Free printable reading comprehension chapter book with online interactive questions. Recommended level: 3rd Grade and up
If Octopuses Could Talk: Ollie's Story
Chapter 1 - I Started Life in an Egg
My name is Ollie, and I am a 3-year-old Giant Pacific octopus.
I live deep in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. I don't want to brag, but I may be one of the most amazing animals on Earth.
I have eight arms, hundreds of suckers, and I'm very good at solving problems.
When I'm fully grown, I could weigh as much as 80 pounds. A few of my relatives are huge! They can weigh more than 150 pounds and have arms that stretch 25 feet long.
Like every octopus, I started life inside a tiny egg. My mother attached thousands of eggs to the ceiling of a rocky cave.
She spent many months guarding them. She gently cleaned the eggs and moved fresh seawater over them to keep them healthy. She ate very little because she never wanted to leave us alone.
Finally, after about 6 months, I wiggled out of my egg. I was only the size of a grain of rice. So tiny! Today, 3 years later, one of my arms is longer than your whole body!
Life was dangerous right from the start. Hungry fish and other sea animals were always looking for a meal. I couldn't swim very fast yet, so I had to hide to stay safe. Many young octopuses don't live through their first year. I was one of the lucky ones.
As I grew, I learned how to crawl over rocks, squeeze into tiny spaces, and use my suckers to grab things. Soon, I was ready to explore the ocean on my own. A world full of adventures was waiting just outside my rocky home.
What did the mother octopus say to her eggs? "I can't wait to sea you!"
How old is Ollie now?/2 years old/3 years old/5 years old/3 years old
All Giant Pacific octopuses weigh more than 150 pounds./True/False/It doesn't say in the story./False
Ollie has eight arms and hundreds of suckers./True/False/It doesn't say in the story./True
Ollie's mother often left her eggs alone to search for food./True/False/It doesn't say in the story./False
When Ollie first hatched she was about the size of a/grain of rice/marble/golf ball/grain of rice
Ollie could swim very fast as soon as she hatched./True/False/It doesn't say in the story./False
Where does Ollie live?/in a warm river/in the Atlantic Ocean/in the Pacific Ocean/in the Pacific Ocean
Where did Ollie's mother place her eggs?/under the sand/on the ceiling of a cave/inside a shell/on the ceiling of a cave
When she was young, what did Ollie do to stay safe?/She stayed close to her mother./She hid from hungry animals./She climbed out of the water./She hid from hungry animals.
Why does Ollie say she was one of the lucky ones?/She survived when many young octopuses did not./She found a cave filled with food./She was born bigger than the others./She survived when many young octopuses did not.
Chapter 2 - Eight Arms Are Better Than Two
My eight arms are very useful. I use them to crawl across the ocean floor, grab food, look around, and squeeze into small hiding places. With eight arms, there is always plenty to keep me busy.
My arms are very different from yours. They don't have bones inside them, so I can bend and twist them in all sorts of ways.
I can reach around a rock or stretch an arm into a tiny crack to see what is hiding inside.
Each of my arms has hundreds of little suckers that
help me hold onto rocks and grab things. My suckers do more than just stick to things. They can sense everything that I touch. I can almost taste the world with my arms!
Sometimes my arms seem to have minds of their own. One arm might be looking for food while another is exploring a rock. A third arm might be holding onto the ocean floor as I pull myself along.
I don't have to tell every arm what to do. Nerve cells in each arm help them do some things on their own. It's like having a little brain in each arm.
Eight arms may sound like a lot to manage, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. When you're an octopus, eight arms are way better than two!
Why did the octopus become a teacher? Because it is good at giving everyone a hand!
About how many suckers does each of Ollie's arms have?/10/100/1,000/100
Ollie's suckers can only be used to hold onto things./True/False/The story doesn't say./False
Nerve cells help Ollie's arms do some things on their own./True/False/The story doesn't say./True
Why can Ollie bend and twist her arms in so many ways?/Her arms have no bones./Her arms have strong bones./Her arms are filled with air./Her arms have no bones.
Why might Ollie be able to reach food that other animals cannot?/She can breathe outside the water./She has very sharp teeth./She can stretch her arms into tiny cracks./She can stretch her arms into tiny cracks.
When Ollie says she can almost taste the world with her arms, what does she mean?/Her arms are always looking for food./She eats everything she touches./Her suckers can sense things she touches./Her suckers can sense things she touches.
Why does Ollie say her arms sometimes seem to have minds of their own?/They can do different things at the same time./They can talk to each other./They sometimes fall asleep./They can do different things at the same time.
Which detail from the story best shows that Ollie's arms can work on their own?/Ollie can squeeze into small hiding places./One arm can look for food while another explores a rock./Her suckers can sense what she touches./One arm can look for food while another explores a rock.
