CHAPTER 16

“The first question goes to Ada,” said Sofia. “Why would a turtle be a good pet?”

Ada picked up George. “Just look at that face!” she said.

The turtle pulled back its head and snapped its shell shut.

“We can’t even see its face!” said Rosie.

“I know!” said Ada. “Turtles are mysterious and wonderful! What do turtles do in their shells? How do they know when it’s safe to come out? How do they eat without teeth? There are so many things to learn about them. Isn’t that a good thing for a classroom pet?”

The class nodded.

“That’s a good point,” someone whispered.

Ada put the turtle back into the pen.

“Rosie,” said Sofia. “Same question. Why would a bird make a good class pet?”

Rosie held her bird, Gizmo, on her finger.

“Birds make great pets,” said Rosie. “Because they are beautiful and they can do something we could never do by ourselves: They can fly.”

Gizmo lifted off her finger, looped around the room, and settled back onto her shoulder.

“We could learn a lot about flying by watching a bird in our classroom,” she said. “And they sing, too.”

Team Bird cheered. Team Turtle nodded.

The debate continued, with Sofia reading questions and Rosie and Ada answering in turns. Then they responded to each other’s comments with questions or comments of their own. Sofia made sure they each had equal time to answer.

Each girl made her case before the voters. They talked about caring for the pets and what to expect from a pet bird or a pet turtle. The debate helped everyone understand what was involved with caring for birds and turtles.

At last, Ada and Rosie shook hands and sat down. The class cheered. Finally, it was time to vote. Though she couldn’t tell anyone, Sofia had made up her mind. She knew which pet she wanted for the class.