Seventh Grade by Gary Soto

Seventh Grade 

Gary Soto

On the first day of school, Victor stood in line half an hour before he came to a wobbly card table. He was handed a packet of papers and a computer card on which he listed his one elective, French. He already spoke Spanish and English, but he thought some day he might travel to France, where it was cool; not like Fresno, where summer days reached 110 degrees in the shade. There were rivers in France, and huge churches, and fair-skinned people everywhere, the way there were brown people all around Victor.[A]

    Besides, Teresa, a girl he had liked since they were in catechism classes[1] at Saint Theresa's, was taking French, too. With any luck they would be in the same class. Teresa is going to be my girl this year, he promised himself as he left the gym full of students in their new fall clothes. She was cute. And good in math, too, Victor thought as he walked down the hall to his homeroom. He ran into his friend, Michael Torres, by the water fountain that never turned off.

    They shook hands, raza-style,[2] and jerked their heads at one another in a saludo de vato.[3] "How come you're making a face?" asked Victor.[B]

    "I ain't making a face, ese.[4] This is my face." Michael said his face had changed during the summer. He had read a GQ[5] magazine that his older brother had borrowed from the Book Mobile and noticed that the male models all had the same look on their faces. They would stand, one arm around a beautiful woman, and scowl. They would sit at a pool, their rippled stomachs dark with shadow, and scowl. They would sit at dinner tables, cool drinks in their hands, scowl.

    "I think it works," Michael said. He scowled and let his upper lip quiver. His teeth showed along with the ferocity of his soul. "Belinda Reyes walked by a while ago and looked at me," he said.

    Victor didn't say anything, though he thought he friends looked pretty strange. They talked about recent movies, baseball, their parents, and the horrors of picking grapes in order to buy their fall clothes. Picking grapes was like living in Siberia,[6] except hot and more boring.

    "What classes are you taking?" Michael said, scowling.

    "French. How 'bout you?"

    "Spanish, I ain't so good at it even if I'm Mexican."

    "I'm not either, but I'm better at it than math, that's for sure."

    A tinny, three-beat bell propelled students to their homerooms. The two friends socked each other in the arm and went their ways, Victor thinking, man, that's weird. Michael thinks making a face makes him handsome.

    On the way to his homeroom, Victor tried a scowl. He felt foolish, until out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl looking at him. Umm, he thought, maybe it does work. He scowled with greater conviction.[C]

    In homeroom, roll was taken, emergency cards were passed out, and they were given a bulletin to take home to their parents. The Principal, Mr. Belton, spoke over the crackling loudspeaker, welcoming the students to a new year, new experiences, and new friendships. The students squirmed in their chairs and ignored him. They were anxious to go to first period. Victor sat calmly, thinking of Teresa, who sat two rows away, reading a paperback novel. This would be his lucky year. She was in his homeroom, and would probably be in his English and math classes. And, of course, French.

    The bell rang for first period, and the students herded noisily through the door. Only Teresa lingered, talking with the homeroom teacher.

    "So you think I should talk to Mrs. Gaines?" she asked the teacher. "She would know about ballet?"

    "She would be a good bet," the teacher said. Then added, "Or the gym teacher, Mrs. Garza."

Victor lingered, keeping his head down and staring at his desk. He wanted to leave when she did so he could bump into her and say something clever.

    He watched her on the sly, As she turned to leave, he stood up and hurried to the door, where he managed to catch her eye. She smiled and said, "Hi, Victor."

    He smiled back and said, "Yeah that's me." His brown face blushed. Why hadn't he said, "Hi, Teresa," or "How was your summer?" or something nice?

    As Teresa walked down the hall, Victor walked the other way, looking back, admiring how gracefully she walked, one foot in front of the other. So much for being in the same class, he thought. As he trudged to English, he practiced scowling.

    In English they reviewed the parts of speech. Mr. Lucas, a portly man, waddled down the aisle, asking, "What is a noun?"

    "A person, place, or thing," said the class in unison.

    "Yes, now somebody give me an example of a person—you, Victor Rodriguez."

    "Teressa," Victor said automatically. Some of the girls giggled. They knew he had a crush on Teresa. He felt himself blushing again.

