Latest / Children's Hour / 8.23.25 - Part 2

Transcript

8.23.25 - Part 2 · Children's Hour

0:01
Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to radiis turn Story Hour. As a reminder,
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RADI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or who have other disabilities that make it difficult
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to read printed material. Today we will be reading from
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various books on school. Your reader today is Diane. We
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will continue with the book from Last Time Back to School, Mallory.
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It was published by Darby Creek, a division of Learner
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Publishing Group. It has a copyright year of two thousand
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and four and the author of the book is Laurie B. Freedman.
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Street Friends past the fruity pops, says Mom, Mix and
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I look at each other. Mom never eats fruity pops.
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Dad slides the box across the breakfast table. You've only
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been at school for a week, and you're already eating
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like a kid, he says. Mom laughs. But I don't
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mom my be eating like a kid. But she's definitely
1:00
not acting like one. This week at school, she did
1:03
a lot of things kids would never do. In the
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girl's bathroom, she reminded everybody to wash their hands, and
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in the cafeteria she told the girls to be sure
1:13
and eat their healthies first. Kids never do either of those. Things.
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It's no fun to be the kid whose mother reminds
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other kids to do that kind of stuff. I have
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good news, said mom. We're having dinner at the Winstons tonight.
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That is good news. And I know someone else who
1:30
will think so too. Lucky Mix, I make a kissy
1:34
face he gets to see whenny Mix tries to hit
1:38
me on the head with a cereal box. But the
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phone rings and I grab it before Mix can get
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to me. Hey hey, hey, says a voice on the
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other end. It's Mary Anne. Hey hey hey. I sit
1:50
on top of the desk and cross my legs. This
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is a great way to start my Saturday. How school,
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asks Marianne. Marianne tells me about Miss Thompson in her
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candy jar. She says third grade is awesome. She says
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school is the same as last year, only better. How
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school for you, Marianne asked, Nothing is the same for me.
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Different school, different friends, different teachers, and Mom is one
2:17
of them. I tell Marianne about fern Falls Elementary and
2:21
Pamela and missus Daily. Then I cover the phone with
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my hand. Guess what Mom is a music teacher at
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my school, I say, Marianne, giggles into the phone. What's
2:32
it like having your mom as a teacher. I can't
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really talk now, I whispered to the phone. But so
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far not so good. Gotcha, says Marianne. I can't really
2:44
talk now either. Emily, Ellen and Beck are coming over.
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We have to make a reptile collage for school. I
2:50
feel like my fruity pops are doing forward rows in
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my stomach. If I still live there, I'd be making
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a reptile collage at Marianne's house too, But only kind
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of collage I make is a no friend's clause, have fun.
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I try to sound cheery as I tell Mary and goodbye,
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but when I hang up the phone, I make an
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I don't feel cheery face. Dad walks over to the desk. Mallory,
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what's the matter. It's a beautiful Saturday morning and you
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don't see your usual sonny self. I'm not my usual self,
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I say. My usual self would be at Marianne's house
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working on a project with all of my friends. But
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I'm stuck here with no friends. Why don't you call Joey,
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says Dad. He's your friend. Joey has soccer practice. How
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about one of the other kids in your class. Mom says,
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what about your desk mate, Pamela. Why don't you call
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her and see if she wants to come over. I
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shake my head. I hardly know Pamela. Mom sits down
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in front of me. If you call her, you'll get
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to know her. I groan. Mom can be so predictable.
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I should have known. She says something like that. Why
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don't we spend the day together. I say to mom,
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we can do mother daughter things like paint our nails
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and go out for lunch. Mom smiles. I would love to,
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but I have less some plans to do, and I
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have to work on Fall festival. It's right around the corner.
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Mom pats my head. You understand, don't you. I understand.
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I understand that now that mom has two hundred students,
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she doesn't have time for her own two kids. I
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go into my room and close the door. Cheeseburger, it's
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just you and me to day. I rubbed the fur
4:34
behind her ears. I think about what Dad said about
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not being my sonny self. I pick up cheeseburger and
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stand in front of the mirror in my bathroom. Cheeseburger,
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I say out loud, I proclaim today let's try our
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hardest to be sunny day. We sit on the bed
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and paint my toenails. Then I get out the scrap
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books Marianne and I had made. We always worked on
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our scrap books on the weekends. I think about Joey.
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I can't see him doing scrap books. He's too busy
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playing soccer and skateboarding. Even though we like to do
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some things together, we don't like to doing everything together
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the way Marianne and I did. I flipped through the
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pages of the second grade scrap book Mary and Anne
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and I made. A lot has changed since last year?
