Kai suggests that
Our social issue be bullying
And all of a sudden, I realize that
The violence I hear about
Is really just grown-up bullying
In a different, more scary, form.
KAYLEY
Dear Ms. Graham,
Sometimes I’m glad I’ll be at an all-girls school next year. My mother thinks I’ll get more personal attention and it will be easier for me to focus without the Distraction of boys around. I agree! I tell her that boys are always fidgeting and asking dumb questions the teacher already covered.
Ms. Graham, you suggested looking at other countries too. What about those places where young girls get forced into arranged marriages? This is a Great Topic—we’re gonna rock this project and get an A plus plus plus!
Although there is one major problem: Blake Benson spends all his time drawing. He can hardly write—if he makes us get a B, my parents will have a fit. You don’t want that, do you?
* * *
—
Dear Ms. Graham,
I’m all for group projects, but I think we should each be graded individually. Some of us work harder than others. Please consider this.
—Kayley
BLAKE
AVIVA
Date: October 30
During computer time I Googled the words “gender equality” and “gender inequality.” So much information came up that I didn’t know where to start. I made a list.
Actresses make a ton of money when they’re young, but when they get wrinkly and saggy they can’t get good parts. Guy actors get paid a ton even when they’re old. Look at Zac Efron. He still gets good parts and he’s super-old.
The US has had forty-five male presidents, and how many women presidents? ZERO? What is that about?
US women aren’t guaranteed paid time off from work after they have a baby. Out of 185 countries, the US is one of just three that doesn’t guarantee this kind of paid time off. That’s why Ima quit her job when I was born. Paying for day care or a babysitter cost almost as much money as she earned.
And then I found info from other countries that I can hardly believe:
Like women not being able to pick who they marry.
And women not having equal rights if they get divorced.
Like not being allowed to dance in public.
Like in some countries girls aren’t allowed to go to school. Some sneak away to secret schools, but they’re putting their lives at risk to do so.
Ms. Graham asked us what we’d do if we had a magic wand. End hunger and war, that’s for sure. World peace. And I’d fix this thing with Emily. Tomorrow’s Halloween, and this is the first year we won’t be trick-or-treating together. Thinking about that gives me a sick feeling in my stomach, and I know the candy won’t even taste good this year.
The other day I saw Emily’s mom at the grocery store. She waved at me, all friendly, like she always did before, and I wanted to shrivel up to the size of a raisin. I thought she’d be angry with me for ditching her daughter. I’m angry with me.
CECILIA
Hola Abuelita,
Usually, I let my thoughts spin tornados in my mind, but I keep them inside my mouth. Today Kai asked me what topic I wanted to pick. This time my idea was right on the edge of my lips, and I let it spill out.
Poverty. People being homeless. I shared about how prima Maria, Mami, and I wrap Christmas gifts at the Sacred Heart Homeless Shelter in the city. We help deliver them, and every year I’m surprised at how many children and families live there. Even kids our age! Last year I talked to one of the little girls, and she said they’d lost their apartment when her mom had an accident and couldn’t work for a few months. She was so sweet—I still think about her and wish I could’ve done more to help her. I hate that people have to live in poverty.
How many people live right on that edge, where one accident or a lost job can push them into homelessness? I asked Mami if that could ever happen to us. But she said because her prima Maria lives near, we’d help each other out.
Wow. I talked a lot. I probably said more in this conversation than I normally do in a week! Kai and Emily and Sharon looked at each other. And for the first time in my life, other kids chose my idea. It felt pretty awesome.
WORDS TO PRACTICE
poverty = pobreza
homeless = sin hogar
tornado = tornado (Don’t you love it when words translate exactly? It’s like a freebie.)
Besos y abrazos,
Cecilia
KAI
Hey, Frog!
I’m so glad we picked Cecilia’s idea. She’s so quiet it’s easy to miss her, but today I noticed her eyes get sparkly when she talks.
Wait—I don’t like girls yet.
Yes I do (a little).
Partly because I wanted to stop thinking about Cecilia, I brought Kermit to my table group today, and we blocked off a little area so he could jump around. When Cecilia was talking about the homeless shelter, I kept thinking about Blake Benson. He may not be in the same situation as the people Cecilia was talking about, but I’m guessing things aren’t easy for him. We played some b-ball and skateboarded yesterday after school for two hours. He’s pretty good—better than me, at least. He showed me how to ollie and grind, and I showed him my behind-the-back Rubik’s Cube trick and gave him a stack of oatmeal raisin cookies.
Blake didn’t say anything about home, but it was good times, you know? I think we’ll do it again on Friday. And I asked him if he wanted to trick-or-treat with me. It’s my tradition to dress up as a different Harry Potter character each year, even though I’m a little old for that. This year I’m going as Dumbledore, but I told Blake I have a Snape or Harry costume he can borrow. (Just in case he doesn’t have one.)
