8.31.25 - Part 2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to Radio Eyes. Children's Story Hour as
a Reminder is a reading service intended for people who
are blind of other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Today we will be reading from various
books on school. Your reader today is Diane. We will
continue with the book Back to School, Mallory. It was

(00:25):
published by Darby Creek, a division of Learner Publishing Group.
It has a copyright year of two thousand and four
and the author is Laurie B. Freedman. Dead pauses and
looks at me. But she soon found out that building

(00:45):
big tall towers wasn't as easy as it looked. Every
time her tower started to get tall, it fell over.
But the little girl didn't stop building. For weeks, she
kept building towers. Every time tower fell over, she started
over again, until finally she built a big tall block

(01:06):
tower with all our blocks, just like the one our
older brother had built. Dad is quiet for a minute.
He picks up a handful of stones from the edge
of the wish pond and starts stacking them on top
of the other until they topple over. Building towers isn't easy,
but the little girl stuck with it until she did
it Dad looks at me. I knew ripen in there

(01:30):
that this little girl would always keep trying until she
accomplished what she set out to do. I throw a
rock in the water. Are you talking about me? Dad nods. Now,
my problems are bigger than building a tower out of blocks,
and you're bigger now than that little girl in the story.
Says Dad. I'm sure if you'll just give yourself and

(01:51):
everyone around you a chance, you'll find a way to
make things just the way you'd like them to be.
You'll you always have, and I know you always will.
Dad stands up and hands me the box of donuts.
I'm going home now. Why don't you take a few
minutes to think before the day gets started. After Dad leaves,
I take another donut out of the box. So much

(02:12):
has changed since we moved. Things aren't the way I
like them to be, especially things with Mom. I think
about the conversation I had with Mom and Dad last night.
Actually it wasn't a conversation because I didn't do any talking.
Mom did it. All. These were things I wanted to say,
like I wish we had considered someone's feelings besides her

(02:33):
own mine. But all I did was mumble I'm sorry,
and I am sorry sorry I was ever born. I
think Mom would be a whole lot happier if she
didn't have a daughter at the school where she teaches.
Then she could say to people, me, my only child Mike.
He's a bright, happy fifth grader. He plays baseball, he's

(02:54):
frozen meatballs, and he doesn't mind that I teach music
at his school. I know Mom was really upset last night.
Even though part of me is mad at Mom, all
of her is mad at me. And I don't like
it when she is mad at me. A tear off
a piece of doughnut and tossed into the water. I
wish I could do something so Mom wouldn't be mad anymore. Mallory,

(03:14):
Mom yells from down the street. Come on, Marianne and
her mom are leaving in a few minutes. I bet
Mom wanted to say, pack a bag and you can
go with them. I stand up and throw the rest
of my doughnut into the pond. I think about what
Dad said about finding a way to make things how
I want them to be. But I think no matter
what I do, Mom will still be mad at me.

(03:37):
I think the best for me to do thing for
me to do is look in the yellow pages this
afternoon and see if I can find a new mom
part of a plan. When I get to school on
Monday morning, I feel like everyone is thinking the same thing.
There goes the egg plan who didn't really break her leg.
I walked to my classroom and sit down on my desk.

(03:58):
Pamela is already in her seat. She smiles at me.
Looks like a good morning. My mom told me I
had to be nice to you even though you ruined
fall festival. Smile. Missus Daily taps Chester class. Please open
your science books to chapter five. I've flipped chapter five.
Bears Bears have it easy. They don't have to go

(04:19):
to school. They don't have to be in shows. I'd
like to be a bear, Joey, please read for us,
said Missus Daly. Joey reads. Bears can be found throughout
the world. They are large mammals with thick, coarse fur
and short tails. Bears walk flat on the soles of
their feet. Black bears, brown bears, and polar bears are

(04:40):
three of the most well known types of bears. If
I were a bear, I'm not sure which kind I
want to be. Sammy will you please continue, ask missus Daly.
Sammy takes over where Joey left off. Bears spend the
winter months of sleep or in active condition called hibernation.
They emerge from their case in the spring, in late

(05:01):
March or April. Now know what kind of beer I
want to be? The climate hibernates. I could go to
sleep now and wake up in March. By then everybody
would forget about the egg plant who didn't really break
her leg at Fall Festival, especially Mom. I wonder if
there are any caves and fern falls. While I'm busy
playing in my hibernation, Pamela passes me a note. It