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Has in it? I stated, she's burger, but when I
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look at her, her eyes are closed. I think trying
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to be sunny made her sleepy. After lunch, I read
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and watch TV until Mom says it's time to get
5:36
ready to go over to the Winston's house. When we
5:39
get to their house, Joey opens the door before we
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even ring the doorbell. What took you so long, he asked,
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I've got something to show you. Max and I followed
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Joey into the kitchen. When he is at the kitchen
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table surrounded by piles of playing cards, she's feeding them
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into a little machine. What's that? I ask? Whennie rose
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her eyes like she's I'm not surprised that I don't
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know what it is. It's an automatic card shuffler, says Joey.
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You put the cards in and the machine does all
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the shuffling. Dad ordered it for us on the internet. Cool,
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says Mix. Very cool, says Joey. Do you guys want
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to play Crazy Eights? I don't know how, I tell him,
6:20
but I can play GoFish? Can we play that instead?
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Joey nods, It's not my favorite, but we can play
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it if you want. Winnie rolls her eyes again, but
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she and Joey and Mix and I play GoFish until
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mister Winston says it's time for dinner. We eat Peace
6:37
and make her own Sundays. During dessert, Joey's grandpa asked
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about school. So it's the school. You're off to a
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good start for you youngsters, He asked, it's okay. Joey
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shrugs his shoulders. I like summer better. It's great, Whennie
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smiles at her grandfather. Now that we're in fifth grade,
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Mix and I get our own lockers and we get
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to change classes. Mix is in my math class. Don't
7:02
you think missus Mansburg is the world's best math teacher?
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When he asked Max, maxwallows a spoonful of strawberry ice
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cream in Nods's head. The best, he says, someone must
7:14
have squirted whipped cream in my ears. I'm definitely hearing things.
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All Mix ever says, is that missus Mansburg is the
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worst teacher in the school. I think Whennie could say
7:25
fried eggs taste good on ice cream, and Mix would
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agree with her. After dessert, we say good night and
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go home. Mom tells Mix and me to brush our
7:34
teeth and get ready for bed. I put on my
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pan to bear pajamas and go into the bathroom to
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brush my teeth. Mix is already at the sink. I
7:43
squeezed some toothpaste onto my toothbrush. World's best night. Huh,
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Mike spits, I guess so, I guess so. I can't
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believe you didn't think it was super Whinnie was so friendly.
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I bat my eyes. Maybe she likes you as much
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as you like missus Mansburg. Mike's wipe his mouth with
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a towel for your information. She does like me on
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the street and when no one else is around at school.
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She acts like she doesn't even know I'm in her
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math class. He tosses the town in the hamper. That's
8:18
what you call a street friend. I turn off the tap.
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I've never heard of a street friend learning something new.
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Every day I think about Joey, he says to the
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boys table in the cafeteria. He goes to soccer practice
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on the weekends. On Thursday, when Missus Daly had us
8:35
pick partners for a science project, Joey picked Pete. The
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only time he really plays with me is when we're
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together on our street. And when we're on our street
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he's really nice. Like tonight, he even played the card
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game I wanted to play. You don't think Joey is
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my street friend, do you, Mike shrugs like sister, like brother.
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If you ask me, you ask me. Making new friends
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isn't easy. I hope mix is wrong about Joey. I
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go into my room and get into bed. I can't sleep,
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so I try counting sheep, but I end up counting
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friends instead. And the trouble is I don't get very
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far stars everywhere. Class take your scenes, please, says mom.
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I have some exciting news. I grown one of the
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cool parts about having your mom as a teacher is
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you know what she's going to say before everybody else does.
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One of the not school not so cool parts is
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that you know what she's going to say, something that
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nobody will think is cool. Today is one of those days.
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As many of you know, Mom says, the third grade
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at fern Fall's Elementary always puts on Fall Festival. This
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year's show is Down on the Farm. I hear giggles
9:50
from the back of a classroom. Someone whispers, missus McDonald
9:55
had a farm. I knew it. The show is way
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too babyish. Dinner last night, I tried to tell Mom
10:02
that Down on the Farm is too babyish for third graders.
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Mike's laughed and said third graders are babyish. Mom said
10:08
it would be a great show. She waits for the
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giggling to stop before she continues, Fall Festival will be
10:15
bigger and better than ever. We're going to put together
10:18
committees to work on costumes, sets, lighting, and makeup. Heete
10:22
raises his hand. When is the show at the end
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of October? Says Mom, So we have a lot to
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do to get ready. Danielle and Iri l raise their hands.
