Wild Child: Forest's First Day of School

by Tara Zann, Dan Widdowson (Illustrator)

Overview

In the second book in this wildly funny chapter book series, a shy girl is force into the spotlight when a wild boy goes to school for the first time!

At school, Olive expects her best friend Forest to be a “nobody,” just like her, but Forest isn’t one for standing on the sidelines—more like standing on the desks! His shenanigans transform boring school into a wild habitat filled with food fights and morning bird calls, and everyone loves it…everyone except for Olive. How did Forest make friends so fast?

When they end up on stage in the school play, Olive is nervous about being in the spotlight, something Forest knows well—this time, it’s up to Forest to teach Olive!

Don’t miss Olive’s and Forest’s first adventure Wild Child: Forest’s First Home!

An Imprint Book

Praise for Wild Child: Forest's First Home

"The timeless premise...provides a new option for transitional chapter books. Hand this to future fans of Maryrose Wood’s The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series." —Booklist

"Reminiscent of Amelia Bedelia...This first chapter book in a new series will find fans among beginning readers"— School Library Connection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250103864
Publisher:	Imprint
Publication date:	04/18/2017
Series:	Wild Child , #2
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	43 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Tara Zann can't imagine living in a place without tall trees. Just like Forest from her chapter book series, Wild Child, she has a spirit of adventure, though she might use a zip line instead of swinging from tree to tree on a long, dangling vine. She has no official pets, but dozens of creatures tend to stop by her backyard treehouse on a regular basis.


Dan Widdowson is a children’s illustrator from Loughborough, England. He graduated from the Arts University Bournemouth in 2014, and he has been working on children’s illustration projects ever since. Dan has a keen interest in storytelling and narrative. Some of his many clients include Simon&Schuster, Capstone, Oxford University Press, and Templar.

Tara Zann can't imagine living in a place without tall trees. Just like Forest, she has a spirit of adventure, though she might use a zip line instead of swinging from tree to tree on a long, dangling vine. She has no
official pets, but dozens of creatures tend to stop by her backyard treehouse on a regular basis.

Read an Excerpt

Wild Child: Forest's First Day of School

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By Tara Zann, Dan Widdowson

Imprint

Copyright © 2017 Imprint
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-250-10386-4

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CHAPTER 1

On the first day of school, Olive Regle didn't mind that her older brother, Ryan, walked ten steps ahead of her because he was too cool to walk next to his little sister. Last year it bothered her, but not this year. This year, she had someone to walk with and someone to keep her company: His name was Forest.

Forest dropped into Olive's life on a camping trip. He had grown up in the forest and had no family. From the first moment Olive met him, she felt an odd bond with him. Luckily her father saw kindness in the wild Forest and let him stay and live with them. That had been only a week ago, and it had been one crazy week. Olive had to teach Forest how to do everything from brush his teeth to use silverware. But now there was an even bigger challenge: school.

Olive liked the learning part of school, but she didn't like feeling left out and invisible. The popular kids at school often made Olive feel like an outcast.

This year's going to be different, she thought with confidence as she walked.

She figured that since Forest was so different, that he would be treated as an outcast, too. Then, she and Forest would stick together, and she'd never be lonely at school anymore. In fact, Olive thought it felt nice to be excited to go to school — for a change.

Olive looked over at Forest, who was wearing his backpack on the front of his body as if it were a frontpack.

They turned right at Blackstock Way and left at Pine Street. A large playground came into view. Olive smiled as she watched Forest's eyes grow wide. Before this, his jungle gym was the forest itself, so this was a whole new thing to him.

"Come on, Forest," said Olive, tugging him away. "We'll come out here later for recess."

"What's 'recess'?" asked Forest.

"It's when we get to leave the classroom and run around on the playground," explained Olive.

"Oh ..." said Forest.

Beyond the playground were basketball hoops and a large field. Olive steered Forest away from the playground and toward a group of buildings to the left. They were all one story with a big number on each one of them, with brightly painted doors that opened to the outside. This year, Olive and Forest's third-grade class was in Room 7. As the pair entered the room, the teacher spoke up.

"Please find your name on the correct desk and then have a seat," said Mrs. Finn.

