Stories: Characters, Setting, Plot and Lesson

A character is someone who takes part in a story. People, animals, and made-up creatures can be characters. A toy can be one, too, when it talks or thinks.

Read “The Red Kite”

“On a windy Saturday morning, Maya and her grandpa took her new red kite to Hill Park. Up, up, up went the kite! Then a big gust of wind pulled the string right out of Maya’s hands. The kite flew into a tall oak tree and got stuck. Maya’s eyes filled with tears. She jumped as high as she could, but she could not reach it. Grandpa stayed calm. He stretched up his long arms, but the kite was too high for him too. Then Maya saw a park worker with a long pole. ‘Excuse me, can you help us?’ she asked. The worker reached up and gently lifted the kite down. Maya smiled and hugged her kite. This time, she wrapped the string around her wrist.”

Who takes part?

Look for names, such as “Maya,” and words such as “Grandpa.” Job words, such as “park worker,” can name characters, too. Words such as “she,” “he,” “they,” and “I” help you follow them. Pictures can show who is there.

Maya, Grandpa, and the park worker are characters. Maya jumps and asks for help. Grandpa reaches up. The worker gets the kite down. The kite moves because wind pushes it. It does not think, speak, or make choices, so it is an object in this story. In another story, a talking kite could be a character.

The main character is the one the story is mostly about. Here, that is Maya. We follow her problem and what she does about it. Grandpa and the worker help her. Some stories have two main characters, such as friends sharing an adventure.

Say more than a name

To describe a character, tell a detail about them. Use what they look like, say, do, or feel. “Grandpa” names someone. “Grandpa stays calm and stretches his long arms toward the kite” describes him.

Try this description: “Maya keeps trying to reach her kite. Then she politely asks for help.” Her actions and words support it. The story does not give her age, so an age would be a guess.

The setting is where and when a story happens. A place might be a kitchen, a forest, or the moon. A time might be morning, winter, or long ago. Weather can be an important part of the setting.

Follow the clues

In “The Red Kite,” the setting is Hill Park on a windy Saturday morning. “Hill Park” names the place. “Saturday morning” tells the time. The wind matters because it carries Maya’s kite into the tree.

Sometimes a story gives clues instead of naming the setting. Read this: “Stars shone in the dark sky. The campers zipped their sleeping bags.” The dark sky and stars suggest night. A picture might add a tent and trees, suggesting a campsite. Say what the clues show: “I think they are at a campsite at night because…” A moon alone is not enough to tell the time. You can sometimes see the moon during the day. When there are no time clues, say the story does not tell the time.

Settings can change

Read “Kai’s Big Swim”:

“Kai, a little turtle, wondered where the river went. One morning he left his pond and swam down the river. He passed a heron’s nest in the reeds and met a friendly frog. At last the river opened into a huge, sparkling lake. Kai stared and stared. Then he swam all the way back to his pond to tell his family what he had seen.”

Follow the places in order: pond, river, lake, pond. The river’s nest and reeds are setting details, too. A story can have several settings as a character travels.

Notice the kind of place and its feeling

A familiar setting is like a place you know. A school or store can be familiar. A fantasy setting could not exist in real life. A castle resting on a cloud is a fantasy setting.

Setting words can create the mood, the feeling of a story. “A door creaked in the dark, empty hallway” feels spooky. “Warm sunlight danced on the beach” feels cheerful. The words shape the feeling, even before anyone speaks.

Ask how the setting changes the action. Maya’s kite adventure needs wind. Indoors on a calm day, that same gust could not pull her kite into a park tree. When you describe the setting, include the place and time. A person’s name tells who, not where or when.

An event is something that happens. The plot is the main events and how they fit together. A major event is a big event that changes the story. Some details help you picture a scene without moving the story along.

Keep the big changes

Ask, “If I leave this out, can someone still follow the story?” In “The Red Kite,” the kite getting stuck is a major event. Without it, Maya would have no reason to ask for help. The tree being an oak is a small detail. A listener can understand the problem without knowing the kind of tree.

