Liz Learns a Lesson Read online

  “Liz?” Mr. Brown called. “Liz, can you tell me?”

  Startled, Liz jumped a little in her seat. “Oh! Uh . . .” She hadn’t heard the question. What should she say? She shifted in her seat. Her right leg bumped her backpack under the table. It fell over.

  Liz squealed loudly, then blurted out: “Turtle!”

  She reached down and propped the backpack up. When she sat up again, everyone was staring at her.

  Liz flashed a smile. She tried to act natural, but she could feel her cheeks blush.

  “Liz, do you have something to share with the class?” Mr. Brown asked.

  She looked across the table at Robert and Laura. They were both trying to contain their laughter.

  Then Liz picked up her backpack and stood up. She walked over to Mr. Brown’s desk. She reached inside her backpack and pulled out the turtle.

  The whole class gasped, and the turtle slowly pulled its head into its shell.

  What would Mr. Brown say?

  “See, he was outside on the sidewalk,” Liz explained. “It looked like he was headed into the street. I didn’t want to leave him. . . .”

  Mr. Brown’s eyes were wide. He looked surprised, but was he mad? For a moment Liz couldn’t tell . . . until his mouth turned up at the corners. He was smiling! Then he was laughing!

  “Well, this is a first,” he said. “I’ve never had a reptile in class before!”

  Counting Digits

  Liz breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad she wasn’t in trouble.

  “I bet we can find him a cozier spot,” Mr. Brown said. He spotted the librarian’s empty fish tank. He let Laura and some others go outside to find some rocks. Meanwhile, Mr. Brown took Liz and Robert with him to get water.

  “Make it warm water,” Robert told Mr. Brown. “My dad once had a turtle and they like it warm.”

  “Oh! And I can find out what turtles like to eat,” said Liz. “I’ll bring food for him tomorrow.”

  Before long, the tank was the perfect turtle home.

  “Our new friend looks very happy,” said Mr. Brown. “Now let’s get back to math.”

  “Awww!” everyone moaned.

  But Mr. Brown had some fun up his sleeve. “We’re going to use math to name our turtle friend.”

  “Hooray!” the class cheered.

  Mr. Brown laughed. “See? Math can be fun!” Together they made a list of some math-themed names. Mr. Brown wrote them all on the whiteboard.

  Then the class voted. Each person put a tally mark next to their favorite.

  “Well, it looks like our turtle has a name,” said Mr. Brown. “Welcome, Digit!”

  As the first week of class went on, everyone seemed excited to have a class pet—even Mr. Brown.

  On Wednesday they worked on greater than and less than. Liz’s favorite problem was:

  On Thursday they did word problems. Some were really tricky.

  Digit crawls two inches on Sunday, ten inches on Monday, and twelve inches on Tuesday. How many feet does Digit crawl all together?

  Liz added the numbers: 2 + 10 + 12. She wrote down her answer: twenty-four. She raised her hand.

  “Before I call on anyone, here’s a hint,” said Mr. Brown. “The first step in solving a word problem is not getting the answer. It’s getting the question.”

  Huh? thought Liz. She reread the problem. This time she noticed: How many feet does Digit crawl all together? She erased her 24. Twenty-four inches was the same as . . .

  Mr. Brown called on her. “Two feet!” Liz said.

  “Excellent, Liz!” Mr. Brown said.

  Finally it was Friday—test day. Mr. Brown went over everything they had covered that week. Then he passed out the test papers.

  Liz took a deep breath. She had stayed home from The Critter Club on Thursday afternoon so she could study hard. She’d asked Ellie to tell Amy and Marion why. Then, after dinner that evening, Ellie had called on the phone. “Everybody says, ‘Good luck!’ You’re going to do great!”

  Liz picked up her pencil. “I hope Ellie’s right,” she whispered to herself.

  The library was silent for the rest of the class. Liz worked hard and lost track of time.

  After class Liz walked out into the sunshine. Laura was right behind her. “So, what did you think?” she asked Liz.

  “You know,” said Liz, “it wasn’t too bad.”

  Actually, for the first time ever, Liz felt like she wasn’t totally awful at math.

  Day by Day

  The weeks started to fly by. In the mornings Liz went to class. She saw Laura and Robert. She checked on Digit. She tried hard in math, and it was paying off! On her first three tests, Liz got most of the questions right!

  Every day, after stopping home for lunch, she went to The Critter Club. Sometimes all four of the girls were there. Other times it was just two or three of them. Their June schedule was hanging in the barn.

  Of course Liz had told Robert and Laura all about The Critter Club. On a few afternoons they came to help out too. They both loved animals. Plus, it was great to have the extra help. For part of June the club was superbusy. They were pet sitting for four dogs, three cats, some mice, a guinea pig, three rabbits—and Herman the tarantula. It took a lot of work to keep them all happy!

  At dinnertime Liz rode her bike home. Her route took her right past the Santa Vista Library. Liz still felt sad about missing her art class, but she just tried not to think about it too much.

  Day after day, week after week, Liz worked hard.

  On the last Wednesday evening in June, Liz was in her room. She was working on a homework sheet when she suddenly realized something.