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Can we be in charge of makeup. I'll keep you
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two in mind, Mom says. Pamela raises her hand. I
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think Fall Festival will be a lot of fun. I
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can't wait to work on sets and costumes. Mom smiles
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at Pamela. I'm glad you're excited. All teachers, including my
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own mother, spend a lot of time smiling at Pamela.
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Mom takes the cowboy hot out of the closet and says,
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Down on the farm is the farmer Brown and his wife.
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They grow fruits and vegetables on their farm. Farmer Brown
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tries selling his fruits and vegetables to the townspeople, but
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no one wants to buy them. They would rather eat
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pizza and hamburgers. Mom continues. Farmer Brown is upset. He
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doesn't know what to do. Missus Brown comes up with
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the plan. She invites everyone in town to a giant
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feast made from the fruits and vegetables they grow on
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the farm. The food tastes so delicious the townspeople start
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buying everything, and Farmer Brown is happy. Mom holds the
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cowboy hat in the air. Now we're going to draw
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to see who will have which rows. Line up, Mom says,
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and remember This is about working together to make a
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great show. All of the rolls are important, even though
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I think this show is kind of stupid. I hope
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I get a good row. Joey picks first. He waves
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a little piece of paper in the air. I'm farmer Brown.
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Never thought of Joey as an actor, but he looks
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happy about his row. Ariel and Danielle pick next. They
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both get to be rain fairies. I don't know how
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they always get to do everything together. Everyone draws slips
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of paper out of the hat. There are lots of
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good parts farm hands and townspeople. There are lots of
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not so good parts too, fruits and vegetables. When it's
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my turn to pick, I cross my toes and make
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a wish. Please let me be missus Brown. I stook
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my hand in the hat and pull out a piece
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of crumbled up paper. I uncrumple it. I'm not missus Brown.
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I am an egg plant. I don't want to be
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an egg plant. I would rather be an apple or potato.
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An ag plant has to be the worst row in
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the show. Pamela picks next Missus Brown. She yells, I
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get to be Farmer Brown's wife. It's not fair. Family
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is missus Brown and I'm an egg plant. I sit down,
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unroll the silver paper in my hand, and read it again.
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Brittany looks over my shoulder. You're an egg plant. I'm
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a bowl of cherries. It's the pits, isn't it. Britney
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doesn't laugh. It's going to be really fun making our
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costumes in all that other stuff. Your mom said, who
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cares what role you have? I do? I take my
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paper over to mom and tap her on the shoulder.
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A mom, I mean missus McDonald. I'm not even sure
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what to call my own mom. I need to redraw,
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I whisper in her ear. I don't want to be
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an egg plant. You'll make a fine egg plant, mom says.
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She tells me to sit down, then she asks everyone
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to take their seats. I can't believe it. My own
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mom won't let me. Will you draw? I'm her daughter
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and she's treating me like just another kid. This is
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so unfair. Pamela passes a note foting into neat square
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to me. I open it up, Mallorie, I'm so excited.
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I can't believe it to be the farmer's wife. Are
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you a so excited about your part, be going to
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work on the costume committee. C. Feeling like this is
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going to be the best Fall Festival ever. I'm all three, Pamela.
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I consider pameless note for about two seconds. I know
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Pamela is A B and C, but I'm d none
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of the above. I don't want any part of this show.
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I shove Pamela's note in my pocket. I think about
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what Mom said about giving Pamela a chance. I'm trying,
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but that's hard to do when she does things that
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annoy me, like writing this silly note. Marian Anne and
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I used to pass notes, but that was different because
14:40
she used to pass notes. I liked reading. When the
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bell rings, Mom waves us as we leave her classroom.
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We'll start learning the songs of the show next week,
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she says, and remember, you're all stars. But I don't
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feel like a star. I feel like an egg plant.
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On the way home from school, Joey can't stop talking
15:00
about Fall Festival. It will be so great, he says.
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We can practice our parts together. I won't need to practice.
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I tell Joey, all egg plant does is lay in
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a bowl. Joey shrugs. You don't know what you'll have
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to do yet. I don't know what I'll have to do,
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but I'm pretty sure I won't want to do it.
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At dinner, I tell Mom, I don't want to be
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an egg plant. Don't you think as the daughter of
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the music teacher, I should get to be the farmer's
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wife or the rain fairy. Mom puts a piece of
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chicken on my plate. Mallory, we drew out of a hat.
