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Text copyright © 2014 by Janet Tashjian
Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Jake Tashjian
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
eISBN 978-1-62779-289-9
First Edition—2014 / Designed by April Ward
Printed in the United States of America by R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company,
Harrisonburg, Virginia
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
FoR ApRiL WaRd,
SuPeR-gEnIuS
“A person who never made a mistake
never tried anything new.”
—ALBERT EINSTEIN
“This was a stupid idea!
What was I thinking? Help!”
—EINSTEIN THE CLASS HAMSTER
CHAPTER ONE
tImE tO
cOmPeTe!
“Welcome, boys and girls, to a new
episode of
AnSwEr
ThAt
QuEsTiOn!
I’m your host, Einstein the class
hamster, and we’ve got some great
fun facts for you today. Ready, kids?”
Marlon looked around the empty
classroom. Why did Einstein insist on
starting each morning by talking to
himself?
“Is that a yes, folks?” Einstein
asked. “Who’s ready to play?”
Marlon had hoped Ned would bail
him out, but Ned was still at recess
with the rest of the class. “I’m
ready!“ Marlon finally shouted.
“Our longtime champion has
returned!” Einstein said into his mic.
“Welcome back to the show, Marlon!”
Marlon reluctantly waved to the
invisible audience.
“Marlon, here’s your first question.”
Einstein glanced at his notes. “For
fifty dollars and a chance at our
OXYMORONS:
SMALL CROWD
grand prize, is an alligator a reptile or
an amphibian? You have ten seconds,
and your time starts...NOW!”
Of course Marlon knew the answer.
Alligators were reptiles, just like
turtles. Einstein usually tried to make
the first round a little tougher. Was
this a trick question?
Einstein called.
Maybe Einstein knew something
Marlon didn’t. Was there some new
category alligators fell into? Did they
get kicked out of the reptile group the
same way poor Pluto got fired from
the solar system? Maybe Marlon
didn’t know the answer to this
question after all.
“Your time is up,” Einstein said.
“Care to venture a guess, Marlon?”
Marlon paced around, then took
a deep breath. “Are they reptiles?”
OXYMORONS:
BAGGY TIGHTS
OXYMORONS:
DRY LAKE
“Marlon, why are you answering
that question with a question? Of
COURSE alligators are reptiles, just
like you.” Einstein turned to face the
camera, which was also nonexistent.
“We’ll be right back after this word
from our sponsor. And stay tuned for
a new Tasty Tidbit!”
Einstein scurried closer to Marlon.
“Are you okay, buddy? You seem a
little off your game today.”
“I was confused,” Marlon answered.
“But everything’s fine now.”
“Everything’s more than fine,” Ned
said as he approached the class pets.
“Tomorrow our class
competes on a
national game show
in front of a live
audience! It’s going to
be great!”
Einstein tried
to be happy for
Ned and his other
classmates, but
it was hard to be enthusiastic when
class pets weren’t allowed on the
field trip to cheer them on. He gave
Ned a weak smile and changed the
subject.
“Marlon just won fifty dollars
in the first round of AnSwEr...
ThAt...QuEsTiOn,” Einstein said.
“You want to join him for round two?”
“I can’t,” Ned said.
“I have to prepare
for tomorrow.”
“It’s important to
study,” Einstein
agreed.
“Oh, I’m not studying,” Ned said.
“I’m figuring out a way to sneak you
into the television studio.”
Einstein looked at Marlon.
Marlon looked at Einstein.
They both looked at Ned.
“The only reason our class made
the finals is because you coached us,”
Ned said. “The class needs you there,
and I’m determined to get you in.”
Einstein couldn’t believe the only
student who could hear him was also
the most dependable friend in the
world. If anyone could get him into
the studio tomorrow, it was Ned.
Ned bent down close to Einstein.
“I’m going to try and sneak Marlon
in too.”
BOTH CLASS PETS? That would
be amazing!
“Better rest up,” Einstein told
Marlon. “Looks like we might be going
on a field trip.”
“Is now a good time for me to
collect that fifty-dollar prize?” Marlon
asked. “I DID win it fair and square.”
But Einstein was
too focused on
the possibility of
visiting a REAL
game show.
He hoped Ned and his other classmates
would figure out a way to get him in.
The Crocodilia order of reptiles includes
crocodiles, alligators, gharials, and
caimans. They’ve been living on Earth for
so long—more than 84 million years—
that they’re often referred to as living
fossils. Believe it or not, their closest
living relatives are birds.
. . . AND THEN HE
SAYS, ‘SEE YOU LATER,
ALLIGATOR.’ GET IT?
GET IT?
THAT JOKE
IS OLDER THAN
I AM.
There are a few differences between
alligators and crocodiles:
•Crocodiles’ heads are much more V‑shaped.
than alligators.
•Crocodiles are found in countries all around
the world, but alligators are found in only
two: the United States and China.
•One thing crocodiles and alligators do have
in common is that they’re cannibals. Adults
often eat young alligators and crocodiles—
sometimes even their own!
UMM . . .
CAN WE PLAY
SOMETHING ELSE?
CHAPTER TWO
cAn nEd rEaLlY
dO tHiS?
After much debate, Ned, Bonnie,
and Ricky decided on the best way to
sneak Einstein and Marlon into the
television studio.
“I didn’t know you were such a
master of disguise,” Bonnie told Ned.
“But I still don’t understand why we
need to take the class pets to the
game show.”
“Einstein is more than a class pet,”
Ned answered. “And Marlon is his
friend.”
“Well, we’re certainly going to a
lot of trouble to get them in,” Ricky
added.