    "Correct," Mr. Lucas said. "Now provide me with a place."

    Mr. Lucas called on a freckled kid who answered, "Teressa's house with a kitchen full of big brothers."

    After English, Victor had math, his weakest subject. He sat in the back by the window, hoping he would not be called on. Victor understood most of the problems, but some of the stuff looked like the teacher made it up as she went along. It was confusing, like the inside of a watch.

    After math he had a tuna casserole with buttered rolls, some fruit cocktail, and milk. He sat with Michael, who practiced scowling between bites.

    Girls walked by and looked a him.

    "See what I mean, Vic?" Michael scowled. "They love it."

    "Yeah, I guess so."

    They ate slowly, Victor scanning the horizon for a glimpse of Teresa. He didn't see her. She must have brought lunch, he thought, and is eating outside. Victor scraped his plate and left Michael, who was busy scowling at a girl two tables away.[D]

    The small, triangle-shaped campus bustled with students talking about their new classes. Everyone was in a sunny mood. Victor hurried to the bag lunch area, where he sat down and opened his math book. He moved his lips as if he was reading, but his mind was somewhere else. He raised his eyes slowly and looked around. No Teresa.

    He lowered his eyes, pretending to study, then looked slowly to the left. No Teresa. He turned a page in the book and stared at some math problems that scared him because he knew he would have to do them eventually. He looked to the right. Still no sign of her. He stretched out lazily in an attempt to disguise his snooping.[E]

    Then he saw her. She was sitting with a girlfriend under a plum tree. Victor moved to a table near her and daydreamed about taking her to a movie. When the bell sounded, Teresa looked up, and their eyes met. She smiled sweetly and gathered her books. Her next class was French, same as Victor's.

    They were among the last students to arrive in class, so all the good desks in the back had already been taken. Victor was forced to sit near the front, a few desks away from Teresa, while Mr. Bueller wrote French words on the chalkboard. The bell rang, and Mr. Bueller wiped his hands, turned to the class, and said, "Bonjour."[7]

    "Bonjour," braved a few students.

    "Bonjour," Victor whispered. He wondered if Teresa heard him.[F]

    Mr. Bueller said that if the students studied hard, at the end of the year they could go to France and be understood by the populace.

    One kid raised his hand and asked, "What's 'populace'?"

    "The people, the people of France."

    Mr. Bueller asked if anyone knew French. Victor raised his hand, wanting to impress Teresa. The teacher beamed and said, "Trѐs bien. Parlez-vous français?"[8]

    Victor didn't know what to say. The teacher wet his lips and asked something else in French. The room grew silent. Victor felt all eyes staring at him. He tried to bluff his way out by making noises that sounded French.

    "La me vave me con le grandma," he said uncertainly.[G]

    Mr. Bueller, wrinkling his face in curiosity, asked him to speak up.

Great rosebushes of red bloomed on Victor's cheeks. A river of nervous sweat ran down his palms. He felt awful. Teresa sat a few desks away, no doubt thinking he was a fool. Without looking at Mr. Bueller, Victor mumbled, "Frenchie oh wewe gee in September."

    Mr. Bueller asked Victor to repeat what he said.

    "Frenchie oh wewe gee in September," Victor repeated.

    Mr. Bueller understood that the boy didn't know French and turned away. He walked to the blackboard and pointed to the words on the board with his steel-edged ruler.

    "Le bateau," he sang.

    "Le bateau," the students repeated.

    "Le bateau est sur l'eau,"[9] he sang.

    "Le bateau est sur l'eau."

    Victor was too weak from failure to join the class. He started at the board and wished he had taken Spanish, not French. Better yet, he wished he could start his life over. He had never been so embarrassed.

    He bit his thumb until he tore off a sliver of skin.

    The bell sounded for fifth period, and victor shot out of the room, avoiding the stares of the other kids, but had to return for his math book. He looked sheepishly at the teacher, who was erasing the board, then widened his eyes in terror at Teresa who stood in front of him. "I didn't know you knew French," she said. "That was good."[H]

    Mr. Bueller looked at Victor, and Victor looked back. Oh please, don't say anything, Victor pleaded with his eyes. I'll wash your car, mow your lawn, walk your dog—anything! I'll be your best student, and I'll clean your erasers after school.

