by Nancy Krulik
George looked at Katie. He held out a long wooden stick with a scoop on the end. “What does it look like we’re doing?” he asked her. “We’re scooping up any poop the dogs make on the floor.”
“Wow! I didn’t know you guys were so into helping out animals,” Katie said.
“We’re not,” Kevin assured her. “This is Mr. G.’s idea. It’s to make up for not helping to clean up the field.” He frowned as a puppy who was too young to have been trained squatted down to go to the bathroom. “Man, I hate these dogs,” he moaned.
“I love them,” Selena told him. “They’re very special. It would be nice to find places for all of them.”
Katie thought about that for a minute. “Maybe you can,” she suggested. “And do your research paper at the same time.”
Selena looked at her curiously.
“Suzanne and I have this website called Reading Rocks,” Katie explained. “We work on it with our friend Emma. Every month we review a new book. Lots of people have been checking it out.”
“What does that have to do with getting shelter animals adopted or my research paper?” Selena asked the girls.
“Nothing,” Suzanne said. “I have no idea what Katie is thinking. I never do.”
Selena laughed.
Katie scowled. “Let me finish, Suzanne.” she said. “We could post pictures of the dogs. You can do research about each dog like, like what breed it is, or if it’s a mutt, you could write about all the different breeds they are. Then you could suggest the type of family that would be best for each dog.”
“I’ll bet Mrs. Hauser would love for me to do that for my research project,” Selena said with a grin. “I’ve got to get that done by the end of next week. How about I research ten dogs? Then you can post their pictures on your website!”
“Great!” Katie agreed.
“We should start with Cody, here.” Selena patted the big brown-and-white dog she had been walking. “Let’s get him a home first.”
“All right!” Katie exclaimed. Lots of animals were going to find homes now—all because of her idea.
When it came to great ideas, Katie was definitely the champ. Not even the magic wind could change that.
Bug Facts
Do you want to be a bug expert like the kids in 4A? Katie and her friends are giving you the buzz on what’s cool about bugs.
• There are more insects on Earth than any other type of animal. Ninety-five percent of all animal species on Earth are insects.
• Houseflies find sugar with their feet, which are ten million times more sensitive than human tongues.
• Ants can lift and carry objects that are fifty times their own weight.
• Mosquitoes are twice as attracted to the color blue than any other color.
• The world’s fastest insect is the dragon-fly. It can fly at a speed of thirty-six miles per hour, which is faster than cars are allowed to go on some city streets.