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It's the perfect row for you, says Mix. You kind
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of look like an egg plant. I try to ignore Mix.
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I watch Mom spoon mashed potatoes onto my plate. Fall
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Festival will be fun, she says. It's about working together
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with your classmates. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I shake
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my head. Mom puts her arm around me. You'll make
15:56
a very cute egg plant, she says. Why don't you
15:59
write now and invite her to come see you in
16:01
the Fall Festival. The last thing I want is for
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Marianne to see me dressed up like a plant. I
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cross my arms. Come on, sweet potato, says dad. Where's
16:11
the good old Mallory spirit. It used to be just
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Mom who call me sweet potato, But now Dad does
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it too. I look inside my milk glass and underneath
16:21
my placement. I can't find it anywhere, I tell Dad,
16:25
so you might as well change my name from sweet
16:27
Potato to unhappy egg plant. The Daily News calling I'll calumnist.
16:34
Missus Daily taps chester on the head. Would anyone here
16:38
like to be in the newspaper? Business hand? Shoot up everywhere. Class.
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We're going to publish a newspaper for the whole school
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to read, said, missus Daily will publish one issue per month.
16:50
Does anyone know the main function of a newspaper? Pameless?
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Hand is high. Missus Daily points to her to give
16:58
information to people. Pamela says, excellent, Pama, I love. Missus
17:04
Daily writes the word information on the chalkboard. What kind
17:07
of information do you think we should include in our newspaper?
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Sports scores? Peat shouts, horoscopes, Danielle and Ariel say together,
17:18
Comics says Zach, news suggest Adam, advice says Emma. Missusus
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Daily writes sports scores, horoscopes, comics, news and advice on
17:30
the chalkboard. I think we should include all of this
17:33
information on our paper, she says. Then she writes something
17:37
else on the board, profile a description of someone's abilities
17:41
personality or career class. We're going to learn how to
17:45
write profiles. We'll be picking one teacher at fern Fallse
17:49
Elementary to write about for each issue of our paper.
17:54
We'll call that our teacher of the month column. I
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raise my hand, Missus Daly, how will we decide which
18:00
teachers to write about? Good question? Mallory will pick firm
18:05
false elementary teachers who are doing special things that other
18:08
students might find interesting. Pamela leans over to my side
18:13
of the desk. I'm going to tell Missus Daily we
18:16
should pick her for the first issue. Students will find
18:19
it interesting that we're writing a newspaper. I'm not sure
18:23
other students will think that's interesting, but I'm sure Missus
18:26
Daily will like the idea. It bugs me that Pamela
18:29
always says things that Missus Daly likes hearing. I rub
18:33
my forehead with my pinkies. Marian Ann and I used
18:37
to do what we were trying to think of something
18:40
good to say. Right now, I want to think of
18:42
something to say that Missus Daily will like hearing. Now,
18:46
said Missus Daly, we need to pick a name for
18:49
our paper. Any ideas Everyone starts whispering. I keep rubbing.
18:55
Then I remember something Mom said. Maybe we should call
18:59
it the Daily News. I whispered to Pamela. Get it,
19:04
missus daily Daily News. Do you think Missus Daily will
19:07
like it? Pamela hands fly up in the air. How
19:11
about the daily News, She blurts out. She doesn't even
19:15
wait for Missus Daily to call on her. Hmm, Missus
19:18
Daily rubs her chin. It's catchy. Let's see a show
19:22
of hands. Who likes the name the Daily News for
19:25
a newspaper? Hands shoot up everywhere where it's settled. Then
19:30
Missus Daily writes the Daily News and big bow letters
19:33
on the chalkboard. Our newspaper would be called the Daily News.
19:37
Let's all thank Pamela for that wonderful suggestion. Everyone claps
19:42
everyone but me. Pamela stole my idea. I thought of
19:46
something Missus Daily would like hearing, and Pamela took the
19:49
words right out of my mouth. Everyone is busy talking
19:52
about the Daily News, but not me. I'm busy trying
19:56
to figure out what I want to say to Pamela,
19:58
and the answer is not much. I don't care if
20:01
I ever speak to Pamela again. Settle down, Missus Daly
20:05
tabs Chester. Everyone in this class will be part of
20:08
the paper. I want each of you to give me
20:12
some thought of what you'd like to write. What I
20:14
like to write is a want at wanted new Deskimate
20:19
kind and friendly thieves don't apply. Contact Mallory McDonald, Firm Falls, Elementary,
20:25
Room three ten, Row two, Seat six. I tried giving
20:30
Pamela a chance, but if you ask me, it was
20:32
a flop. I can't believe she stole my idea. Always
20:36
told Mary and my good ideas and she never took them.
