FREE INTERACTIVE STORY · AGES 6–8
The Rope Bridge: a free interactive story
In the treehouse city, a storm in the night has snapped a rope bridge, and little Mango the monkey is stuck on the wrong side. Your child chooses how to help: swing on a vine, build a new bridge or ask the birds.
- Reading age 7
- 1 short chapter, 1 choice and 3 endings
- About 2 minutes
- Friendship
Read the story
Choose your hero
Paint it your way
Chapter 1The snapped bridge
High in the jungle, the treehouses were joined by rope bridges that swayed gently in the breeze.
But in the night, a storm had blown through the trees, and one bridge had snapped right in the middle.
Now its two ends dangled down towards the river, far below.
On the far side sat Mango, a little monkey, hugging his knees. Mango’s family were on Malik’s side, waving across the gap.
“I’m too small to jump that far,” Mango called. His voice wobbled.
What happens next is up to your child
How should Malik help Mango get home?
Questions for grown-ups to ask
Did you spot it?
- EasyWhat had happened to the bridge?Answer: A storm in the night had snapped it in the middle.
- MediumWhy couldn’t Mango jump across?Answer: He was too small to jump that far.
- HarderHow do you think Mango felt at the start? How can you tell?Answer: Worried or frightened: he was hugging his knees and his voice wobbled.
Talk about it
- Which way of helping Mango did you choose? Why was it a good idea?
- In the bridge ending, everyone helps. When have you worked as a team to fix something?
Words to talk about
- swayed
- Moved slowly from side to side.
- dangled
- Hung down loosely and swung.
- acrobat
- Someone who does amazing jumps, swings and balances.
- flock
- A group of birds together.
Reading it together
The Rope Bridge is written at Litsee’s reading level for age 7. It asks children to notice how Mango feels from what he does (hugging his knees, a wobbly voice), which is the kind of inference teachers look for in Year 2 and Year 3.
The three endings solve the problem in three ways: one quick idea, a team effort and asking for help. Talk about which your child would choose, and whether any would be safer or faster.
Build a bridge together afterwards between two chairs or two piles of books, with string, card or paper. Can it hold a toy across the gap?
About this story
- Reading age
- 7 (ages 6–8). Written for Litsee’s reading level for age 7, where sentences are mostly 7–12 words long.
- Length
- 1 short chapter, 1 choice and 3 endings. Each way through is 148–154 words.
- Reading time
- About 2 minutes for a 7-year-old reading on their own, at Litsee’s pacing of 85 words a minute for that age. Reading aloud to your child is usually quicker.
- Book band
- Roughly Gold to Lime, if your child’s school uses book bands (schemes differ; see our book bands guide).
- Characters
- Mango, a little monkey, Mango’s family, the bridge builders, a flock of parrots
- Theme
- Friendship