." 

"The librarian helped me find a great mystery novel." 

"I love walking through the aisles and choosing books to read." 

"This café is so cozy! It’s the perfect place to read."

Or, if you want a bigger challenge, try writing your own short story about visiting a library!

That’s all for today’s episode of Classes with Cass: The Podcast! I hope you enjoyed Mia’s library adventure and learned some useful words.

If you liked this episode, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a story! And if you want to practice more, listen again and repeat the phrases out loud.

Until next time—keep learning, keep practicing, and keep exploring new stories!

See you soon!