said, slouching down in his chair.
“What fun!” Bria replied. “Is there a theme, like Saint Patrick’s Day? It’s coming up this Friday.”
Mrs. Matalata shook her head. “No specific theme. I just want students to draw a poster showing something they care about.”
“Will there be ribbons and prizes for the best posters?” Kemba asked.
“No. This is not a contest,” Mrs. Matalatareplied. “Every student will have his or her poster displayed somewhere at South School.”
“
Every
student?” Harry and I repeated. Harry sat up.
“Yes!” Sid said, throwing his arms in the air.
“I like our new art teacher!” Ida exclaimed.
Mary rolled her eyes. “Okay, Harry,” she said in a low voice, “I hope for your sake your poster is displayed inside a dark closet.”
Harry smiled for the first time that morning. “Actually, Mare, I like your idea. That would be a neat place for a poster,” he said. “Especially if I draw night crawlers. They love the dark.”
Mary cringed. “I was just kidding,Harry! The inside of a closet is a
horrible
place to hang art!”
I had to laugh.
What came next on the TV program was the biggest news of all.
The art teacher spoke directly into the microphone. “On Thursday, three days from now, I will ask a handful of third and fourth graders to share their art posters on this TV station. Next week, I’ll ask the younger children.”
Room 3B turned quiet.
Go on TV?
Suddenly, our room broke out in cheers. We could hear other kids clapping and cheering from rooms down the hall.
“Oh,” Mary sighed. “I’ve always wanted to go on television. This is my big chance!”
“Mine, too!” Dexter exclaimed. “I want to be like Elvis. He went on TV and made movies!”
Mary took out her package of sixty-four crayons from her art supply box and admired their good condition. They all had points. Then she pulled out her favorite crayon, burnt sienna, and kissed it. No one ever got to borrow that one. Mary always said it was the perfect blend of red and brown.
“I’m ready to make the best poster!” she announced.
Different Eyeballs
M rs. Matalata came to Room 3B immediately after the morning broadcast. When she entered our room, it was like she was a rock star. Everyone oohed and ahhed. Her scarf billowed behind her. She wheeled in a cart with a stack of white art paper and brand-new boxes of eight crayons.
Miss Mackle welcomed her with a hug, then left the room.
“Hello, boys and girls!” Mrs. Matalata said. “Are you ready to do some art?”
“Yes!” we replied.
Mrs. Matalata wrote something on the board.
“What do you think this quote means?” she asked.
Ida raised her hand. “I think it means pretty jewelry.”
“I don’t know what
beholder
means,” ZuZu said.
“I do,” Sid replied. “A beholder is like the cup holder in your car. Except it’s a holder for a bee. A bee holder. Right?”
“No,” Mary scoffed. “A beholder is someone who sees something.”
“I know what that saying means,” Harry blurted out.
We all stared at Harry. What would he know about art? Everybody knew Harry was a horrible artist.
Harry continued, “My grandma says, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ all the time. It means we have different eyeballs.”
The art teacher smiled.
I still didn’t understand the quote.
Song Lee raised her hand. “I think Harry means that we see things differently.”
Mary nodded. “Harry and I definitely see things differently. He thinks hanging a poster in a dark closet is neat! I think it’s horrible.”
Lots of us laughed, including the art teacher.
“Anyone else?” Mrs. Matalata asked.
ZuZu raised his hand. “I agree withHarry. We do have different eyeballs. I think Jou Jou, my guinea pig, is beautiful. My sister thinks he’s smelly and ugly.”
Mrs. Matalata clapped her hands. “Those were perfect examples of how beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Mary and Zuzu beamed.
“All right!” Dexter
“What fun!” Bria replied. “Is there a theme, like Saint Patrick’s Day? It’s coming up this Friday.”
Mrs. Matalata shook her head. “No specific theme. I just want students to draw a poster showing something they care about.”
“Will there be ribbons and prizes for the best posters?” Kemba asked.
“No. This is not a contest,” Mrs. Matalatareplied. “Every student will have his or her poster displayed somewhere at South School.”
“
Every
student?” Harry and I repeated. Harry sat up.
“Yes!” Sid said, throwing his arms in the air.
“I like our new art teacher!” Ida exclaimed.
Mary rolled her eyes. “Okay, Harry,” she said in a low voice, “I hope for your sake your poster is displayed inside a dark closet.”
Harry smiled for the first time that morning. “Actually, Mare, I like your idea. That would be a neat place for a poster,” he said. “Especially if I draw night crawlers. They love the dark.”
Mary cringed. “I was just kidding,Harry! The inside of a closet is a
horrible
place to hang art!”
I had to laugh.
What came next on the TV program was the biggest news of all.
The art teacher spoke directly into the microphone. “On Thursday, three days from now, I will ask a handful of third and fourth graders to share their art posters on this TV station. Next week, I’ll ask the younger children.”
Room 3B turned quiet.
Go on TV?
Suddenly, our room broke out in cheers. We could hear other kids clapping and cheering from rooms down the hall.
“Oh,” Mary sighed. “I’ve always wanted to go on television. This is my big chance!”
“Mine, too!” Dexter exclaimed. “I want to be like Elvis. He went on TV and made movies!”
Mary took out her package of sixty-four crayons from her art supply box and admired their good condition. They all had points. Then she pulled out her favorite crayon, burnt sienna, and kissed it. No one ever got to borrow that one. Mary always said it was the perfect blend of red and brown.
“I’m ready to make the best poster!” she announced.
Different Eyeballs
M rs. Matalata came to Room 3B immediately after the morning broadcast. When she entered our room, it was like she was a rock star. Everyone oohed and ahhed. Her scarf billowed behind her. She wheeled in a cart with a stack of white art paper and brand-new boxes of eight crayons.
Miss Mackle welcomed her with a hug, then left the room.
“Hello, boys and girls!” Mrs. Matalata said. “Are you ready to do some art?”
“Yes!” we replied.
Mrs. Matalata wrote something on the board.
“What do you think this quote means?” she asked.
Ida raised her hand. “I think it means pretty jewelry.”
“I don’t know what
beholder
means,” ZuZu said.
“I do,” Sid replied. “A beholder is like the cup holder in your car. Except it’s a holder for a bee. A bee holder. Right?”
“No,” Mary scoffed. “A beholder is someone who sees something.”
“I know what that saying means,” Harry blurted out.
We all stared at Harry. What would he know about art? Everybody knew Harry was a horrible artist.
Harry continued, “My grandma says, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ all the time. It means we have different eyeballs.”
The art teacher smiled.
I still didn’t understand the quote.
Song Lee raised her hand. “I think Harry means that we see things differently.”
Mary nodded. “Harry and I definitely see things differently. He thinks hanging a poster in a dark closet is neat! I think it’s horrible.”
Lots of us laughed, including the art teacher.
“Anyone else?” Mrs. Matalata asked.
ZuZu raised his hand. “I agree withHarry. We do have different eyeballs. I think Jou Jou, my guinea pig, is beautiful. My sister thinks he’s smelly and ugly.”
Mrs. Matalata clapped her hands. “Those were perfect examples of how beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Mary and Zuzu beamed.
“All right!” Dexter
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