(05:25):
says this concerns you on the outside. I'm not speaking
to Pamela, but when I get up, this concerns you note,
I want to read it. I unfold the paper. Mallory,
I have a plan. You are part of this plant.
Meet me under the monkey bars at recess. I'll explain.
Then I know you will like it. When the bell rings, hurry,

(05:45):
we have a lot to talk about. You have to
come your friend, Pamela. I can't imagine when Pamela has
in mind. I look at her, but she moves her
fingers across her lips, like she's zipping them shut. Pamela
and I have been what you'd call friends since she
stole my idea, but still part of me wants to

(06:06):
know what her plan is. Think about what Dad said
to me at the wishpond about giving other people a chance.
Maybe I should give Pamela a chance. When the recess
bell rings, I do e meanie miney mo. I squeezed
my palm and decide to go. Pamela's waiting under the
monkey bars when I get to the playground. When I

(06:26):
walk over the monkey bars, Pamela looks at me. She
looks nervous. I feel like I should say something, but
I haven't said anything to Pamela for a long time,
so I don't know what to say. Pamela faces me
and foats her hands in her lap. Mallory, your mom
seemed pretty upset with you last night, so I shrug.

(06:48):
I don't know why Pamela cares. If my mom is
mad at me, well, I think I got no way
to get her unmad. Huh, I raised my eyebrows. I'd
like to find a way to get mama un mad
at me. Why don't when we ask Missus Daily if
you can write the next Teacher of the month. Calm
about your mom. Pamela lean's towards me like she's telling
me a secret she doesn't want anyone else to hear.

(07:09):
Since your mom just did Fall Festival, kiss will think
it's interesting to learn more about her. You can say
how sorry you are about what happened, and when she
reason in the paper, she won't be mad anymore. I
consider Pamela's plan. Tomorrow is the last day to submit
articles for the next issue. Pamela continues, why don't we

(07:30):
talk to missus Daily before reesays is over. Even though
I'm still a little mad at Pamela, I think her
plan is a good one. That sounds great. I think
it's really nice that you want to help me. But
I guess I don't understand why you want to look
down at some grass growing under the corner of the
bunky bars. After all, I did ruin Fall Festival. Pamela

(07:52):
picks at a blade of grass. We all make mistakes.
I'm sorry I took your idea for the Daily News.
She says, I'd like to be friends. I didn't think
I would ever smile again, but I do. I like
to be friends too. You want to come over to
my house after school? Ask Pamela you can write your article.
I'll help you if you want. I nod my head. Sure,

(08:14):
maybe it's not such a good idea, says Pamela. Oh oh,
I hope we don't stop being friends before we get started.
How come, well, says Pamela. My sister Amanda will want
to do everything with us. She won't leave us alone
enough to write the article. She can be a real pain. Sometimes.
I've got a big brother and he's always a pain.

(08:35):
But I can't believe little sisters can be annoying. Pamela laughs.
Believe it. I can't believe you didn't know that. I
guess there are a lot of things about Pamela I
didn't know. Hey, I say, why don't I bring my
purple Neil polish to your house and Amanda can paint
her fingernails while we write the article. Great idea. Amanda

(08:56):
will love that. Pamela grabs my hand. Better go, I've
talked to missus Daly. Before we miss our chance. We
run back to the classroom. I can't help thinking about
what Dad said. Sometimes she just had to give people
a chance. I'm glad I gave one to Pamela, Mom
of the Month. It's out, I screamed. I clutched the

(09:17):
Daily News with one hand and cover my eyes with
the other. Pamela grabs the paper out of my hand.
Open your eyes, silly, I peak just a little. Don't
you know how hard it is to read your own work.
Pamela laughs, that's only when it's bad. She starts reading aloud.
Teacher of the Month Fernfall's Elementary music teacher Missus McDonald

(09:39):
by Mallory McDonald, her loving and only daughter. Missus McDonald's
a new face to many of the students at fern
Fall's Elementary, but she's not new to me. She's been
my mom for eight and three fourths a year of
my entire life. When she was a an O teacher
at home, she taught one student at a time. But
now she's the music teacher at fern Falls Elementary, she

(10:02):
teaches lots of students. I was really worried when I
found out she was going to be the music teacher
at my school. I thought she wouldn't have time to
be a mom and a teacher. I thought I was
losing a mom, But I realized what I gained was
a great music teacher. She's the world's best music teacher
for lots of reasons. She doesn't laugh at kids who've

