by Sally Warner
“I’ll name five,” Dad says, accepting the challenge. “Number one, I’m proud of what a good big brother you are to Alfie, even when she makes it difficult.”
“Which she does, sometimes,” I say.
“Number two, I’m proud of what a good son you are to Mom and me. You’re easy to be around, and you do your chores without too much complaining. And you don’t make excuses or blame other people when you do mess up.”
“Huh,” I say, pleased. And I’m thinking—Dad makes lists, just like I do? I guess it runs in the family!
“Number three, I’m proud of what a good friend you are,” Dad continues. “And you pay attention to your friendships, too. You take care of them.”
“I don’t have that many friends,” I tell Dad—just in case he’s thinking I’m super-popular or something.
And, of course, I have to subtract Kevin. For now, at least.
That will change, though. Fingers crossed.
“But you have good friends,” he says. “Number four, you work hard at school,” Dad says. “Even when the going gets tough.”
“And it can get pretty tough,” I admit.
“And number five, I’m proud of the way you think, son. You have an original way of working things out for yourself that I really admire. Like tonight’s ‘Mess Up the Small Stuff’ solution.”
And that’s not even half of it, I think, remembering how I decided not to shout out a swear at the assembly last Friday.
But there’s such a thing as self-respect, isn’t there? And not letting someone else try to get you in trouble?
I get to decide the GOOFY stuff I’m going to do!
Or not do.
I’ll decide when I’m going to blend in, and when I’m going to stand out.
“Are you asleep, buddy?” Dad asks in a barely-there voice.
“Almost,” I tell him. “I think so, anyway.”
“Then I’ll say Merry Christmas, and good night,” Dad says, getting to his feet and pulling the covers up over my shoulders. “See you in the not-so-perfect morning.”
“Yeah. See you,” I say, smiling as I roll over to go to sleep.
It’s going to be a very Merry Christmas, no matter what, I think, wriggling down under my quilt.
A winter wonderland Christmas.
And if it isn’t, well—there’s always next year!
MORE ELLRAY THIS WAY
EllRay Jakes may be the smallest kid in Ms. Sanchez’s third grade class, but he has a BIG personality! And he’s not going to let Jared, the biggest kid in class, call him a CHICKEN or get in the way of a trip to Disneyland. All EllRay has to do is stay out of trouble for one week—and keep away from Jared. The question is, can he do it?
EllRay wishes he had something cool to brag about. Everyone else in his third grade class does. Jared’s dad owns a brand-new car with flames painted on it, and Kevin’s dad is rich, but all EllRay’s geologist dad has is a collection of rocks. BORING! Or is it? They are from all over the world . . . and when EllRay brings some of the rocks into school, everyone is impressed. In fact, they’re so impressed, they keep them! Now EllRay needs a plan to rescue his dad’s rocks . . . before his big problem lands him in GIGANTIC trouble.
Things are going just swimmingly for EllRay. But everything comes SCREECHING to a halt when his younger sister accidently overfeeds the classroom goldfish EllRay was taking care of over spring vacation. Zippy is a goner. Fortunately, most of his classmates are sympathetic. But not bossy Cynthia. She sees this as an opportunity to BLAME EllRay for her own mess-ups. Will EllRay now walk the plank for stuff that he didn’t do?
EllRay knows a thing or two about getting picked on. So when he sees his sister, Alfie, being BOSSED around by a dragonlike girl at her school, EllRay wants to help. As her older (and wiser!) brother he has a duty to show her that she should STAND UP for herself. But it’s a bit more complicated than he thought. Can EllRay help Alfie figure out her own way to slay this dragon?
EllRay Jakes may get into trouble from time to time, but he can always count on his BEST FRIENDS, Kevin and Corey. But lately, Kevin has been skateboarding with the meanest boy in class. Could EllRay be losing one of his friends?
Not giving up without a fight, EllRay asks his older neighbor to show him a few jaw-dropping skateboard moves—like OLLIES and KICKFLI PS. EllRay must learn as many tricks as he can before the secret boys-only third grade skate-off. But will it be enough?
When EllRay and his friends hear about the school TALENT show, they’re not impressed. They’re too old for that stuff. But their teacher, Ms. Sanchez, isn’t so quick to let her students off the hook. Five students absolutely must try out, and EllRay somehow ends up being one of them. Now the pressure is on for EllRay to figure out something he’s talented at . . . like maybe MAGIC?