Episode 3: Theo-saurus
In Episode 2, Ella learned that she was expected to perform in the talent show with her kindergarten buddy, Mack.
After the teachers write down all the buddies' acts for the talent show, the big graders go back to Ms. West's classroom.
"Okay, class, I have another surprise!" she says as we plop down in our chairs. My insides do a flip flop. My guts are not sure how many more surprises they can take.
"No silent reading time today. Instead, we're going to make show invitations for your families," she says very smiley. Then she passes out our buckets filled with arts-and-crafts supplies. "Make sure you include this Saturday's date"—she points to the calendar—"and the time, twelve o'clock."
Ugh. Silent reading time is my favorite. This day is not. But then I have an idea.
I raise my hand and wiggle it a little just in case Ms. West can't see it up there.
"Yes, Ella?"
"Can I use that dinosaur book with all the best words? I want to make my invitation extra fancy."
"Dinosaur book?" she asks. Her face is very confused-like.
"The…um," I stop and think real hard. "Oh! The Theo-saurus!" I grin. I'm very proud of my remembering.
"Ah, the thesaurus." She nods and goes to the bookshelf behind her desk. We need special permission to borrow from that shelf. Those books are her most favorites, I think.
My face stretches into a giant smile when she slides the book on my table. My idea worked! Now I can still have silent reading time.
I flip through Theo the thesaurus like I am trying to find the best words to use in my invitation. Really I am just taking my time memorizing fancy ways to say afraid, because I'm petrified of all those wide-open eyeballs staring at me on that stage.
"Okay, class. Get to work," Ms. West says. "But try not to use too much paint or glue. We want your invitations to dry in time to take home today."
And just like that, I have another idea! And I am thinking that I do have a talent after all, and that talent is making up ideas!
I write the show date and time on my paper because Ms. West is giving me her get-busy face. Then I cover the letters with glue and glitter! So the writing looks very shiny and fancy, but you cannot actually read it unless your brains can read glitter globs! I add lots of different colored paints too. No way will this gooey, gluey, glittery masterpiece get home today! Then I go back to my favorite silent reading again.
I am reading Theo's page with different words for disaster, like catastrophe and fiasco, when my heart suddenly thump-thump-thumps real hard.
Because my hand is stuck to the page! And there's glitter and paint smudged all over it!
I try to pull my hand away super fast, but the page comes too, so I stuff the torn page in my pocket and flip to another part of the book to hide the damage. But that just spreads the crafty gunk to more pages. I have a real craft-astrophe on my hands, people!
Then I have one more idea. A super sly, fix-it-guy idea.
Sneaky as a squirrel swiping acorns from his buddy's burrow, I slide that shiny, sticky Theo-saurus in my backpack.
"Oh, Ella!"
My head pops up at Ms. West's voice. My neck feels prickly and sweaty, because oh no, I am caught! But she just hands me another piece of construction paper. "Let's make another one without glitter," she says. "So you have an invitation to take home while this one dries, okay?"
I nod my head at her while I groan extra loud on the inside. Theo-saurus would call this very bad day atrocious.
use this article to answer questions
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 1 OF 4
1 / 4
Think about the episode. Why does Ella put Ms. West's thesaurus in her backpack?
A.She wanted to show the book to her brother and sister.
B.She wanted to use the book for reading and homework.
C.She damaged the book with glue and glitter by accident.
D.She damaged the book with glue and glitter on purpose.