What is the main idea of this chapter?/Octopuses like to live under rocks./Octopuses have eight amazing arms that help them in many ways./Octopuses have trouble controlling their arms./Octopuses have eight amazing arms that help them in many ways.
Chapter 3 - Three Hearts Are Better Than One
I have three hearts! It's just one of the strange things about being an octopus.
Two of my hearts pump blood to my gills. That's where my blood gets oxygen from the water.
My third heart pumps blood to the rest of my body.
And here's another surprise. My blood is blue!
Most animals have red blood, so why is mine blue? It's because my blood uses copper instead of iron to carry oxygen. The copper mixing with the oxygen makes my blood turn blue.
But blue blood isn't the only thing that makes me special. I'm not a mammal like a dolphin or a whale. Mammals breathe air with lungs and feed their babies milk. I have gills, so I get my oxygen from the water.
But I'm not a fish, either. Fish have backbones, and I don't have any bones at all. I'm an invertebrate. That's a big word for an animal without a backbone.
Not having bones has some huge advantages. I can squeeze into very small spaces. If I can get through a tiny opening, the rest of my body can usually follow. That's pretty handy when I need a safe place to hide.
Three hearts, blue blood, eight arms, and no bones. I guess you could say I'm not your ordinary ocean animal.
Why does the octopus think it is royalty? Because it has blue blood!
What do mammals use to breathe?/gills/lungs/fins/lungs
Ollie has gills./True/False/The story doesn't say./True
What do Ollie's gills help her get from the water?/food/heat/oxygen/oxygen
What do two of Ollie's hearts do?/pump blood to her arms/pump blood to her gills/Help her swim faster/pump blood to her gills
What does Ollie's third heart do?/makes her blood blue/helps her breathe air/pumps blood to the rest of her body/pumps blood to the rest of her body
Why is Ollie's blood blue?/She lives in cold water./Her blood uses copper to carry oxygen./Her blood mixes with seawater./Her blood uses copper to carry oxygen.
Why isn't Ollie a fish?/She doesn't have a backbone./She has more than one heart./She eats different food from fish./She doesn't have a backbone.
What would be harder for Ollie if she had a backbone?/squeezing into tiny openings/pumping blood through her body/finding oxygen in the water/squeezing into tiny openings
What is an invertebrate?/an animal with blue blood/an animal with more than two arms/an animal without a backbone/an animal without a backbone
Which of these is true about Ollie?/She is a mammal because she has hearts./She is an invertebrate because she has no backbone./She is a fish because she lives in water./She is an invertebrate because she has no backbone.
Chapter 4 - A Master of Disguise
The next time you think you see an ordinary rock on the ocean floor, take a closer look. It just might be me!
I can change the color and pattern of my skin to help me blend in with what's around me. I can turn brown, gray, red, or almost white. I can even make my skin look lighter or darker.
Changing color is only one of my tricks. I can also change how my skin feels and looks. If I'm hiding on a rock, I can make my skin bumpy and rough. If I'm resting on something smooth, I can make my skin smooth.
How do I do it? Special cells in my skin help me change the way I look. I can use these cells to make different colors and patterns. And I can do this very quickly!
My disguise helps me hide from hungry animals. If I stay still and look like the rocks or sand around me, I can be very hard to see. Sometimes the best way to stay safe is to simply disappear.
My disguise also helps me hunt for food. I can hide and wait for a tasty crab or other small animal to come close. Then I reach out with my arms and grab my dinner!
I can even change my colors and patterns to send a message to another octopus. It's like having my own underwater language.
Why did the octopus turn red? Because it saw the ocean’s bottom!
It takes Ollie a full day to change her skin color./True/False/It doesn’t say in the story./False
Ollie's disguise helps her hide from hungry animals./True/False/It doesn’t say in the story./True
How does Ollie's look when she hides on a rock?/soft and furry/wet and shiny/bumpy and rough/bumpy and rough
What helps Ollie change the way she looks?/special cells in her skin/tiny bones under her skin/the food that she eats/special cells in her skin
How does Ollie's disguise help her catch food?/It makes other animals follow her./It lets her hide until an animal comes close./It helps her find food in the dark./It lets her hide until an animal comes close.
Why does Ollie compare changing colors and patterns to having an "underwater language"?/Other octopuses can understand the messages she sends./She can make sounds with her suckers./She can teach other animals to talk./Other octopuses can understand the messages she sends.
How does Ollie send a message to another octopus?/by changing her colors and patterns/by making bubbles/by tapping on rocks/by changing her colors and patterns
What does Ollie mean when she says she can "simply disappear"?/She can turn into a different animal./She can swim out of the ocean./She can hide so well that she is hard to see./She can hide so well that she is hard to see.
