chapter 1 Boring with a Capital B WRONG Wrong wrong wrong I glared at the bulletin board again Do You Have the Write Stuff No I whispered I have the wrong stuff My essay got a C Mrs Bingsley scribbled a note next to it I liked hearing about Slip-N-Slide World Katharine You need to add more details Work on your lead sentence Try to come up with a more creative title My parents call me Katharine the Almost Great They say I’m a work in-progress I bet if I got an A on my 5
essay and earned a Write Stuff pencil they would fi nally call me Katharine the Great Everything okay asked Crockett Crockett is my cousin He knows when something’s bugging me I showed him my big fat C He glanced at the paper It’s kind of short Mrs Bingsley likes long stories I gave him my grumpy eyes and said I know Crockett shrugged Then you get what you get and you can’t get upset Mrs Bingsley moved in front of the bulletin board My stomach did a fl ip-fl op belly drop She said Vanessa would you please join me Vanessa rushed up with a goof-a roo grin Mrs Bingsley gave her a paper pencil It said Vanessa has the write stuff 6
Vanessa’s story was well done Mrs Bingsley said Her lead sentence was super She included lots of details She turned toward Miss Priss-A-Poo Vanessa you have the write stuff Vanessa hung the pencil on the board Everyone clapped Except me I counted pencils Can you read your opening sentence Vanessa Mrs Bingsley asked Vanessa cleared her throat and read Saturday was the best day of my life Ohhh said Mrs Bingsley What an attention grabber You sucked us right into the story She patted Vanessa on the back Did it make anyone want to hear more Everyone’s hands fl ew up Except mine What happened on Saturday asked Johnny 7
I wanted to know too said Mrs Bingsley A lead sentence grabs our attention It makes us beg for more Who wants to hear the entire story Everyone’s hands fl ew up again Except mine Let’s gather on the carpet said Mrs Bingsley Tamara got to the carpet fi rst She plopped down on the purplicious beanbag chair Matthew got the dusty blue one Me I squished in between Johnny and Crockett It was not comfy cozy Vanessa climbed into the Author’s Chair Her feet dangled over the edge She swung them back and forth and read A Dream Come True by Vanessa Garfi nkle Saturday was the best day of my life After fi ve years my dream fi nally came true 8