    Mr. Bueller shuffled through the papers on his desk. He smiled and hummed as he sat down to work. He remembered his college years when he dated a girlfriend in borrowed cars. She thought he was rich because each time he picked her up he had a different car. It was fun until he had spent all his money on her and had to write home to his parents because he was broke.[I]

    Victor couldn't stand to look at Teresa. He was sweaty with shame. "Yeah, well, I picked up a few things from movies and books and stuff like that." They left the class together. Teresa asked him if he would help her with her French.

    "Sure, anytime," Victor said.

    "I won't be bothering you, will I?"

    "Oh no, I like being bothered."

    "Bonjour," Teresa said, leaving him outside her next class. She smiled and pushed wisps of hair from her face.

    "Yeah, right, bonjour," Victor said. He turned and headed to his class. The rosebushes of shame on his face became bouquets of love. Teresa is a great girl, he thought. And Mr. Bueller is a good guy.

    He raced to metal shop. After metal shop there was biology. and after biology a long sprint to the public library, where he checked out three French textbooks.

    He was going to like seventh grade.[J]

quiver v. to shake with a slight, rapid movement

ferocity n. fierceness; extreme intensity

linger v. to continue to stay; delay leaving

portly adj. stout or overweight

unison n. harmony or agreement; as with one voice

Sheepishly adv. with a bashful or embarrassed look

[1] catechism classes: formal classes in religious instruction.

[2] raza-style Spanish: in the manner that Mexican Americans greet each other.

[3] saludo de vato Spanish: greeting between Mexican-American friends.

[4] ese Spanish: a slang term used in addressing someone, as in "Hey, man."

[5] GQ: Gentleman's Quarterly, a magazine of men's styles and fashions.

[6] Siberia: a cold, isolated region of northern Russia.

[7] Bonjour French: Good day.

[8] Trѐs bien. Parlez-vous français? French: very good. Do you speak French?

[9] Le bateau est sur l'eau French: The boat is on the water.

[A] PLOT: EXPOSITION What background information do you learn about Victor in the first paragraph?

[B] CONNECT How do you greet your friends when you see them in the hall?

[C] PLOT: EXPOSITION Reread lines 25-27 and lines 39-21. When the boys scowl, they see girls look at them. What might the girls be thinking?

[D] PLOT: RISING ACTION What obstacles are getting in the way of Victor making Teresa "his girl"?

[E] CONNECT What experiences have you had that help you understand how Victor might be feeling as he looks for Teresa?

[F] PLOT: RISING ACTION Why does the tension increase now that Victor and Teresa are in the same class together?

[G] CONNECT Think of a time when you said you knew something that you really didn't. Compare and contrast how it made you feel with how Victor is feeling now.

[H] PLOT: CLIMAX Why is this the moment of greatest interest in the story?

[I] PLOT: FALLING ACTION How do Mr. Bueller's actions affect the plot at this point?

[J] PLOT: RESOLUTION How was Victor's life changed by the end of the day?

Silly Dreams

Silly Dreams

Every night I go to sleep I never stay in bed.

I go to faraway places, but only in my head.

Just the other day I had tea with the queen.

She was not very kind and really rather mean.

I can to to space, I will dance with the moon.

If I'm feeling hungry I eat him with a spoon.

The stars are tasty too with sugar and cream.

I eat until I burst it is only a dream.

I will ride a lion with a pink nose and purple tail.

I will race against a blue whale.

The jungle has lions and bears.

They all wear dresses and have feathers for hair.

Sometimes I fly and sometimes I soar.

The grass is my sky and the cloud's my floor.

I am graceful like the birds, I am faster than a rocket.

When I need to rest I sleep in a cloud pocket.

Today when I dream I will think about clowns.

They know how to chase away frowns.

I will play cards with fish. Sleep the middle of the sea.

I will share a piece of cake with a bumble bee.

