역시 뉴베리 수상자의 작품이라 그런지 읽고 나서 여운이 많이 남는 이야기입니다.  보안상 이유로 갑자기 Marvin교실을 방문하신 대통령.. 심지어 교장 선생님과 담임 선생님도 그 사실을 몰랐다. 

  대통령에게 아이들이 하는 다양한 질문은 이 작가가 아이들의 시선에서 그들의 심리를 얼마나 잘 아는지를 엿볼수 있는 이 작품의 백미중의 백미입니다.  만약 흰색이 싫어진다면 백악관을 다른 색으로 칠하실 꺼에요?  대통령 본인에게 투표하지 않은 사람을 싫어하십니까?  대통령은 초등학교때 본인이 대통령이 될 줄 아셨습니까?  등등  

무난한 에피소드였다. 반장 뽑는 얘기인 줄 알았는데 전혀 다른 이야기였다. 국기의 대한 경례나 덧셈을 말로 표현하는 방법을 배울 수 있다.

- 단어

chap 1

- My mom is taking me to the show store. I'm going to my cousin's bar mitzvah on Saturday.

chap 2 국기에 대한 경례 배우기!

- I've never seen a better-looking group of third graders

- My shirt got snagged on a thorn from a rosebush.

- A child's voice came over the P.A. system. "Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance."

- He put his hand over his heart and said it along with her.

- Sometimes, when Casey laughed really hard, her ponytail went around in circles.

- At last she managed to say a complete sentence.

- From the way Mrs. North was acting, he thought it must be somebody weird.

- He lowered his hand.

- It had been kept secret for security reasons.

- Be respectful. Be attentive.

chap 3

- "We'll adjust our schedule," Mrs. North assured him.

- she tapped on the side of her head with her finger. "Use your brain."

- "Does spelling count?" asked Judy.

- "You're not being graded on this," said Mrs. North. "It's not a test. It's an opportunity. Try to make the most of it."

chap 4

- Marvin stared at him in awe.

- CHANNEL 2 was printed in big letters on the camera.

- Mrs. North stared right back at him.

chap 5 더하기 방법 배울 수 있음

- Mrs. North went ahead with the arithmetic lesson.

- Start at the ones column.

- Then he realized her mouth was forming the word "fourteen" over and over again.

- He wrote the number four and carried the one.

- He put seven in the next column.

- She wiggled her hand behind her back, signaling the class to stand.

- Marvin took a breath and exhaled.