Remember: Helpful details are signal. Extra details are noise. Class words: Remove the noise.
Noah loved animal books, especially ones with elephants on the cover. Last month he borrowed a thick library book with a green sticker on the spine. He kept it on his desk next to a small lamp and a cup of pencils. Sometimes he read under a blanket with a flashlight because it felt like an adventure. On Monday the librarian, Ms. Hana, smiled and asked for the book. Noah’s face turned red. The book was two weeks late. Noah had put it on the wrong shelf at home, behind his board games, and he thought he had already returned it. He had to pay a small late fee and promise to check the due date next time.
These details are noise. You can delete them and still understand the story:
These details are signal. Keep them — they tell us what really happened:
One sentence only: Noah’s library book was late because he put it on the wrong shelf and thought he had already returned it.