My Side of the Mountain 6-3

 My Side of the Mountain                        6-3

    My Side of the Mountain tells the story of Sam Gribley, who has decided to live in the woods with only his diary and a few animals for company. These include Frightful, the falcon that Sam has raised from a chick; a weasel that he calls The Baron; and Jessie C. James, a raccoon.
    It is September. Sam notices that The Baron Weasel's fur is turning white. He knows that winter will arrive soon. It will be cold and food will be hard to find. He makes some fur clothes to keep himself warm. He decides to build a clay fireplace to heat the hollowed-out tree he lives in. It takes days to get the fireplace to work right.
    By October, Sam begins to look for ripe walnut and hickory nuts to store for the winter. He needs to gather them quickly because the squirrels are also after them. Soon he has a storehouse filled with nuts. Next, he competes with the squirrels, raccoons, and a skunk for apples. The animals are fattening themselves up before their winter sleep.
    On Halloween night, Sam throws a party for his animal neighbors. The squirrels, foxes, raccoons, and opossums come for their treats of nuts, rabbit meat, apples, and crayfish. Sam has always been careful about not leaving food out. On this night, however, he forgets to protect the food he has been storing in his house. Sleeping outside, Sam wakes up to noises in his tree. The animals have found all his food! Now that he has invited all of the animals over, he doesn't know how to make them go away. He finally snarls and makes loud noises to frighten them. His guests leave. Halloween is over.

The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home 6-2

 The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home            6-2

    The nonfiction selection The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home is about the work people are doing to bring a kind of monkey called a golden lion tamarin back to its natural habitat, the coastal Brazilian rainforest. The rain forest was once 1500 miles long, but most of the trees have been cut down or burned to clear the land. Only a small part of the rainforest remains. As the forest disappeared, so did the tamarins. The Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program was begun to help bring the tamarins back into the wild.
    Today zoos around the world breed tamarins. But zoo tamarins do not know how to hunt for food or how to survive in the wild. One zoo in Washington, D.C., has been trying to prepare tamarins to live in the wild. Then the zoo sends the tamarins to the Brazilian rainforest.
    The tamarins are flown to Brazil and taken to a reserve. First, they are put into cages in trees to get used to the sights and sounds of the forest. Then, when they are ready, they are set free. Observers watch the tamarins closely to see how they are doing. Some of the tamarins wear radio collars so observers can keep track of them.
    Tamarins need the most help just after they are released from the cages. They can get lost or injured very easily. The observers give them plenty of food and water at first. When the tamarins become more independent and know their way around, the feedings stop. Unfortunately, only about thirty percent of these tamarins survive for more than two years in the wild. The goal of the conservation program is to make the number grow.

The Grizzly Bear Family Book 6-1

 The Grizzly Bear Family Book     6-1

    The Grizzly Bear Family Book is a nonfiction selection about grizzly bears in the Alaskan wilderness, especially in Denali National Park. The author and photographer, Michio Hoshino, spent a year in Alaska observing grizzly bears.
    The selection begins in winter, during which grizzlies are asleep in their dens and mother bears give birth to their cubs. In the spring, the bears wake up and leave their dens. Grizzlies are thinner at this time because they haven't eaten in months. As the weather gets warmer, the bears eat roots, grasses, ground squirrels, and other animals.
    During the summer, grizzlies fish in rivers and streams. They are skilled at catching fish and especially like salmon. Although they usually prefer being alone, bears come together when fishing. The stronger, or dominant, bears get the best fishing spots. Mothers bring their young cubs food. When the cubs turn two, they can fish by themselves. They learn how to catch fish by watching their mothers.
    In the fall, the grizzlies start eating enough food to get them through the winter. They fill up on berries, which are high in sugar. Sometimes, bears eat berries for twenty hours a day! They hardly stop to sleep.
    Then the daylight hours grow short and winter arrives again. The grizzly bears return to their dens and settle in for another long winter's sleep.