Here are the big events in order:

1. Maya and Grandpa go to Hill Park to fly her kite.
2. Wind pulls the string away, and the kite gets stuck.
3. Maya jumps and Grandpa stretches, but neither reaches it.
4. Maya asks a park worker for help.
5. The worker lifts the kite down, and Maya holds it more securely.

The failed tries matter. They explain why Maya needs someone with a different way to reach the kite.

Put events in order

Order words show when each event happens. Use “first,” “next,” “then,” “after that,” and “finally.” Match each word to the action it introduces. “Finally, the worker lifts the kite down” belongs after the request for help.

Look at page order, picture order, and time words. “The next morning” tells you that time has passed. You can sketch a few boxes and put one big event in each. Read the boxes from first to last.

Here is another short story: “Ivy put seeds in a pot. She watered them each day. A shoot appeared. Later, a flower opened.” The flower opens after the shoot appears. Reversing those events would change what happened.

Tell how events connect

Some events cause other events. “Because” gives a reason. “So” introduces what happens as a result. “The wind pulled the string away, so the kite got stuck.” “Maya asked for help because she could not reach it.”

Saying that two events happened one after another gives their order. Explaining why one led to the next gives their connection. Check both when you retell. Maya cannot ask for help with a stuck kite before it gets stuck.

Most stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. These parts have different jobs. They can each last several sentences or pages.

The beginning sets things up

The beginning usually introduces the main characters, the place, and the time. It often introduces a problem, too. In “The Red Kite,” Maya and Grandpa take her new kite to Hill Park on a windy Saturday morning. You know who is there and why they came.

A beginning might start with “One morning” or “Long ago.” These words help, but the job of the whole part matters more than any single word. Keep reading to see what the story is setting up.

The middle carries the action

In the middle, things happen and the characters respond. They may try to fix a problem and run into more trouble. Maya’s kite gets stuck. She jumps to reach it. Grandpa stretches his arms. Both tries fail because the kite is too high.

Words such as “but,” “then,” and “suddenly” often mark a change. A middle can contain many events. It is not just the sentence in the center of a page.

The end wraps up the action

The ending shows how things turn out. A problem is usually solved, and you see how someone feels or what has changed. The worker lifts Maya’s kite down. Maya smiles and hugs it. She wraps the string around her wrist.

The solution belongs in the ending, along with what happens afterward. Giving only “Maya hugged her kite” leaves out how she got it back. Words such as “at last” or “finally” can help you spot an ending.

Look for change

Compare the start and finish. At first Maya has a new kite and holds its string. After losing it, she gets it back and changes how she holds it. That change helps connect the whole story.

Try another example: “Ben brings a paper boat to a puddle. It tips over, so he folds a wider boat. His new boat floats.” The first sentence sets up Ben and the place. The trouble and new try form the middle. The floating boat wraps up the action. Each part earns its place by what it does, not by how many words it has.

A problem is something that goes wrong or something hard to get. A character may want a missing toy or need a way across a stream. A hard choice between two things is a dilemma.

A solution, or resolution, tells how a problem gets solved or how things work out. Between the problem and solution, characters often make several tries.

Read “My Wobbly Tower”

This story is told by Zoe:

“On Show-and-Tell Day at school, I wanted to build the tallest block tower in my class. I stacked ten blocks, and CRASH! It fell down. I tried again. CRASH! I stomped my foot. ‘I quit!’ I said. My teacher, Mr. Ramos, knelt down next to me. ‘What could you try differently?’ he asked. I looked at the pile of blocks. Maybe the bottom needed to be wider. I put four big blocks at the bottom and stacked the small ones on top. My tower stood tall! I felt proud.”

Separate the trouble from the tries

Zoe wants a tall tower, but her tower keeps falling. That is the problem. She stacks ten blocks and it falls. She tries again and it falls again. Those are the failed tries. A wider bottom with four big blocks lets the tower stand. That is the solution.