BLAKE
KAYLEY
Dear Ms. Graham,
What do you mean by “immerse ourselves” in our topic? We can’t go swimming in it. Sheesh! We can’t travel to places like Africa or Pakistan. I know Emily’s dad does that kind of thing, but it’s insane (!!!) if you ask me. I heard there were tarantulas the size of my hands in Africa. Eek!
You should tell us about Africa someday. My mother says you’re from there. I don’t know how, because you don’t have an accent or anything. By the way, I was right about Blake Benson. He’s the Worst Member of our team. Even Horrible Henry is better than Blake. He’s the one who should be immersed, not us.
AVIVA
Date: November 14
Ms. Graham wants us to “immerse-ourselves-in-our-topics,” so I immersed myself in my Google search. I brought Kermit out in his mini-carrier to join me.
The topic that interests me most is girls not being able to go to school. Here in America we all cry when summer is over and we have to go back to school. School feels like a “have to” instead of a “want to.” But I bet if we couldn’t go to school, we’d all be begging to go. I know I like regular school way better than homeschool.
So I clicked on the sites that focused on access to education. You won’t believe what I found. There’s a girl from Pakistan. Her name is Malala Yousafzai. Some members of a group called the Taliban climbed onto her bus and shot her in the face after she stood up for women’s rights to be educated. Can you believe it? She almost died. And now she’s this advocate for women’s access to education. She won the Nobel Peace Prize and helped to open a school for Syrian refugees, all when she was just a teenager. Uber-ly cool.
Malala is the opposite of me. She speaks her mind, and her danger is real. What’s my danger? That someone will judge me? Or misunderstand me? Or be mad at me? I did write that anonymous note when Ms. Graham played that awful Whistler game, but I did it secretly, so it’s n
ot the same.
I am making a promise to myself. I will try to speak up more. If Malala can do it, so can I.
PS Kayley’s getting stress-y again, like she did with the Egg-Off. That girl does everything loudly, and I think it’s contagious, because I now feel like a stress case too. Maybe I should write her a sticky note that says “Chill.”
SHARON
Every Thursday night
My church
Hosts a soup kitchen
For families who are struggling.
But they don’t just make soup,
There’s bread and salad,
And something else hot…usually pasta.
Plus it’s nearly Thanksgiving,
So maybe there’ll be pumpkin pie?
My grandma volunteers there twice a month.
Maybe she can bring my whole social-issues team
So we can “immerse ourselves.”
If Grandma drives us,
It’ll be kind of like I’m hosting.
I don’t do that kind of thing very often,
But I did have Emily over last week
And I have to say
It was really nice.
EMILY
Status:
Dear Hope,
Mom gave a thumbs-up to the soup kitchen field trip. Normally churches give me this weird “you don’t belong,” “you don’t get it” kind of feeling. Maybe because we’ve never gone as a family? I went a couple of times with Kayley’s parents, but I always felt like I was wearing pants that didn’t fit. Just uncomfortable and fidgety. I didn’t get the prayers. I didn’t get the songs. And the books smelled funny. Sometimes I wish Mom went to church, or Dad even, so I’d understand this stuff.
But when we helped in the soup kitchen at Sharon’s church, it was a whole different thing. It was all about the working. Sharon and I got to wear plastic gloves, and we arranged the bread in a basket. We made patterns with it so it looked really nice (brown roll, white roll, brown roll, white roll…like that). They didn’t let us kids actually serve the soup. Probably because they were afraid we’d spill it or burn ourselves. But we got to hand out cups of water and talk to people, and that was cool.
I wish Mom had come with us. But she didn’t feel up to it. Again.
Love and luck,
Emily
SHARON
My grandma
Has crinkly wrinkles and gray hair,
Like every other grandma in the world,
But there’s something about the bounce to her step,
The dangly earrings,
And the hair that hangs to her shoulder blades
That makes her seem young.
She tells me she’s a hippie
Who never grew up.
She smells like sugar and iced tea
And her skin is so soft it feels like a baby’s.
She let me sit in the front seat (Mom never does that)
So we could fit my teammates in her red Honda
And she gave up all control over the music choice.
I love Grandma.
We car-danced all the way there…
And all the way back.
CECILIA
Hola Abuelita,
I can’t wait to tell you about our soup kitchen project. ¡Guau! Sharon’s abuelita makes my heart sing. You wouldn’t believe her—she doesn’t seem like a grandmother at all, more like a cool tía, and I can’t see her age anywhere except for her face. She drove so fast I had to grip my seat so that I didn’t tip. She tapped her fingers on the wheel to the beat of the music, like she was dancing and driving at the same time. She knew everyone at the church, and she gave out hugs like dulces.
The soup needed more spices, but no one seemed to notice. The people filled their bowls and plates and ate quietly. Kai stood next to me, serving salad and making me laugh. I’m not used to so much attention. It’s nice, I guess.
When I left, Sharon’s abuelita kissed me on the cheek, and that made me want to cry. I miss you SO MUCH, Abuelita! FaceTiming is not the same as having you in person. When I’m a grown-up and I can travel by myself, I’ll visit you every summer. Can’t wait until I’m eighteen!
