Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom (Wayside School 4)

“Just tell me the title.”

“No!”

“I’m just trying to help you,” he explained. “Maybe I’ve already read it. I could tell you if it’s any good. You don’t want to read a five-hundred-page book if it’s boring, or has a bunch of kissing in it.”

Rondi finished checking out her book, and then hugged the walrus too.

“Let’s go, Rondi,” said Allison.

Jason watched the two girls leave the library.

He went to Mrs. Surlaw. “How many pages in Allison’s book?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, Jason,” the librarian told him. “That is confidential information.”

Jason sighed.

He returned to the bookshelves, wondering if Allison really chose a book with five hundred pages. It seemed impossible. Nobody could read a book that long, even if it had big print and short chapters.

Still he couldn’t be sure. Just to be safe, he chose a book with 510 pages. There was no way Allison chose a longer book than that! He started to bring it to Mrs. Surlaw.

But what if she did?

He put the book back, then found one with 573 pages. She couldn’t have chosen a book with more pages than that!

Again, he started to Mrs. Surlaw’s desk.

But what if she did?

He returned the book to its place on the shelf, and then chose one with 611 pages. A moment later he returned it.

No matter which book he chose, the same question kept returning.

But what if she did?

Finally, Jason chose the last book, on the last shelf, at the very end of the library. He had to hold it with both hands as he lugged it to the checkout desk.

The number on its last page was 999. The book made a loud thud as he plopped it down on the desk.

“Excellent choice, Jason!” Mrs. Surlaw said when she saw the book. “I know you will enjoy reading it.”

Reading it? He couldn’t even carry it.

Jason hugged the walrus.

13

Umbrella

Sharie liked walking in the rain. She liked stomping through puddles in her yellow rain boots. Most of all, she loved her umbrella, even if it did get heavy after a while.

Her umbrella was purple with green stripes. Or maybe it was green with purple stripes. She couldn’t be sure. The whole thing was covered with yellow polka dots of various sizes.

She liked listening to the raindrops bounce off of it. The harder it rained, the better the sound. She liked the feel of the smooth, curved wooden handle.

She was still a block away from the school when she heard the whoop-whoop. Now she was going to be late! She had done too much puddle stomping, and not enough straight-ahead walking.

She tried to hurry, but it was difficult to run while carrying her umbrella, especially in her yellow boots.