CHAPTER 1
“Done!” Dink said to himself, smiling. He had solved the last problem on his math paper. He wrote
Donald D. Duncan
at the top, then glanced up at the classroom clock: two-fifteen. In just twenty minutes, spring vacation would begin!
“Class, please get ready for DEAR time,” Mrs. Eagle said. “Take out your books and find a cozy place to read until the bell rings, please.”
DEAR stood for
Drop Everything and Read
. This was Dink’s favorite time of the day.
Dink was reading
Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson. He had seen the movie, but he still loved the story. He took the book to the reading corner and flopped onto a beanbag chair.
Josh and Ruth Rose joined him, sprawling on the carpet with their books. The classroom grew quiet, except for the clock’s ticking and the sound of pages being turned.
Suddenly, the room phone rang. Mrs. Eagle answered it, then walked to the reading corner. “Dink,” she said quietly, “you’re wanted in Mr. Dillon’s office.”
Josh grinned at Dink and raised his eyebrows. “You’re in trouble!” he said.
“Mr. Dillon wants me?” Dink asked. “Why?”
Mrs. Eagle shrugged. “Hurry back,” she whispered.
Dink put down his book and left the room.
Walking down the quiet hall, Dink tried to figure out why the principal wanted to see him. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong!
Outside Mr. Dillon’s office, Dink took a deep breath, then walked in. Mrs. Waters, the principal’s secretary, was sitting at her desk outside his door. She smiled. “Hi, Donald. You can go right in. And don’t look so scared!” she said. “Mr. Dillon doesn’t eat children!”
Dink grinned, then opened the door to Mr. Dillon’s office. The first person he saw was his mother!
She patted the empty chair next to hers, and Dink slid into it.
There were three other people in the room: Mr. Dillon, a woman withyellow hair, and a kid about Dink’s age.
The kid was dressed like someone in a movie. He had on a long dark blue robe and sandals.
“Hi, Donald,” Mr. Dillon said. Mr. Dillon was shaped like a football. His hair was cut short and his eyeglasses gleamed under the lights.
“Let me introduce my guests,” he said. He nodded at the woman with yellowhair. “This is Ms. Joan Klinker. And this,” he added, smiling at the boy, “is Sammi Bin Oz.”
Dink mumbled, “Hi,” then stared at the boy.
He was about Dink’s size and had black hair and dark skin. His eyes were the color of honey.
“Sammi is from Costra,” Mr. Dillon said, “a small island country in theIndian Ocean. He’s come to the United States to learn English.”
“I already speak English,” the boy said.
He had a soft voice and an accent. Dink thought he looked and sounded kind of sad.
“Actually, Sammi will live here for a year,” Joan Klinker said. “I am his tutor. His parents want him to learn American customs.”
Mr. Dillon looked at Dink. “Sammi will be in third grade with you. We thought you might want to show him around the school,” he said.
Everyone looked at Dink. He felt himself blushing. His mother gave his hand a squeeze. “And Sammi will be staying with us for a few weeks, Dink,” she explained.
“Your name is Dink?” Sammi asked.
Dink nodded at the boy.
“Dink,” Sammi repeated. “That rhymes with
think
and
pink
and …
stink!
”
“Making rhymes helps Sammi remember new words,” his tutor explained.
“Sammi can have the spare room,” Dink’s mother said. “With Daddy away on business, it’ll be nice to have a guest in the house. I hope Sammi will be friends with you and Josh and Ruth Rose.”
Sammi giggled. “
Rose
rhymes with
toes
and
nose!
”
Dink grinned. Wait’ll Josh and Ruth Rose meet
him, he thought.
CHAPTER 2
Dink went back to class and handed a note to Mrs. Eagle. Since school was almost out, Mr. Dillon had given him permission to leave early.
Dink filled his book bag, then whispered what was going on to Josh and Ruth
“Done!” Dink said to himself, smiling. He had solved the last problem on his math paper. He wrote
Donald D. Duncan
at the top, then glanced up at the classroom clock: two-fifteen. In just twenty minutes, spring vacation would begin!
“Class, please get ready for DEAR time,” Mrs. Eagle said. “Take out your books and find a cozy place to read until the bell rings, please.”
DEAR stood for
Drop Everything and Read
. This was Dink’s favorite time of the day.
Dink was reading
Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson. He had seen the movie, but he still loved the story. He took the book to the reading corner and flopped onto a beanbag chair.
Josh and Ruth Rose joined him, sprawling on the carpet with their books. The classroom grew quiet, except for the clock’s ticking and the sound of pages being turned.
Suddenly, the room phone rang. Mrs. Eagle answered it, then walked to the reading corner. “Dink,” she said quietly, “you’re wanted in Mr. Dillon’s office.”
Josh grinned at Dink and raised his eyebrows. “You’re in trouble!” he said.
“Mr. Dillon wants me?” Dink asked. “Why?”
Mrs. Eagle shrugged. “Hurry back,” she whispered.
Dink put down his book and left the room.
Walking down the quiet hall, Dink tried to figure out why the principal wanted to see him. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong!
Outside Mr. Dillon’s office, Dink took a deep breath, then walked in. Mrs. Waters, the principal’s secretary, was sitting at her desk outside his door. She smiled. “Hi, Donald. You can go right in. And don’t look so scared!” she said. “Mr. Dillon doesn’t eat children!”
Dink grinned, then opened the door to Mr. Dillon’s office. The first person he saw was his mother!
She patted the empty chair next to hers, and Dink slid into it.
There were three other people in the room: Mr. Dillon, a woman withyellow hair, and a kid about Dink’s age.
The kid was dressed like someone in a movie. He had on a long dark blue robe and sandals.
“Hi, Donald,” Mr. Dillon said. Mr. Dillon was shaped like a football. His hair was cut short and his eyeglasses gleamed under the lights.
“Let me introduce my guests,” he said. He nodded at the woman with yellowhair. “This is Ms. Joan Klinker. And this,” he added, smiling at the boy, “is Sammi Bin Oz.”
Dink mumbled, “Hi,” then stared at the boy.
He was about Dink’s size and had black hair and dark skin. His eyes were the color of honey.
“Sammi is from Costra,” Mr. Dillon said, “a small island country in theIndian Ocean. He’s come to the United States to learn English.”
“I already speak English,” the boy said.
He had a soft voice and an accent. Dink thought he looked and sounded kind of sad.
“Actually, Sammi will live here for a year,” Joan Klinker said. “I am his tutor. His parents want him to learn American customs.”
Mr. Dillon looked at Dink. “Sammi will be in third grade with you. We thought you might want to show him around the school,” he said.
Everyone looked at Dink. He felt himself blushing. His mother gave his hand a squeeze. “And Sammi will be staying with us for a few weeks, Dink,” she explained.
“Your name is Dink?” Sammi asked.
Dink nodded at the boy.
“Dink,” Sammi repeated. “That rhymes with
think
and
pink
and …
stink!
”
“Making rhymes helps Sammi remember new words,” his tutor explained.
“Sammi can have the spare room,” Dink’s mother said. “With Daddy away on business, it’ll be nice to have a guest in the house. I hope Sammi will be friends with you and Josh and Ruth Rose.”
Sammi giggled. “
Rose
rhymes with
toes
and
nose!
”
Dink grinned. Wait’ll Josh and Ruth Rose meet
him, he thought.
CHAPTER 2
Dink went back to class and handed a note to Mrs. Eagle. Since school was almost out, Mr. Dillon had given him permission to leave early.
Dink filled his book bag, then whispered what was going on to Josh and Ruth
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