(10:23):
seen off key. She doesn't ask questions about composers who've
died a gazillion years ago. But best of all, Missus
McDonald loves all kids and vegetables equally, even rotten ones
who are very very very sorry for any bad behavior,
and promised to be a good from now on. As
a music teacher and a mom, Missus McDonald gets an

(10:45):
A plus. Missus McDonald's not only the teacher of the month,
she's the mom of the month too. Pamela folds the
paper closed. It's great, she says, your mom will love it.
I crossed my I hope Pamela is right, even though
she says she's not. I can tell Mom is still
mad at me. On Saturday, she made me clean out

(11:08):
my drawers. On Sunday, she didn't make peanut butter marshmallow pancakes.
She always makes them for me on Sundays, and this
Sunday I got plain old pancakes. And ever since Fall Festival,
she's been calling me by my full name, Malorie Louise MacDonald.
The only time she calls me by my full name
is when she's mad. I hope Mom likes the article,

(11:30):
and I hope she'll really forgive me for running fall Festival.
I don't know how I'm going to be able to
wait until music class to see if Mom liked my article.
Missus Daily taps Chester on the head. Class, take your
seats and open your Social Studies books to page eighty seven.
Open book to a picture of Christopher Columbus. It took

(11:52):
Christopher Columbus over two months to seil across the ocean
with the Nina the pent in the Santa Maria to
get to the New World, said Missus Daly. It took
years to put his plane into place and see it
through completion. So you can see, said Missus Daily. Some
plans take a very long time to work. I hope

(12:12):
my plan works faster than Christopher Columbuses did. After Social Studies,
Missus Daily says, to take out our science books. Someone
knocks on the door, Class, please start reading. On page
sixty one, she walks outside and shuts the door behind her.
I start reading, but Missus Daly cracks the door open. Malorie,

(12:33):
may I see you ooh oh, whoever's talking to Missus
Daily must have been talking about me. What if Mom's
not the only one who's mad about fall Festiful? What
if it's the principal and I'm in big trouble. I
walk outside slowly, but when I get outside, I'm surprised.
It's not the principal. It's my mom. Mallory, your mother
would like to have a word with you. Missus Dayly

(12:54):
winks at Mom and smiles at me. Your article was excellent,
she says. Missus Daily goes back into the classroom. I
wish I could follow her inside. I'm not sure what
mama is doing here. There's a copy of the Daily
News in her hand. I can't tell if she's happy
or mad. I crossed my toes. Did you like the article?

(13:15):
Mom puts her arm around me. What do you say?
We discussed it over lunch? How about mc How does
McDonald's sound. Mama's taking me out for lunch. I get
to go to McDonald's. She knows all McDonald's love McDonald's.
Mama is quite in the car when we sit down
and wrap my cheeseburger and take a bite, But Mom

(13:36):
doesn't touch her food. Mallory. What you did at the
Fall Festival was wrong, and I think you know that.
I nod my head. I don't think you'll do anything
like that again. I nod my head again. And I
know you're sorry that you were in a special night
for a lot of people. I keep nodding. I hope
I don't throw up my cheeseburger from all this nodding.

(13:56):
Mom spreads the daily news on the table and turns
to the page with my article on it. But this
is wonderful, she smiles at me. Whew, I think it's
safe to stop nodding. Mom. I'm sorry I pretend to
break my leg. I wish I hadn't run the show.
Mom takes a sip of her shake. Is there anything
else she would like to say? Actually, there is. There's

(14:19):
a lot of things I like to say. I take
a deep breath. I didn't want you to be the
music teacher at my school. I didn't want you to
pick the thing you picked for Fall Festival, and I
didn't want Marian to come see the show. I tried
to tell you, but you didn't listen to anything I
had to say. I feel like I've said enough, but
for some reason, I keep going. It's hard to share

(14:41):
your mom with the whole school, especially when you're used
to having her yourself. It's not that being an eggplant
was so bad, but I felt like you were spending
so much time planning fall festival you barely had time
to be my mom. You even gave us frozen meatballs.
You never gave us frozen meatballs before you were a teacher.
Mom is quiet ferment, Mallori. Just because I gave you

(15:03):
frozen meatballs doesn't mean I love you less, and I'll
try to listen to what you have to say from
now on. But sometimes things happen that you might not like.
When they do, you might find they're not at all
that bad if you just give them a chance. I
take a sip of my shake. I think about Pamela.
I gave her a chance. I'm glad I did. Maybe

