The next morning I waited at the front doors of the school for Gabe so he could come in right away. I wanted him close by in case I needed him for anything.  He seemed to be good at getting me out of jams, however, he also seemed to be able to get me into a few.

After morning Social Studies current events, Mrs. Mitchell announced that it was time to clean the rabbit cage. She pointed her finger at me and said, “Trevor has volunteered to be the first person to clean the cage.  So Trevor let’s get to it.”

Everyone gathered around the cage at the back of the room as I carefully took the rabbit out.  I wanted to hold it for a while but Mrs. Mitchell reached out her hands. The girls all “cooed and awed”, and everyone wanted to pet it.  Gabe sat at my feet watching, his nose in that smelling position again.  As I passed the rabbit over to her, Gabe moved closer and sniffed.

The rabbit twitched and started to squirm in my hands.

Gabe moved directly beneath the rabbit.

The rabbit went crazy. He could see Gabe! Before I could get a tight grip on him he jumped onto the top of the bookshelf.  That was all Gabe needed, the chase was on.

Gabe leapt up onto his hind legs, his front paws landing on the bookcase, sending all of our class paperbacks crashing to the floor.  The rabbit, seeing Gabe’s gaping, drooling mouth, scurried from the top of the bookshelf down onto the art table.  Two potted plants toppled over and blasted onto the floor.

Mrs. Mitchell yelled for everyone to sit down and remain calm, but no one listened. The kids all howled with laughter as they watched the rabbit hop through the open paint dishes set up for art class. Paw-shaped prints dotted the table as the frightened rabbit ran from Gabe.

“No Gabe, sit Gabe, sit.  Come here fella!”

I tried frantically to stop him, but he ignored me.  Cathy, who was also racing around trying to catch her poor rabbit, kept telling me “his name is not Gabe, its Mr. Hoppity!”

We chased him around the room as he hopped from desk to desk, barely hanging on as he slid across each top and skidded to the edge. Gabe followed waiting for him to hit the floor. When the rabbit made a final jump onto Mrs. Mitchell’s desk Gabe saw no reason why he shouldn’t be there too.  Soon the teacher’s desk looked like a mini tornado was buzzing over it.  Gabe’s large paws sent assignments and record sheets spinning off in all directions.  Pencils and pens became flying weapons and a big pot of glue sailed through the air and landed on the floor beside the desk with a plop.

Mr. Hoppitity, who had grown quite tired, saw Mrs. Mitchell and decided she was a much safer place to be. He flipped off the desk and into her arms.  Startled, she fell back into her chair with the rabbit clinging nervously to her sweater.  Gabe sat beside them panting with a big toothy grin.

Seeing the game was over he casually walked over to my desk and lay underneath panting.

“Well now,” puffed Mrs. Mitchell, “maybe a rabbit is more than we can handle.”

With shaking hands, she walked back to the cage and put the rabbit inside, closing the door with a click.  She stood at her desk and adjusted her sweater, which had twisted around her shoulders.

“Everyone sit down please.”

She took a step forward from her desk and raised her hand to say something else. She didn’t see the puddle of glue.  Her right foot landed dead center in the white slippery mess. When she took her next step forward Mrs. Mitchell didn’t loose her footing, but she did loose her shoe.

She wobbled, and balanced herself with one shoe on and one shoe off.  When she picked up her shoe glue dripped off in a stringy glob. A few kids giggled.  She stood that way for a long time. Only when the period bell rang and the music teacher stuck her head in, did Mrs. Mitchell seem to come back to life.

“Oh my goodness, what happened?” said the music teacher, looking around at the messy room.

“Don’t ask” replied Mrs. Mitchell. “Class, please follow Miss Silverstone out for music.”

As we walked out the door I felt sorry for Mrs. Mitchell, sitting at her desk wiping her shoe with a paper towel and muttering to herself.   I wondered what Gabe was going to think about music.

* * *

The rest of the day was very quiet, except for one time, in the afternoon, when Leslie got caught passing me a note.  She threw it across to my desktop but it bounced onto the floor.  Mrs. Mitchell’s x-ray vision must have kicked in because she was on my case right away.

“What is that Trevor, on the floor beside you, is that a note?”  She moved over to my desk.  “Let me see it.”

Reaching down toward the note, it disappeared.  At least I’m sure that’s what it looked like to everyone else.  What I saw was different.

