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Cornelia's Jewels

A story retold from Fifty Famous Stories by James Baldwin

This story comes from Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin, a collection first published in 1896. It is set in ancient Rome and tells of Cornelia, a real Roman mother who valued her sons above all riches. The tale has been retold for centuries because it teaches that people we love matter more than things we own. Children learn that true treasure is not what sparkles, but who we care for. This text reflects its era.

Band
Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5
Length
short · about 372 words in 4 sections · 4 pictures
Source
Fifty Famous Stories Retold, James Baldwin
First published
see the About page in the reader
Regions
Canada · United States

Included formats

  • · Web reader and PDF
  • · EPUB for e-readers
  • · Home-print sheet
  • · Folded booklet
  • · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
  • · Worksheet
  • · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
  • · Read-aloud script
  • · Colouring page
  • · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Lesson at a glance

Reading
about 9 minutes at this band
Pause questions
3
Words to Know
4
Quick Check
6 questions, with the answer key
Let’s Talk
3 questions for afterwards
Worksheet
questions, an activity and a drawing prompt

About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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The same story

Cornelia's Jewels at other bands

Yellow band

Cornelia's Jewels

James Baldwin

medium · 552 words · also in Purple

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