(15:23):
Mom is right. I'll try I tell her. Mom looks
at me in a happy way, like she just ate
an extra salty French fry. Mallory. I'm proud of you.
You did a good job telling me how you feel,
and you wrote a wonderful article. Sometimes we all have
a tough time saying what's on our minds, and you
express yourself beautifully. Thinking about what Mom said makes me

(15:46):
feel happy. I wonder if this is how Vincent and
vain Go felt when he painted. Expressionism is starting to
make sense to me, Mom, There's something else I want
to say. Mom puts down her milkshake and looks at me,
like what I have to say is important to her.
What's that, she asks? I'm getting used to fern falls elementary.

(16:08):
I even think there are some fun parts to having
you teach me at the same school. Oh yeah, Mom
raises an eyebrow. Which parts do you think are fun?
I take a big bite of my cheeseburger. The eating
lunch at McDonald's part, I lean forward and whisper so
no one but Mom can hear me. It's a lot
more fun than eating at that stinky cafeteria. Mom looks

(16:30):
around the restaurant and leans forward. I think the cafeteria
is stinky, too. But I'll tell you a secret if
you promise not to tell a nod. I keep a
secret stash if candy bars at my desk. Sometimes I
just need to eat something sweet to get that cafeteria
smell out of my nose. You're welcome stop by the
room if you think a little bit of canny might

(16:52):
help you too. Going to lunch a McDonald's access to
a secret Caniye stash. Having Mom as a teacher might
be even better than I thought It would be. Sounds
like a plan. I tell Mom. We smile and dip
our French fries in the ketchup cup at the same time.
Happy Halloween. Someone sits down on my bed and rubs

(17:12):
my bike. Guess who says the voice? Even though I'm
covered with covers, I don't have to guess. I know
it's Mom. She tickles my bike. Rise and shine, sleepyhead,
It's Halloween. Then she whispers in my ear, I have
a Halloween surprise for you. Canney corn pancakes your favorite.

(17:35):
I sit up. I have a surprise for you too.
I'm not going to be a witch this year. Mom
is quiet for a minute, But you're always a witch
on Halloween. If you're not going to be a witch,
what are you going to be? I smile at Mom.
That's another surprise. When I finish my pancakes, I ask
Mom if I can borrow the aluminum foil. I take
it into my room and close the door. I get

(17:57):
out paint, some poster board, and string and scissors and glue.
Joey and Pamela are coming over and we're making Halloween costumes.
After I set everything up, I go outside to wait
for my friends. When they arrive, we go into my room.
Mix follows us. What's going on in here? You'll find
out soon enough. I lock my door. So what do

(18:19):
we do? As Joey, I've never made my own costume.
Pamela looks through all the art supplies on the floor
of my room. Actually, neither of I. She smiles at me, Malory,
you have to tell us where to start. I smile
at both of them. I know exactly where to start.
We spend the morning cutting, pasting, and coloring. When Joey

(18:39):
and Pamela and I finish gluing the last pieces on
our costumes, we punch hose in the tops, tight strings
through the hose and slip them over our heads. I
spin around and so they can see me. What do
you think I think no one else in fern Foss
will be dressed like us, says Joey. I think we're ready,
says Pamela. We all nod and march into the kitchen

(19:02):
to model our costumes for Mom and Mix. Mom gasps
when she sees us. Even Mix look like he's impressed.
What do you think, I ask? Mom grins, three musketeers,
Very clever. Mix walks around in a circle like he's
a costume inspector. Not bad, he says to Joey and Pamela.

(19:23):
He stops in front of me. Pretty good costume. Just
try not to break a leg while you're wearing it.
Everybody laughs, even Mom. She takes her camera out of
the drawer. Get together, guys, put our arms around each other.
Mom says, say happy Halloween and snaps our picture. See
you tonight. I tell Joey and Pamela they aren't going

(19:44):
home and coming back to my house tonight to trick
or treat six o'clock, six o'clock sharp, and don't be late.
We have a lot of houses to go to after
they leave. Mom hands me an envelope. This came for
you this morning. It's from me. She wrote Happy Halloween
on the outside in big like and orange letters. Took

(20:05):
her letter to my room and I opened it. Dear Mallory,
Happy Halloween. What are you gonna be for Halloween this year?
Even though we won't be together. I'm gonna be a
witch just like always. But Halloween won't be the same
this year, not without you or cheeseburger. I won't have
anybody to go on fake black fingernails with. I won't
have anybody to trade candy with. I won't even have

