byBarbaraA.DonovanillustratedbyOrlandoRamirezbyBarbaraA.DonovanillustratedbyOrlandoRamirezCopyright©byHarcourt,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopy,recording,oranyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.RequestsforpermissiontomakecopiesofanypartoftheworkshouldbeaddressedtoSchoolPer-missionsandCopyrights,Harcourt,Inc.,6277SeaHarborDrive,Orlando,Florida32887-6777.Fax:407-345-2418.HARCOURTandtheHarcourtLogoaretrademarksofHarcourt,Inc.,registeredintheUnitedStatesofAmericaand/orotherjurisdictions.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaISBN10:0-15-350568-0ISBN13:978-0-15-350568-3OrderingOptionsISBN10:0-15-350336-X(Grade6Below-LevelCollection)ISBN13:978-0-15-350336-8(Grade6Below-LevelCollection)ISBN10:0-15-357572-7(packageof5)ISBN13:978-0-15-357572-3(packageof5)Ifyouhavereceivedthesematerialsasexaminationcopiesfreeofcharge,HarcourtSchoolPublishersretainstitletothematerialsandtheymaynotberesold.Resaleofexaminationcopiesisstrictlyprohibitedandisillegal.Possessionofthispublicationinprintformatdoesnotentitleuserstoconvertthispublication,oranyportionofit,intoelectronicformat.12345678910179121110090807063I’mnotthatcrazyaboutanimals.Iknow—kidsaresupposedtoloveanimals,butIdon’t.Ithinkthey’readorableinpictures;however,inpersonallIwanttodoisrunawaywhenIseethem.InowfreelyadmitthatI’vebeenafraidofdogsallmylife.Tobetruthful,cats,hamsters,frogs,gerbils,guineapigs,andsnakesmakemefeelhysterical,too.IfI’dadmittedthatfactamonthago,IneverwouldhavegottenmyselfintothepredicamentthatI’minatthismoment.Here’showitallbegan.4Eachfall,ourschoolholdsatalentshow.Thekidsgetreacquaintedafterthesummerbreak,andit’salotoffun.I’maprettygoodsingerandanexcellentorganizer,sowhenmyhomeroomteacher,MissClark,askedtospeaktomeattheendofthedayaboutthisyear’sfallprogram,Iexpectedhertoaskformyhelpwiththetalentshow.IwascrestfallenbywhatIheardinstead.5“Carla,”MissClarkbeg...
