the sheet.
Beneath it stood a picture of a baby giraffe, wobbly on its legs, standing next to its mother.
“Annika Gentry!”
“Oh my gosh!” Annika jumped up and down. She danced around and cheered.
Mr. Newton handed her the zoo pass and a small blue first-place ribbon. “Congratulations,” he said, shaking her hand.
“Thanks so much,” Annika told him. Annika went over to Benny. “You were my witness!” she said. “Tell Blake that he has to let me be a photographer for the newspaper.”
“You made her a deal,” Benny said to Blake.
“Oh, fine,” Blake said. “I’m not a sore loser. You can take pictures for the paper.”
Annika was so excited, she jumped forward, grabbed Blake, and hugged him.
He quickly stepped backwards out of her arms. “No hugging on the newspaper.” Annika laughed.
“I want to see your picture close-up,” Blake said, moving through the crowd. “It’s good,” he started to give Annika a compliment, but stopped. “Mr. Newton!” he called in a loud voice. “Hold everything! Annika didn’t win the contest.”
The room went silent.
“I won the contest.” He pointed at the photograph. “I took this picture!”
Chapter 9
Picture Problem
H enry, Jessie, Benny, and Violet rushed over to where Blake and Annika were standing.
“What do you mean?” Benny asked.
“Her name was on the camera, right?” Violet asked Mr. Newton.
“Yes,” he said, confused. “I was very careful not to mix up one student’s pictures with the others. I’m certain that this photo came from Annika’s camera.” He squinted at the picture over his glasses. “How do you know it’s yours, Blake?”
Blake said, “I know how I framed the shot. I put the tree in the far left corner and the baby’s legs in the right. This is my picture. I am positive.”
“I was standing next to you,” Annika said. “It might be mine.”
“No way,” Blake told her. “This is not yours!”
“I—”
But before Annika could defend herself, Henry jumped in with an idea. “Mr. Newton, can we see all the pictures from Annika’s camera?”
Mr. Newton went to the back of the room and found the envelope that contained her photos. While he was gone, Annika and Blake stood like statues, silently glaring at each other.
Jessie took out her notebook and pen. She wrote down Annika’s name on a clean page and next to that, she wrote down Blake’s name. Underneath she wrote: “Winning picture?”
Mr. Newton came back with the photos from Annika’s camera. “I would search the pictures myself. But I don’t know what you’re looking for,” he said.
“I’m not exactly sure yet, either, but I’ll know when I see it,” Henry replied.
Mr. Newton nodded, then handed the envelope of photos to Henry.
Jessie helped Henry. They organized the pictures on the floor by which animals they’d seen during the spring break program. They grouped together the penguins, the giraffes, the butterflies, and all the other animals into small picture piles.
“There are lots of photos,” Benny said once Henry and Jessie stepped back from the pictures. “But only one of a giraffe. That was a really great picture. No wonder it won.”
“Huh?” Annika said, scanning the photos. “I took lots of giraffe shots. Where are my other pictures?”
Henry’s head popped up. “That’s it! Benny, you are a genius!”
“I am?” Benny asked. “Oh, right,” he added. “I am.”
“What do you mean, Henry?” Jessie asked. “Why is it important that there’s just one giraffe photo?”
“Because Blake only took one giraffe picture on his camera,” Henry explained.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Annika pointed at some other pictures. “See how I shot the butterflies from many different angles? And I have all these alligator photos?” She touched the pictures as she remembered taking them. “I like to take multiple shots of each animal to be sure I get a good picture.”
“That’s right,” Henry
Beneath it stood a picture of a baby giraffe, wobbly on its legs, standing next to its mother.
“Annika Gentry!”
“Oh my gosh!” Annika jumped up and down. She danced around and cheered.
Mr. Newton handed her the zoo pass and a small blue first-place ribbon. “Congratulations,” he said, shaking her hand.
“Thanks so much,” Annika told him. Annika went over to Benny. “You were my witness!” she said. “Tell Blake that he has to let me be a photographer for the newspaper.”
“You made her a deal,” Benny said to Blake.
“Oh, fine,” Blake said. “I’m not a sore loser. You can take pictures for the paper.”
Annika was so excited, she jumped forward, grabbed Blake, and hugged him.
He quickly stepped backwards out of her arms. “No hugging on the newspaper.” Annika laughed.
“I want to see your picture close-up,” Blake said, moving through the crowd. “It’s good,” he started to give Annika a compliment, but stopped. “Mr. Newton!” he called in a loud voice. “Hold everything! Annika didn’t win the contest.”
The room went silent.
“I won the contest.” He pointed at the photograph. “I took this picture!”
Chapter 9
Picture Problem
H enry, Jessie, Benny, and Violet rushed over to where Blake and Annika were standing.
“What do you mean?” Benny asked.
“Her name was on the camera, right?” Violet asked Mr. Newton.
“Yes,” he said, confused. “I was very careful not to mix up one student’s pictures with the others. I’m certain that this photo came from Annika’s camera.” He squinted at the picture over his glasses. “How do you know it’s yours, Blake?”
Blake said, “I know how I framed the shot. I put the tree in the far left corner and the baby’s legs in the right. This is my picture. I am positive.”
“I was standing next to you,” Annika said. “It might be mine.”
“No way,” Blake told her. “This is not yours!”
“I—”
But before Annika could defend herself, Henry jumped in with an idea. “Mr. Newton, can we see all the pictures from Annika’s camera?”
Mr. Newton went to the back of the room and found the envelope that contained her photos. While he was gone, Annika and Blake stood like statues, silently glaring at each other.
Jessie took out her notebook and pen. She wrote down Annika’s name on a clean page and next to that, she wrote down Blake’s name. Underneath she wrote: “Winning picture?”
Mr. Newton came back with the photos from Annika’s camera. “I would search the pictures myself. But I don’t know what you’re looking for,” he said.
“I’m not exactly sure yet, either, but I’ll know when I see it,” Henry replied.
Mr. Newton nodded, then handed the envelope of photos to Henry.
Jessie helped Henry. They organized the pictures on the floor by which animals they’d seen during the spring break program. They grouped together the penguins, the giraffes, the butterflies, and all the other animals into small picture piles.
“There are lots of photos,” Benny said once Henry and Jessie stepped back from the pictures. “But only one of a giraffe. That was a really great picture. No wonder it won.”
“Huh?” Annika said, scanning the photos. “I took lots of giraffe shots. Where are my other pictures?”
Henry’s head popped up. “That’s it! Benny, you are a genius!”
“I am?” Benny asked. “Oh, right,” he added. “I am.”
“What do you mean, Henry?” Jessie asked. “Why is it important that there’s just one giraffe photo?”
“Because Blake only took one giraffe picture on his camera,” Henry explained.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Annika pointed at some other pictures. “See how I shot the butterflies from many different angles? And I have all these alligator photos?” She touched the pictures as she remembered taking them. “I like to take multiple shots of each animal to be sure I get a good picture.”
“That’s right,” Henry
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