Which ages is this activity for?

It is designed for Grade 1 (Reading: Literature) and works well for whole-class, small-group, or independent practice.

Bea's Two Bookshelves — Story Book or Fact Book? (Grade 1)

Bea the bookworm keeps two bookshelves: one for STORY books that tell a make-believe tale, and one for FACT books that teach you about real things. Read the three book covers, then tap the one Bea asks for — a make-believe story, or a book of real facts. A Grade 1 reading game about telling story books from informational books, aligned to Common Core RL.1.5.

Grade 1·Reading: Literature·RL.1.5

About this activity

Bea the bookworm keeps two bookshelves — one for make-believe story books and one for fact books about real things — and the child helps her shelve them right. Three covers appear, each with a title and a one-line blurb, such as 'The Sleepy Dragons' (two dragons look for a nap), 'All About Real Bugs' (where bugs live), and 'Diggers and Cranes' (how real machines lift and dig). It's a Grade 1 reading activity that runs in any browser with no account.

Bea asks for either a story book or a fact book, and the child taps the cover that fits. The blurbs are the clue: dragons looking for a nap and a goblin hunting socks are pretend, while bones in your body and how bees make honey are real. Because every round mixes a true book in with the pretend ones, the child has to read each blurb and decide make-believe or real — the first step in telling literature from informational text.

It is aligned to Common Core RL.1.5 — explaining major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.

What's inside this activity

Designed for Grade 1 learners (ages about 6–7)
Common Core strand: Reading: Literature
Aligned to Common Core standard RL.1.5

How to play

Read the three book covers on Bea's shelf, with their titles and blurbs.

Tap the book Bea asks for — a make-believe story, or a book of real facts.

Not quite? Try again as many times as you like — there is no timer and no score.

What your child practices

Reading a book's title and blurb to decide what kind of book it is
Telling a make-believe story from a book of real facts
Choosing the story book, or the fact book, that Bea asks for
Noticing clues like dragons and goblins versus bones, bees, and machines

Learning goals

Tell story books apart from fact (informational) books — the focus of Common Core RL.1.5.

Use a short blurb to decide whether a book is make-believe or real.

Build early awareness of genre that supports both reading for fun and reading to learn.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Bea's Two Bookshelves — Story Book or Fact Book? (Grade 1) activity teach?: Bea's Two Bookshelves — Story Book or Fact Book? (Grade 1) is an interactive activity for Grade 1, focused on Reading: Literature. Children play it right in the browser — no printing, login, or setup required.
Which ages is this activity for?: It is designed for Grade 1 (Reading: Literature) and works well for whole-class, small-group, or independent practice.

Practice this standard

See all RL.1.5 activities