Einstein the Class Hamster and the Very Real Game Show (Einstein the Class Hamster Series) Read online

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  Text copyright © 2014 by Janet Tashjian

  Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Jake Tashjian

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

  eISBN 978-1-62779-289-9

  First Edition—2014 / Designed by April Ward

  Printed in the United States of America by R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company,

  Harrisonburg, Virginia

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  FoR ApRiL WaRd,

  SuPeR-gEnIuS

  “A person who never made a mistake

  never tried anything new.”

  —ALBERT EINSTEIN

  “This was a stupid idea!

  What was I thinking? Help!”

  —EINSTEIN THE CLASS HAMSTER

  CHAPTER ONE

  tImE tO

  cOmPeTe!

  “Welcome, boys and girls, to a new

  episode of

  AnSwEr

  ThAt

  QuEsTiOn!

  I’m your host, Einstein the class

  hamster, and we’ve got some great

  fun facts for you today. Ready, kids?”

  Marlon looked around the empty

  classroom. Why did Einstein insist on

  starting each morning by talking to

  himself?

  “Is that a yes, folks?” Einstein

  asked. “Who’s ready to play?”

  Marlon had hoped Ned would bail

  him out, but Ned was still at recess

  with the rest of the class. “I’m

  ready!“ Marlon finally shouted.

  “Our longtime champion has

  returned!” Einstein said into his mic.

  “Welcome back to the show, Marlon!”

  Marlon reluctantly waved to the

  invisible audience.

  “Marlon, here’s your first question.”

  Einstein glanced at his notes. “For

  fifty dollars and a chance at our

  OXYMORONS:

  SMALL CROWD

  grand prize, is an alligator a reptile or

  an amphibian? You have ten seconds,

  and your time starts...NOW!”

  Of course Marlon knew the answer.

  Alligators were reptiles, just like

  turtles. Einstein usually tried to make

  the first round a little tougher. Was

  this a trick question?

  Einstein called.

  Maybe Einstein knew something

  Marlon didn’t. Was there some new

  category alligators fell into? Did they

  get kicked out of the reptile group the

  same way poor Pluto got fired from

  the solar system? Maybe Marlon

  didn’t know the answer to this

  question after all.

  “Your time is up,” Einstein said.

  “Care to venture a guess, Marlon?”

  Marlon paced around, then took

  a deep breath. “Are they reptiles?”

  OXYMORONS:

  BAGGY TIGHTS

  OXYMORONS:

  DRY LAKE

  “Marlon, why are you answering

  that question with a question? Of

  COURSE alligators are reptiles, just

  like you.” Einstein turned to face the

  camera, which was also nonexistent.

  “We’ll be right back after this word

  from our sponsor. And stay tuned for

  a new Tasty Tidbit!”

  Einstein scurried closer to Marlon.

  “Are you okay, buddy? You seem a

  little off your game today.”

  “I was confused,” Marlon answered.

  “But everything’s fine now.”

  “Everything’s more than fine,” Ned

  said as he approached the class pets.

  “Tomorrow our class

  competes on a

  national game show

  in front of a live

  audience! It’s going to

  be great!”

  Einstein tried

  to be happy for

  Ned and his other

  classmates, but

  it was hard to be enthusiastic when

  class pets weren’t allowed on the

  field trip to cheer them on. He gave

  Ned a weak smile and changed the

  subject.

  “Marlon just won fifty dollars

  in the first round of AnSwEr...

  ThAt...QuEsTiOn,” Einstein said.

  “You want to join him for round two?”

  “I can’t,” Ned said.

  “I have to prepare

  for tomorrow.”

  “It’s important to

  study,” Einstein

  agreed.

  “Oh, I’m not studying,” Ned said.

  “I’m figuring out a way to sneak you

  into the television studio.”

  Einstein looked at Marlon.

  Marlon looked at Einstein.

  They both looked at Ned.

  “The only reason our class made

  the finals is because you coached us,”

  Ned said. “The class needs you there,

  and I’m determined to get you in.”

