Charlotte Morgan and the Great Big Math Problem--Chapter 16--The Monkey bars

 This is my next book.  

It is currently being copy edited, (so there will be the occasional typo in this version) and I am having a few illustrations done.

I am including the tag #steemiteducation because I wrote this thinking like a teacher.  The characters use math and describe their math thinking as they work through problems.  I am a former 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade teacher, so I used my experience and background from those years as I wrote this.

Update: The book is now available for preorder on Amazon.  Click here to get it on Kindle.Click here to preorder the books

Chapter 16: The Monkey Bars

Summary:  The Number Investigators and Gavin argue on the playground.

At 12:37 pm, I was finishing up my run around the track to begin recess.

“Hey Charlotte, come here and talk to me for a moment,” Mrs. King waved her hand in the air.

 I ran up to her, “Yes?”

“How did you and Gavin get along during the math activity this morning?  Was he helpful?”

I wasn’t sure what to say.  So, I didn’t say anything.

“Well?” Mrs. King looked over her glasses at me.

“He just sort of sat there.  He didn’t tease me.”  I thought of something nice to say about him, “He did seem to like it when I showed him how I draw a picture to help me with a math problem.”

She looked impressed, “Hmmm….That’s good.  You let me know if he bothers you.  You can go play.”

“Yes, Mrs. King.”

I turned around and went to the monkey bars where Sally was waiting for me.

“What did Mrs. King want?” she asked.

“She was just asking about how Gavin was during math this morning.”

Sally’s face went white.

“And how exactly was I during math this morning?” said Gavin from behind me.

My stomach twisted and my heart leapt out of my chest.

I put a smile on my face.  “I told her you did fine,” I didn’t want it to, but my voice squeaked.  I turned around and look at him.

“You better, math nerd!,” he pointed at me.

“Hey!  She didn’t want to your partner anyway!  So be nice to her!” shouted Sally, she pointed her finger back at Gavin.

“Well I don’t want to be a part of the stupid Math Bee anyway!” Gavin yelled back.

I held up my hands, “Gavin you don’t need to yell at Sally.”

“She yelled at me first!”

“Okay, Gavin just be nice to me and my friends, and I will tell Mrs. King that everything is okay!”

Gavin waved his hand at us, “Fine!”  He went back to the monkey bars and playing with Calvin.

Marcus and Aaron were standing at the far end of the soccer field waving at us.

“Come on!” Sally said and we ran across the field to them.

“I saw you arguing with Gavin,” said Marcus.  “What did he want?  Was he bullying you two?”

I shook my head, “Not really, he over he me and Sally talking about Mrs. King asking about him.”

Aaron raised his hands in frustration, “You didn’t do anything to him!  You know, we need to get this over with, we need to flat out ask him if he took our stuff!  In fact, I am going to go ask him now if he took our stuff.”  And Aaron started marching across the soccer field.  Marcus and Sally followed him.

“Umm..what are you doing!”  I shouted.  I ran and caught to Aaron at the front of the group.  “You’re going to confront him now?”

“Yeah, I’m done with him,” replied Aaron.

“Aaron!  I still have to work with him!” I shouted.

“I wished you didn’t have to!” Aaron yelled back.

When we got the monkey bars were Gavin and Calvin were playing.  Calvin stopped playing, he looked at us and back at Gavin.

I couldn’t stop Aaron.

“Gavin!  We want our stuff back!” Aaron demanded.

Gavin made a face, and shrugged his shoulders.  “What stuff and why are you yelling at me?  She has already yelled me!”  He pointed his big for a third gradder index finger at Sally.

“We know you went into Charlotte’s house and took our stuff!” Aaron continued.

“You’re a liar!  What stuff?  I’ve never been into Charlotte’s house!  I would never want to go to Charlotte’s house!”

Marcus joined in and pointed at Gavin, “You were out with your cousins.  You climbed up Charlotte’s tree and then climbed into our her house and took our stuff we had during our meeting?”

Gavin stood dumbfounded.  He didn’t know what to say.  “I didn’t go into your house, and steal anything!  You four are nuts!  Go away!”

“We want our stuff back Gavin!” yelled Marcus.

Gavin jumped down from the monkey bars,  “What are you going to do about it?  I don’t have your stuff!”  He puffed out his chest, and held his arms back.

I noticed Mrs. King watching us, she took a step forward to us and stared at us.  “Guys!  Let’s solve this later, Mrs. King is watching us!” I spoke in my hushed voice.

Marcus, Aaron, and Sally looked in Mrs. King’s direction.

Marcus whispered, “Guys, let’s walk away.”  He pointed back at Gavin, “This isn’t over!”

The four of us walked two hundred feet away to the other end of the field.  But I felt like my problems may have just multiplied. 

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