Ned couldn’t tell his friends the only
reason the class passed the game
show audition was because of Einstein’s
tutoring. Sometimes Ned wished the
other students could hear Einstein and
appreciate how much information
he knew from spending all his time
in classrooms. He doubted Bonnie
and Ricky would believe that Einstein
was the best study partner a kid
could have.
“Okay, class!” Ms. Moreno said.
“Tomorrow’s the big day! Is every-
body ready?”
The class shouted back an excited
“YES!”
LEARNING
IS
FUN-TASTIC!
“After we finish our chapter on
world explorers, there are a few
important details to go over about
tomorrow,” Ms. Moreno continued.
“Such as...” Before she could finish
the sentence, Ms. Moreno fell into
one of her frequent catnaps.
The students were used to Ms.
Moreno falling asleep. They didn’t
know it, but their teacher was up
most nights watching infomercials
and couldn’t stay awake during class.
But Ms. Moreno was such a good
teacher when she was awake that
her students happily covered for her.
Bonnie tiptoed around Ms. Moreno
and found the notes on her desk.
“The bus will leave promptly at
9 a.m.,” Bonnie said. “No need to
bring lunches—we’ll be eating at the
studio where they film the game
show.”
The class murmured with the
excitement of free food.
“If everything goes smoothly, we’ll
be back at school by 4 p.m.,” Bonnie
continued.
“And why wouldn’t things go
smoothly?” Principal Decker strode
NAME 8 THINGS YOU
CAN WEAR ON YOUR
FEET THAT START
WITH AN S
into the classroom with Twinkles the
Python. “Why is Ms. Moreno asleep?”
He snapped his fingers in front of
the teacher’s face to wake her up.
“We’ve been studying for the game
show tomorrow,” Bonnie answered.
“Ms. Moreno hypnotized herself to
memorize all those facts.”
“That’s what I love about Ms.
Moreno—she’s never afraid to try
new things.” Principal Decker bent
down, face-to-face with the python.
“Isn’t that right, Twinkles?”
Twinkles nodded. (As much as a
snake can nod.) He also smacked his
snaky lips when he spotted Einstein
and Marlon.
HELLO,
EINSTEIN!
GOOD-BYE,
TWINKLES.
“Go back to the Science Center,”
Einstein said. “Nobody wants you here.”
Ms. Moreno suddenly woke up and
noticed Principal Decker. “Our class has
a great chance of winning tomorrow,”
she said.
SHOES, SOCKS, SANDALS,
SNEAKERS, SKIS, SLIPPERS,
SNOWSHOES, STOCKINGS
“Well, Twinkles and I will be in the
front row cheering you on.” Principal
Decker headed out of the room with
his snake to visit another lucky
classroom.
Einstein jumped up and down in a
panic. “Twinkles gets to go to the TV
studio? That’s not fair!”
Ned agreed. If Principal Decker
can get a python into the television
studio, he thought, then I can surely
sneak in Einstein. He looked over at
Bonnie and Ricky. Plan Camouflage
was officially in effect.
The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan led the first expedition around
the world in 1519. Most of Magellan’s
crew were prisoners released from jail
to help him sail under the Spanish flag.
Their journey was so long, they ate
sawdust, leather, and rats along the way!
Magellan was the one who gave the
Pacific Ocean its name. (Pacific means
“peaceful” and “calm.”) The Strait of
Magellan is named after him; it’s an
important passageway that connects the
Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
This famous explorer died a tragic
death in the Philippines when he was
shot in the foot by a poison arrow during
a fight with a local tribe. His own men
retreated and left the nobleman to die
alone on the beach. (Maybe prisoners
don’t make the best crew members
after all.)
DO I HAVE A ROCK
IN MY SHOE?
CHAPTER THREE
sNeAkInG tHrOuGh
sEcUrItY
Einstein couldn’t believe Ned wasn’t
nervous on the bus ride to the studio.
When did his shy friend turn into such
a confident mastermind?
“This plan will work,” Ned whispered
to Einstein. “But only if you and
Marlon keep perfectly still.”
“Who are you talking to?” Bonnie
looked around the seat and the aisle.
“No one,” Ned answered a bit too
eagerly.
“Here we are,” Ms. Moreno said.
“Victory is ours!” She stood at the
bottom of the steps and
waited for the class to file
out of the bus.
Bonnie nudged Ned.
“Suppose the security
guards want to search
my pack?”
“We’ll be fine,” Ned
answered calmly.
Einstein and Marlon
didn’t dare move. The
last thing they wanted was
to get their classmates
into trouble.
“Whoa! Hold up there, buddy.
What’ve you got there?” the security
guard asked.
Ned, Bonnie, Ricky, Einstein, and
Mar
lon all froze. What had given
them away?
“No animals allowed in the studio,”
the guard said. “You should know
better than that.”
Ned swallowed hard. How could the
class get through the show without
Einstein?
But it wasn’t Ned the guard was
talking to. Instead, he approached
Principal Decker, who was carrying
a blanket over his arm.
“My school is competing on the
game show,” Principal Decker said.
“Let me through!”
The guard whisked the
blanket away, exposing
Twinkles the Python.
Ned, Bonnie, Ricky,
Einstein, and Marlon
finally exhaled.
“OUT!” the security
guard shouted.
“We’re not going anywhere!”
Principal Decker said. (He repeated
that sentence several times while the
guard kicked him and Twinkles out.)
“That was close.” Ned released
Einstein and Marlon from their hiding
Einstein the Class Hamster and the Very Real Game Show (Einstein the Class Hamster Series) Page 1