Summer According to Humphrey Read Free

list didn’t look too promising.

    The sun came up the next morning, like any ordinary day.
    The bell rang and my friends rushed in, like any ordinary day.
    But that BAD-BAD-BAD feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that this was not an ordinary day.
    “Og?” I squeaked loudly so my neighbor could hear me. “I hope we’ll stay together, but if we don’t, you’ve been an unsqueakably nice neighbor and I’ll miss you.”
    “BOING-BOING-BOING!” Og twanged. He splashed so loudly, I thought he’d pop the top right off his tank. He’s done that a time or two before.
    I felt a little bit better knowing he agreed with me, but I was still worried. I hopped on my wheel for a fast and furious spin, just to let off some steam.

    It was a very busy day in Room 26. Mrs. Brisbane collected all of my friends’ textbooks but not my little notebook. (I keep it well hidden.)
    Instead of reading and writing and taking tests, Mrs. Brisbane and my fellow students were busy packing up their desks and straightening up. Room 26 had never been so neat before!
    At the very end of the day, Mrs. Brisbane said that we were the most wonderful students she’d ever had and she knew that we’d all go on to great futures.
    That was nice, if only I knew what my future would be!
    Then she made a Very Important Announcement.
    “Report cards will be mailed out this week,” she said. Some students groaned.
    “Now, now,” Mrs. Brisbane continued. “None of you have anything to worry about.”
    That seemed to please my friends a lot.
    “But there are two students getting their report cards today,” she said. “They are very special students who helped make this the best class I ever had.”
    Then, to my surprise, she picked up two small cards from her desk and walked over to the table where Og and I lived—at least for the moment. She read the first card.
    “Og, you have gotten top grades in Water Skills, Loud Noisemaking, Splashing and Being Very Green. All A’s,” she announced.
    My classmates clapped and cheered as she placed the card up against Og’s tank.
    “BOING-BOING-BOING!” Og twanged.
    Then Mrs. Brisbane turned to me.
    “Humphrey, you have gotten top grades in Wheel Spinning, Hamster Ball Rolling and Squeaking. All A’s.” Mrs. Brisbane hesitated. “But you have gotten an A+ in one other subject: Helping Your Friends. You are truly the most helpful hamster I’ve ever known.”
    Oh, how my friends clapped and cheered. They whistled and stomped. Then they stood up and applauded some more.
    “Hum-phree! Hum-phree! Hum-phree!” they chanted.
    I was just about the proudest hamster in the whole, wide world.
    “THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU,” I squeaked as loudly as I could.
    Everything was perfect. Except that little part about not knowing what I was going to do for the rest of my life!
    “Mrs. Brisbane?” a voice called out.
    Someone was speaking out of turn, but for once, it wasn’t Raise-Your-Hand-Heidi.
    It was Sayeh, the shyest girl in Room 26. Or at least she used to be the shyest girl in class.
    “Yes, Sayeh?” Mrs. Brisbane said.
    Sayeh stood up next to her desk. “I’d like to thank Humphrey for helping me learn to speak up,” she said in a strong voice. “I will never forget him. Not for my whole life.”
    “You’re welcome, Sayeh!” I squeaked.
    Suddenly, Sit-Still-Seth Stevenson stood up. “And I’d like to thank Humphrey for helping me settle down. At least a little.”
    Then one by one, they stood up. Don’t-Complain-Mandy thanked me for helping her meet her hamster, Winky. Pay-Attention-Art said I’d helped him with his math. (And it’s not even my best subject!) And Golden-Miranda thanked me for being her best friend.
    “And I want to thank Og for being a great frog,” Heidi Hopper said. And she even raised her hand before saying it.
    Later, Principal Morales came into the classroom. He was wearing a tie that had tiny cars all over it.
    “Students in Room 26, I want to congratulate