Elena 5-4

 Elena 5-4

    Elena takes place in Mexico in 1910, at the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Elena's husband, Pablo, a sombrero maker, has to leave town on business. Elena is worried for his safety. Armed soldiers are everywhere. The rainy season has just ended, and the road is not in good condition. Sure enough, there is a landslide, and Pablo and his horse fall into a ravine. Villagers lift him to safety, but he is badly injured. Before he dies, he tells Elena that she and their four children must leave the village to be safe.
    The army of Pancho Villa arrives in their village. Villa is fighting to free Mexico from a cruel dictator. But Villa is a former bandit who does not respect the law. Elena hides her son, Esteban, in a kitchen cabinet, afraid that Villa will force him into his army.
    Villa himself knocks on the door. When he finds that Pablo has died, he asks if there are any sombreros left. Elena sells him the last one. She knows that it is time for her family to leave.
    Elena and her family leave all their belongings behind, They board a train and travel north to the city of Juarez on the United States border. They are able to cross into the United States and end up settling in Santa Ana, California, because it reminds them of their home.
    Years later, the family finds out that their old village was burned by soldiers. Only then do they realize how Elena's courage saved them all.

Black Cowboy, Wild Horses Theme 5-3

 Black Cowboy, Wild Horses Theme 5-3

    Black Cowboy, Wild Horses is about the African American cowboy, Bob Lemmons. With the help of his stallion, Warrior, Lemmons hers mustangs, the wild horses that live on the plains. He herds them by making the mustangs think that he is one of them.
    The selection shows Lemmons on the job. First, he looks for the herd's hoof marks. Then he rides Warrior and catches up to them as a storm breaks. It is important that he doesn't get too close too soon. If the mustangs see or smell him, they will run off. He moves Warrior very slowly, trying not to make a sound, getting closer as the herd grazes. The stallion leading the herd looks around before he goes back to grazing. The mustangs sense that Lemmons is near, but they think that he is a horse.
    Lemmons rides into the middle of the herd. He tires to keep himself flat across Warrior's back. The next day, a colt is bitten by a rattlesnake and dies. As the stallion moves the herd away, Lemmons decides that this is the right moment to take over the herd. He and Warrior gallop to the front. Warrior rears up and kicks his legs into the air. Then he charges the stallion. Warrior and the stallion fight, kicking at each other. Warrior wins the battle, and the mustang stallion leaves the herd.
    Lemmons is now in charge of the mustangs. As he rides back home, the herd follows him. After a two-day ride, he leads the mustangs straight into the corral. The other cowboys take over the job and Lemmons rides off with Warrior.

Pioneer Girl 5-2

 Pioneer Girl 5-2

    Pioneer Girl is the true story of Grace McCance and her family. In 1885, the McCance family filed a claim on land in Nebraska. They moved from Missouri to the shortgrass prairie and became homesteaders.
    Homesteaders had to watch the weather carefully. Hailstorms could destroy crops. Lightning could spark a fire if the weather was dry. Grace never forgot the first prairie fire that she saw as a child. Luckily, it died down right before it reached their house. A few months later, a rainstorm hit their homestead. Their sod house shook; the roof was torn off. Everything on the walls and shelves was either smashed or blown away.
    But there were also good memories. Before their first Christmas on the prairie, the McCances received three barrels full of molasses, apples, walnuts, and clothes from Grace's grandparents in Missouri.
    Most of the McCance's neighbors were European immigrants. Many came to farm the land, but some also came for religious freedom or to avoid paying high taxes. Most were poor. Everyone in the family had to work six days a week, including children as young as three and four.
    At age five, Grace herded the family's cows. She drove them to the fields each morning, stayed with them during the day, and brought them home at night. One young cow had especially bad temper. She charged grace one day and left her with a bad cut. Grace's father sold the cow a few days later and Grace kept herding. life on the prairie was never easy.

A Boy Called Slow

 A Boy Called Slow 5-1

    A Boy Called Slow is a true story that begins in 1831, when the family of Returns Again, of the Hunkpapa band of the Lakota Sioux, welcomes the birth of a baby boy, His parents decide to name the baby Slon-he, or Slow, because he never does anything quickly.
    Growing up, Slow does not like his name. But he can only earn a new name by having a powerful dream or by doing something brave. Slow's father, Returns Again, has earned his name for bravery in battle against the Sioux's enemy, the Crow. Returns Again can also understand the speech of animals. He gained four more names after hearing those names spoken to him by a bull buffalo.
    One night, at the age of fourteen, Slow hears that his father and others are going to raid the Crow for horses. Slow goes with them, making his father proud. The men get ready for the fight. They paint their horses and their faces, and take out their coup sticks, lances, and shields. But Slow, armed with only a coup stick, takes off ahead of the others. As one of the Crow warriors is about to shoot an arrow, Slow hits his arm with his coup stick, causing the warrior to miss his target. When the Crow see the other Sioux warriors coming, they flee. None of the Hunkpapa have been hurt. Slow is a hero.
    Slow's father is so proud that he gives the boy a new name, the first name the buffalo bull spoke to him. This name means "Sitting Bull." Sitting Bull grew up to become one of the greatest Lakota warriors in history.