Chapter 5 - Surviving in My Underwater Home
I live deep in the Pacific Ocean. I spend most of the day resting among the rocks. But at night, it's time to go hunting.
I look for crabs, shrimp, clams, mussels, and small fish. The suckers on my arms help me grab my food and taste it. It's like having hundreds of tiny tongues!
But I have to be careful when I look for food. I'm not the only one hunting for a meal. Sea otters, seals, sea lions, and large fish may see me as dinner, too.
My rocky home has lots of places to hide. I can squeeze into a crack or a small cave where an enemy can't easily follow.
My soft body has no bones, so I can fit into very small spaces. I can also change my color to help me hide.
If a hungry animal gets too close,
I have another trick. I can squirt a cloud of ink into the water. The ink can confuse my enemy while I swim away.
If I need to move fast, I can force water out through a tube-like part of my body called a siphon. The water shoots out and sends me the other way. It's like having my own underwater jet.
Life in the ocean isn't always easy, but my rocky home gives me lots of places to hunt, hide, and stay safe.
Why does the octopus never get caught? Because it always has an ink-redible escape plan!
When does Ollie usually hunt for food?/morning/afternoon/night/night
Which of these animals does Ollie eat?/crabs/dolphins/seals/crabs
Which of these animals might try to eat Ollie?/clams/mussels/seals/seals
What does Ollie do during most of the day?/hunts for food/rests among the rocks/swims in the ocean/rests among the rocks
How do Ollie's suckers help her find food?/They help her see in the dark./They help her swim faster./They help her grab and taste food./They help her grab and taste food.
What might Ollie do when a hungry animal gets too close?/make a loud noise/squirt a cloud of ink/grow bigger to scare it/squirt a cloud of ink
What is a siphon?/a tube-like part of an octopus's body/a small cave under the ocean/a special kind of sucker/a tube-like part of an octopus's body
Why is Ollie's rocky home a good place for her to live?/It has places where she can hide and find food./It is always warm and sunny./It has room for her 8 arms./It has places where she can hide and find food.
Chapter 6 - Smarter Than You Think
Don't let my strange body fool you. I may have no bones and eight arms, but I'm very clever. Giant Pacific octopuses are some of the smartest invertebrates on Earth.
I love to explore the world around me. If I find something new or strange, I like to check it out.
I'm really good at solving puzzles. Octpuses can figure out how to open jars to get food inside.
I can use my arms and suckers to twist and pull at a lid until it comes off. We can even find our way through mazes. Sometimes getting dinner takes a little thinking!
I can learn from what I do, too. If something doesn't work the first time, I can try a different way. When I find a way that works, I can remember it and use it again.
The next time I face the same problem, I solve it much faster.
Here's something else that is amazing about me. Octopuses can learn to tell people apart. In aquariums, some seem to like certain people more than others.
They may even swim over to greet someone they know.
Some octopuses have even escaped from their tanks and found their way back again. Now that's a smart trick.
Eight arms, three hearts, blue blood, and a clever brain. There's a lot more to an octopus than you might think!
Why does an octopus always solve mysteries? Because it is a deep thinker!
There are many invertebrates smarter than a Giant Pacific octopus./True/False/The story doesn't say./False
Some octopuses can recognize people they have seen before./True/False/The story doesn't say./True
An octopus that escapes from its tank never finds its way back./True/False/The story doesn't say./False
How does Ollie get food out of jars?/by using her arms and suckers to open the lid/by breaking the glass/by squirting ink onto the lid/by using her arms and suckers to open the lid
What is a maze?/an underwater cave/a place where octopuses sleep/a puzzle with paths you must find your way through/a puzzle with paths you must find your way through
What surprising trick have some octopuses done in aquariums?/taught other animals to swim/learned to breathe air/escaped from their tanks/escaped from their tanks
Why might Ollie be able to open a jar faster the second time?/Her arms grow stronger each time./The jar becomes easier to open./She remembers what worked before./She remembers what worked before.
How might an octopus act when it sees someone it knows?/It may swim away as fast as possible./It may swim over to greet the person./It may change its color./It may swim over to greet the person.
What can you learn about an octopus that tries several ways to open a jar?/It wants to break the jar./It is willing to keep trying until it succeeds./It does not like the food inside./It is willing to keep trying until it succeeds.
Why is "Smarter Than You Think" a good title for this chapter?/It shows that octopuses can do things that may surprise people./It explains why octopuses have eight arms./It tells readers where octopuses live./It shows that octopuses can do things that may surprise people.
What did the mother octopus say to her eggs?