  Einstein couldn’t believe the only

  student who could hear him was also

  the most dependable friend in the

  world. If anyone could get him into

  the studio tomorrow, it was Ned.

  Ned bent down close to Einstein.

  “I’m going to try and sneak Marlon

  in too.”

  BOTH CLASS PETS? That would

  be amazing!

  “Better rest up,” Einstein told

  Marlon. “Looks like we might be going

  on a field trip.”

  “Is now a good time for me to

  collect that fifty-dollar prize?” Marlon

  asked. “I DID win it fair and square.”

  But Einstein was

  too focused on

  the possibility of

  visiting a REAL

  game show.

  He hoped Ned and his other classmates

  would figure out a way to get him in.

  The Crocodilia order of reptiles includes

  crocodiles, alligators, gharials, and

  caimans. They’ve been living on Earth for

  so long—more than 84 million years—

  that they’re often referred to as living

  fossils. Believe it or not, their closest

  living relatives are birds.

  . . . AND THEN HE

  SAYS, ‘SEE YOU LATER,

  ALLIGATOR.’ GET IT?

  GET IT?

  THAT JOKE

  IS OLDER THAN

  I AM.

  There are a few differences between

  alligators and crocodiles:

  •Crocodiles’ heads are much more V‑shaped.
/>   •Crocodiles are considered more aggressive

  than alligators.

  •Crocodiles are found in countries all around

  the world, but alligators are found in only

  two: the United States and China.

  •One thing crocodiles and alligators do have

  in common is that they’re cannibals. Adults

  often eat young alligators and crocodiles—

  sometimes even their own!

  UMM . . .

  CAN WE PLAY

  SOMETHING ELSE?

  CHAPTER TWO

  cAn nEd rEaLlY

  dO tHiS?

  After much debate, Ned, Bonnie,

  and Ricky decided on the best way to

  sneak Einstein and Marlon into the

  television studio.

  “I didn’t know you were such a

  master of disguise,” Bonnie told Ned.

  “But I still don’t understand why we

  need to take the class pets to the

  game show.”

  “Einstein is more than a class pet,”

  Ned answered. “And Marlon is his

  friend.”

  “Well, we’re certainly going to a

  lot of trouble to get them in,” Ricky

  added.

  Ned couldn’t tell his friends the only

  reason the class passed the game

  show audition was because of Einstein’s

  tutoring. Sometimes Ned wished the

  other students could hear Einstein and

  appreciate how much information

  he knew from spending all his time

  in classrooms. He doubted Bonnie

  and Ricky would believe that Einstein

  was the best study partner a kid

  could have.

  “Okay, class!” Ms. Moreno said.

  “Tomorrow’s the big day! Is every-

  body ready?”

  The class shouted back an excited

  “YES!”

  LEARNING

  IS

  FUN-TASTIC!

  “After we finish our chapter on

  world explorers, there are a few

  important details to go over about

  tomorrow,” Ms. Moreno continued.

  “Such as...” Before she could finish

  the sentence, Ms. Moreno fell into

  one of her frequent catnaps.

  The students were used to Ms.

  Moreno falling asleep. They didn’t

  know it, but their teacher was up

  most nights watching infomercials

  and couldn’t stay awake during class.

  But Ms. Moreno was such a good

  teacher when she was awake that

  her students happily covered for her.

  Bonnie tiptoed around Ms. Moreno

  and found the notes on her desk.

  “The bus will leave promptly at

  9 a.m.,” Bonnie said. “No need to

  bring lunches—we’ll be eating at the

  studio where they film the game

  show.”

  The class murmured with the

  excitement of free food.

  “If everything goes smoothly, we’ll

  be back at school by 4 p.m.,” Bonnie

  continued.

  “And why wouldn’t things go

  smoothly?” Principal Decker strode

  NAME 8 THINGS YOU

  CAN WEAR ON YOUR

  FEET THAT START

  WITH AN S

  into the classroom with Twinkles the

  Python. “Why is Ms. Moreno asleep?”

  He snapped his fingers in front of

  the teacher’s face to wake her up.

  “We’ve been studying for the game

  show tomorrow,” Bonnie answered.