Gabe lunged forward, snatched the note between his teeth and munched it down.

“Uh, there’s nothing Mrs. Mitchell.” I replied looking at Leslie and shrugging my shoulders.

Mrs. Mitchell stared at the floor and rubbed her eyes, “but… what happened… I’m sure I…”

I shrugged.

Mrs. Mitchell stayed as far away from my desk as possible for the rest of the day.

I felt a little guilty for all the trouble Gabe and I had caused so I offered to put the novels back onto the bookshelf.

Mrs. Mitchell nodded and said. “yes, thank you, that would be nice.”

I had to walk home because I missed the bus, but I didn’t mind because Gabe kept me company. I took my library book on angels out of my knapsack, and read out loud to Gabe as we walked.

“It says that Gabriel means, God is my strength, and that the Angel Gabriel was known as God’s messenger of mercy and promise.  He was the angel that informed Mary she would give birth, and he also protected Moses when he was afloat in the basket on the River Nile, like the way you protected me from drowning.”

Gabe tilted his head.

After supper I went up to my room and looked at my dog book.  Gabe climbed up on the bed with me and put his head on my lap.  It showed all the different breeds of dogs and I searched to find one like Gabe.  The closest I came was a dog called the Australian Shepherd.

They were both medium height, with a flat broad nose like a St. Bernard.  Both had a white flowing mane of fur on their chest, and short pointy ears, but the Shepherd had a cropped tail.  Gabe had a huge furry one.

Australian Shepherds came in many colors, brown, gray, red, and the ones that looked like Gabe were black and white. The picture that looked most like Gabe was the black dog with a white stripe that ran down the middle of his face, starting at his nose and running up past his eyebrows.  He even had the two little brown spots above each eye like Gabe.  These dogs were sheep herding dogs, very smart and loyal.  Then I read something interesting.

“Gabe, listen to this” I said to him and his ears shot right up like he understood.

“These dogs are extremely protective, placing themselves between children and dangerous situations.  There is one story about how a young girl was saved from a rattlesnake by her dog.  The snake had bitten her on the leg, and the dog lunged at the snake and tore it off. The dog got bit six times on the top of the head.  The child was taken to the hospital where they said that if she had been five minutes later she would have died.  The dog was okay too because it got bit on the bony part of his head where the poison couldn’t travel.

“Gabe are you a hero?  Is that why you’re with me?” I rubbed the fir above his nose and he stared at me.

But as I thought about it I felt a little scared.  If Gabe was sent to save me, his job was done and he probably had to go soon.   Or maybe that was the start of it.  Maybe Gabe had more saving to do.  Was it for me, or was it for someone else.

Visit this site to meet Quatchi, Miga, and Sumi.  Find out how they came to be, and what they represent. Lots of cool games to play with them, videos and activities.

But don’t go to the other extreme!  Too much editing can make a character sound phony.

Each author has his own style of writing dialogue.  It may be mostly uninterrupted dialogue with large chunks of story telling.

The best way to find your dialogue style:  1.  When writing your first draft, write down everything that comes to mind.  2.  Read your work out loud.  Does it sound like something your character would say?  Is it too wordy or too choppy? 3.  Edit – Experiment – Practice!

Use quotation marks at the beginning and end of each persons words and a new paragraph every time a different character speaks.  If two characters are talking back and forth and it is clear who is talking you don’t have to use – he said – she said after each line.

Avoid using too many descriptive speech words, example:  she blurted, bubbled, pouted, pleaded, etc.  Your characters actions, words, and descriptive story telling should be enough to inform the reader how he feels.

http://www.sjms.jordan.k12.ut.us/MediaCenter/master_list.htm

This is a great site to find a book in just the right category.  It alphabetically lists authors, then gives you a summary of the book, reading level, and rates: swears, violence and content by Essential, Advisory, Optional and NO.  Also if you click the Blog version:

http://www.kissthebook.blogspot.com/

you will get a side list on the right that breaks down every imaginable category of book you would like.

A definite place to check before you go blindly shopping or to the library.

http://www.geronimostilton.com/

If you love Geronimo and his crazy colorful books, and adventures you have to visit his website.  It has information about the characters and books, as well as games.  You can visit all of his hangouts, his house, the Rodent’s Gazette, Library, Town Hall, Singing Stone Plaza and the Funfair.  Just plain fun!

