The Library Book Return
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Noah keeps getting overdue notices for a library book he never borrowed, until the librarian traces the mix-up to a nearly identical student ID.
Noah started getting strange messages from the school library. Twice in one week, he received a notice saying a book was overdue. But he had never even checked it out. The first time, he assumed it was a simple computer error and ignored it. When the second notice arrived, with a small fine attached, he decided to act. He went to sort it out in person.
The librarian looked up his student number and frowned. "According to our system, you borrowed a book called Coastal Birds of the Northeast last Tuesday," she said.
"I've never even been to the science section," Noah told her. "I don't think I've read a book about birds since I was maybe eight."
The librarian checked the record again and noticed something odd. The student number listed was almost identical to Noah's, except for one digit. "It looks like there might be a mix-up with another student's ID," she said.
She searched the system for numbers close to his. She found a match: a girl named Mira, who was two years above him. Mira's ID had the same last four digits, just reversed. When the librarian called her over, Mira looked confused too.
Mira admitted, "I did borrow that book, but I returned it on time. I remember because I had to rush to class right after."
It turned out that a new part-time staff member had scanned the return. They had accidentally typed Noah's number instead of Mira's. The two IDs were easy to confuse on the small screen. The librarian apologized and cancelled both the notice and the fine.
"At least we finally solved it," Noah said, relieved that his record was clean again.
Mira laughed. "Next time, maybe I should read your ID more carefully before class."
From then on, the two of them always joked about their nearly matching numbers. It happened whenever they passed each other in the hallway.
