Chapter One Snow Day It was only Monday morning but I already knew it was going to be an awesome week When I woke up and looked out the window next to my bed the whole entire backyard was white The ground was white Panda’s doghouse was white and every branch of my backyard maple tree glistened white like they’d been frosted with icing On a regular day I would have snuggled in with Panda and stared at the snow until Mom had to threaten me with missing breakfast Today is not a regular day I said to Panda as I brushed my hair and tugged on my boots at the (cid:86)(cid:68)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:50)(cid:78)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:76)(cid:71)(cid:81)(cid:182)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:3) on my bottom Plus I’d forgotten socks Oops Panda didn’t mind He licked my face I’m from China Panda bears are from China too Even though Panda wasn’t technically a bear he was 7
the next best thing I rushed through the rest of my getting-ready jobs and was out the door a whole seven minutes early That was pretty much a world record Lyra Liang Mom said as she kissed me goodbye On the way to school Dad quizzed me on my spelling words appetite believe perhaps excel Most of them were pretty easy but I kept forgetting excel has only one L (cid:179)(cid:44)(cid:3) (cid:77)(cid:88)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:70)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:182)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:3) (cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3) (cid:86)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:3) (cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:88)(cid:774)(cid:3) (cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:3) now Dad Oh right The big audition results How could I forget Watson Elementary’s Christmas concert was less than three weeks away Our music teacher Mrs Center held auditions last Friday for the three solo parts She’d promised to post the results on the bulletin board today Are you nervous I had a funny feeling in my stomach like (cid:71)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:192)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:93)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3) More like super excited This is my year Dad 8
You’re gonna be so proud I said Dad laughed as (cid:90)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:83)(cid:16)(cid:82)(cid:774)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3) I have a feeling you’re going to knock it out of the park he said I leaned over the front seat and kissed him on the cheek I don’t even know what that means See you soon racoon Take care polar bear he said I ran up the sidewalk The custodian Mr Doyle was spreading salt everywhere to melt the icy snow while Mr Sleuth the school secretary shoveled the sidewalk Mr Sleuth was nice and also tremendously tall (cid:51)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:69)(cid:79)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:72)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:774)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:83)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:3) him Hi there Lyra He waved down at me I waved again and opened the front door The school principal Mrs Holmes stood in the lobby Mrs Holmes was super short for a grownup but she made up for it in special principal powers Good morning Lyra she said (cid:179)(cid:48)(cid:85)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:88)(cid:774)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:180)(cid:3) 9
