Skip to content

Grade 7 (A1–A2) · Interview · 184 words

The Blue Book Box

A short interview with Ella, a 13-year-old from Modi'in who started a book swap cupboard in her neighbourhood.

Tap any word to hear it · dotted words have a definition in the glossary

🎧 Listen

1Thirteen-year-old Ella Friedman from Modi'in started a book in her last year. Our reporter, Gal, talked to her.

2Gal: What is a book ? Ella: It's a simple idea. You put a book you have already read in our book box. Then you can take a different book home. It's free for everyone.

3Gal: How did you get the idea? Ella: My room was full of books I had finished, and I didn't want to throw them away. But I wanted new books too, and they cost a lot. So I thought, why not ?

4Gal: Where is the book box? Ella: It's an old kitchen outside our building. My dad painted it blue, and we put a small roof on it to keep the books dry in winter.

5Gal: Is it ? Ella: Very! At first, there were only twenty books, all mine. Now there are often more than a hundred. Kids, parents and even grandparents use it.

6Gal: What is your for other kids? Ella: Start small. You don't need money — just books and a few good neighbours.

📘 Glossary
  • swap - an exchange: you give one thing and take another
  • neighbourhood - the area around where you live
  • throw them away - to put them in the rubbish bin
  • share - to give and use things together with other people
  • cupboard - a piece of furniture with doors, for keeping things
  • popular - liked by many people
  • advice - an idea about what someone should do

Questions

  1. Finding details

    1. How does the book swap work?
  2. Making inferences

    2. Why did Ella start the book swap?
  3. Word meaning

    3. Copy the word from Ella's second answer that means "to give and use things together with other people".
  4. Finding details

    4. What is the book box?
  5. Making inferences

    5. Why did Ella and her dad put a roof on the book box?
  6. Finding details

    6. How many books were in the box at first?
  7. Reference words

    7. In the sentence "Kids, parents and even grandparents use it", what does "it" refer to?
  8. Finding details

    8. What is Ella's advice for other kids?

Answer every question to get a score (0/8)

More Grade 7 passages

Fact text · 168 words · 8 questionsSaving the Baby TurtlesA fact text about sea turtles that lay eggs on Israel's beaches, and the volunteers who protect the nests until the babies hatch.Personal story · 157 words · 8 questionsToo Short for the Team?A personal story about Lily, the shortest girl in her class, who trained hard to get into the school basketball team.Advertisement · 162 words · 8 questionsVolunteers Wanted: Reading BuddiesA notice inviting older students to volunteer and read stories with first-grade children.Fact text · 163 words · 8 questionsWhy Do Cats Purr?A fact text about cat purring: how the sound is made and why cats purr even when they are not happy.Story · 168 words · 8 questionsBen's RobotA story about Ben, who built a robot for the science fair, and what happened when it did not work at the key moment.Fact text · 152 words · 7 questionsUp, Up and AwayA fact text about hot-air balloons: why hot air rises, who flew first and how the pilot controls the balloon.Letter · 150 words · 8 questionsJoin the Class Cooking Contest!An email from the class committee inviting students to a cooking contest: the rules, the prizes and what not to bring.Diary · 143 words · 7 questionsDear Diary: My First DayA diary entry by Noa, who moved house and started at a new school: her fear, her embarrassment and a nice surprise.Personal story · 161 words · 8 questionsMy First Day at the Dog ShelterA personal story about Shira, 13, who volunteers at a dog shelter for the first time and bonds with an old dog named Lucky.Fact text · 161 words · 8 questionsWhy Is the Dead Sea So Salty?A short fact text explaining how water evaporates and salt stays behind in the Dead Sea, and why it is easy to float there.Advertisement · 168 words · 8 questionsGrade 7 Trip to the GalileeA notice for students and parents about the Grade 7 trip to the Galilee: what happens each day, what to bring and which rules to follow.Letter · 156 words · 8 questionsHello from Toronto!An email from Mia, who moved with her family to Toronto, to her cousin Lily about the snow, her new school and a new friend.Fact text · 166 words · 8 questionsHunting with SoundA short fact text explaining how bats use high sounds and echoes to find insects in the dark.Story · 180 words · 8 questionsThe King Who Was AfraidA story about Dan, who gets the part of a king in the class play and is afraid to go on stage, and the idea that helps him.Interview · 172 words · 8 questionsMeet the Robot BuilderA short school-newspaper interview with Max, 14, who builds Lego robots and tells how he started and what his advice is.Diary · 167 words · 8 questionsA Night Under the Desert SkyA diary page about a family camping night near Mitzpe Ramon: a sky full of stars, the Milky Way and a shooting star.Fact text · 165 words · 8 questionsHow Do Penguins Keep Warm?A short fact text explaining how penguins stay warm with fat, feathers and standing close together in a group.Advertisement · 161 words · 8 questionsLet's Make Music!A notice about a weekend music workshop for kids at a community centre: what they do, when, how much it costs and what to bring.Story · 188 words · 8 questionsThe Wallet on the BusA story about Omer, who found a wallet on the bus and returned it to its owner, and learned what was really important inside it.Diary · 186 words · 8 questionsThe Night the Lights Went OutA diary entry by a girl from Karmiel about a power cut on a stormy night that became a lovely family evening.Fact text · 186 words · 8 questionsWhy Do We Have Seasons?A short fact text explaining that the seasons happen because the Earth is tilted, not because of its distance from the Sun.Letter · 176 words · 8 questionsA Letter to the PrincipalA letter from a seventh-grade girl to the school principal, asking for a water fountain in the yard and explaining why.Personal story · 185 words · 8 questionsGrandpa OnlineA personal story about Yael, who taught her grandfather from the kibbutz to make video calls, and now they talk every week.Personal story · 173 words · 8 questionsNever Too LateA simple personal story about Anna, a 12-year-old who overcame her fear and learned to swim.Fact text · 171 words · 8 questionsHow Do Bees Make Honey?A short fact text that explains, step by step, how honeybees turn nectar from flowers into honey.Human-interest article · 164 words · 8 questionsMaya's Bird CaféA short article about Maya, an 11-year-old who built a bird feeder from old things she found at home.News report · 150 words · 8 questionsLost Rabbit Found in School GardenA light news report about a pet rabbit that escaped from its cage and was found eating lettuce in a school garden.Review · 157 words · 8 questionsMy Review: A Class Trip to Green Hills Nature ReserveA review by a student about a class trip to a (made-up) nature reserve: what was good, what was not, and what advice she gives.Opinion article · 162 words · 8 questionsEvery School Needs a Recycling ContestAn opinion article by a student who argues that every school should have a recycling contest, with reasons and an opposing view.

← All Grade 7 passages · All reading comprehension