A Lot to Tackle Read Online Free PDF

Knowlton explained. “Use this study guide.” She passed out a stapled packet of paper just as the bell rang.
    â€œLet’s go to the media center now and do thestudy guide together,” Charlotte suggested to their group. French was their last-period class.
    â€œI can’t—wait, I can.” Logan shook his head in amazement. “No more football practice this year. That’s weird.”
    â€œI can stay until the late bus too,” Jack said.
    â€œAlex, what about you?” Charlotte asked.
    Alex wasn’t a fan of group study sessions. She studied better on her own. She didn’t need their help. “I have to see Ms. Palmer about the student council bake sale.”
    â€œHow long will that take?” Charlotte asked. “Couldn’t you meet us after? Come on, it’ll be fun.”
    â€œWe need to finish writing our cow menu too.” Jack held up the half-finished menu. They’d created a menu with all beef and dairy dishes.
    â€œ Oui ,” Alex agreed in French. She slung her backpack over her shoulder. “I’ll see you there.”
    She hurried down the hall. First she stopped at the main office to hand in the money from the raffle she’d organized for the cheerleaders. Then she found Ms. Palmer, who was locking up her classroom.
    â€œHi, Alex, I’m glad you caught me. My son has a doctor’s appointment, so I need to go.” Ms. Palmer adjusted a folder of quizzes to grade inher canvas tote bag. Alex wondered if hers was one of them. She had Ms. Palmer for English.
    â€œOkay, I just wanted to know what I should do to get ready for the bake sale. It’s this Friday,” Alex said.
    â€œWe have a student council meeting on Wednesday. It would be great if you made a sign-up sheet to pass out and organized the volunteers.” Ms. Palmer smoothed her frizzy hair with her palms as they walked back down the hall together.
    â€œAbout that meeting,” Alex began. “I don’t love a lot of the ideas for the Variety Show.”
    That was an understatement. Alex thought most of the ideas were horrendous, but she knew that she couldn’t come right out and say that. The Variety Show was a yearly talent show organized around a central theme. Students and teachers performed skits, dances, songs, and even magic acts, and the goal was to draw in a big crowd from the town to raise a lot of money for student activities. Last week the student council had brainstormed ideas for a theme, and they would put them to a vote on Wednesday.
    Alex thought about the lame ideas. Princesses. Magical Creatures. Ninjas. Oh, please!
    â€œThe student council is a democracy,” Ms. Palmer explained while heading toward the main doors. “Each one of you was voted in by your grade, and each one of you has one vote. I can’t get involved in campaigning for a theme.”
    â€œSo if I think my theme is the best, I should campaign for it?” Alex asked. She hadn’t considered this approach.
    â€œNot formally. But you could talk to the other student council members and try to convince them to see the show your way.” Ms. Palmer waved and hurried off toward her car.
    I will make them see that my idea is the best, Alex decided as she walked into the media center. She spotted Charlotte, Jack, and Logan in the back corner by the reference books. A half-completed study guide and a copy of their French textbook lay on the round table in front of them. Jack chewed the eraser on his pencil as he debated with Logan the proper conjugation of manger , the verb for “to eat.”
    â€œIt’s vous mangez ,” Alex said as she pulled up a chair.
    Charlotte flipped through the textbook. “Alex is right.”
    Alex bounced her knee impatiently. She was great at conjugating verbs. She didn’t need to be here. She had so many other things to do.
    She slid out her phone as they continued to fill in the conjugations on the