Stan Berenstain - The Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet

by Stan & Jan Berenstain

It was a bright fall day in Bear Country, the kind of day thats made for after-school sports and games. When the bell rang at the end of the school day, most of the cubs had already made plans for the afternoon. Brother Bear, Cousin Fred, and Barry Bruin were ready for basketball on the school playground. Queenie McBear, Lizzy Bruin, and Sister Bear had a soccer game at Grizzly Park. Harry McGill and Too-Tall Grizzly could hardly wait to start their next chess match at the picnic table in Harrys backyard.

But none of the cubs was in too much of a hurry not to stop first at the big bulletin board in the school lobby. On it was posted news they had been waiting for all week.

Too-Tall pushed his way through the crowd of cubs that had gathered in front of the bulletin board. He ran his eyes over the lists posted there and turned to smile at Harry McGill. Harry was watching eagerly from his wheelchair at the edge of the crowd.

Did we make it? called Harry through the noise of chattering cubs.

Of course we made it! Too-Tall called back with a grin. Who would have the nerve to keep the two best chess players in Bear Country School out of the Chess Club?

A few feet away from Too-Tall, Brother Bear was reading one of the lists. Yes! he cried. Yes! Yes! After yelling Yes! for the sixth time, he made his way back through the crowd to a group of friends waiting by the front door.

We all made it! he announced. All six of us are in Journalism Club!

Yahoo! shouted the cubs all together. There were high-fives all around.

Brother, Queenie, Cousin Fred, Babs, and Barry had been trying for years to get into Journalism Club. It met during the final school period every Friday. Each year they had listed their three club choices on cards and handed them in to their teachers. But none of them had gotten his or her first choice until now.

Ferdinand Factual, better known to some as Nerdy Ferdy, was especially lucky to have been chosen. That was because he didnt spend every year at Bear Country School. This year he was staying with his uncle, Professor Actual Factual, while his scientist parents went on a dig in Great Grizzly Valley.

There were all kinds of clubs to choose from at Bear Country School, including Chess Club, Computer Club, Soccer Club, Poetry Club, Music Club, and Carpentry Club, just to name a few. But the six cubs on the list for Journalism Club all wanted to write and publish a newspaper. Journalism Club was the perfect club for them, because its members wrote and published the weekly school newspaper, The Bear Country School Gazette.

I can hardly wait for our first meeting, said Brother. I dont know about you guys, but I want to cover sports. How about you, Ferdy?

Ferdy Factual was so smart and so show-offy about it that Cousin Fred, who was pretty smart himself, said Ferdy gave nerds a bad name.

I know so much about so many things, said Ferdy, that I thought I might serve as the papers roving expert. That way I could correct the errors the rest of you will surely make. How does that idea strike you?

Ferdy got five thumbs down for his idea.

In that case, I shall do science news, he said. Not the baby science taught here at Bear Country School, but advanced science: chaos theory, modern particle theorythat sort of thing.

Barry and Queenie groaned.

What about the rest of you? asked Brother.

Investigative reporting for me, said Cousin Fred. You know, the story behind the story.

Id like to handle the arts section, said Babs.

Barry wasnt sure what he wanted to do. Maybe I could help you on sports, he told Brother.

Queenie hadnt spoken. She wasnt exactly a troublemaker, but she often seemed to be at the center of things when trouble happened.

How about you, Queenie? asked Brother.

Im going to shake up the tired old Gazette, said Queenie. Im going to do a slam-bang no-holds-barred gossip column.

Just then Sister Bear pushed her way through the crowd and came over to the group.

Hey, Sis! said Brother. There were only six slots open in Journalism Club, and all six of us got in! Youre looking at this years cub reporters! Isnt that great?

Sister just shrugged. The expression on her face was not a happy one.

Whats the matter? asked Brother.

I didnt get my first choice, grumbled Sister.

Cheer up, Sister, said Cousin Freddy. Youre two grades below the rest of us. Only the older cubs get their first choices.

I didnt get my second choice, either, said Sister.

What did you get? asked Queenie.

Sister wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something bad. Poetry Club, she said.

What are you griping about? Babs scolded. Poetry is great stuff. Im planning to edit the arts page of The Bear Country School Gazette, and I plan to have a poem in every issue.

You dont understand, said Sister. I like poems. But in Poetry Club well have to write them. And Ive never written a poem in my whole life!

Theres always a first time, said Barry.

Thats right, said Babs. And if you write a good enough poem, I just might print it in The Gazette.

Really? said Sister. Her eyes lit up. Maybe Poetry Club wont be so bad after all. At least I wont have to deal with that Miss Glitch again.

The other cubs looked at each other. Miss Glitch was the schools English teacher. She also happened to be in charge of The Bear Country School Gazette.

Again? said Cousin Fred. When did you ever have to deal with Miss Glitch?

She filled in for Teacher Jane a couple of times, said Sister. And she is tough. Shes all sweetness and smiles, but if you dont do things exactly the way she says, she comes down hard on you. There are only two ways with Miss Glitch: her way, or the highway.

The cub reporters began to look worried. Maybe Journalism Club wasnt such a good idea after all. One of the reasons they had joined was to improve The Gazette. It certainly needed improvement. Everyone complained about it. It was boring. It was wimpy. And it had no real news.

Well, I gotta go, said Sister. Good luck with Miss Glitch. Youre sure gonna need it! Remember what I said: her way, or the highway. Sister headed for the door.

Now the cub reporters looked really worried.

If what Sister said is true, we could be in big trouble, said Cousin Fred.

If Miss Glitch is the reason The Gazette is so boring, said Babs, then were not going to be able to do much about it.