The Morning She Wanted to Skip

Chapter 1The Waiting Report

Malka's report was ready. She had written about how a seed became a bean plant, with a drawing of roots beneath the soil.

Today she was supposed to read it to her class.

Her bag stood by the door. Malka sat at the kitchen table without opening her breakfast.

"Could I stay home?" she asked Mommy.

"Are you feeling sick?"

Malka shook her head.

"Then tell me what is making this morning hard."

Chapter 2All Those Faces

Malka pictured the girls looking up from their desks. She knew her first sentence at home. In class, she might forget it. She might say root when she meant shoot. Somebody might laugh.

"It is the report," she said. "I don't want to read it in front of everyone."

Mommy sat down beside her.

"Thank you for telling me the real reason. We can ask Mrs. Weiss how to help you begin."

"Can I just hand it in?"

"We need to talk to her about the assignment. We will go to school and ask."

Malka ate a little breakfast. Her worry did not go away with the toast.

Chapter 3Before the Room Filled

Mommy walked in with Malka before the classroom filled.

Mrs. Weiss listened while Malka held the report.

"I practiced, but I am afraid I will forget the words."

"Would you like to read the first part to me and one girl before your regular turn?" Mrs. Weiss asked. "You can keep the page in front of you."

Malka nodded.

Mommy said goodbye after they agreed on the plan. Mrs. Weiss asked Tzippy whether she would listen. Tzippy put her bag away and came over.

Chapter 4One Pair of Roots

Malka read the first paragraph. Her voice was small, but Mrs. Weiss and Tzippy could hear it.

At the drawing, she said shoot instead of root.

She stopped.

"I mean the root. The part underneath."

Tzippy leaned closer to the picture.

"How did you see that part?"

Malka explained the clear cup they had used in class. For a moment she forgot about reading perfectly. Tzippy wanted to know what she had seen.

Mrs. Weiss let them finish before reminding Malka where her next paragraph began.

Chapter 5The Regular Turn

Later, Mrs. Weiss called Malka's name.

The girls looked up. There were still more faces than Malka liked.

She put the report on the reading stand and found the first line with her finger.

One sentence, then the next.

When her voice faded, Mrs. Weiss asked her to speak a little louder. Malka tried again rather than starting the whole report over.

She showed the roots in the drawing. Someone asked about the clear cup, just as Tzippy had.

This time Malka knew how to answer.

Chapter 6Coming Home

Mommy asked about the report after school.

"I mixed up root and shoot first," Malka said. "I fixed it. Then I read to the class."

"How did it feel?"

"Still scary at the beginning. Better when they asked about the plant."

She put the report on the table instead of leaving it buried in her bag.

There would be other reports. Malka did not promise to like every turn in front of the class.

But today she had told someone why she wanted to stay home. The report had gone to school with her, and she had found a way to begin.