Natalie Wants a Puppy Read Online Free PDF Page A

are so many papers in there.
    “My parents are coming,” Sasha says. “And my grandparents and three aunts and two uncles. I turned in my paper already.”
    “If you’ve turned in your paper, we don’t need to hear from you. Thank you,” Miss Hines says.
    “My parents are coming!” Peter says. “Only not my two brothers because we can’t trust them not to make rude noises.”
    Other kids try to tell Miss Hines who’s coming. Only they all say it at the same time.
    Farah raises her hand and waits for Miss Hines to call on her. “Miss Hines, please, what is there to see at this graduation?”
    “Good question, Farah,” Miss Hines says. “Our kindergarten graduation will be Saturday morning. One by one, you’ll walk across the gym stage. And you will get your graduation diploma. It’s a piece of paper that says you’ve finished kindergarten.”
    “Is that all?” Chase asks.
    “As a matter of fact, it’s not all.” Miss Hines grins like she knows a secret we don’t. “We’re going to put on a little program for your parents.”
    “What kind of program?” Sasha demands.
    “I’d like each of you to say a little piece,” our teacher says.
    “A piece of what?” Jason asks.
    Miss Hines gives us a huge smiley face. “That’s up to you. I want you each to say something your moms and dads will like. I need your ideas. Remember how to brainstorm?”
    We did brainstorming when we fixed up our classroom. Plus, we did it when Bethany broke her arm and we had to do something nice for her. Pretty much, we all talked at the same time. And instead of getting aggravated at us, Miss Hines just called it “brainstorming.”
    “I know what brainstorming is,” Sasha says. “That’s where we all shout out ideas. Only most of them are dumb.” She turns and makes a frowny face at me.

    “No such thing as a dumb idea in brainstorming,” Miss Hines says. “Let’s get started. Maybe you could say something nice about your parents.”
    “Like what?” Griff doesn’t raise his hand. And this is okay in a brainstorm.
    “Think,” Miss Hines says. “Why do you need your mother?”
    “She’s the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is,” Peter says.
    “True. But let’s keep thinking,” Miss Hines says. “What do you suppose your mother was like when she was a little girl?”
    “I don’t know,” Sasha says. “But my guess would be…pretty bossy.”
    Miss Hines sighs and tries again. “What about your dads?” she asks the rest of us.
    “My dad doesn’t have any hair,” Brooks says.
    “My dad is king of the remote control!” Seth shouts.
    “Hmm.” Miss Hines looks like she might give up on our storming brains. “Let’s try something else. What have you learned this year?”
    “Not to run in the halls!” Jason shouts.
    “I learned to read,” Farah answers.
    “Adding and subtracting,” Anna says. She’s a very good adder and subtracter.
    I’m thinking this is a pretty good idea. I’ve learned a lot of stuff at kindergarten.
    “Good!” Miss Hines exclaims. “Between now and Saturday, I’d like you to come up with the best thing you’ve learned all year. And Saturday morning, you can tell your family in our program.”
    I love to be on a stage and say things, on account of I might be a movie-star girl when I grow up. I picture me on the gym stage, with my mom and dad watching, all smiley faced at me, clapping their hands off.
    Then that picture turns to horrible. I am on the stage, looking out at their smiley faces, but they’re not there!
    What if I say a piece and they don’t hear me?
    What if they are still in China with their brand-new kid?

Chapter 10
Trading Up
    The second our class ends, I run out of my classroom. I have to catch Mom and Dad before they go to China and miss my whole entire kindergarten show.
    “Nat! Wait up!” Laurie hollers.
    I wave back to her. “I can’t! I’ll call you!” I walk superfast down the hallway.
    I’m almost the first kid outside. I