librarian asked.
“I believe the temperature control is not working properly,” she said. “And as the new chairperson of the Committee for School Property, I need to keep track.”
Mrs. Wright taught physical education at Longfellow School. Thank goodness she didn’t teach in Room 26. In physical education, they play all kind of games and sports, which have rules.
Mrs. Wright loved rules.
Mrs. Wright loved her whistle.
Mrs. Wright didn’t love me.
“Come on in,” Mr. Fitch said.
Mrs. Wright scurried across the room in her puffy white shoes. She headed for the temperature control on the wall. But before she reached it, her puffy white shoes stopped right in their tracks next to the edge of my table.
“What is it doing in here?” she asked huffily.
“It?” asked Mr. Fitch. “What’s an it ?”
It was pretty clear what “it” Mrs. Wright was talking about. She was staring right at me.
“The rat,” she said.
Mrs. Brisbane quickly corrected her. “Hamster.”
“Whatever,” Mrs. Wright replied. “He doesn’t belong in the library.”
Mr. Fitch smiled. “Because he’s not a book?”
“Because he’s out of his cage. It’s unsanitary! What about his waste ? Where will that go?”
It was very quiet in the library until suddenly Kirk laughed. “She means his poo !” he said.
The word poo started the rest of the class laughing out loud. Heidi and Gail giggled. Kirk and Richie rolled their eyes and elbowed each other. Even Miranda and Sayeh chuckled. Mr. Fitch bit his lip, while Mrs. Brisbane shook her head.
My poo is just a part of life, but for some reason, it makes children giggle. And it sometimes makes grown-ups nervous. I don’t know why, because I keep my poo FAR-FAR-FAR away from my food and everything else in my cage. In my view, you won’t find a cleaner animal than a hamster.
Mrs. Brisbane took two steps toward Mrs. Wright. “What waste?” she asked. “I don’t see any waste.”
“You know,” said Mrs. Wright.
“Weren’t you here to check the temperature?” asked Mrs. Brisbane, looking Mrs. Wright right in the eyes. “It does feel a little chilly in here.”
That caught Mrs. Wright off guard. “Really? I thought it was a little warm,” she said, hurrying toward the temperature control.
While Mrs. Wright fiddled with the control, Mrs. Brisbane continued talking to us. “Class, we’ll be returning to Room 26 now. But we’ll be coming back soon because Mr. Fitch will be helping us with the new unit we’re beginning,” she said. “I’ll tell you about it a little later today.”
Surprisingly, Sayeh raised her hand. Mrs. Brisbane called on her right away.
“Could we please check out some books?” she asked in her sweet, soft voice.
Mrs. Brisbane and Mr. Fitch exchanged looks. Then they both nodded.
“Okay,” said Mr. Fitch. “You’ve got ten minutes.”
Did you ever cross your fingers and HOPE-HOPE-HOPE for something special? I don’t actually have fingers, so I closed my eyes, crossed my toes (both sets) and made my wish.
Wishes are funny. Most of the time, they don’t come true. Sometimes they come true and later you wish they hadn’t! But once in a while, you make a wish and it happens and it’s a good thing. That’s what happened in the library. I wished that Mrs. Brisbane would pick the pirate book about Jolly Roger. I couldn’t check it out because I don’t have a library card.
And what do you know—she did!
“YES-YES-YES!” I exclaimed as Garth carried me out in my hamster ball. I was so happy that when I saw Mrs. Wright leaning in over the temperature control as I left, she didn’t even worry me.
Not very much, anyway.
My next wish came true after lunch when Mrs. Brisbane began reading that book to us. The full title was Jolly Roger’s Guide to Life, and it was about a boy and a girl named Violet and Victor who are sent to spend the summer with their mysterious uncle J.R. You can imagine their surprise—and
“I believe the temperature control is not working properly,” she said. “And as the new chairperson of the Committee for School Property, I need to keep track.”
Mrs. Wright taught physical education at Longfellow School. Thank goodness she didn’t teach in Room 26. In physical education, they play all kind of games and sports, which have rules.
Mrs. Wright loved rules.
Mrs. Wright loved her whistle.
Mrs. Wright didn’t love me.
“Come on in,” Mr. Fitch said.
Mrs. Wright scurried across the room in her puffy white shoes. She headed for the temperature control on the wall. But before she reached it, her puffy white shoes stopped right in their tracks next to the edge of my table.
“What is it doing in here?” she asked huffily.
“It?” asked Mr. Fitch. “What’s an it ?”
It was pretty clear what “it” Mrs. Wright was talking about. She was staring right at me.
“The rat,” she said.
Mrs. Brisbane quickly corrected her. “Hamster.”
“Whatever,” Mrs. Wright replied. “He doesn’t belong in the library.”
Mr. Fitch smiled. “Because he’s not a book?”
“Because he’s out of his cage. It’s unsanitary! What about his waste ? Where will that go?”
It was very quiet in the library until suddenly Kirk laughed. “She means his poo !” he said.
The word poo started the rest of the class laughing out loud. Heidi and Gail giggled. Kirk and Richie rolled their eyes and elbowed each other. Even Miranda and Sayeh chuckled. Mr. Fitch bit his lip, while Mrs. Brisbane shook her head.
My poo is just a part of life, but for some reason, it makes children giggle. And it sometimes makes grown-ups nervous. I don’t know why, because I keep my poo FAR-FAR-FAR away from my food and everything else in my cage. In my view, you won’t find a cleaner animal than a hamster.
Mrs. Brisbane took two steps toward Mrs. Wright. “What waste?” she asked. “I don’t see any waste.”
“You know,” said Mrs. Wright.
“Weren’t you here to check the temperature?” asked Mrs. Brisbane, looking Mrs. Wright right in the eyes. “It does feel a little chilly in here.”
That caught Mrs. Wright off guard. “Really? I thought it was a little warm,” she said, hurrying toward the temperature control.
While Mrs. Wright fiddled with the control, Mrs. Brisbane continued talking to us. “Class, we’ll be returning to Room 26 now. But we’ll be coming back soon because Mr. Fitch will be helping us with the new unit we’re beginning,” she said. “I’ll tell you about it a little later today.”
Surprisingly, Sayeh raised her hand. Mrs. Brisbane called on her right away.
“Could we please check out some books?” she asked in her sweet, soft voice.
Mrs. Brisbane and Mr. Fitch exchanged looks. Then they both nodded.
“Okay,” said Mr. Fitch. “You’ve got ten minutes.”
Did you ever cross your fingers and HOPE-HOPE-HOPE for something special? I don’t actually have fingers, so I closed my eyes, crossed my toes (both sets) and made my wish.
Wishes are funny. Most of the time, they don’t come true. Sometimes they come true and later you wish they hadn’t! But once in a while, you make a wish and it happens and it’s a good thing. That’s what happened in the library. I wished that Mrs. Brisbane would pick the pirate book about Jolly Roger. I couldn’t check it out because I don’t have a library card.
And what do you know—she did!
“YES-YES-YES!” I exclaimed as Garth carried me out in my hamster ball. I was so happy that when I saw Mrs. Wright leaning in over the temperature control as I left, she didn’t even worry me.
Not very much, anyway.
My next wish came true after lunch when Mrs. Brisbane began reading that book to us. The full title was Jolly Roger’s Guide to Life, and it was about a boy and a girl named Violet and Victor who are sent to spend the summer with their mysterious uncle J.R. You can imagine their surprise—and
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