Lost in a Good Book- A Child's Tale
Rebecca settled back with her book in the chair she had used as home base yesterday. She looked at the cover and it made her feel happy. A smiling teacher in front of a bright yellow school bus with a cute if weird lizard on her shoulder looked out at Becca. There were other children standing around the outside of the bus, and as Rebecca watched she wished she could be friends with them.
Rebecca would remember that wish- and hoped to remember that in the future she needed to be careful what she wished for. No sooner had she opened the book than she was indeed inside the book. The teacher was pushing students onto the bus in a haphazard way. She paused and looked critically at Rebecca before smiling brightly.
"How silly of me! Class one moment! We have a new student!" the teacher shuffled several papers in her arms looking apparently for Rebecca's name. "Her name is- well, I don't have your name. What is it dear?"
"Rebecca," Becca whispered in response, she felt as if it really were her first day in a new school as she looked at the other kids.
"This is Rebecca," the woman said. "I'm Ms. Frizzle, and you dear- why don't you sit with Arnold?"
Rebecca obediently moved to sit beside a boy holding an ant farm. He seemed kind of disconcerted- she felt just as confused. "I'm the ant monitor," he explained as she stared at the bugs in his box.
"Oh." It was a dumb response, but Becca couldn't think of anything else.
"Today class we are going to take a journey to the middle of the earth." Ms. Frizzle declared gesturing animatedly. "Who's ready for adventure?!"
The woman didn't wait for an answer, she turned and sat behind the wheel of the bus and suddenly they were off. A girl in front of Rebecca turned around and whispered loudly. "That's the Frizz, she's a bit strange but really fun."
Rebecca had never seen a teacher drive a school bus with a lizard on her shoulder. She heard a girl in the back say something about never taking field trips at her old school.
"Hold on!" the Frizz called loudly and Rebecca felt the bus changing forms. It was burrowing through layers of earth. The noise was so loud Rebecca couldn't make out the teacher's words over the sound of steel against stone. Finally they came to a stop inside a cave. "Hard hats everyone!"
Rebecca found a pink hard hat under her seat it had a bright light on the front and she was careful not to shine it in anyone's eyes. She followed the line of students streaming out of the bus.
"It's a magical school bus," Arnold explained leaving his ants on the seat.
"Look class, what a treat- stalactites." Ms. Frizzle pointed up to the roof of the cave. These long thorn-like stones were hanging overhead pointing threateningly down at the group. Rebecca turned her head so that her light hit on it just as a wave of her fellow students did the same. All the lights hit off different parts of the wall Rebecca gingerly stepped over a small spike raising from the floor. "Careful of the stalagmites!"
Rebecca heard a kid in the back say "careful of the wha-?" he didn't finish the question because he tripped.
"Stalactites and stalagmites are mineral deposits that form over time inside of caves. Stalactites hold TIGHT to the ceiling, and Stalagmites rise from the floor. It's an easy way to keep them separated." A girl said certainly.
"Very good!" Ms. Frizzle said approvingly and then marched deeper into the cave. "Onward class!"
Rebecca thought she might enjoy following the class, but she wasn't given a choice. She heard a loud :: Pop :: and was transported back to the library.
Rebecca would remember that wish- and hoped to remember that in the future she needed to be careful what she wished for. No sooner had she opened the book than she was indeed inside the book. The teacher was pushing students onto the bus in a haphazard way. She paused and looked critically at Rebecca before smiling brightly.
"How silly of me! Class one moment! We have a new student!" the teacher shuffled several papers in her arms looking apparently for Rebecca's name. "Her name is- well, I don't have your name. What is it dear?"
"Rebecca," Becca whispered in response, she felt as if it really were her first day in a new school as she looked at the other kids.
"This is Rebecca," the woman said. "I'm Ms. Frizzle, and you dear- why don't you sit with Arnold?"
Rebecca obediently moved to sit beside a boy holding an ant farm. He seemed kind of disconcerted- she felt just as confused. "I'm the ant monitor," he explained as she stared at the bugs in his box.
"Oh." It was a dumb response, but Becca couldn't think of anything else.
"Today class we are going to take a journey to the middle of the earth." Ms. Frizzle declared gesturing animatedly. "Who's ready for adventure?!"
The woman didn't wait for an answer, she turned and sat behind the wheel of the bus and suddenly they were off. A girl in front of Rebecca turned around and whispered loudly. "That's the Frizz, she's a bit strange but really fun."
Rebecca had never seen a teacher drive a school bus with a lizard on her shoulder. She heard a girl in the back say something about never taking field trips at her old school.
"Hold on!" the Frizz called loudly and Rebecca felt the bus changing forms. It was burrowing through layers of earth. The noise was so loud Rebecca couldn't make out the teacher's words over the sound of steel against stone. Finally they came to a stop inside a cave. "Hard hats everyone!"
Rebecca found a pink hard hat under her seat it had a bright light on the front and she was careful not to shine it in anyone's eyes. She followed the line of students streaming out of the bus.
"It's a magical school bus," Arnold explained leaving his ants on the seat.
"Look class, what a treat- stalactites." Ms. Frizzle pointed up to the roof of the cave. These long thorn-like stones were hanging overhead pointing threateningly down at the group. Rebecca turned her head so that her light hit on it just as a wave of her fellow students did the same. All the lights hit off different parts of the wall Rebecca gingerly stepped over a small spike raising from the floor. "Careful of the stalagmites!"
Rebecca heard a kid in the back say "careful of the wha-?" he didn't finish the question because he tripped.
"Stalactites and stalagmites are mineral deposits that form over time inside of caves. Stalactites hold TIGHT to the ceiling, and Stalagmites rise from the floor. It's an easy way to keep them separated." A girl said certainly.
"Very good!" Ms. Frizzle said approvingly and then marched deeper into the cave. "Onward class!"
Rebecca thought she might enjoy following the class, but she wasn't given a choice. She heard a loud :: Pop :: and was transported back to the library.