Olive was relieved to see that her desk and Forest's desk were right next to each other. She took her seat and pointed to where Forest should sit. Around them, kids were either already sitting in their seats or standing near them and talking. For a split second, Olive felt a pang of loneliness. Then she remembered that she had Forest on her side and smiled as she looked over at him.

That's when Josie Letay walked into the classroom, laughing loudly with her friends. Olive frowned and turned away. Josie Letay was the most popular girl in her class every single year. Even in kindergarten she was popular! Josie was noisy and funny, with lots of friends. Olive, on the other hand, had always been shy and quiet — and alone.

At that moment, Mrs. Finn approached Olive's desk. Olive felt a little nervous, and looked down. "You must be Ryan Regle's sister. He was in my class two years ago," said Mrs. Finn in a stern voice.

"But I'm nothing like him," Olive said quickly.

"That's good," said Mrs. Finn, her eyebrows arched up. "Let's keep it that way."

Olive looked over, about to say something to Forest, but he wasn't at his desk. She scanned the room and found him by the class pet: a fat little fur ball of a hamster.

Well, of course he found the animal in here, thought Olive with a smile. Not only was Forest drawn to animals, he had the ability to communicate with them. It was amazing to see him chittering with squirrels or barking at her dog.

Olive was about to go and check out the hamster, too, when the bell rang. RIIIING!!!!

That's when Olive realized she forgot to warn Forest about the bells! She could see Forest's mass of hair flipping wildly as he looked around, trying to figure out the source of the ringing sound. Olive cringed as Forest leaped up on a desk and screeched at the top of his voice. All the other kids covered their ears.

"The bell just means to sit down in your chair," Olive explained.

"Okay," said Forest, climbing back down and sitting in his seat. "I'll talk to Bell later?"

Olive opened her mouth to correct Forest's plan of having a chat with the school bell when Mrs. Finn clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Welcome to the third grade," she began. "I think it's going to be a great year. First, I'd like to introduce a new student to our school. He's had a very unusual upbringing. He grew up among the redwood trees. Would you please come up here, Forest?"

Uh-oh, thought Olive. What on earth is Forest going to say?

CHAPTER 2

Looking unsure but following Mrs. Finn's encouragement, Forest walked slowly to the front of the room. Mrs. Finn signaled that he should turn around to face the class. Forest looked at Mrs. Finn with a look that said, Now what do I do?

"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" suggested Mrs. Finn.

"Uh ..." said Forest.

He looked over the sea of unfamiliar faces. He'd never been looked at by so many people at once. He didn't want to disappoint Olive, but Forest had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to say!

Mrs. Finn could tell that Forest was uncomfortable, so she tried something different. "Forest, why don't you tell us something you like or like doing?"

Forest thought for a moment. Then his eye caught something across the room — the hamster.

"Forest likes animals," he said proudly. "Forest can talk to animals."

"Oh, really?" said Mrs. Finn, thinking Forest was just playing.

"Yes," insisted Forest. "The hamster over there wants a bigger cage with a wheel and a fountain and ... what is a 'piano'?" Mrs. Finn laughed uncomfortably. "Well, you certainly have quite an imagination, Forest! I'm sure that Henrietta the Hamster is perfectly happy in her current home."

"Oh, no," said Forest. "Henrietta is boy hamster! His real name is ...," and Forest made a little squeaking sound.

Some of the kids laughed and tried making the sound themselves.

"Thank you, Forest, for that ... uh ... informative speech," said Mrs. Finn. "Will you please take your seat?"

Forest walked over to his desk and with a heave, lifted it up. "Where should Forest take seat? Here?" He swung his seat around, banging into the desks next to him. "Or over here?" He banged into the desks on the other side.

The class giggled. Olive shook her head.

"I mean sit down," said Mrs. Finn.

"Oh," said Forest. He sat down.

"I mean, sit down in your chair," said Mrs. Finn. "Not on the floor."

"Why Mrs. Finn not say that before?" said Forest as he sat down at his desk. "So confusing!"

"I ... never mind," said Mrs. Finn. She turned toward the whiteboard and began writing. "Class, I'd like you to take out a —" She turned back around. "Forest, why are you standing on Olive's desk?"

"Forest protect Olive from strange flying objects."

"That's a paper airplane, Forest," whispered Olive, catching one.

Several boys in the class snorted with laughter.

