“L-E-M-O-N. Who knows what that spells?” Mrs. Reed asked her impossible class of preschoolers.
Nobody answered.
“Mary? Todd? Sue? Laneisha?... Anyone?” She heaved a sigh. “LE-mon. It spells lemon. Who can tell me
what a lemon is?”
Nobody answered again. She was not surprised. Some days she just wished she could crawl inside these
kids’ heads, just to see if anything was going on in there.
…
Kassidy
A lemon… something on my shower curtain. That spray my mom sprays.
Todd
A lemon is something my teacher wants me to know. I do not know what a lemon is. Maybe an animal?
What is a lemon?
Mary
Mrs. Reed asks so many dumb questions. Of course I know what a lemon is. Susie is probably the only
one who does not.
Susie
I know what a lemon is. Taylor has it in her fish tank. She says, “Here Lemon, Lemon. Come eat your
food. Be a good fish!”
Noah
A lemon is gross. Bluck. Except in muffins. But mostly bluck. I have a really good “bluck” face. “Laneisha,
look. Bluck. Stick out your tongue! It’s fun.”
Laneisha
Stop it Noah. Boys are gross. I’m going to tell Mrs. Reed on you.
Tristen
Recess should be soon. Recess. Recess is my favorite thing in the whole world. Hurry up Mrs. Reed.
Hurry up bell. Ring ring. Ring ring. Like a telephone. Noah has a telephone. I want a telephone. It ringed!
Recess, hooray! Recess is my favorite thing in the whole world.