  The last test is . . . tomorrow!

  It had slipped Liz’s mind until now. Usually Friday was test day, but this was the final week of class. Mr. Brown had said that their test would be on Thursday. He would hand them back on Friday, the last day of class!

  Liz felt a little panicked. Can I do it? she wondered. What if I completely mess this one up? She dug around in her backpack for her practice sheets. “I have to go over everything from this week!” she told her ferret, Reggie.

  Just then Liz’s brother, Stewart, popped into her room. Stewart was twelve years old. The two of them got along okay, but lately Stewart had been teasing her about math. He thought he was so smart, just because he was in sixth grade.

  “Hey, Lizzie,” he said.

  “Not now, Stewart!” Liz snapped at him. “I don’t have time to be made fun of! Tomorrow’s my last math test.”

  “Who? Me?” Stewart said. “I wasn’t going to tease you.”

  Liz squinted at him. Was he telling the truth?

  “Hey, how’s that turtle you found?” Stewart asked.

  “Digit?” said Liz. “He’s good. He’s eating a lot!”

  Stewart nodded. “Well, I think it’s cool that you saved him. Turtles are awesome! They just do their own thing. They can’t be rushed. ‘Slow and steady wins the race,’ and all that.” Stewart turned to go, then stopped. “Hey, that’s a good tip for the test, right?”

  Liz watched Stewart go. Her brother sometimes said crazy stuff. But this time, thought Liz, he kind of makes sense.

  The next morning Liz got to school a few minutes early. She was ready to go!

  She stopped by Digit’s tank.

  “Don’t tell Stewart,” she whispered, “but I’m going to take his advice. Slow and steady wins the race. Right, Digit?”

  Robert came in, then Laura. They both gave Liz a thumbs-up.

  Mr. Brown spent most of the class doing a big review. Then he passed out the test papers.

  Liz took a deep breath. Stay calm, she told herself. Don’t rush. Check your work. You’ll be fine. Liz picked up her pencil, and she began.

  For the rest of the class the only sound came from pencils scratching on papers. Liz finished just as Mr. Brown stood up. “Pencils down,” he said. He collected the papers. “See you all tomorrow! I’ll pass back your graded tests then.”
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br />   Liz could hardly wait until tomorrow’s class!

  The Final Grade

  Liz had that fluttery feeling in her stomach again. It was the last day of summer school, and Mr. Brown was about to pass back the tests.

  Liz could hardly sit still. She couldn’t stand not knowing how she’d done! She had been thinking about it since she finished the test the day before. At The Critter Club afterward, her friends had been so happy for her.

  “You’ve worked really hard and done your best,” Marion had said.

  Even Ms. Sullivan and Rufus had dropped by the barn. “I’m very proud of you, Liz,” Ms. Sullivan said. Rufus jumped up on Liz and licked her cheek.

  “Rufus is proud of you too!” Amy joked.

  Now, sitting in the library, Liz wondered: What would she tell them if she hadn’t passed?

  “Okay!” said Mr. Brown. “Before I return the tests, I just want to say something. . . .”

  Liz’s palms were sweating. She couldn’t wait another moment!

  “I am so proud of this class,” Mr. Brown went on. “You worked very, very hard all month long.” He gave a huge smile. “Oh! And there’s one more thing . . . you all passed! Congratulations!”

  “Hooray!” the class cheered. Liz jumped up out of her seat. Laura and Robert jumped up too.

  “Great job, Liz,” Mr. Brown said. He held out her test. She took it and looked at the grade at the top. It was an A!

  I got an A? she thought. In MATH? “Yahoo!” Liz cried. She could not wait to show her mom and dad—and Stewart, too!

  Robert and Laura also did well! Everyone was so excited!

  And just like that summer school was over! Kids gathered their things and headed for the door. Laura and Robert got up to leave.

  “Hey,” said Liz, “maybe we could meet up later at The Critter Club?”

  “I’ll ask my mom!” Laura said.

  “Me too!” said Robert. “Gotta run. My mom’s going to flip when she sees my test!”

  Laura and Robert headed out, but Liz hung back. She walked up to Mr. Brown. “Good-bye, Mr. Brown,” she said. “And thanks a lot. You know, you actually made math pretty fun.”

  “Thanks, Liz!” Mr. Brown said. “And you know what else? You’re much better at math than you think you are.”

  Liz beamed. “Really?” she said.

  Mr. Brown nodded. “Yep! It’s okay if it takes you longer than others. It doesn’t mean you can’t get there.” He looked over at Digit’s tank. “Right, Digit?”

  Then he said, “Oh! Speaking of Digit . . . I’m going on vacation in a few days. Do you think Digit could go home with you? Would your parents mind?”

  A smile spread across Liz’s face. “Don’t worry, Mr. Brown,” she said. “I know a place where Digit will be well taken care of.”

  The Critter Club had just gotten one more guest.

  The Best Day Ever

  At home Liz’s mom took one look at her test and gave Liz a big hug. “I am so proud of you, honey! This calls for a celebration!”

  Liz’s mom picked up the phone. She called Robert’s parents and Laura’s parents. She asked if the kids could come out for lunch.