Guardians of the North

By Barbra Hesson

Canada’s Arctic has three territories:  the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and on April 1, 1999, the Canadian territory of Nunavut was created. It is the largest territory and has one-fifth of the land in Canada. Nunavut is made up of a mainland and many islands in the Arctic Ocean.   The symbol on the Nunavut flag is the Inuksuk (EE-NOOK-SOOK.)

An Inuksuk is a stone pile arranged in the likeness of a person.  It was first built by the Canadian people of the North called the Inuit.  The Inuit have lived in the areas now called Canada, Alaska, and Greenland for thousands of years.

The word Inuksuk means ‘in the image of man.’  It is an extension of the work Inuk which means ‘a human being.’

Legend has it that they were first built by a young Inuit girl to show her father the way home during a snow storm.

The meaning of each rock formation is different.  In the Artic where there are no trees and few land marks they were used as signs, pointing to a good hunting or fishing spot or used to mark where food was stored.  Some were built to help travelers find a safe trail or identify a family home.

Over time the Inuksuk has become a sign of hope and friendship. In appreciation of Canada’s aboriginal heritage the Inuksuk has become the official symbol for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia.  It has been named ILANAAQ, which is the Inuit word for ‘friend.’

The Inuksuk has become a popular image and can be seen along many highways in Canada.

You can build your own Inuksuk wherever you go.  You can leave it on a beach or near a pathway to show that you have enjoyed your stay and welcome others to come.  Or you can build one at home and put it in your garden or on your desk.

How to build your own Inuksuk:

An Inuksuk can be built any size you wish, using as many or as little pieces, and from any kind of stone.  Look for rocks with flat bottoms and tops as they are the best for stacking.  Experiment by piling your stones into different arrangements.

Step 1.  Start with a base to build your Inuksuk; a larger stone with a level surface.

Step 2. On top of this place two leg stones that are the same in height and flat on the top and bottom.

Step 3.  Place one or more stones across the legs to create the body.

Step  4.  Next a long flat stone twice the width of the body creates the arms.  Or you may use two smaller stones which hang over the edge.

Step 5.   Place a heavier piece on top of the arms.  This adds weight and becomes the shoulders.

Step 6.  Look for a round stone for the head.  It is best if it has a slightly flat bottom.

Inuksuit (plural of Inuksuk) were made to fit perfectly and stand tall over many years.  However if you wish to keep yours sturdy you may use white glue that is suitable for crafts with wood, paper, fabric or ceramics.  You may need a helping hand with this, and remember to let it dry for 24 hours before you move it.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/coloringbook/archive/

http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/

The clock seemed to tick at double speed as I waited for Gabe to come back. Jonathan finished reading his summer essay, and Melissa was next.  They had finished their assignments early and had earned not only smiley faces, but double stars as well. I think I had finished one whole sentence.

Melissa droned on about her trip to Disneyland. I didn’t care how many rides she went on or what she had for breakfast, blah, blah, blah.

Everyone was clapping for Melissa, when I saw him at the end of the playground, and sure enough he had my math workbook in between his teeth.

Unable to think of anything else I started to cough again, and this time it hurt.  Mrs. Mitchell looked over at me and frowned.   I was going to raise my hand when what I saw stopped me dead in my tracks.  I had seen it before, but I don’t think I would ever get used to it.

His wings were spread wide and he was four feet off the ground.  When he got closer to the open window I realized there was no way those wings were going to fit, and if they did, everyone was going to see my notebook floating through the air all by itself.

But Gabe didn’t have to come inside at all.  As he bounced towards the window a huge gust of wind burst into the classroom. Pages in open books came to life. Hanging plants began to twirl. The notes on Mrs. Mitchell’s desk stood up and danced onto the floor and around the room.

As the breeze grew stronger, all the kids screamed. No one noticed my math book when it sailed through the window and landed on the floor.  All I had to do was help pick up and grab my book at the same time.

As soon as I touched it the wind stopped.

“Okay, class, no more windows!”

I quickly looked down and opened my math book, using everything in me to keep from smiling.

When lunch arrived I went to the front doors and let Gabe in.  I found a table away from everyone and he settled in underneath my chair.

