CHAPTER 4

Before I began, I took another look at the clock.

“It’s getting late,” I pointed out to Mr. Rock.

“Late for what, Hank?”

“Um . . . math,” I answered. “You want to be sure to save enough time for math.”

Was this me, wanting to do math? Yes, it was, which told me how desperate I was. Anything was better than reading out loud. Even long division.

“Thanks, Hank,” Mr. Rock said. “But I think we’re all finding the story of how our government was formed really interesting. Am I right, guys?”

Everyone in the class nodded, even Luke Whitman, which is really something, because it’s not easy to nod with your finger in your nose without poking yourself really hard.

“So go ahead, Hank. Everybody follow along as he reads,” Mr. Rock said.

“You’re not going to want to do that,” I mumbled under my breath. I mean, where were they going to follow me? Into the confused mess that is my brain? Once they get in there, they’ll never get out.

“Mr. Rock,” I said. “I just remembered that I never got my flu shot this year, so I’ll read as soon as I get back from the nurse’s office.”

I turned to go.

“Hank,” Mr. Rock said. “I know this isn’t your favorite thing to do. But it’s important to practice your reading. We’re all here to learn, and learning takes practice. So give it a try. If you need help, I’ll help you. Take your time. We’ve got time, don’t we, kids?”

“This is going to take Mr. Stupid until next year,” McKelty shouted out.

“There’ll be none of that, Nick,” Mr. Rock said. “We are a supportive learning community in this class. You don’t make progress unless you try. So now, Hank, go ahead.”

I took a breath and looked down at the page.

“Chapter seven,” I said, even though everyone knew we were reading chapter seven. I just wanted to get off to a good start. I wasn’t even reading the words, I was remembering them.

“The Founding Fathers divided the American government into three branches,” I read.

“That’s excellent, Hank,” Mr. Rock said.

Wow. So far, so good. This wasn’t so hard.

“They are called the . . .”

I stopped dead in my tracks, because three of the longest, hardest words you have ever seen popped out of nowhere. These weren’t branches of government, they were alphabet traps. Why did they have to call them that, whatever that was? I mean, what’s wrong with olive branch, pine branch, and maple branch? At least I had a shot at reading those.

No, this branch was the . . . whatever it was, it started with an “L.”

“Just try to sound out the word,” Mr. Rock said. “Break the word down into syllables.”

“Mr. Rock, I think I’ve gone about as far as I can go,” I said. “Can’t we call it the ‘L’ branch and let me sit down?”

“Yeah,” McKelty called out. “Let Zipperbutt sit down. He’s a lost cause.”

“Nick, that’s enough from you,” Mr. Rock said, with real impatience in his voice now. “We show one another respect in this classroom. Just because each of us learns differently, doesn’t mean we all don’t have greatness in us.”

I didn’t know what to feel. On the one hand, having Mr. Rock stick up for me felt great. And I was proud that I had started out pretty good. On the other hand, not being able to read out loud is totally, completely embarrassing. You try feeling embarrassed and proud at the same time. It’s very confusing.

“That’s a good beginning, Hank,” Mr. Rock said. “You happened to get a very difficult paragraph, and you gave it a good shot.”

Mr. Rock didn’t insist that I go on, so I hurried to my seat faster than you could say Founding Fathers. After me, three more people read about the branches of government. I should point out two things here. Number one: None of them had any trouble at all reading the names of the three branches of government or any other word on the page. And number two: I now know that the three branches of government are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. When you think about it, that makes a whole lot more sense than the olive, pine, and maple branches.

The minute the recess bell rang, I slammed my book shut and bolted for the door. Before I could make it into the hallway, Mr. Rock asked if he could see me for a minute. He waited until the class was empty, then perched himself on the edge of Ms. Adolf’s desk, swinging a leg as he talked to me. I noticed that he had green frogs all over his blue socks. I like it when adults wear funny animals somewhere on their clothes. It’s like saying, “I’m an adult but not all the way through.”

“So, Hank,” he began. “Seems like reading is still pretty challenging for you.”

“Only some words,” I said. “I’m a whiz at ‘and,’ ‘cat,’ and ‘the.’”

He laughed and then stopped laughing.

“Seriously, Hank, would you like to be better at reading?”

“Seriously, sure I would. It’s not fun to stand in front of the class and not be able to get two words out. But maybe McKelty is right. Maybe I am a lost cause and I just have to learn to live with it.”

“No, you don’t,” Mr. Rock said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “In fact, PS 87 is starting a new program called the Reading Gym, which is intended for students just like you.”

“The Reading Gym?” I said. “What do you do, hang from a trapeze and read upside down?”

“We practice reading, just like a gymnast practices tumbling or trampolining.”

“Maybe I’ll come sometime,” I said. “It sounds okay.”

“I’d like you to come after school this afternoon,” Mr. Rock said. “I’m the Reading Gym teacher, and if we work together, I think your reading skills could go through the roof.”

“Sorry, Mr. Rock, but I’m doing the Tae Kwon Do after-school program, which is starting today also.”

“Maybe I could call your mom and dad and discuss the possibility of you switching to the Reading Gym,” Mr. Rock said. “I could explain to them why I think you need it and could benefit from it.”

“No!” I said, maybe even a little too quickly. “Don’t do that!”

The last thing I wanted was my dad getting another call from school saying that I needed special help. His theory about me, even though he knows I have learning differences, is that if I concentrate and work really hard and, as he says, “keep my bottom in the chair and study,” I’ll do fine in school. He is definitely not a big fan of the call from the teacher saying I’m behind in reading or behind in math or just behind in anything.

“Okay, Hank,” Mr. Rock said. “Let’s keep this conversation between us for now. But think this over. I’d like you to seriously consider participating in the Reading Gym. It will give you skills that will help you the rest of your life.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

“I know you’ll make the right decision, Hank,” Mr. Rock answered. “Now go to recess. You earned it.”

I bolted out the door, knowing full well what my decision was going to be. I mean, give me a break. If you had to choose between learning how to do a really cool roundhouse kick and learning how to sound out short vowel sounds, what would you choose?

It wasn’t even close.