Dear Mr. Henshaw Theme 4-4

 Dear Mr. Henshaw Theme 4-4

    Dear Mr. Henshaw is the story of Leigh Botts, told in his own word through entries in Leigh's diary. In the second grade, Leigh began writing to Boyd Henshaw, his favorite author. Those letters led to the diary he now keeps. Leigh's parents are divorced, and Leigh doesn't see much of his dad, a truck driver who is almost always traveling.

    At school, Leigh decided to enter a writing contest. The top winners get to have lunch with a famous author. At first, Leigh tries to write an imaginary story, but he doesn't like any of his ideas. He then decides to write about a time when he rode in his dad's truck while his dad was delivering grapes.

    A few days later, Leigh finds out that his story has received Honorable Mention in the Writing contest. At first he is disappointed that he wasn't one of the top winners. Then he learns that he can have lunch with the author, too.

    During lunch, Leigh sits across from Angela Badger, the author. She asks him what he wrote for the contest. When she discovers that he is the author of A Day on Dad's Rig, she tells him how much she liked it. She encourages him to keep writing. Leigh is especially pleased that she has called him an author.

    Leigh is very proud of himself. That night, he writes a letter to Mr. Henshaw to share the good news about his writing.

Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers Theme 4-3

 Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers Theme 4-3

Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers is about the Yang family's oldest daughter, Yinglan, and a trick that her younger brother and sister play on her.

Ever since she and her family moved to the United States from China, Yinglan has shown no interest in making American friends. Her younger brother and sister, Yingtao and Yingmei, decide to make new friends for her. With the help of their friend, Kim, they set out to make her think that her classmate, Paul Eng, has a crush on her.

First, while washing dishes after dinner, her brother and sister wait until they are sure that Yinglan is nearby. Then, in a loud whisper, they talk about how Paul really likes Yinglan and wants to know if she goes on dates with boys. Yinglan stops by the stairs to listen. None of what they are saying is true, but from the slow way she goes upstairs, they can tell that she is thinking about what they said.

Next, they need to get Paul Eng to think that Yinglan likes him. Their big chance comes when they are at a science museum with Kim. They see Paul. Quickly moving behind a dinosaur display where he can overhear them, they talk about how much Yinglan likes Paul.

When they see another girl with Paul, the three worry that he has a girlfriend. But Paul comes over to them and introduces the girl as his sister, Melanie. Better yet, Paul nervously asks them it Yinglan ever goes out with boys.

Their plan has worked!

Mom's Best Friend 4-2

 Mom's Best Friend 4-2

    Mom's Best Friend tells about the relationship between Leslie's mom, who is blind, and her new dog guide, Ursula. Mom's first dog guide, Marit, had become a part of the family before she died. Now Mom needs to find a replacement for Marit.
    Mom travels to the same place where she got Marit - The Seeing Eye, in New Jersey. It is a training center where people teach dogs to be guides and teach blind people how to use the dogs. Mom meets Ursula, her new German shepherd, and stays for a month to train with her. At first, Ursula forgets some of her training. Mom has to correct her and try again. Every day they go on walks together to practice her training.
    While she is away, Mom writes to the rest of the family about her progress and about the people she meets at The Seeing Eye. Meanwhile, Leslie, her father, and her brother struggle to keep up with the chores around the house.
    When Mom and Ursula come home, the dog is friendly but nervous. Mom teaches Ursula different walking routes around town and gives her obedience training. The rest of the family can only watch as Mom plays with Ursula. Ursula and Mom have to become attached to one another first. After a lot of training at her new home, Ursula is allowed to play with the rest of the family. They learn to love her as much as Mom does.