Zoe’s frustration is her response to the falling tower. Naming only the feeling misses what went wrong here. In another story, a feeling could be the problem itself. A child afraid of the dark might need to find a way to feel brave at bedtime.

The main character can solve a problem with help. A solution may fix only part of the trouble. Sometimes the ending shows someone learning to live with something difficult.

Follow the excitement

Longer stories can have these plot points:

• Build-up: trouble grows, or tries fail.
• Climax: the most tense or exciting turning point.
• Resolution: how things turn out.

Zoe’s crashes and “I quit!” build up the trouble. Her idea for a wider bottom is the turning point. The standing tower and her pride show the resolution.

Notice a story pattern

A problem-and-solution story centers on fixing trouble. A journey story follows travel to new places. Kai travels from pond to river to lake, then home. Another journey might end somewhere new. A lost-and-found story follows something lost and later found. A journey can also include a problem, so these patterns can overlap.

A prediction is a smart guess about what comes next. You build it from clues. It might concern the next event or the ending of the story.

Look before you guess

Think about what has already happened. Notice what the characters want, what they say, and what they are like. A title or picture can offer clues, too. The kind of story can help. A story about a lost pet may lead toward finding it.

Stop “The Red Kite” when Maya sees a worker with a long pole. You know that Maya and Grandpa cannot reach the kite. The pole gives someone a longer reach. Put those clues together: “I predict the worker will get the kite down because the long pole can reach it.”

Your reason matters. It connects your guess to this story. “I predict Maya will find a treasure chest” has no clue behind it here.

Read on and check

Use these steps:

1. Pause before the next big event.
2. Find a clue in the words or pictures.
3. Say, “I predict ___ because ___.”
4. Read on to see what happens.
5. Keep or change your prediction as new clues appear.

After Maya sees the worker, she asks for help. The worker uses the pole. Your prediction fits what happens.

Change your mind when clues change

Read this opening: “Lena heard a squeak behind the shed. She saw a small furry tail.” You might predict that a mouse will appear. Then you read, “A squirrel climbed onto the fence.” The new clue shows a different animal. Your first guess could still be sensible because it fit what you knew then.

Use what stories usually do

In “My Wobbly Tower,” Zoe wants to quit after two crashes. Her teacher asks what she could try differently. That question points toward a new way to build. You might predict that a different try will help her tower stand. In a longer story, you would watch for what the next try changes before deciding how the ending will go.

A character’s feeling is how they feel at one moment. Choose a word that fits the clues. “Frustrated” is more exact than “bad” when someone is upset because a try keeps failing.

Find the feeling clues

Authors can name a feeling: “I felt proud.” They can show it through speech, actions, or the body. Zoe stomps her foot and says, “I quit!” Those clues show her frustration after her tower falls twice.

Pictures can show a frown, tears, or a relaxed body. Large or bold print can show strong sounds. “CRASH!” makes Zoe’s falling tower sound sudden and loud. Read the surrounding words to work out how Zoe feels about that noise.

Useful feeling words include happy, excited, sad, scared, worried, angry, surprised, calm, proud, frustrated, and relieved. Being relieved means feeling better after a worry or problem eases.

Link the event to the response

A response is what a character feels, says, or does after an event. Follow this pair: event, then response.

• The kite gets stuck. Maya’s eyes fill with tears, and she jumps.
• Maya cannot reach it. She looks around and asks for help.
• The worker gets it down. Maya smiles, hugs it, and changes her grip.

Each response belongs to a particular event. “Maya is sad” fits the stuck kite, but it misses her later relief.

Compare two responses

Maya and Grandpa face the same stuck kite. Maya cries. Grandpa stays calm and stretches up. People in a story can react differently to the same trouble.

Your own feelings may be different, too. You might feel angry about a stuck kite. To describe Maya, use her tears and actions. A question about her feelings needs her clues.

Track a change

Make a small row of feeling words for a character. Zoe wants to build something special. After two crashes, she feels frustrated and wants to quit. After her teacher’s question, she tries a wider base. When the tower stands, she feels proud.

