How Not to Start Third Grade

How Not to Start Third Grade

First-Day Jitters Hi, my name is Will. Today is my first day of third grade. I can't wait to see my friends and talk about soccer camp. There's just one problem. Today is my little brother Steve's first day of school, too. He's starting kindergarten. If you have a little brother and he's anything like Steve, you know exactly why I'm worried.

Mom handed us our lunches. Mine was in a brown bag. Steve's was in a superhero lunch box. Steve looked at my lunch, then at his. " I want a brown bag like Will! ” he cried. As usual, Steve got what he wanted.

“ Time for school, Buster, ” Steve sang out. “ Let's go! ” But Mom put a stop to that idea. She said dogs and school don't mix. Buster could ride to school with us, but he couldn't go inside. She called it a “ compromise. ” I wasn't sure what that meant. I guess it's another word for “ Steve gets his own way. ”

In the car I set my lunch bag on my left knee. Steve set his lunch bag on his left knee. Mom was going on and on about what a big deal Steve's first day of kindergarten was. But I was more concerned about my first day. I whispered to Steve, “ If you see me in the hall, just walk on by like you don't know me. " Steve giggled. “ Who are you? I don't know you, " he said. “ Hey, Mom, who's that sitting next to Buster?" Mom didn't look amused. That's when I learned Back-to-School Lesson #1: Your mom will never see your little brother for the monster he is.