Mom had made my favorite sandwich, roast beef.  I took a big bite and looked down at Gabe, who had saved the day again. I handed him the other half of my sandwich and he munched it down in two bites.

I was gathering together my empty juice box and wrappers, and was getting ready to leave when Leslie slipped into the metal chair beside me, and dragged it a little closer. Feeling my face grow hot, I sipped at my empty juice box and tried to act casual.

“Hi Trevor, can I sit here?”

“Sure”

“Can you believe what happened this morning?  Wasn’t that freaky?  I was a little surprised to see you helping the teacher pick up her stuff. I suppose you were trying to get on her good side seeing as you forgot your homework.  At least I thought you said you forgot your homework.”

“Well…I guess I didn’t forget it, it.  It was kind of lost.”

“Lucky for you.  What’re you going to write for your essay, or have you already written it, like John and Melissa?”

“Are you kidding,” I said, “I’ve barely started.   I don’t even know what I’m going to write. How about you?”

“Well, I guess I’m going to write about making it to the Regional Swim Meet. We got to go to Clifton and set up tents in the park.  It was great. At night when all the adults fell asleep, we snuck out and visited with everyone.   Our team even came in first.  You know,” she said, looking down and talking a little quieter, “I can teach you how to swim if you’d like.” This time she blushed. “There’s still lots of summer left, maybe we could go down to the lake on the weekend.”

“Ahh, sure, ahh, I gotta go to the bathroom, bye,” was my great response.

What a dummy, I thought, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I left.

Our first class after lunch was library, which I love second to Gym.  I thought maybe I could find a good dog book and maybe one on angels.  I was pretty sure that there wasn’t one on angel dogs.  Mrs. Mitchell left us at the library door and headed for the staff room. I watched her scurry down the hallway. She kept looking back and forth and she jumped in the air when the janitor dropped a bucket.

It turned out to be a special day in the Library. All the Clifford books were on display.  I remembered reading those in grade one, and I even remembered the author, his name was Norman Bridwell.  The librarian announced that there was going to be a special visitor and I thought maybe that’s who it was going to be.

It turned out to be Clifford himself.  Well, actually it was the principal dressed up as Clifford.  He had on a big red dog outfit with long floppy ears and a big black collar, but we all knew it was Mr. Groenwald because we could see his bushy black mustache.

Gabe kept sniffing at Mr. Groenwald’s feet trying to figure out what he was, and Mr. Groenwald kept hopping around from one foot to the next and slapping at his ankles.

The kids were laughing, but the principal wasn’t smiling so much any more, so I patted my leg for Gabe to come.    I found one book titled “The Encyclopedia of Dogs,” and another called “Angels.”

Gabe and I waited until everyone had left before we headed back to the classroom.  On our way we could smell something sweet drifting down the halls.  The home economics room was baking something delicious and we had to walk right by it on our way.  I knew Gabe could smell it too because his nose was twitching and his head was raised.

Unfortunately Gabe’s nose took over his body, and before I could stop him he walked right into the Home Ec class. Entering the room behind him I saw the teacher swirling pink icing onto a cake as all the students watched.  That wonderful smell was coming from six ovens all baking the same kind of cake.

I tried to get Gabe’s attention without disturbing the class.      “Gabe, come on, Gabe!  We gotta get out of here.”

All the grade eight girls turned around and giggled. The teacher frowned.

“Can I help you young man?” she asked, waving a spatula with pink icing on it.

“Oh, um, I’m looking for my sister, uh, Gabriella, I have to give her something” I said, totally embarrassed.

“You must have the wrong class, there is no Gabriella here and we are in the middle of a demonstration.  You had better go check at the office,” she replied pointing towards the door.

I quickly escaped into the hall assuming Gabe had followed.  The next thing I heard was an ear-splitting scream

I don’t know what it looked like in the home ec room, but watching Gabe saunter out licking pink icing from his mouth and nose, I had a pretty good idea of what happened.  We ran down the hall smack dab right into Mrs. Mitchell who had just stepped out of the staff room.

“Trevor, what is going on?  You should be back in class.”

“I’m on my way Mrs. Mitchell,” and I turned and ran.

“No running Trevor!” she shouted.

I patted at my leg and walked quickly down the hall.  What a day!  Gabe certainly made things interesting.  I couldn’t wait til tomorrow.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/