Quotes from C.S. Adler

You sure can sleep anywhere," she said. "It's freezing in here." "I was tired. See, I slept in Booboo's doghouse with him last night." "You're kidding! You really slept in a doghouse?...You are a nut cake, Willie." He wanted to ask her if that was better than a goofball, but for once he didn't feel like joking.

Willie took a running start and skidded sideways in wild abandon all the way across. Marla came onto the ice timidly, with small sliding steps. Booboo stood at the edge and barked. "Aren't you scared you'll fall, Willie?" Marla asked. "No," he said. "If I crack my head open, so what? There's nothing inside it.

Let's slide some more," Willie suggested to wipe away her sadness. They were holding hands and slide-skating on the ice with Booboo at their heels when Marla suddenly said, "Oops, it's over an hour. I've got to go." "Like Cinderella," he said. "So? Aren't you the frog prince?

Willie saw that the barn had been swept clean. The spiderwebs had been cleaned from the windows. Even the mammoth one between the post and the overhead beam was gone. Marla didn't like spiderwebs any better than she liked him, Willie decided.

Marla came to school the next day, but it was just to say good-bye. "Why, Marla," Mrs. Tealso said, "I'm sorry to lose you." "Me, too, Mrs. Tealso," Marla said. "I liked it here, and I--" Before she could finish she burst into tears and cried so hard that Mrs. Tealso had to send her to the girls' room to get control of herself.

In the car, Dad said solemnly, "Willie, you should understand that I'm doing this because I want you to be a success in life." "Driving me to school, Dad?

You're a Boy Scout?" "Well, I was until I got kicked out." "What did you get kicked out for?" "I kept getting lost." "Huh?" "You know, on hikes. We went on all these hikes, and I kept going in the wrong direction or getting left behind or--" He shrugged. "You said I was a goofup, Marla. So you know." She nodded. "Well, try not to get us lost on the way to the library.

You're a Boy Scout?" "Well, I was until I got kicked out." "What did you get kicked out for?" "I kept getting lost.

asked if he wants to repeat 6th grade Garry says "That's okay. I've got to go to school 'til I'm 16 anyway. What's the difference what grade I'm in when I get done?

Friday was a bad-news day. First Mrs. Tealso announced report cards were ready and everybody would return to homeroom for the last ten minutes of the day to receive theirs. Lots of kids groaned. Willie's stomach flip-flopped like a fish out of water. His marks might be as bad as last time. They could even be worse. Unless he'd done good work that he wasn't remembering. Or unless his teachers had gotten the Christmas spirit early.

His only defense for now was not to think about it until he had to. But everywhere he turned kids were whispering, "Report card, report card." So much anxiety in the air made it hard to breathe. The end of the day came far too quickly and there it was in his hand--a report card that spelled disaster in Ds and Cs.

If Willie hadn't known the man working on the doghouse in the garage must be his father, he might not have recognized him. Dad's nose was red from the cold, and he was wearing a grease-streaked red-and-black-checked lumberman's jacket and a red flannel hat with floppy earflaps. He looked a lot more dignified in a business suit and tie, Willie thought.

Sleep was a bumpy road for Willie that night. In between dozing and leaning out the window to plead with Booboo to be quiet, Willie was kept awake by his dog's howls, yowls, whines, whimpers, barks, yips, and moans. Booboo's range of loud noises was impressive.

Willie considered taking Booboo along, but Booboo would only get in the way. Better leave him in the basement to sleep off his exhaustion from last night's concert.

What would six dollars and fifty cents buy? Not a tape deck for Marla. Maybe a Christmas flower arrangement special for Mom. But she loved roses. He'd buy her one long-stemmed rose and get Dad a cactus plant. Something with prickers that you better not touch should suit him.