"Forest, please sit down," said Mrs. Finn. "In your seat. Then stay there."

He sat. He stayed.

Once Forest was seated, Mrs. Finn handed out pieces of paper. "Everyone, please take out a pencil and write down three things you did this summer."

Olive took out a pencil from her pencil case and motioned for Forest to do the same. Forest opened his case and looked at the pencils, which looked like yellow twigs to him. He took out two of the pencils and rubbed them together, hoping to start a fire. Olive reached over and stopped him.

"Psst!" said Olive. "You write like this," she said to Forest.

He watched her write, smiled, and tried it himself.

Crack! Forest's pencil broke in half. He quickly began using the other one. A few seconds later ... crack! Another broken pencil. He was pressing down way too hard. The paper he was using had tons of tears in it, as well.

After seven more broken pencils and bits of paper flying about, Mrs. Finn came over. "Forest," she said, arching an eyebrow, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Forest writing," he said, furrowing his brow in concentration.

"Mrs. Finn," Olive offered quietly, "I don't think Forest has ever used a pencil and paper before. Sticks and mud were more his style, I think."

"No," said Forest. "Carve on tree trunks. Oh!" His face brightened. "Forest could carve desk!"

"There will be no carving on desktops in this classroom!" Mrs. Finn insisted.

"Okay," said Forest. "Forest take desk outside for carving!"

"Stop picking up your desk!" yelled Mrs. Finn. "Sit down! Please!"

Forest slowly eased down the desk and sat. As Mrs. Finn stomped back up to the front of the classroom, Forest leaned over to Olive.

"Why Olive banging her head on desk?"

CHAPTER 3

When the bell rang for recess, all the kids rushed out of the classroom.

"What's happening?" Forest asked Olive.

"It's time for recess," Olive said. "We get to go outside."

"Forever?" asked Forest.

Olive smiled. "No. Just for twenty minutes."

When Forest frowned, Olive added, "But we can go play on the big playground."

That made Forest happy. Like a bolt of lightning, he ran ahead to get there first. By the time Olive made it to the playground, she heard a bunch of clapping. A large group of kids surrounded Forest, who was doing some pretty crazy tricks on the monkey bars, swinging and leaping from one to the other. Olive tried to get Forest's attention, but he didn't see her. He was too busy investigating something he'd never seen before: swings. Not knowing how to use them, he just climbed up the chain of the swing to the top and swung around the horizontal bar at the top, doing one loop the loop after another.

When he landed, the kids rushed over to him and all spoke at once: "That was so cool! Where did you learn how to do that? Can you teach me how to do that?"

But Olive didn't rush over. She hung back, feeling weird. She thought that Forest growing up in the forest would make him an outcast, and then it would just be she and Forest against the world. But to her surprise, the other kids thought Forest was super cool. They wanted to hear all about his adventures living in the wild.

"Did you really live in the woods?"

"Forest, what was it like living in a super-tall tree?"

"How did you not fall out when you were asleep?"

"Did you just eat nuts and berries?"

"Did you ever meet a bear?"

"Did you eat bugs?"

"Did you ever meet a platypus?"

Olive rolled her eyes. Jason McDoodle always asked the silliest questions. Olive watched Forest looking dazzled by all the attention, and her shoulders slumped. She turned to go sit down on a bench when she heard Forest calling her name. She spun around, hopeful.

Finally! she thought.

"Olive play, too?" asked Forest.

Olive was about to stand up and say yes, but before she could, Josie Letay stepped in front of her.

"Olive doesn't play," said Josie with a shrug. "She just sits there like a bump on a log, her nose buried in some book."

"Olive buries nose?" asked Forest, his head tilted in confusion.

"Come on," said Josie, taking Forest's arm. "I'll show you how to play tag."

They walked away together, and Olive sat there, all alone.

* * *

When the bell rang, signaling recess was over, Olive noticed that Forest still jumped a little in surprise. He also tried to make the bell sound again. She walked toward him, but someone got there first.

"Hey, Forest," said Robbie Ipswitch. "I'll race you back to class!" The boys zoomed off, leaving Olive standing alone, again, on the playground. She sighed and walked back to class by herself.

