The Map in the Treehouse

Lexile: 600 | Grade: 3

Passage

Sam and Nora spent every Saturday morning in their backyard treehouse. It had squeaky steps and a window made from an old picture frame.

One rainy weekend, they decided to clean it. While sweeping the floor, Nora found something stuck under a loose board.

“It’s a piece of paper!” she said, pulling it out.

Sam leaned over. The paper was wrinkled and brown with age. On it was a drawing of their backyard—with a red X near the big oak tree.

“Do you think it’s a real treasure map?” Sam asked.

They grabbed raincoats and ran outside. The ground was muddy, but they didn’t care. They searched around the oak tree, poking the soil with sticks.

After a few minutes, Nora’s stick hit something hard. She dug with her hands and pulled out a small tin box.

Inside was a note: *“To the next explorers—keep the adventure going!”* It also held a plastic compass, a tiny notebook, and a shiny marble.

Sam smiled. “Let’s add something and hide it again!”

That afternoon, they placed their own treasure in the box—a friendship bracelet and a drawing—and buried it under the tree for the next explorers to find.