Read Online Sink or Swim by Sarah Mlynowski - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sarah Mlynowski
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course! Reading and writing go hand in hand.” I square my shoulders. “Just call me Professor Abby.” All I need now is a pair of eyeglasses and a blazer. Oh, and pencils. And paper. “Jonah, before you disappear for the day, please find me some paper and pencils.”
Jonah hurries off. When he comes back with paper and different-colored pencils, I spread them all out on the table.
Pencils, check! Paper, check!
Now what? I’ve never actually taught anyone to read before. Where do I start?
“Okay, bye!” Jonah calls.
“Wait! Jonah. You just learned to read, right?”
“Right,” he says. “This year.”
“Can you, um, tell me how to start?”
He fidgets with the door. “How about with A?”
I nod. “So we’ll go through all the letters, and I’ll teach Lana the sounds. Thanks. You can go now.”
Jonah bolts out the door.
I write a capital A. No need to confuse her with small letters yet. “A makes an ‘ahhhh’ sound. Ahhh!” I overemphasize. “Also, sometimes ‘ay.’ A is for … ‘Abby’! That’s me. A is also for ‘at’ and ‘animal.’ Why don’t I write it down and then you copy it?”
I write a big A, and then she copies it ten times.
I smile. “A is for ‘awesome.’ Now let’s do B. Do you know what B is for?”
She shakes her head.
“B is for ‘brother,’” I say. “And ‘ballroom.’ And best of all, ‘bridesmaid.’”
L ana is a fast learner. By the end of the day, she knows the whole alphabet. By the day before the wedding, she can pretty much read and write.
It helps that we recruit Russell’s tutor. I’ll admit it: I’m no reading and writing expert. But it was all my idea, so I’m taking credit for it anyway, thank you very much.
Lana decides not to tell Prince Mortimer what she’s up to. She wants it to be a surprise. Since he’s always outside surfing, canoeing, or windsurfing, it hasn’t been much of a problem.
When Lana takes breaks, we are very busy with wedding prep. We go to dress fittings with the palace tailor. Lana’s dressis the perfect bride’s dress — white, strapless, and fitted on top, with a big, poofy skirt. My maid-of-honor dress has capped sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a short skirt. It’s pretty gorgeous — and yellow, of course.
Also, as maid of honor, it is my job to help Lana prepare for her big march down the aisle. I make her practice walking. Heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe. I read a book about a model once, and that’s how she was told to walk down the catwalk. I’m guessing it’s the same for a wedding.
I even practice my own walking — as maid of honor I have to make sure not to trip.
Being maid of honor is pretty important, you know. And time-consuming.
My job is to keep Lana happy and worry-free all day. Also to get an updo, manicure, and pedicure on the morning of the wedding. Yup, the bride and the maid of honor both get their hair and nails done! I’ve never had an updo, manicure, or pedicure, so I’m psyched.
Now, the day before the wedding, while Lana studies with Russell’s tutor, I try and find the portal home. I knock on everything I see. Bedposts. Bowls. Stairs. Nothing works.
Jonah is supposed to be helping, but he’s too busy vacationing.
“Can you please help me?” I ask him, finding him doing handstands in the pool.
“Abby, I’m sure it will be something at the wedding. The portal usually pops up at the end of our adventure.”
“Jonah, of course it pops up at the end of our adventure! Once we find it, we leave!”
“Not true,” he says, floating on his back. “We wait until the happy ending is all straightened out, and then we leave. The happy ending here isn’t all straightened out yet.”
“It practically is,” I tell him.
“Then I’m sure we’ll figure it out tomorrow,” he says. “Why don’t you come swimming?”
“Just because you’re taking a break doesn’t mean I can,” I huff. Although it is very hot. And the pool does look very refreshing. But
Jonah hurries off. When he comes back with paper and different-colored pencils, I spread them all out on the table.
Pencils, check! Paper, check!
Now what? I’ve never actually taught anyone to read before. Where do I start?
“Okay, bye!” Jonah calls.
“Wait! Jonah. You just learned to read, right?”
“Right,” he says. “This year.”
“Can you, um, tell me how to start?”
He fidgets with the door. “How about with A?”
I nod. “So we’ll go through all the letters, and I’ll teach Lana the sounds. Thanks. You can go now.”
Jonah bolts out the door.
I write a capital A. No need to confuse her with small letters yet. “A makes an ‘ahhhh’ sound. Ahhh!” I overemphasize. “Also, sometimes ‘ay.’ A is for … ‘Abby’! That’s me. A is also for ‘at’ and ‘animal.’ Why don’t I write it down and then you copy it?”
I write a big A, and then she copies it ten times.
I smile. “A is for ‘awesome.’ Now let’s do B. Do you know what B is for?”
She shakes her head.
“B is for ‘brother,’” I say. “And ‘ballroom.’ And best of all, ‘bridesmaid.’”
L ana is a fast learner. By the end of the day, she knows the whole alphabet. By the day before the wedding, she can pretty much read and write.
It helps that we recruit Russell’s tutor. I’ll admit it: I’m no reading and writing expert. But it was all my idea, so I’m taking credit for it anyway, thank you very much.
Lana decides not to tell Prince Mortimer what she’s up to. She wants it to be a surprise. Since he’s always outside surfing, canoeing, or windsurfing, it hasn’t been much of a problem.
When Lana takes breaks, we are very busy with wedding prep. We go to dress fittings with the palace tailor. Lana’s dressis the perfect bride’s dress — white, strapless, and fitted on top, with a big, poofy skirt. My maid-of-honor dress has capped sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a short skirt. It’s pretty gorgeous — and yellow, of course.
Also, as maid of honor, it is my job to help Lana prepare for her big march down the aisle. I make her practice walking. Heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe. I read a book about a model once, and that’s how she was told to walk down the catwalk. I’m guessing it’s the same for a wedding.
I even practice my own walking — as maid of honor I have to make sure not to trip.
Being maid of honor is pretty important, you know. And time-consuming.
My job is to keep Lana happy and worry-free all day. Also to get an updo, manicure, and pedicure on the morning of the wedding. Yup, the bride and the maid of honor both get their hair and nails done! I’ve never had an updo, manicure, or pedicure, so I’m psyched.
Now, the day before the wedding, while Lana studies with Russell’s tutor, I try and find the portal home. I knock on everything I see. Bedposts. Bowls. Stairs. Nothing works.
Jonah is supposed to be helping, but he’s too busy vacationing.
“Can you please help me?” I ask him, finding him doing handstands in the pool.
“Abby, I’m sure it will be something at the wedding. The portal usually pops up at the end of our adventure.”
“Jonah, of course it pops up at the end of our adventure! Once we find it, we leave!”
“Not true,” he says, floating on his back. “We wait until the happy ending is all straightened out, and then we leave. The happy ending here isn’t all straightened out yet.”
“It practically is,” I tell him.
“Then I’m sure we’ll figure it out tomorrow,” he says. “Why don’t you come swimming?”
“Just because you’re taking a break doesn’t mean I can,” I huff. Although it is very hot. And the pool does look very refreshing. But
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