The New Kid Read Online Free PDF Page A

whether Chloe’s brother Joey’s yo-yo is in the June Box till June!”
    Zoe patted the top of Chloe’s head. “Don’t worry, Chloe, Joey will get it back … eventually. We’ll see to that.”
    Wes wandered over. “That fish sings—press its head.”
    Zoe whispered, “Enter: Whopperman!”
    Carson stepped back.
    Wes said, “Press it! I’m serious, it sings!”
    “By the way,” Wes told Zoe. “I know more yo-yo tricks than Parks, in case you didn’t know.”
    Zoe glanced at Mr. Lipman. He was standing with his back to them. “Let’s see some!” she whispered.
    “Yeah!” whispered Chloe.
    Carson hurried away and sat down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some commotion by the June Box.
    Mr. Lipman rang the chimes. “Time’s up. So for now, it’s ciao, farewell, good day, sayonara, adieu, adios, au revoir, auf Wiedersehen, and good-bye to Hello Bingo.”
    Then he held up his Quiet Coyote Hand—his middle two fingers against his thumb, and his pinkie and pointing finger sticking straight up, like coyote ears.
    He rotated his hand, as if it was a coyote surveying the class. Then he wiggled the ears in Wes’s direction because Wes was talking.
    A few kids put up a Quiet Coyote Hand.
    Not many, because that was a first-grader sign.
    Wes put up two Quiet Coyote Hands, held them nose to nose, and made snarling noises. He attacked one hand with the other.
    “Wes?”
    Wes yipped and howled.
    Then was quiet.
    Mr. Lipman put a check by
Weston Walker
on the whiteboard and tapped on the schedule.
QUICK WRITE: Write a friendly thank-you letter to someone. Heading, date, greeting, body, closing, and signature
.
    “We’re focusing on the form. Don’t forget those commas!”
    A short time later, Mr. Lipman said, “Okay. Volunteers?”
    Zach raised his hand. He read: “Dear Hat, Thank you for making me look like a hunk. From, Zach.”
    Mr. Lipman frowned. “Try again, Zachary. Show some appreciation for a person who has done something special for you. Also, you forgot the heading and the date.”
    Carson wrote the heading and the date and then:
    Dear Dr. Tichenal ,
    Thank you for saving Genevieve’s life when she was a puppy. We are all doing well up here in El Cerrito. We haven’t met the new vet yet. But thanks for the referral .
    I am just about nine now, and so of course I have outgrown stuffed animals. However, I appreciate how you handled the situation with Moose when I was a little kid. The stitches held up well. I still have your business card. You inspired me to go into veterinary medicine .
    From,
Carson Blum
    •   •   •
    When Carson got home, he located the business card in his small treasure box and addressed the envelope to Dr. Tichenal.
    He showed the letter to his dad. “Good letter, son.”
    “Thanks, Dad.”
    Carson, his dad, and Genevieve walked to the mailbox on the corner, and Carson dropped the letter into the slot.
    Then he took a folded paper out of his back pocket. “This one’s for you.”
    Carson’s dad read it:
    Dear Dad ,
    Thank you for everything you do for me. Thank you for arranging your schedule so you can drop me off and pick me up from school. I look forward to seeing you every afternoon. Let’s celebrate your new job and our first two successful weeks in El Cerrito by going to Buster’s Barbecue .
    I love you, Dad .
    From,
Carson

5. HELLO,
Buster’s Barbecue
    Buster’s Barbecue may not have been the best place to do homework, but Carson brought it along anyway and worked on it on a picnic table covered with a checkered plastic tablecloth in the outdoor eating area.
    Besides wanting to celebrate a new job and two weeks in El Cerrito together, Carson’s dad wanted to check out his competition: he was pretty sure he was the best barbecuer in town, but you never know. He’d read a lot of great reviews about Buster’s.
    They both ordered the tri-tip dinner with two sides.
    Carson’s dad chewed thoughtfully. “Not bad … maybe we should come here to