By: Patricia Polacco
(Non-Fiction/Informational/Diversity/Biography)
Trisha lived with her mom in
California and would visit her father and Gramma in Michigan during the summer,
but this year she decided to stay in Michigan for the school year. It would be her first year in a
Michigan School where she could have a new start. In California everyone knew she was in a special class and
had just learned how to read. When
she got to school on the first day and waved to her friend Kay from the summer,
she didn’t wave back, she just ignored her. Trisha gets into her classroom and meets her teacher Mrs.
Peterson. Mrs. Peterson begins the
class by reading the definition of genius. She referred to her class as “The Junkyard” because they are
all different –like things in a junkyard.
Jody- disease
that made him grow too fast
Gibbie- tourettes
Stuart- diabetes
Thom trouble
seeing
Trisha- dyslexia
Ravanne- doesn’t
speak
Mrs. Peterson put different scents
on their wrists to determine different “tribes”. Wore pins that said “Junkyard Wonders” and were made fun
of. Mrs. Peterson explained how a
junkyard holds so many treasures.
They go on a field trip to find items to make into treasures. Trisha’s group picked an airplane which
they all work together to recreate and make new. They needed a motor, so the class started fundraising with
bake sales and carwashes. Jody was
sick and later died in his sleep because his heart could keep up with his body
growing so fast. Ravanne speaks
for the first time “He wanted it to be called The Junkyard Wonder-so that’s
what it has to be.” Barton Poole
overheard plans to launch the airplane at the science fair and told the
principal. The principal said no
and took away the plane. Mrs.
Peterson didn’t give up hope and told the class they would still fly the plane,
for Jody. Principal allowed the
students to fly the plane is Gibbies father was present to make sure it was
being done correctly. They flew
the plane and said it would reach the moon!
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