WORDS TO PRACTICE
spices = especias
Besos y abrazos,
Cecilia
HENRY
SCENE: Classroom work groups, Henry wondering if it’s possible to die from boredom.
MS. GRAHAM: (hovers) How’s your research on women’s access to education going?
KAYLEY: Slow. (glares at Henry and Blake) Seems like the WOMEN are the only ones working here.
MS. GRAHAM: (pulls up a chair to sit down) Have any of your grandparents told you stories about walking ten miles in the snow to school?
HENRY: Barefoot, right? That’s like one of those old-school stories parents tell their kids to make them behave. Just like the “eat your veggies, there are starving kids in Africa” bit.
MS. GRAHAM: Well. (quiet for a moment) The truth is that there are hungry children in much of the world. And those aren’t just stories. Even in America, a good education used to be harder to get. Some kids who lived on farms had to miss school during seasons when there was work to be done on the farm. Children really did walk miles to get to school each day. Can you all think of other examples?
AVIVA: How people fought so hard to end segregation in schools?
MS. GRAHAM: (smiles) Yes. Good example, Aviva. And as you know from your research, in other countries, sometimes education for women is forbidden or just not accessible. I was born in a part of West Africa called Sierra Leone, and there weren’t enough schools and teachers to educate everyone.
BLAKE: Does that mean some of the kids don’t get to go to school at all, even if they want to?
MS. GRAHAM: That’s exactly right.
HENRY: (surprised because he had NO CLUE that Ms. Graham was from Africa, and thinks this is fantastically cool)
KAYLEY: Did you go to school in Sierra Leone, Ms. Graham? I’ve been wondering.
MS. GRAHAM: I did not. I was adopted by an American family and brought here when I was three. It was a time of civil war in my country. (stands up) I did go back and teach in Sierra Leone the first few years after I earned my graduate degree.
Bell rings for recess. Twenty-two minutes of Freedom!!! Kids grab snacks from backpacks and make a mad dash outside.
HENRY: I curse this research on women’s access to education. Does Mrs. Graham have to enlighten us all the time? Now I feel guilty if I fake a stomachache to get out of class!
BLAKE: Poor baby.
HENRY: You see, Kayley? That’s how it’s done.
KAYLEY: (face red) I’m tired of you guys fooling around all class. Henry, at least you do part of the work, but Blake—you do NOTHING. All you ever do is draw. This is a group project and we get a group grade. If we get a B or a C, it will be all your fault. What’s your problem?
BLAKE: (face getting splotchy, turning and storming toward soccer field)
KAYLEY: I’m trying to talk to you. (grabs at his shirt, yanking him backward) I’m not going to let a DUMMY pull my grade down. How DUMB are you, exactly?
BLAKE: (turns to Kayley and shoves her, hard)
KAYLEY: (lands on her butt in mud)
BLAKE: (wipes at his eyes)
HENRY: You’re a jerk, Kayley Barrette. I don’t care how smart or rich or pretty you are. You need to get a grip. (leads Blake away, and leaves Kayley in the mud)
KAYLEY
Dear Ms. Graham,
I let that Blake Benson have it today at recess. Big-time. I didn’t mean to get all in his face like that, but he just kept right on walking, practically running. I grabbed for his shirt, and then I said something mean. It slipped out, like soap between
my fingers.
Then Blake whirled around and shoved me. Hard. I flew back and landed on my butt. I had to go to the nurse’s office and borrow a pair of loaner jeans because my butt was all covered with Yuck.
Principal Severns asked me what happened, but I didn’t tell. Because Blake was crying. He got those hiccupy breaths and he couldn’t even talk. That’s why I didn’t tell.
Ms. Graham, the good thing is that you can’t get mad at me, since you’re not supposed to be reading these journal entries. Besides, you can’t expect me to sit here, day after day, with such irritating seatmates and never speak up for myself. I’m sorry I said something mean, but nobody’s perfect. I’m allowed to make mistakes too, you know.
Question: If I’m the one with a ruined pair of pants, why is it I’m still feeling so bad?
BLAKE
CECILIA
Hola Abuelita,
We talked about education in school today, because one of the table groups is studying “access to education.” I’m glad they’re researching that topic, because, hello?—do you guys even realize how lucky we are?
Education is like gold to people who want it, but I think the people who have it forget how valuable it is. Like, for example, Mami risked her life to travel to the United States so that I could be born in this country and be able to go to public school here.
Sometimes I get frustrated with the other kids. Like today, Blake pushed Kayley. It’s not okay to strike someone else no matter how irritating they are, but I heard what she said, and it made my mouth drop to the floor! Nobody is talking about what happened. Blake didn’t tell on Kayley (no surprise), and Kayley didn’t tell on Blake (big surprise)!
Kayley has a huge blind spot. She only sees the world through her own eyes. She doesn’t realize there are so many other ways to live. Someone needs to put a sticky note on her desk that says, “Open Your Eyes.”
WORDS TO PRACTICE
surprise = sorpresa
Operation Frog Effect Page 7