hundred if I wanted. I’m the oldest kid in the class. I answer all the questions wrong on purpose.”
“You want to know what I think?” asked Carla. “I think you would like to get good grades. I think that the only reason you say you want to fail is because you’re afraid to try. You’re afraid that even if you try, you’ll still fail.”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” said Bradley.
“I think you’re afraid of yourself,” said Carla. “But you shouldn’t be. I have lots of confidence in you, Bradley. I know you’d do so well, if only you’d try. I can help you. We can help each other. We can try together.”
It was then that he told her he couldn’t talk about school anymore or else he’d die.
She thanked him for talking about it as much as hehad. “You were very brave,” she said. She suggested that for their next meeting he make a list of topics to discuss so that they wouldn’t have to risk talking about school again.
“Is that homework?” he asked.
“No-o-o,” she assured him. “You don’t even have to put your name at the top.”
“Good,” said Bradley. He was glad it wasn’t homework.
It was time to return to class. “Thank you for sharing so much with me today,” Carla said to him. “I enjoyed your visit very much.” She held out her hand.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked out of her office.
22 .
All week Bradley worked on his list of topics to discuss with Carla.
It’s not homework
, he kept telling himself.
In fact, it’s the opposite of homework! Because if I think of some good topics, then we won’t have to talk about homework
.
He didn’t scribble during class. He listened closely to what Mrs. Ebbel and the other kids said in order to get ideas for his list. He took it with him wherever he went. At recess, he kept his eyes and ears open, constantly on the lookout for a new topic.
The other kids were meaner to him than they’d ever been before. They were no longer afraid of him. They called him names, and when he didn’t do anything about it, they called him more names.
A fourth-grade boy who wanted to show off to his friends ran up to him and said, “You’re not even human! You’re a monster! You’re a monster from outer space!”
The boy ran away, but Bradley didn’t chase him. He added three new topics to his list: Humans, Monsters, and Outer Space.
Monday was Halloween. Most of the kids brought costumes, which they were allowed to put on at lunch. Brian, one of Jeff’s friends, didn’t bring a costume. So he borrowed a black Magic Marker from Mrs. Ebbel and colored a circle around one eye.When he came back from lunch, he told everyone he was a Bradley Chalkers.
While everyone laughed, Bradley busily worked on his list. It covered both sides of three sheets of paper.
Trees that lose their leaves
Gold stars
Chalk
Tape
Are chickens really afraid?
Why people laugh
What does it feel like to be shot in the leg?
Pencils
Pencil sharpeners
Accidents
Coffee
Military school
Canes
Basketball
Friends
Enemies
Hopscotch
Dodgeball
Four square
One potato
Two potato
Three potato
Four
Five potato
Six potato
Seven potato
More
Less
Nothing at all
What’s it like to be in jail?
Good boys
Bad boys
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Have you ever been to the White House?
Who shot my father?
Why did he get away?
Peanut butter and jelly
Gold stars
Black eyes
Fighting
Girls with big mouths!
What’s it like inside a girls’ bathroom?
Saying hello
Reflexes
Hate
When will I be able to grow a beard?
Things that smell bad
Things you like about yourself
Things you don’t like about yourself
Things nobody likes about yourself
Things you don’t like about anybody else
Gold stars
Does my head look like a chili bowl?
Closets
Hiding places
Dreaming
Bad dreams
I wish I could fly.
Kids with glasses
Glasses you drink from
Why people like some people and hate other people
Breaking things
I wish I was invisible.
Cry babies
What happens to you when you grow
“You want to know what I think?” asked Carla. “I think you would like to get good grades. I think that the only reason you say you want to fail is because you’re afraid to try. You’re afraid that even if you try, you’ll still fail.”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” said Bradley.
“I think you’re afraid of yourself,” said Carla. “But you shouldn’t be. I have lots of confidence in you, Bradley. I know you’d do so well, if only you’d try. I can help you. We can help each other. We can try together.”
It was then that he told her he couldn’t talk about school anymore or else he’d die.
She thanked him for talking about it as much as hehad. “You were very brave,” she said. She suggested that for their next meeting he make a list of topics to discuss so that they wouldn’t have to risk talking about school again.
“Is that homework?” he asked.
“No-o-o,” she assured him. “You don’t even have to put your name at the top.”
“Good,” said Bradley. He was glad it wasn’t homework.
It was time to return to class. “Thank you for sharing so much with me today,” Carla said to him. “I enjoyed your visit very much.” She held out her hand.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked out of her office.
22 .
All week Bradley worked on his list of topics to discuss with Carla.
It’s not homework
, he kept telling himself.
In fact, it’s the opposite of homework! Because if I think of some good topics, then we won’t have to talk about homework
.
He didn’t scribble during class. He listened closely to what Mrs. Ebbel and the other kids said in order to get ideas for his list. He took it with him wherever he went. At recess, he kept his eyes and ears open, constantly on the lookout for a new topic.
The other kids were meaner to him than they’d ever been before. They were no longer afraid of him. They called him names, and when he didn’t do anything about it, they called him more names.
A fourth-grade boy who wanted to show off to his friends ran up to him and said, “You’re not even human! You’re a monster! You’re a monster from outer space!”
The boy ran away, but Bradley didn’t chase him. He added three new topics to his list: Humans, Monsters, and Outer Space.
Monday was Halloween. Most of the kids brought costumes, which they were allowed to put on at lunch. Brian, one of Jeff’s friends, didn’t bring a costume. So he borrowed a black Magic Marker from Mrs. Ebbel and colored a circle around one eye.When he came back from lunch, he told everyone he was a Bradley Chalkers.
While everyone laughed, Bradley busily worked on his list. It covered both sides of three sheets of paper.
Trees that lose their leaves
Gold stars
Chalk
Tape
Are chickens really afraid?
Why people laugh
What does it feel like to be shot in the leg?
Pencils
Pencil sharpeners
Accidents
Coffee
Military school
Canes
Basketball
Friends
Enemies
Hopscotch
Dodgeball
Four square
One potato
Two potato
Three potato
Four
Five potato
Six potato
Seven potato
More
Less
Nothing at all
What’s it like to be in jail?
Good boys
Bad boys
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Have you ever been to the White House?
Who shot my father?
Why did he get away?
Peanut butter and jelly
Gold stars
Black eyes
Fighting
Girls with big mouths!
What’s it like inside a girls’ bathroom?
Saying hello
Reflexes
Hate
When will I be able to grow a beard?
Things that smell bad
Things you like about yourself
Things you don’t like about yourself
Things nobody likes about yourself
Things you don’t like about anybody else
Gold stars
Does my head look like a chili bowl?
Closets
Hiding places
Dreaming
Bad dreams
I wish I could fly.
Kids with glasses
Glasses you drink from
Why people like some people and hate other people
Breaking things
I wish I was invisible.
Cry babies
What happens to you when you grow
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