Skeet walked into the office of Inspector Hopper. “My boat is missing!” he said. “Here is a picture.”
“It looks like a leaf,” said McBugg.
“It is a leaf,” said Skeet. “But it is a good boat.”
PAUSE AND THINK: What clues did they find?
Art by Doug Cushman
A Missing Boat
By Doug Cushman
From the May/June 2025 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will discuss elements of mystery stories and identify them in a fiction story.
“Where was your boat?” asked Inspector Hopper.
“At the lake,” said Skeet.
“We will go to the lake to look for clues,” said Inspector Hopper.
“This looks like a piece of my boat,” said Skeet.
“Here is another piece,” said McBugg.
“We will follow these clues,” said Inspector Hopper.
They followed the trail to Eensy Weensy.
“Have you seen this boat?” asked Inspector Hopper.
“It looks like a leaf,” said Eensy Weensy.
“It is a leaf!” said Skeet. “But it is a good boat.”
“I have not seen it,” said Eensy Weensy.
“The trail goes this way,” said Inspector Hopper.
“Hello, Sally,” said Inspector Hopper. “We are looking for this boat.”
“It looks like a leaf,” said Sally.
“It is a leaf!” said Skeet. “But it is
a good boat.”
“I have not seen it,” said Sally.
“We will keep looking,” said Inspector Hopper.
“Hello, Conrad,” said Inspector Hopper. “We are looking for this boat.”
“I have seen it!” said Conrad.
“Hooray!” said Skeet. “Where is it?”
“I ate it,” said Conrad.
“You ate my boat?” said Skeet.
“It looked like a leaf,” said Conrad. “I did not know it was your boat.”
“There are many leaves here,” said Inspector Hopper.
“Maybe Conrad can find a new boat for you.”
“I will be happy to help,” said Conrad.
“Maybe pick one that is not so yummy?” said Skeet.
“This mystery is solved,” said Inspector Hopper.
“I wonder what a boat tastes like,” said McBugg.
video
(1)
Activities
(3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key
(1)
About the Story
English Language Arts Focus
Genre
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
- Whole group
Pairings and Text Connections
- In this issue: “Alike and Different: Who Would Win? Centipede or Hornet”; “Picture This: Can Bugs Be Cute?”
- Suggested books: Inspector Hopper series by Doug Cushman
Before-Reading Resources
- Video: What Is a Mystery? (5 minutes) Use this video to introduce students to the elements of a mystery story.
Suggested Reading Focus
Comparing fiction and nonfiction (20 minutes)
- For the first reading, focus on comprehension and enjoyment. Read the story aloud while students follow along in their magazines. Model summarizing each section and asking comprehension questions at each Pause and Think. Summarize the central message of the story.
- Before the second reading, ask the students what they learned in the video, “What Is a Mystery?” Encourage them to think about what makes “A Missing Boat” a mystery story as you read it a second time. After reading, discuss the mystery elements together. What are the characters searching for? What are the clues? How do they solve the mystery?
After-Reading Skills Practice
- Skills: key details; writing; story elements (15 minutes)
Text-to-Speech