Brandon and the Magic Bug

by Susan Gregersen

Seven-year-old Brandon sat at his desk. He did not like to sit at his desk. He wanted to run and play and explore the world. He knew that he had to learn things like reading and numbers and science. He was smart and wanted to learn things. But he just had a hard time sitting at his desk. He looked up at the Teacher. He tried listening to her, but his eyes drifted to the window. He looked at the grass on the school lawn and wished he was out there. He could almost feel the ground under his feet.His feet twitched and he looked down at them. He wanted to be running right now. He wanted to be racing to catch a foot ball. Or running the bases after batting a baseball out of the park. Brandon sighed.There was a black dot on the floor near his foot. Brandon looked closer and the dot moved! He slid down under his desk and put his finger on it gently. The bug rolled into a ball! He pulled the bug toward him and it rolled. With a smile, herolled it one way, then back the other way. It stopped near his face and he let it lay there.Soon the little bug began to peek out at him. He unrolled his little body and looked at Brandon. “That makes me dizzy, you know,” said the bug.Brandon’s eyes popped wide open. “Did you talk to me?” he asked in a whisper.“Well, yes. You are the only one here. Who else would I be talking to?” the bug replied. His legs rippled and he moved a bit closer.“But bugs can’t talk,” said Brandon. “Okay. I won’t talk then.” The bug turned and started to move away. “Wait! I just meant I didn’t know you could talk!” Brandon...and thus began the adventure of a friendship between a boy and a bug. Through that friendship Brandon learns that it can be a good thing to have to sit in a desk and that it can be fun to learn.

24 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2013