Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date.
For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now.
Available within 2 business hours
1. He's failing math class.
2. If his grades don't improve, his whiz-kid younger sister will have to tutor him!
3. When his beloved Uncle Vic returns from overseas combat as a paraplegic, everyone else is happy that he's safe at home. But all Donavan feels is uncomfortable and sad.
4. Grandma insists on inviting Uncle Vic to the biggest family event of the school year, and she's not taking no for an answer! But what will the other kids think when they see Uncle Vic in a wheelchair?
From the author of Donavan's Word Jar comes an inspiring story that explores what it means to be a hero.
| ISBN-13: | 9780060772932 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 12/26/2007 |
| Pages: | 192 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.73(d) |
| Lexile: | 550L (what's this?) |
| Age Range: | 8 - 12 Years |
Donavan's Double Trouble
Chapter One
Heritage Month
"Donavan, who are you bringing to Heritage Month?" Pooh asked, his words muffled by the chunk of apple in his mouth.
The bell rang. Lunch was over for fourth and fifth graders. Donavan slung his backpack over his shoulder and picked up his lunch tray.
"No one," he answered, heading for the large green trash can near the exit. Pooh tossed his apple core on the tray and followed Donavan into the noisy hall.
"No one?" Pooh asked, his eyes wide.
"No one," Donavan repeated, walking faster. "I haven't been thinking about Heritage Month."
"Huh? After Valentine's Day nobody thinks about anything else," Pooh said, hurrying to keep up. "Hey, wait."
Donavan could tell by the sound of Pooh's voice that his friend did not believe him. "I got other things I'm thinking about," he said, and looked at Pooh as if he were a pesky fly.
"What things?"
"Math things: problems, quizzes, tests, homework."
"Oh!" Pooh knew that math was Donavan's worst subject. "Well, I got some good, big news. It's gonna cheer you up." Pooh waited a few seconds.
"Oh yeah?" Donavan kept walking.
"Pop Grandville is coming to Heritage Month!" Pooh paused. "He's gonna bring his new film." Pause. "It's about kids in a South African township."
Donavan stopped suddenly. Pooh bumped against his backpack, but he never stopped talking.
"They're our age and the film shows them hanging out and doing their thing."
Donavan really hadn't been thinking about Heritage Month. But he had to admit it, this film might begood. Better than good. Kids from Africa! "We'll get to hear their music. See the type of video games they play?"
Pooh joined in. "Sports, food, clothes. Man, we get to see how they hang out South African style."
"Yeah, but this is what I want to see. How they dance!" Donavan stomped his feet and clapped his hands. He danced around in a circle to his own beat.
Several kids stopped and watched. "What ya doing, D?" someone asked.
Before Donavan could explain, Pooh waved his hand in a warning. Donavan looked up and saw Miss Strickland, the hall monitor, staring in his direction.
"Nothing," he mumbled, and started walking again. The last thing he wanted was Miss Strickland's attention. She loved handing out detention slips.
Pooh followed. "Hey, let's keep this quiet," he whispered. "I want Pop to be a big surprise. I mean B-I-G big."
Donavan nodded. "Okay. I just got excited. Your grandpop is so cool. His pictures are in magazines big-time."
"Oh yeah. Do you still have the autographed copy of National Geographic?"
"Sure do. It was my first autograph." Donavan shook his head. "I can't believe I know someone who makes movies. How come he's not off somewhere filming something?" Pooh was always telling Donavan how he wished his grandfather were around more.
"He is, but when we visited him last summer I told him about Heritage Month. I told him that any family member could come, but that we wanted seniors."
"Yeah, everybody wants to hear about how things were in the old days," Donavan agreed.
"My mom and dad explained how Ms. Cassel started Heritage Month so that grandparents and parents could talk to us about family history," Pooh continued.
Donavan imitated Ms. Cassel's voice: "Youngsters, you must learrrrrrrrn about your cullllllture."
"Donnie, you should have heard Pop laugh when I told him about Mr. Reynolds and his bagpipes."
"Did you tell him how his kilt fell down?" Donavan gave Pooh a high five.
"Yup. And I also showed Pop how Mr. Ang acted out each of the animals in the Chinese horoscope."
"The tiger, brave and dangerous." Donavan struck a pose and raised his fist.
"The dog, loyal and courageous." Pooh bumped his fist against Donavan's.
"Pooh, you should have told him about Ms. Martinez's piñata and how we couldn't break it no matter how hard we tried," Donavan said.
"I forgot about that. But I did tell him that the whole school celebrates for a month," Pooh said. "I told him about the food, the costumes people wear, and a whole bunch of other stuff. He was really into it." Donavan could tell by Pooh's voice that his friend was excited. He was laughing and talking at the same time, getting louder and louder with each word.
"Your grandpop is like a celebrity. Everyone's gonna love him." Donavan held his hand up and made a victory sign. "Heritage Month is gonna be awesome this year."
Donavan looked up and saw Eric, his other best buddy, weaving his way through the crowd toward them. The three boys had been friends since kindergarten. Miz Utz, the school's office manager, always called them "triple trouble."
"What's up? Whatsup? Whatsup?" Eric asked, when he caught up with them.
"Hey, where were you at lunch?" Pooh asked.
"Principal's office."
"Huh?" said Donavan.
"No trouble." Eric laughed. "I had to give Ms. Cassel a note from my grandma." Eric looked left and right and then lowered his voice. "Grandma is coming to Heritage Month. She's going to teach batik to the fourth and fifth grades."
Donavan nudged Pooh. They knew that Eric liked everything he did to be mysterious.
"Nice," Pooh said.
"What's batik? Is she weaving something?" Donavan pictured the wooden loom and spinning wheel he'd seen in Eric's grandma's workroom.
"No, batik is a different kind of thing," Eric explained. "She'll use hot wax and dye." The boys listened while Eric explained his grandmother's work in detail, talking as if he were the expert.
"Pop Grandville is coming," Pooh interrupted Eric.
"And bringing a movie about kids in South Africa," Donavan added.
"You're lucky," Eric said wistfully.
Donavan knew Eric was wishing he had someone as cool as Pop Grandville to bring. He did too. Donavan thought for a moment and could think of no one. Eric cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "Earth to Donnie! Earth to Donnie! What you thinking about so hard, homeboy? You got a secret?"
Donavan's Double Trouble. Copyright © by Monalisa DeGross. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. <%END%>
The demand for vibrant, thoughtful children’s books that celebrate the multicultural society we live in has never been greater. What better way to help children learn at an early age that the world is filled with many different kinds of people than through the magic of books? Children love reading books about people and families […]