You can explain the change: “Zoe goes from frustrated to proud because her new way of building works.” That tells more than giving one feeling to the whole story.

A trait tells what a character is like inside, most of the time. Kind, brave, patient, curious, polite, helpful, and determined are trait words. A feeling belongs to a moment and can change quickly.

Name a trait and show the clue

Maya says, “Excuse me, can you help us?” Her words show that she is polite. Grandpa reaches up to help her. His action shows that he is helpful.

Authors build characters through speech, actions, thoughts, looks, and how others treat them. You often work out a trait without seeing its name. Someone who keeps looking for an answer may be curious or determined. Choose the word that fits what they actually do.

“Maya owns a red kite” describes something she has. It is not an inside trait. “Maya is good” is too broad to show much. Add an exact word and the clue that supports it.

Ask why the character acts

A motivation is the reason someone does something. It can come from a want, a need, or a feeling. Ask, “Why did they do that?”

Maya asks the worker because she wants her kite back. Neither she nor Grandpa can reach it. Zoe keeps building because she wants the tallest tower for Show-and-Tell Day. These reasons explain the actions instead of just naming them.

Follow what an action changes

One action can make the next event happen. Maya asks for help, so the worker lifts the kite down. Getting help lets Maya have her kite back. Her question moves the story toward its ending.

Try this short chain: “Omar sees a classmate drop her papers. He gathers them, so she can carry them inside.” Omar’s action helps solve the problem. Calling him helpful fits the action. Saying he wants a prize would add a reason the story never gives.

Look from beginning to end

Characters can learn or change. Zoe begins by wanting a tall tower. Two crashes make her want to quit. Then she tries a different way and ends proud. Her later actions show determination, even though she felt frustrated earlier.

A trait and a feeling can both fit one character. A brave character can feel scared and still do something hard. Look at the actions across the story to describe what the character is like.

To retell means to tell a story again in your own words. Keep the meaning and the order. Include the key details someone needs to understand what happened.

Plan the important parts

A story map gives you places to put the parts:

• Characters: who is the story about?
• Setting: where and when does it happen?
• Problem: what goes wrong or becomes hard?
• Events: what do the characters do?
• Solution: how does it turn out?

For “The Red Kite,” the characters are Maya, Grandpa, and the worker. The setting is Hill Park on a windy Saturday morning. The problem is a kite stuck too high to reach. Maya and Grandpa try, then Maya asks for help. The worker uses a long pole to get it down.

You can use five fingers as reminders: who, where, problem, events, solution. Add the time to your setting detail. Pictures in a row can help you remember the order, too.

Turn the map into a retelling

“One windy Saturday morning, Maya and Grandpa flew her new kite at Hill Park. Wind pulled it into a tall tree. Maya jumped and Grandpa stretched, but neither could reach it. Then Maya asked a park worker for help. The worker used a long pole to lift it down. Maya smiled and held her kite securely.”

This retelling keeps the problem, failed tries, help, and ending. It leaves out the kind of tree because that detail is not needed to follow the trouble.

Keep the meaning in your own words

You can change sentences without changing what happened. “Neither could reach it” means Maya and Grandpa both failed to reach the kite. Saying “Grandpa climbed the tree” would change the story.

When the narrator says “I,” you can retell using their name. Zoe tells “My Wobbly Tower,” but your retelling can start, “Zoe wanted a tall tower.”

Make the order easy to hear

Use “first,” “next,” “then,” and “finally” where they help. Repeated sounds can make a retelling lively. You might keep “CRASH!” when Zoe’s tower falls. You do not need every repeated word or spoken line.

Check your retelling against the story map. A listener needs more than the beginning or the ending alone. Make sure the solution is there and that each event belongs to the story.

The lesson, or central message, is an idea a story teaches. It can help anyone, not just the main character. Some stories call this the moral.

Start with the events

Ask what the problem was. Then ask what the character did and how it turned out. Look for a change in what the character knows or does.

