7

Pandas

I thought about Edward and that book all the next day.

Especially when it was reading time.

Gus and Emma and I are in the same reading group. There are six kids.

All the groups have animal names. There are Panthers. Giraffes. And Tigers.

Gus and Emma and I are Pandas.

We each read two pages out loud.

When someone else is reading, we have to follow the rules:

1. No talking.
2. No laughing if somebody makes a mistake.
3. No sound effects.

Ms. Diz made up the third rule after we read our last book.

It was called Honk! Honk! Beep! Beep!

When we were all done, I asked Ms. Diz a question. I’d been wondering about it ever since meeting Edward.

“Ms. Diz,” I asked, “do you think a dog can read?”

Ms. Diz thought for a second.

“Well, I doubt it, Roscoe,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

“Because Gus and Emma and me met a dog who could read Frog on a Log.”

“He wasn’t exactly reading, Roscoe,” Gus said. “It was more like weird barking.”

“But he barked when there was an actual word,” I said. “If we can learn to read, why can’t a dog?”

“Well, Roscoe,” Ms. Diz said, “it’s not that simple. Before you can read, you need to know your letters and the sounds they make. I’ve never met a dog who could do that.”

“I’m telling you, Edward was reading,”

I said.

Sometimes, even when I’m not for-sure right, I kind of get stuck acting like I’m right.

I was feeling a little bit sticky at the moment.

Even Gus didn’t think Edward was a reader.

And Gus believes everything.

I mean, Gus believes toads give you warts.

And everybody knows that’s not true.