(20:28):
a cat to go with my costume. Nobody will able
to say which which are you? Here's a Halloween poem
for you. Boo who boo who boo who? Halloween won't
be the same without you. Hugs, hugs, hugs, kisses, kisses, kisses. Marianne.
I reread Marianne's letter. Then I take out my Halloween

(20:51):
scrapbook and pace Marianne's letter in it. I leave enough
room on a page to put in the picture Mom
took of Joy, Pamela and me. This Halloween will be
different from my mother Halloweens. I used to go trick
or treating with Marianne. Then we go back to her
house and put our candy in a big bow and
share it until it was all gone. Some years we

(21:12):
got enough candy last until Christmas. This Halloween, I'm trick
or treating with Joey and Pamela and Winnie and mix
are coming too. Mix has never trick or treated with me,
but when he heard that Winnie was coming, he decided
to come along. When we finished, we're meeting at the
Wish Pond for a party. Joey says, Halloween at the

(21:32):
Wishpond is a Wish Pond Road tradition. I think about
the Wish Pond. I've spent a lot of time there lately,
making a lot of wishes, and I've noticed something. Sometimes
my wishes come true, sometimes they don't, and sometimes they
take a while of work. I guess what Mom says
is true. You have to give things a chance, even wishes.

(21:55):
I pull a sheet of paper out of my desk drawer.
Dear Marianne, Happy Halloween to you too. I know you
will be a very cute witch cheeseburger and I will
both miss being part of the costume. You are right
about one thing. Halloween won't be the same this year,
not without you. Believe it or not, I'm not going

(22:15):
to be a witch this year. At first, I thought
I would be a witch because I'm always a witch
with you, But I decided to try something different, so
you'll never guess what I'm going to be A three musketeer,
not the sword fighter kind, the candy bar kind. Joey,
Pamela and I are going trigger treating together as the
three Musketeers. It was my idea. When I told Joey

(22:38):
about it, he said he wanted to go as a
soccer player. So I told Joey that something was bugging me.
I told him that I felt like he only wanted
to be my friend some of the time, not all
the time. Even told him that Mix said he was
just my street friend. Max says a street friend is
someone who lives on your street and only wants to
be friends at home. Joey said, silly that. Mike said

(23:01):
that most of the stuff stuff Mike says is silly.
Joey said friends can be different and still be friends.
Then he said the more he thought about the candy
bar idea, the more he liked it, and to count
him in. When I told Pamela that idea, she said
she loved it. She even told missus Daily about it.
She made her promise not to tell anyone, and Pamela

(23:22):
told her it was my idea. Missus Daily told me
she thought it was a delightful, sweet idea. That's all
for now. I have to go help Dad hang Halloween
decorations in our yard. Have fun tonight, eat lots of candy.
I'm going to even though I know what Mom is
going to say, don't eat too many sweets. You don't

(23:42):
want to get a tummy egg before you go to bed.
But I know exactly what I'm going to tell her.
I'm going to tell her not to worry because I
like sweet dings. Ha ha ha haaa. Get the joke. Sweets,
sweet endings, Happy happy, Happy Halloween, extra extra extra big
huge hugs and kisses. Mallory class pictures. Oh yay, I

(24:07):
almost forgot. Next week we're taking class pictures and I
can't decide what to wear. Mary and I used to
always help each other pick out just the right outfits,
but since she's not here this year, I asked a
few other people. Dad said I should ask Mom. He
said he's no good in the picking clothes department. Mom said,
as long as I smile and say cheese, I'll be fine.

(24:30):
But Mom knows I always say cheeseburger when I take
a picture. Mike said I should wear a paper bag
over my head. Joey said he had no idea what
I should wear. When he said it wouldn't matter, and
Pamela said we should ask missus Day. None of these
people were any help at all, but maybe you can be.
What do you think I should wear? Me and bell

(24:52):
bottoms and a hippie top, Me and a mini skirt
and a turtleneck, Me and jeans and a poncho, Me
and boots and a letter address. It's so hard to
picture just the right outfit for a class picture. Thanks
so so much for your help. This concludes our children's
story I are for today. Please join us next time

(25:14):
as we will read more stories, fables and fairy tales.
Thank you for listening, and please stay tuned for the
Lex and Here Leader on Radio I