20:39
I don't know if Jess makes can officially not speak
20:42
to each other, but I'm officially not speaking to Pamela now,
20:46
says Missus Daly. Unless someone can think of something else
20:49
we should include in our newspaper. Let's open our math books.
20:53
Joey raises his hand. I can think of something else
20:56
we should include. How about announcements, missus daily smiles. What
21:01
kind of announcements do you have in mind? You know,
21:04
stuff that's going on in school, like the day of
21:07
the Fall festival. Joey, that's a wonderful idea, the daily
21:10
News announcement Calm. I like it, I don't. I don't
21:14
want to announce Fall Festival to the host school. Maybe
21:17
Joey wants everyone to see him he's farmer Brown, But
21:20
I don't want anyone to see me. This is Daily
21:23
taps Chester on the head and the classroom gets quiet.
21:27
The newspaper will be lots of fun. We'll start working
21:30
on the next week. Class Please open your math textbooks
21:33
to page sixty two. Open mind to page sixty two.
21:37
Word problems, long, complicated word problems. Fill the page from
21:42
top to bottom. I sigh, page sixty two and I
21:46
have a lot in common. We're both full of problems.
21:50
Letter writing. I'm being held prisoner by my mother. She says.
21:54
I have a lot of writing to do, and I
21:56
can't go outside until I do it. I have to
21:59
write my article for the Daily News, and I have
22:01
to write to Mary In and invite her to the
22:03
Fall Festival. I know why I have to write the
22:06
article for the Daily News. It's due Monday, but I
22:09
don't know why I have to write to Mary Inn.
22:12
Mom says there's nothing more exciting than getting imitation in
22:15
the mill. I told her I can think of a
22:17
lot of things that are more exciting. But Mom says
22:20
she's been asking me to write this letter for over
22:22
two weeks, and I'm stuck in my room and toil.
22:24
The letter and the article are written. I pull out
22:28
a sheet of paper. I'm going to write my article first.
22:31
On Friday, Pamela told me she'd been working on what
22:34
she's writing for the newspaper all weekend. Doesn't that sound
22:37
like fun, she asked me. Fun, fun, fun, I mumbled,
22:42
But being stuck in my room writing doesn't sound like
22:44
fun fun fun to me. I pick up Cheeseburger and
22:47
put her on top of my desk. Cheeseburger purrs and
22:51
closes her eyes. But I open mind. Cheeseburger just gave
22:54
me a great idea. I start writing my article. Doesn't
22:58
take long at all. When I fit, I take out
23:01
another sheet of paper so I can start on my letter.
23:04
That getting started isn't easy. I want to see Mary Inn,
23:08
but I don't want Marian to see me dressed up
23:11
as an egg plant. I rub my forehead for a
23:14
long time, and then I begin. Dear Maryanne, do you
23:18
remember I told you that my mom is the new
23:20
music teacher at my school. Well, she is making the
23:23
third graders do a show called Fall Festival. It is
23:27
about a farmer and the vegetables on this farm. I
23:30
am an egg plant in the show is a silly
23:33
and baby as show. Mom told me to write you
23:35
a letter and invite you and your mom to come
23:37
and see the show. You definitely do not have to come.
23:41
I want you to come and visit, but another time
23:43
will be much better. If you have to sit through
23:46
the show, you will be bored, bored, bored, bored, So
23:50
probably best if you don't come for Fall Festival. After
23:53
you read this letter, rip it up and forget I
23:56
even sent it. Okay, that's it. I hope you're reading
23:59
lots candy out of missus Thompson's sharp. If I were
24:03
in her class, That's what I would be doing. G
24:06
two G gotta go. Hugs and kisses, Mallory. I reread
24:11
my letter. I really don't want Marian to come to
24:13
Fall Festival. I think back to the last practice. I
24:16
didn't even do anything until the end of the show
24:19
when I sang a song with a bunch of other vegetables.
24:23
I don't know what the big deal is about seeing
24:25
me do that. I reread my letter. Then I lick
24:29
the envelope shut and still it with a kiss and
24:32
I'm sure hope this works and Maryann won't come to
24:35
the Fall Festival. Kiss. We will come back to this
24:41
book next time. So this concludes our children's story I
24:44
have heard today. Please join us next time as we
24:47
will read more stories, fables and fairy tales. Thank you
24:50
for listening and please take June for the Lexton Harold
24:53
Leader on RADIOI