Mariah Keeps Cool 4-1

 Mariah Keeps Cool 4-1

As Mariah Keeps Cool begins, Mariah and her friends, the Friendly Five, are busy getting ready for a big swim meet with their coach and friend, Brandon. They are also planning a surprise birthday party for Mariah's sister, Lynn. Because Lynn is a volunteer at a homeless shelter, Mariah asks the guests to bring food and clothing donations instead of gifts.

Mariah is also growing closer to her half-sister, Denise, who is helping them make paper flowers and other party decorations at Brandon's house.

When Lynn shows up at Brandon's house unexpectedly, the girls have to think fast. Denise hides and the Friendly Five hurry to Bandon's pool and pretend that they are practicing for the swim meet. Brandon tells Lynn that she needs to leave so they can practice.

On the day of Lynn's birthday, Mariah needs to get Lynn out of the house. But Lynn just wants to stay in bed all day. Her mom finally gets out of bed by offering to take her to a bookstore. As soon as they leave, Mariah calls the guests to come over. By the afternoon, everyone is in the backyard decorating and setting up.

Mariah tells all the guests to be quiet as her mother and Lynn pull into the driveway. Then Lynn appears and everyone yells,  "Surprise!" Lynn is moved and happy when she sees all the donations for the homeless shelter. Then the party gets underway with music and dancing, and everyone has a great time.

James Forten 3-3

 James Forten 3-3

James Forten is a biography of James Forten, a sailor at the end of the American Revolution and a sailmaker and fighter against slavery afterwards. Forten lived in Philadelphia, home to hundreds of free African Americans and abolitionist groups, including Quakers, who wanted to end slavery. He went to a school that a Quaker founded for African American children.

Forten wanted to join the fight for America's freedom. In 1781, at age fourteen, he went to sea. His job was to bring gunpowder up from below deck during battles. In his second battle, Forten's ship, the Royal Louis, was trapped by three British ships. The Royal Louis surrendered. Its crew was taken aboard the British ship, the Amphyon. Forten was afraid that he would be sent to the West Indies and sold into slavery.

The son of the captain of the Amphyon joined the American boys in a game of marbles and befriended Forten. Instead of going to the West Indies, Forten was sent to the British prison ship, the Jersey. He felt that his friendship with the captain's son saved him from slavery.

Life for the prisoners was awful on the Jersey, but in two weeks, news arrived that the British army had surrendered to George Washington, ending the war. Washington did not approve of sending prisoners to the West Indies. The news, not the game of marbles, is what probably saved Forten from life as a slave.

After the war, Forten went into the sail making business where his father had worked. He took over that business and become one of the richest men in Philadelphia. He also became an important abolitionist, speaking out against slavery.

Katie's Trunk 3-2

Katie's Trunk 3-2

Katie's Trunk tells about the family of Katie Gray at the beginning of the American Revolution. Katie's parents are Tories; they support the British king. Katie's family has lost rebel friends who are against the British. Her friend Celia Warren doesn't speak to her anymore.

One day, Katie's father comes running to tell his family to get out of the house and hide. The rebels are coming. Scared, they run into the woods. Katie feels like a trapped animal. Then she gets so angry that she runs back into the house. She doesn't want anyone to damage the house or the things in it.

Katie runs into her parents' room and hides in her mother's wedding trunk under a pile of clothes. She can hear footsteps and doors slamming. She hears the rebels throwing things on the floor and Celia Warren's father telling the other to look for money.

Katie can hardly breathe inside the trunk. Then Mr. Warren opens the lid. She breathes in the fresh air. the dresses on top of Katie move, and she feels Mr. Warren's hand. Katie wants to scream, but she knows she must keep quiet. After touching her, Mr. Warren shouts to the others that the Tories are coming and that they should leave the house. he leaves the trunk lid open.

Katie comes out of the trunk and begins to cry. Her family runs inside. Her mother hugs her but is angry that she ran back into the house. Katie knows that Mr. Warren called the others away to keep her safe, leaving the lid open for her to breathe. She believes that there is still some goodness in her neighbors, even with the war beginning.