Abby Klein - The Reading Race

CONTENTS Text copyright 2013 by Abby Klein Illustrations copyright 2013 by John McKinley All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc. First printing, September 2013 e-ISBN 978-0-545-63300-0 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

To Donna Sullivan-MacDonald and Judy Gilmartin, Thank you for inspiring so many young readers each and every day with your passion for reading and your love of books! I have a problem. A really, really big problem. My school is having a book fair. The week before the fair we are having a Read-a-thon, and the person who reads for the most minutes gets to choose five free books at the book fair! I really want to win the books, but Im not a very good reader. Let me tell you about it. Wushy. Wushy.

I have something exciting to tell you about. We all walked over to the rug and sat down. Are we going on a field trip? asked Robbie. No, said Mrs. Wushy. I know! I know! Chloe yelled.

Were going to have a party. I just love parties! No, not a party, said Mrs. Wushy. Maybe this will give you a clue. She reached over, picked up a stack of papers, and handed one to each of us. The book fair! we all said together.

The book fair is coming! Max jumped up off the rug and started bouncing up and down. Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! he sang as he pumped his fist in the air. By accident, he stepped on Chloes finger. Owww, owww, owww! she screamed. She was running around and shaking her finger in the air. You broke my finger! You broke my finger! I did not! yelled Max.

Yes, you did! Chloe cried. Did not! Did too! All right. Thats enough, said Mrs. Wushy. Chloe, let me see your finger. Chloe held out her finger so Mrs.

Wushy could look at it. See. Its broken. I can only move it this much. If it were broken, she wouldnt be able to move it at all, my best friend, Robbie, whispered to me. Mrs. Mrs.

Wushy gently touched Chloes finger. I dont think its broken. I told you, said Max. Well, its all red, said Chloe. Look. She waved her finger in Maxs face.

I wouldnt do that if I were her, said Robbie. Yeah, I said. Last time she did that, he bit her finger! Jessie giggled. Just like an angry dog. Max took a step toward Chloe. Mrs. Mrs.

Wushy put her hand on Maxs shoulder. You need to apologize to Chloe. Why? said Max. If she had her hands in her lap, then I wouldnt have stepped on her finger. No, said Mrs. Wushy.

If you were sitting quietly on the rug instead of jumping up and down, then this wouldnt have happened. You really need to be more careful. Yeah, Max, said Chloe. You need to calm down. Max, were waiting, said Mrs. Wushy.

For what? For you to say youre sorry. Max sighed. Fine, Im sorry, he mumbled. What? said Chloe. I didnt hear you. Im sorry! he yelled in her face.

Max, that was not very kind. Please tell Chloe youre sorry in a nice voice. Im sorry, he said again. Much better, said Mrs. Wushy. Now please go sit in that chair.

Max went to sit in a chair by the edge of the rug. Chloe, why dont you go over to the sink and run your finger under some cold water? That will make it feel a lot better. I think I need to go to the nurse, said Chloe. Go to the nurse? I whispered to Robbie. Shes acting like she got her finger cut off. Robbie giggled.

No, said Mrs. Wushy. I think your finger will be fine if you just put some cold water on it. Chloe walked over to the sink, and Mrs. Wushy came back to the front of the class. You were telling us about the book fair, said Robbie. You were telling us about the book fair, said Robbie.

Thats right, said Mrs. Wushy. The book fair will be here next week. I cant wait! I said. I just love the book fair. Me, too, said Jessie.

There are always so many cool books. Like this one, said Robbie, pointing to a book on the paper Mrs. Wushy had given us. Its called The Night I Saved the Universe . Its about a boy who goes into outer space with an alien police officer to help him solve crimes. Are there any Angelina Ballerina books? Chloe asked as she walked back to the rug.

Those are my favorite. Angelina is a ballerina just like me. She spun around once before she sat down. Oh, look, said Jessie. Heres a cool book about basketball. Im going to ask my abuela , my grandma, if I can get this one.

Girls cant buy basketball books, said Max. Why not? asked Jessie. Because those are boy books, said Max. There is no such thing as boy books and girl books, said Jessie. Boys and girls can read any books they want. Wushy. Wushy.

And I need all of the boys and all of the girls to do a lot of reading in the next week. Why? asked Robbie. Because the book fair is holding a contest, said Mrs. Wushy. A contest? said Max. What kind of contest? Well, said Mrs.

Wushy, were going to have a Read-a-thon for one week, and the person who reads for the most minutes will get to pick five free books from the book fair. Five free books! Wow! said Max. Thats awesome! Theres more, said Mrs. Wushy. More? said Robbie. Wushy. Wushy.

Each class will add up all their reading minutes, and the class that has the highest total will get an author visit. No way! said Robbie. Ive always wanted to meet a real live author. Mrs. Wushy gave us each another piece of paper. So here is the paper you need to fill out each day with your number of reading minutes.

Your parents also have to sign it. Thats so you dont cheat, Chloe said, looking at Max. Im not a cheater. You are! Max said to Chloe. I am not! Chloe whined. Oh boy, here we go again, I said.

You two need to stop, said Mrs. Wushy. It is not polite to call someone a cheater, and no one in our class cheats. Chloe and Max glared at each other. Mrs. Wushy continued, So for the next week, lets all read, read, read.

I bet if we all work really hard, we can win that author visit.

That night when it was time for dessert, my dad asked, Did anything happen at school today? Yes! Do you want to hear something cool? I said. He was talking to me, Hammerhead, said Suzie. Not you. How do you know? I said. Because he was looking at me, said Suzie.

So? So, that means he was asking me . Thats okay, said my dad. You can both tell me something. Suzie, why dont you go first? Suzie smiled at me and then turned to my dad and said, The book fair is coming next week, and And theres going to be a contest! I interrupted. Thats not fair! Suzie whined. I was going to say that.