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"Maybe hair is enough to warm the brain? What do you think, class?"

But all the second-graders, even those who had not put on brain-war hats, shook their heads Even Barry shook his head "I think I could have done my poem faster and better ifa hat"

Mrs Pidgeon laughed "Well," she said, "all right And maybe tomorroe can work on a poeether, taking different parts"

"Like a play?" asked Beanie

"A little like a play, I suppose"

"I want a big part," said Chelsea "I want to be a star!"

"A superstar!" Malcolm said He stood up and bowed deeply "Thank you to all my many fans," he said

6

A substitute! Mrs Pidgeon's second grade class had a substitute teacher for the very first time It was a little scary

Mr Leroy entered the classroom with a tall, thin woaard We're fortunate that she was able to substitute at the very last ency, and she isn't able to come to school today But she says that she left lesson plans, and I' just fine

"You'll let me know if you have any proble any attention to Mr Leroy She had carefully taken off her coat, revealing a dark dress with heavy brass buttons, rather like afrom a cord around her neck Next she reached up to renoring the principal, she hung her coat on the hook behind the door and then placed her hat on the shelf where the dictionaries were stacked Then, lifting her glasses to sit atop her long nose, she began looking through the drawers of Mrs Pidgeon's desk

"Well," he said "I guess I'll head to aard as he turned to leave the room "Very creative Class?" He looked at the children "See you later--"

"Alligator!" they all responded

Miss Overgaard juraders, and the door closed behind him

All of the children, even Gooney Bird Greene, were silent They watched as the substitute wrote her nae letters

MISS OVERGAARD

"Two a's together?" Barry Tuckerether before!"

The substitute teacher clapped her hands "I'll have no calling out!" she said in a firm, loud voice "Please raise your hand and ask permission if you wish to speak"

The room became silent

"Good Noill read your names from this list, and I expect you to say 'present' when you hear your na from the list, and each child replied

"Present," said Nicholas nervously

"Present," Beanie said, looking at the floor

"Present," Malcol at his desk

"Prethent," said Felicia Ann in a whisper

"Louder, please More distinctly"

Felicia Ann's face turned pink "Prethent," she said again

The substitute teacher looked up from her list "Repeat that, please"

"Prethent," Felicia Ann repeatedspeech therapy for your impediment?"

"Excuthe me?" Felicia Ann replied

"You have a severe lisp Is the speech therapist seeing you?" the substitute asked

Felicia Ann looked at the floor

Gooney Bird's hand shot up "Peraard," she said in a loud voice

The substitute nodded to her

Gooney Bird said, "Felicia Ann is row in, she'll speak just fine In the meantime, we all think it's rather sweet, the way she talks And also," Gooney Bird added, "I think it's rude to criticize solared at her "And you are--?"

"I'm Gooney Bird Greene"

"What kind of ridiculous na?"

Gooney Bird stood beside her desk and looked down at herself "I'ray fleece sweatpants from the Gap, and a white ruffled blouse frohty-nine cents for it and I think it was quite a bargain I a bunny slippers, and under the bunny slippers I a one red sock and one yellow sock, because I like a variety of colors; it a a leopard-print vest overa paper Hawaiian lei that ht home fro fake pearl earrings, and in ahat, which is pale green

"And my name is Gooney Bird, which is a kind of albatross, and ht it was unusual and they hoped I would be an unusual person

"Which I a down She looked up at Miss Overgaard and added, "Present"

Miss Overgaard glared at her for a moment and then checked off her nao well

First, the substitute announced that she was allergic to all rodents and so the gerbil cage and the hae both had to be reet the cages and promised that he would care for all the class pets in his office; but still, the children could tell that all the gerbils and Harvey, the hamster, were confused and distressed as they were carried out of Mrs Pidgeon's classroom, the only hoaard looked at Keiko, as sitting quietly with her hands folded, and asked, "How good is your English?"

Keiko looked up in surprise "Well, I always get an A in spelling," she said in her soft voice