THEME 8 FACING CHALLENGES


books.’ She stared down, expecting our response. ‘All right, all together, let’s repeat, “We promise to take good care of our new books.”’ She looked sharply at me as she spoke.


‘WE PROMISE TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF OUR NEW BOOKS!’ ‘Fine,’ Miss Crocker beamed, then proudly threw back the tarpaulin.


Sitting so close to the desk, I could see that the covers of the books, a motley red, were badly worn and that the gray edges of the pages had been marred by pencils, crayons, and ink. My anticipation at having my own book ebbed to a sinking disappointment. But Miss Crocker continued to beam as she called each fourth grader to her desk and, recording a number in her roll book, handed him or her a book.


As I returned from my trip to her desk, I noticed the fi rst graders anxiously watching the disappearing pile. Miss Crocker must have noticed them too, for as I sat down she said, ‘Don’t worry, little ones, there are plenty of readers for you too. See there on Miss Davis’s desk.’ Wide eyes turned to the covered teacher’s platform directly in front of them and an audible sigh of relief swelled in the room.


I glanced across at Little Man, his face lit in eager excitement. I knew that he could not see the soiled covers or the marred pages from where he sat, and even though his penchant for cleanliness was often annoying, I did not like to think of his disappointment when he saw the books as they really were. But there was nothing that I could do about it, so I opened my book to its center and began browsing through the spotted pages. Girls with blond braids and boys with blue eyes stared up at me. I found a story about a boy and his dog lost in a cave and began reading while Miss Crocker’s voice droned on monotonously.


Suddenly I grew conscious of a break in that monotonous tone and I looked up. Miss Crocker was sitting at Miss Davis’s desk with the fi rst-grade books stacked before her, staring fi ercely down at Little Man, who was pushing a book back upon the desk.


‘What’s that you said, Clayton Chester Logan !’ she asked.


The room became gravely silent. Everyone knew that Little Man was in big trouble for no one, but no one, ever called Little Man ‘Clayton Chester’ unless she or he meant serious business.


Little Man knew this too. His lips parted slightly as he took his hands from the book. He quivered, but he did not take his eyes from Miss Crocker. ‘I – I said may I have another book please, ma’am,’ he squeaked. ‘That one’s dirty.’


‘Dirty!’ Miss Crocker echoed, appalled by such temerity. She stood up, gazing down upon Little Man like a bony giant, but Little Man raised his head and continued to look into her eyes. ‘Dirty! And just who do you think you are, Clayton Chester? Here the county is giving us these wonderful books during these hard times and you’re going to stand there and tell me that the book’s too dirty? Now you take that book or get nothing at all!’


Little Man lowered his eyes and said nothing as he stared at the book, For several moments he stood there, his face barely visible above the desk, then he turned and looked at the few remaining books and, seeming to realize that they were as badly soiled as the one Miss Crocker had given him, he looked across the room at me. I nodded and Little Man, glancing up again at Miss Crocker, slid the book from the edge of the desk, and with his back straight and his head up returned to his seat.


Miss Crocker sat down again. ‘Some people around here seem to be giving themselves airs. I’ll tolerate no more of that.’ she scowled. ‘Sharon Lake, come get your book.’


351


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