  An hour later Liz and her mom picked them both up. The four of them went to Liz’s favorite restaurant.

  Digit came along too. Liz gave him some turtle food pellets so they could all eat together.

  After lunch Liz’s mom dropped them off at The Critter Club. They were excited to show Digit around.

  Laura and Robert hopped out of the car. As Liz carried Digit’s tank out, she said, “Thanks, Mom! See you later at home.”

  “Oh, Liz! Wait!” her mom called. “I was so excited about your test, I almost forgot to tell you!”

  “Tell me what?” Liz asked.

  “I saw Mrs. Cummings at the grocery store,” Liz’s mom said. “She’s teaching another art class at the library in July. How does that sound?” Her mom was smiling.

  Liz’s mouth fell open. She had to put Digit down. She didn’t want to drop him while she jumped up and down for joy!

  Liz threw her head back and shouted, “This is going to be the best summer after all!”

  Read on for a sneak peek at the next Critter Club book:

  Marion Takes a Break

  In the school cafeteria Marion saw Amy, Ellie, and Liz sitting near the window. Marion hurried over. She hoped she would have time to eat her lunch. The recess bell was going to ring in just ten minutes!

  “What took you so long?” Amy asked. She scooted down the bench to make space for Marion.

  “I couldn’t find my lunch!” Marion said, sitting down. “I thought it was in my cubby, but it was in my backpack under my ballet shoes and my leotard.”

  I’ve got to get organized! Marion thought as she started to eat. Better add that to my to-do list!

  Marion was good at making lists. It helped to keep her busy life in order. Now that it was fall, Marion was busier than ever! She worked very hard in school and always got perfect grades. She also had piano lessons and ballet class every week.

  Then there was her horse, Coco. Marion went to the stables at least three times a week. Having a horse was a lot of work, but Marion loved every bit of it.

  “So what were you talking about?” Marion asked. She took a big bite of her sandwich.

  “The kittens!” Ellie exclaimed. There was a new litter of kittens at The Critter Club, the animal shelter that the four girls helped run in their friend Ms. Sullivan’s barn. The girls had met Ms. Sullivan when they found her lost puppy, Rufus.

  After that, Ms. Sullivan decided the town needed an animal shelter. She had an empty barn; Amy’s mom, Dr. Purvis, had a lot of advice to offer since she was a veterinarian; and the girls had lots of energy—plus a love of animals.

  So The Critter Club began! Since then the girls had helped bunnies and a turtle find homes. They had even offered pet sitting over the summer. Now it was up to them to find homes for an entire litter of kittens!

  The kittens’ mother was a stray cat. When a teacher found them all behind the school, she brought them to Dr. Purvis’s clinic. Dr. Purvis had suggested that the five healthy kittens stay at The Critter Club, and the girls were very excited to help take care of them!

  “The mother cat and one kitten are still at the clinic,” Amy told her friends. “Mom says the mama cat needs more rest. And even though the tabby kitten’s injured paw is getting better, he still needs to heal a while longer too.”

  The girls took turns helping out at The Critter Club after school and on weekends. “Liz and I had such a great time at the club yesterday afternoon,” said Ellie. “Those kittens are just so cute!”

  “That’s the thing! It should be easy to find homes for them,” Amy said. “I was thinking . . . what about having a big party at The Critter Club? People could come meet the kittens!”

  Marion, Ellie, and Liz all nodded enthusiastically.

  “We could have music!” Ellie suggested. “I could sing!”

  “We could get dressed up!” Marion added. She had a silver dress that would be perfect.

  “We could put up pretty lights—and some artwork!” said Liz. She was an amazing artist.

  Just then the recess bell rang. Marion chewed fast, trying to finish her sandwich. Then together the four friends headed outside. It was autumn in Santa Vista, but in that part of California, it never got too cold.

  Amy walked next to Marion. “Maybe we’ll think of more party ideas this afternoon,” Amy said.

  “Wait! This afternoon?” Marion mumbled. Her mouth was still full.

  “At the Critter Club?” Amy said. “It’s Monday—our day to help out. Remember?”

  Marion had forgotten! It wasn’t like her to get her schedule mixed up.

  “Uh, The Critter Club? Of course I will be there!” said Marion, scarfing down the last bite of her lunch.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Ot
her names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 www.SimonandSchuster.com Copyright © 2013 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. LITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com. Designed by Laura Roode.Cover design by Laura Roode.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Barkley, Callie. Liz learns a lesson / by Callie Barkley ; illustrated by Marsha Riti. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (The Critter Club ; #3) Summary: Members of the Critter Club are all excited about their summer plans until Liz learns that, instead of taking an art class, she will have to be in summer school to improve her math skills, but a fun teacher, a classroom pet, support from her friends, and advice from her brother might get her through. [etc.] [1. Schools—Fiction. 2. Mathematics—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Clubs—Fiction. 5. Animal shelters—Fiction.] I. Riti, Marsha, ill. II. Title. PZ7.B250585Li 2013 [Fic]—dc23 2012018750

  ISBN 978-1-4424-6768-2 (pbk)