7. Pandas

Chapter 7 Pandas I thought about Edward and that book all the next day. Especially when it was reading time. Gus and Emma and I are in the same reading group. There are six kids. All the groups have animal names. There are Panthers. Giraffes. And Tigers. Gus and Emma and I are Pandas. We each read two pages out loud.

When someone else is reading, we have to follow the rules: 1. No talking. 2. No laughing if somebody makes a mistake. 3. No sound effects. Ms. Diz made up the third rule after we read our last book. It was called Honk! Honk! Beep! Beep! When we were all done, I asked Ms. Diz a question. I'd been wondering about it ever since meeting Edward. "Ms. Diz," I asked, "do you think a dog can read?" Ms. Diz thought for a second. "Well, I doubt it, Roscoe," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Gus and Emma and me met a dog who could read Frog on a Log." "He wasn't exactly reading, Roscoe," Gus said. "It was more like weird barking." "But he barked when there was an actual word," I said. "If we can learn to read, why can't a dog?" "Well, Roscoe," Ms. Diz said, "it's not that simple. Before you can read, you need to know your letters and the sounds they make. I've never met a dog who could do that." "I'm telling you, Edward was reading," I said. Sometimes, even when I'm not for-sure right, I kind of get stuck acting like I'm right.

I was feeling a little bit sticky at the moment. Even Gus didn't think Edward was a reader. And Gus believes everything. I mean, Gus believes toads give you warts. And everybody knows that's not true.