Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up? by Henry Winkler Page A

aren’t a genius like me, zat’s an island right next to Waca Wiki Wiki Waca.”
    I noticed that Kim Paulson and Katie Sperling, the two prettiest girls in my class, were holding their sides from laughing so hard. I didn’t know people actually did that.
    â€œSo King Kahuna Huna says to me, ‘I vas vondering if you could take over the PS 87 gig for me.’ I said, ‘Sure, Kahuna, das is my pleasure.’ So here I am.”
    The kids went wild. They burst into applause and started to chant my name.
    â€œHank! Hank! Hank!” they shouted in a steady rhythm.
    And here is the most incredible part: When I looked over at Ms. Adolf, she was laughing so hard, her coconuts had shifted all the way to her back.
    Papa Pete always tells me, “Hankie, quit while you’re ahead.” So I did.

CHAPTER 24
    THEY WENT ON CHENTING my name for at least three minutes, maybe more. I could hear them as I shuffled backstage and took off my green pillow shoes.
    â€œGood work, Zip,” Frankie said. “You really pulled that from out of your hat.”
    â€œYou mean his wig!” Ashley said, laughing.
    Frankie, Ashley, and I came out and sat down in the front row of the audience. It was fun sitting there because a bunch of kids whispered to me that I was really funny.
    It took a while for the audience to settle down so they could enjoy the next act, which was supposed to be Emily, Robert, and Bruce the Gecko. I don’t know if it was the chanting from the kids or if you just can’t teach a lizard to dance, but whatever the reason, Bruce had a freak-out. He curled himself up into a little ball that was so small it looked like a dot on top of the letter i . He hid in back of the cap from Robert’s ear cream that was still being used as his water dish.
    While everyone waited, Robert kneeled down next to Bruce’s plastic box, begging him on his bony little knees.
    â€œCome on, Bruce,” he said. “I’ll never ask anything of you again.”
    Bruce wasn’t going for it. He stayed put. Robert tried another tactic.
    â€œActually, Bruce,” he said, “I think you’ll find that dancing is a very aerobic activity. It stimulates your heart and benefits your blood flow. You won’t be sorry.”
    â€œRobert, don’t pressure him,” Emily said to him. “He’s just a delicate little gecko.”
    I’m not someone who says nice things about my sister just for fun. But the truth is, I had to hand it to Emily. I mean, I felt badly for her that Bruce was a no-show. But it was pretty cool that she was willing to give up the talent contest for the good of the gecko. You’ve got to admire that kind of devotion to lizards.
    McKelty was getting tired of waiting. He stood up and shouted, “We’ve waited long enough. Let’s lose the geeks. Who’s ready to see the real winner?”
    â€œMr. McKelty,” Ms. Adolf said, “there is another way to say you’re ready.”
    â€œGotcha, Ms. A.” He smirked. “How about Make Way for the King?”
    I felt someone pulling on my sleeve. I turned around, expecting to hear another compliment.
    â€œHi, Hank. You made me laugh.”
    It was none other than Micro-Mason, the cutest kid on the planet. Without saying another word, he crawled up on my lap and got comfortable so he could watch the rest of the show.
    McKelty began to set up the stage for his act. I don’t know what he was planning to do, but I could tell Joelle was part of it, too. He sent her to stand over by the wading pool with her dopey leotard on.
    McKelty started to pull off his shirt. When he lifted his arms to get his shirt off, you could smell his stinky stink all the way over in the front row where we were sitting.
    â€œHe smells like my goldfish bowl,” Mason said.
    One thing about Mason, he sure doesn’t sugarcoat the truth.
    McKelty held up his hands to get everyone quiet, which we