Maya cannot reach her stuck kite. Grandpa cannot reach it, either. Maya asks someone with a long pole, and the kite comes down. These events support this lesson: “It is okay to ask for help when you cannot solve a problem alone.”

The ending helps you see why the lesson fits. Asking for help leads to getting the kite back.

Say a lesson as a full thought

A topic is a word or short phrase, such as “help” or “trying.” A lesson says something about that topic. “Try a different way when something does not work” is a lesson.

An event tells what happened to someone. “Zoe built a wider tower” is an event. It becomes part of your reason for a lesson when you explain that the new way worked after two failed tries.

Connect the lesson to a clue

Use this pair:

1. Lesson: “Try a different way when something does not work.”
2. Support: “Zoe’s tower falls twice. She builds a wider bottom, and it stands.”

A helpful character’s words can also point toward the message. Mr. Ramos asks Zoe what she could try differently. His question guides her toward changing her plan.

More than one lesson can fit

Maya’s story can also suggest taking care of things you value. At the end, she changes how she holds the kite string. That action supports the idea.

Readers can express the same lesson in different words. “Ask someone for help when you need it” and “You do not have to solve every problem alone” share an idea. The events must support the lesson you choose.

“Kites are bad” does not fit Maya’s story. The wind causes trouble, but the ending shows Maya happy to have her kite back. And “Maya should hold her string” is advice only for Maya. “Take care of things you value” reaches beyond one character.

The narrator is the voice telling a story. The author is the real person who wrote it. An author can create a voice that belongs to a character or to a storyteller outside the action.

A character tells their own story

A first-person narrator takes part in the story and calls themselves “I,” “me,” “my,” or “we.” Zoe tells “My Wobbly Tower.” She says, “I stacked ten blocks” and “I felt proud.” The “I” is Zoe.

A first-person narrator can still name other people. Zoe says, “My teacher, Mr. Ramos, knelt down next to me.” She also calls him “he.” Those words do not change who is telling the story.

A storyteller tells about the characters

A third-person narrator tells about the characters from outside the story. The voice uses names and words such as “he,” “she,” and “they.” It does not call itself “I.” “The Red Kite” says Maya “jumped as high as she could.” Maya is being described by the telling voice.

Read several telling sentences to decide. A single name or “she” can appear in either kind of narration.

Separate telling from talking

Quotation marks show a character’s exact spoken words. A speaker tag, such as “she asked,” tells you who speaks.

Read this short story:

“Nia opened the gate. ‘I found the puppy!’ she called. Her brother ran toward her.”

Nia says “I” inside her speech. The telling voice calls her “Nia,” “she,” and “her.” Across this short story, the narrator stays outside the action, so it is third person.

Follow a change of speaker

Zoe tells her tower story, but her teacher speaks within it. His question belongs to him, even though Zoe is the narrator. When you read aloud, give Zoe’s “I quit!” a frustrated voice. Use a calm, kind voice for her teacher.

Some books switch narrator between chapters. A name at the top can help you follow the change. A first-person narrator tells their own thoughts directly. They learn other people’s thoughts through clues or what those people say. A third-person voice can often tell about several characters.

A point of view is how someone thinks or feels about something. A character, narrator, and reader can see the same event differently.

Listen to each character

“Dad smiled and said, ‘Bath time!’ Biscuit the dog hid under the bed.” Dad welcomes bath time. Biscuit’s hiding shows that he does not welcome it. One event brings two different responses.

Clues include what someone says, does, and feels. Strong words such as “best,” “worst,” “I love,” and “I hate” can show a clear opinion.

Listen to the narrator

Imagine Biscuit tells the story:

“Bath time is the worst time of the whole week. The water is wet, the soap smells like flowers, and I have to stand still.”

Now Biscuit is both a character and the narrator. “Worst” shows his opinion. It tells you how he feels about baths. It does not make baths terrible for everyone.