Once Olive was back at her desk, and class had started, Forest tried to get her attention. But she ignored him; her feelings were hurt. So she kept her eyes straight ahead and Forest was forced to say "Olive! Olive! Olive! OLIVE!" until Mrs. Finn made him stop.

Mrs. Finn addressed the class. "Please finish up your assignment about what you did over the summer," she said. Then she busied herself with some papers at her desk.

Olive was about to get to work when she noticed Forest wasn't in his seat. Eyes wide with dread, she looked around the classroom. Where did he go?

Jason McDoodle saw Olive looking around and pointed to the classroom's open window.

Olive's mouth dropped open as Forest's smiling head popped up outside the window.

Silent as a cat, Forest climbed back in the window. Olive wasn't sure what surprised her more: that Forest had left and come back without the teacher noticing, or that no one was tattling on him.

It wasn't until Forest sat down that Olive saw a big scoop of mud in his hands. He plopped it on his desk with a splut!

Mrs. Finn, with a teacher's instinct for Sounds That Do Not Belong in the Classroom, finally looked up. Her eyes grew wide on seeing the mound of mud on Forest's desk.

"Forest," she said, as calmly as she could, "what are you doing?"

"The assignment," said Forest. "Forest write out what he did last summer." He immediately began to draw pictures in the mud.

"Here Forest have acorn fight with squirrels," he said. "And here Forest climb highest tree!"

"We do not use mud to write —"

"Forest finish assignment?"

"Yes! Fine! Just clean it up!"

"Can I do my next assignment in mud, too?" asked Jason McDoodle.

"No! No mud!" declared Mrs. Finn.

The class gave a big "Awww."

Meanwhile, Forest had filled a bucket with water from the classroom sink and upended the entire thing all over his desk, splashing water and mud on everyone around him, including Mrs. Finn.

"Desk all clean!" said Forest happily.

Mrs. Finn made a little scratchy sound from deep in her throat that Olive thought sort of sounded like a growl.

After Olive taught Forest how to clean up properly with lots and lots of paper towels, the class finally calmed down a little. Mrs. Finn wiped her hands and prepared to begin teaching again. She went to the board.

"Boys and girls," began Mrs. Finn, "we're going to start our unit on ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians wrote using an alphabet made of little pictures, called hieroglyphs, instead of letters. I'll draw some examples on the board for you." She turned around and began drawing on the board.

"What's that?" Forest asked aloud. He pointed to one of Mrs. Finn's drawings. "Very sick duck?"

Snorts and giggles rippled through the classroom. Even Olive laughed.

"Please raise your hand before speaking," Mrs. Finn said to Forest. "And it's an ibis, not a duck. Now, these three hieroglyphs represent the letters M, A, and —"

"I've never seen a duck ibis before," said Forest.

Mrs. Finn sighed. "Forest, I asked you to raise your hand before speaking."

"Forest did! Look!" Forest pointed to his left hand, which hovered about an inch above the surface of his desk. "Forest's hand is raised."

"I meant raise it in the air," said Mrs. Finn. "Like this!" "Oh," said Forest.

"You understand now?" Forest nodded.

"Good. Now, as I was saying, these three hieroglyphs represent —"

"Hey, Olive!" Forest yelled. "Do you have any food?"

"Forest!" shouted Mrs. Finn.

"What?" asked Forest. "Forest's hand raised. Look! All the way up, like you showed." Sure enough, his hand was straight up as he talked. A puzzled look crossed his face. "But you speak without raising your hand. Can you raise hand, please, Mrs. Finn?" More laughter echoed throughout the room.

"I am the teacher," said Mrs. Finn through clenched teeth. "I don't have to raise my hand. You do. And when you do, you stay quiet until I call on you. Then, and only then, can you speak."

"Oh," said Forest. "Okay."

"Got it?" asked Mrs. Finn.

"Got it."

"Good. Great. Glad to hear it." Mrs. Finn cleared her throat. "The Egyptian hieroglyphs ... Forest?"

"Yes?"

"You're raising your hand," said Mrs. Finn.

"Yes!" he said.

"Do you have a question?" she asked.

"Yes!"

"What is it?"

"Olive!" asked Forest. "Do you have any food?"

The class erupted in laughter.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Wild Child: Forest's First Day of School by Tara Zann, Dan Widdowson. Copyright © 2017 Imprint. Excerpted by permission of Imprint.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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