Monday afternoon Mrs. Halley said, “Well, we certainly have made some . . . unusual . . . holiday dioramas this morning.”

Mrs. Halley looked at the shoe boxes showing scenes of everything from the usual Santas and shepherds to the unusual jet fighters, dinosaurs, whales, Peeps, elephants, and ants.

“The most . . . unusual . . . I have ever seen in all my years. . . . ”

She tried very hard, but not very successfully, not to frown.

“I will put these on our Mrs. Halley’s Comets dot com website tonight. And we will hear about everyone’s different holidays tomorrow during our 501-B holiday party and show-and-tell.”

Venus nudged Michael K. and TJ and showed them her phone.

Michael K. and TJ high-fived.

Mrs. Halley looked at the Peeps listening to a hamster. She looked at the elephants walking around a volcano. She seemed to remember something about someone’s holiday with an elephant but had no idea what could be going on with the bunny Peeps and the hamster. “It will be especially interesting to hear about the holidays celebrated by Bob and Michael K.”

Bob waved to all of room 501-B.

Michael K. slid down low in his seat.

“And I know we had talked about bringing in holiday food from all lands for our party . . . ,” Mrs. Halley continued.

Venus, Michael K., TJ, Bob, and Jennifer huddled around Venus’s phone in the back of the classroom.

“. . . but this year I was thinking I might just bring in my Frosty the Snowman cookies.”

The Spaceheadz counter rolled over to

Red, white, and blue digital fireworks exploded across the Spaceheadz web page.

filled the screen.

Venus, Michael K., TJ, Bob, and Jennifer cheered. Major Fluffy eeek-squeaked and did a backflip.

“Goodness,” said Mrs. Halley.

And if you had been sitting in the front row of room 501-B, you might have seen Mrs. Halley actually blushing. “Kids do love my Frosty the Snowman cookies. But I didn’t know you loved them this much.”

Venus and Michael K. and TJ and Bob and Jennifer cheered and hugged and jumped around.

“Only ten more Spaceheadz to go!” cheered Venus.

Mrs. Halley smiled. The new children this year were the strangest fifth graders she had ever seen. But at least they knew good cookies when they tasted them.

Venus’s phone flashed a giant 10