Compare these two sentences: “The soap smells like flowers” describes a detail. “Bath time is the worst time” judges the event. That judgment belongs to the voice saying it.

Add your own view with a reason

You might enjoy warm bath water. You can say, “Biscuit dislikes baths, but I like them because warm water feels good.” You have named Biscuit’s view and your own without changing the event.

Different readers can respond differently, too. One reader may find Kai’s lake trip exciting. Another may find it scary because he goes far from home. Both can use story details to explain their response.

The events stay the same: Kai reaches the lake and returns home. Your feelings about his trip can differ.

Answer about the right person

If someone asks how Biscuit feels, use his hiding and unhappy words. Your own love of baths does not answer that question. If someone asks what you think, share your view and a reason.

A useful frame is, “The narrator thinks ___, but I think ___ because ___.” You can agree, too: “I agree with the narrator because…” The reason shows how your view connects to the story.

To compare is to find how things are alike. To contrast is to find how they differ. When someone asks you to compare stories, they often want both.

Choose the same part

Start with a question, such as “How do the main characters respond to trouble?” Find the answer in each story. Then put the answers together.

Maya’s eyes fill with tears when her kite gets stuck. Zoe stomps her foot when her tower keeps falling. Both feel upset. Maya asks for help herself. Zoe wants to quit before her teacher asks a helpful question. Their responses share a feeling but differ in what they do next.

You can compare experiences, too. Maya’s trouble happens outside in a park. Zoe’s happens inside at school. Maya gets her kite back with a worker’s help. Zoe rebuilds her own tower after her teacher’s question.

Sort your ideas

A comparison chart keeps the same story parts in rows:

A Venn diagram has two overlapping circles. Put shared details in the overlapping middle. Put details belonging to just one story in that story’s outer part. “A child gets help” belongs in the middle. “A kite gets stuck” belongs only with Maya’s story.

Turn notes into sentences

“Both Maya and Zoe have trouble with something they care about.” “Maya asks a worker for help, but Zoe changes the way she builds.” Words such as “both,” “also,” “but,” and “however” show the connection.

Compare matching parts. Maya’s setting and Zoe’s lesson answer different questions. Putting them side by side will not show how the settings match or differ.

Compare the same character in two stories

A series may follow one character through several adventures. Check what stays the same, such as friends, home, or traits. Then check what changes, such as a new place or problem. A familiar character can have a very different experience in the next story.

Stories can share a pattern while having different details. Look across several parts to see how much they have in common.

Follow the way each story works

“The Red Kite” and “My Wobbly Tower” both have a problem, two failed tries, and a solution. Maya jumps and Grandpa reaches before a worker helps. Zoe’s tower falls twice before she widens its bottom. The same broad pattern holds different actions.

Two journey stories both follow travel. One traveler may return home; another may stay somewhere new. Two lost-and-found stories both follow a loss and a finding. A shared pattern can help you predict, but it does not tell you every detail of the ending.

Compare the setting’s job

Maya’s story takes place in a park on a windy morning. Zoe’s takes place at school on Show-and-Tell Day. Wind causes Maya’s trouble. The special school day helps explain why Zoe wants a tall tower. Each setting matters in its own way.

True stories and made-up stories can both have characters, settings, and events. You can compare those parts in the same way.

Compare the telling voices

Maya’s story has an outside narrator. Zoe tells her own story with “I.” These are third-person and first-person voices. A story can share a problem pattern with another while using a different kind of narrator.

Compare what the stories teach

Both stories show a child continuing to work on a problem. Maya’s story supports asking for help. Zoe’s supports trying a different way. Related lessons need not be exactly the same.

A short comparison could say:

“Both stories show a child solving a problem after failed tries. Maya gets help from a worker, but Zoe rebuilds her tower herself. Maya’s story teaches that asking for help can work. Zoe’s story teaches that changing your plan can work.”

Each sentence connects matching parts. It does not retell one whole story and then the other.

When two stories both have a child, that is one similarity. Check their setting, problem, solution, narrator, and lesson before calling the whole stories alike.