  “Ms. Moreno hypnotized herself to

  memorize all those facts.”

  “That’s what I love about Ms.

  Moreno—she’s never afraid to try

  new things.” Principal Decker bent

  down, face-to-face with the python.

  “Isn’t that right, Twinkles?”

  Twinkles nodded. (As much as a

  snake can nod.) He also smacked his

  snaky lips when he spotted Einstein

  and Marlon.

  HELLO,

  EINSTEIN!

  GOOD-BYE,

  TWINKLES.

  “Go back to the Science Center,”

  Einstein said. “Nobody wants you here.”

  Ms. Moreno suddenly woke up and

  noticed Principal Decker. “Our class has

  a great chance of winning tomorrow,”

  she said.

  SHOES, SOCKS, SANDALS,

  SNEAKERS, SKIS, SLIPPERS,

  SNOWSHOES, STOCKINGS

  “Well, Twinkles and I will be in the

  front row cheering you on.” Principal

  Decker headed out of the room with

  his snake to visit another lucky

  classroom.

  Einstein jumped up and down in a

  panic. “Twinkles gets to go to the TV

  studio? That’s not fair!”

  Ned agreed. If Principal Decker

  can get a python into the television

  studio, he thought, then I can surely

  sneak in Einstein. He looked over at

  Bonnie and Ricky. Plan Camouflage

  was officially in effect.

  The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand

  Magellan led the first expedition around

  the world in 1519. Most of Magellan’s

  crew were prisoners released from jail

  to help him sail under the Spanish flag.

  Their journey was so long, they ate

  sawdust, leather, and rats along the way!

  Magellan was the one who gave the

  Pacific Ocean its name. (Pacific means

  “peaceful” and “calm.”) The Strait of

  Magellan is named after him; it’s an

  important passageway that connects the

  Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

  This famous explorer died a tragic

  death in the Philippines when he was

  shot in the foot by a poison arrow during

  a fight with a local tribe. His own men

  retreated and left the nobleman to die

  alone on the beach. (Maybe prisoners

  don’t make the best crew members

  after all.)

  DO I HAVE A ROCK

  IN MY SHOE?

  CHAPTER THREE

  sNeAkInG tHrOuGh

  sEcUrItY

  Einstein couldn’t believe Ned wasn’t

  nervous on the bus ride to the studio.

  When did his shy friend turn into such

  a confident mastermind?

  “This plan will work,” Ned whispered

  to Einstein. “But only if you and

  Marlon keep perfectly still.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Bonnie

  looked around the seat and the aisle.

  “No one,” Ned answered a bit too

  eagerly.

  “Here we are,” Ms. Moreno said.

  “Victory is ours!” She stood at the

  bottom of the steps and

  waited for the class to file

  out of the bus.

  Bonnie nudged Ned.

  “Suppose the security

  guards want to search

  my pack?”

  “We’ll be fine,” Ned

  answered calmly.

  Einstein and Marlon

  didn’t dare move. The

  last thing they wanted was

  to get their classmates

  into trouble.

  “Whoa! Hold up there, buddy.

  What’ve you got there?” the security

  guard asked.

  Ned, Bonnie, Ricky, Einstein, and

  Mar
lon all froze. What had given

  them away?

  “No animals allowed in the studio,”

  the guard said. “You should know

  better than that.”

  Ned swallowed hard. How could the

  class get through the show without

  Einstein?

  But it wasn’t Ned the guard was

  talking to. Instead, he approached

  Principal Decker, who was carrying

  a blanket over his arm.

  “My school is competing on the

  game show,” Principal Decker said.

  “Let me through!”

  The guard whisked the

  blanket away, exposing

  Twinkles the Python.

  Ned, Bonnie, Ricky,

  Einstein, and Marlon

  finally exhaled.

  “OUT!” the security

  guard shouted.

  “We’re not going anywhere!”

  Principal Decker said. (He repeated

  that sentence several times while the

  guard kicked him and Twinkles out.)

  “That was close.” Ned released

  Einstein and Marlon from their hiding