There was a noise. The loudspeaker.
Emily looked at him. Then she covered her eyes. “It's Mr. Mancina,” she said. “Cross your fingers. Cross your toes.”
Richard crossed his fingers. So did everyone else.
“I have good news,” Mr. Mancina said.
He said that every time he announced the winner.
Richard looked at Matthew. Matthew grinned at him. “I hope it's us,” he said.
“Ms. Rooney's class,” Mr. Mancina said.
Emily Arrow yelled. So did Alex. And Matthew. So did he.
They could hear the rest of their class yelling in Ms. Rooney's room.
Ms. Rooney had promised them a party if they won. Cookies and juice.
It was going to be a great day.
Mrs. Paris handed Richard some thumbtacks. He went over to the bulletin board. Carefully, while the rest of them watched, he tacked up his pictures.
He had made a big fat bossy r sitting on a squished little a. He had drawn a dark brown Alex and a Matthew with ears. He had drawn a Mrs. Paris with glasses. She was smiling at an Emily Arrow and her unicorn.
And last he had drawn himself. He had a book in his hand. Not a big fat book. But not a little skinny book either. Kind of an in-between book.
He went back to his seat. He wanted to find out what had happened to the kid in the snowstorm.
He paged through the book to find his place. At the same time he pushed at his teeth.
“Hey,” he said.
Everyone looked at him.
He didn't want to tell them that one of his teeth was wiggling.
Not much. But a little.
“Can I read first?” he asked, and grinned.
Text copyright © 1984 by Patricia Reilly Giff Illustrations copyright © 1984 by Blanche Sims
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.
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eISBN: 978-0-307-51385-4
September 1984
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The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room Page 4