3 Ch3-Sit Around and Do Nothing Month

Chapter 3 Sit Around and Do Nothing Month The next morning at the school store, they were selling cool pens that light up. I counted the coins in my pocket just enough money to buy lunch and nothing else. Bummer in the summer! I wish I brought my lunch from home, like I did in the good old days. Then I could use

my lunch money to buy a pen. But if I brought lunch from home, I wouldn't have lunch money at all. Well, anyway, all I had was enough money for lunch. And if I didn't eat lunch, I'd starve and die. When I got to Miss Daisy's class, guess who poked his head in the door? Nobody! Because if you poked your head in a door, it would hurt. But Mr. Klutz poked his head in the doorway. He is our principal, and he has no hair Mr. Klutz's head is so shiny, you can see yourself in it. He must polish it or something. Mr. Klutz is nuts. I have exciting news! he said.

Mr. Klutz said he has an exciting nose, I whispered to Neil Crouch, who we call Neil the nude kid even though he wears clothes.

April is National Poetry Month! said Mr. Klutz. I thought of a great way to celebrate. If the students of Ella Mentry School write a thousand poems in April, I'll invite a real live poet to visit us. Isn't that exciting? Yes! yelled all the girls. No! yelled all the boys. A real live poet? I thought poets all died a long time ago. How about five hundred poems? Michael asked. One thousand poems, Mr. Klutz said. That's my final offer. Deal or no deal? Deal! yelled all the girls. No deal! yelled all the boys.

Mr. Klutz loves challenging us to see what we can accomplish. After he left, it was time for me and Andrea to go to Ms. Coco's room. Arlo, did you know that a beaver can hold its breath for five minutes? Andrea asked as we walked down the hall. And that bats sleep upside down in trees? Ugh. She must have finished the letter B in her encyclopedia. Sure, I lied. Any dumbhead knows that stuff. Ms. Coco came running in just as we reached the G and T room. Sorry I'm late, she said. I had to fix my hair.

Why, was it broken? I asked. That's mean! said Andrea. I think it's clever, said Ms. Coco. To fix hair is to comb it, and you fix a machine when it breaks. A.J. thought cre- atively. That's why I selected him for the gifted and talented program. Thank you! I said, and then I stuck my tongue out at Andrea. I'm so excited about National Poetry Month! said Ms. Coco. Did you two write your homework poems? I did! Andrea said, all excited. My poem is called The Happy Hippo.' I worked on it all night. Andrea loves animals. She read her