Max and the Lost Puppy – A Heartwarming ESL Reading for Kids 🐶📚
Looking for a fun and simple reading activity to boost your young learners’ English skills? Max and the Lost Puppy is a sweet, beginner-friendly story perfect for ESL students. Follow Max as he finds a lost puppy in the park and learns the importance of kindness and responsibility.
This engaging reading helps children practice vocabulary related to animals, emotions, and actions—all while building reading comprehension in a fun, relatable way. Ideal for early elementary ESL learners, this story is great for classroom use or at-home learning.
Max is a 10-year-old boy who loves animals. One sunny afternoon, he is playing in the park near his house when he hears a soft sound. “Woof… woof…” Max looks around and sees a small brown puppy under a bench. The puppy is alone and looks scared.
Max slowly walks over and sits on the ground. He talks to the puppy in a quiet voice. “Hey there, little guy. Are you lost?” The puppy wags its tail but doesn’t move. Max opens his backpack and takes out a sandwich. He gives a piece to the puppy. The puppy eats it and walks closer.Max sees the puppy has no collar. He decides to take the puppy home. His mom is surprised but kind. “We can help,” she says. They give the puppy food, water, and a warm bed in a box. The puppy seems happy and sleeps well.
The next day, Max and his mom take a photo of the puppy. They make posters that say: “Found Puppy! Call if this is yours.” They walk to the park and hang the posters on trees and near the playground.
While waiting, Max plays with the puppy. He calls him “Buddy.” They run around the yard, and Max teaches Buddy to sit. Max begins to love the puppy, but he knows the puppy might belong to someone.
Two days later, the phone rings. A woman says, “I saw your poster! That’s my dog, Charlie!” She comes to Max’s house and hugs the puppy. Charlie jumps and licks her face. She thanks Max and gives him a small gift — a keychain with a puppy on it.
Max is sad to say goodbye, but he smiles. “I’m happy Charlie is home,” he says. Max knows he did the right thing — and maybe one day, he will have a puppy of his own.
