“Maggie is excited. It’s the first day of school and now she can show the teacher what a great reader she is. But when Maggie is called to the front of the class, her knees shake like jelly, her mouth dries up like a desert, and she can’t utter a sound. Snooty Kimberly takes over and reads with ease. And the next day is no better. When called on to read, a miserable Maggie silently prays for the floor to swallow her whole or a rocket to blast her into space. And sneering old Kimberly, who brags that she’s been reading since she was a baby, triumphs again.”
“All poor Maggie can do is hold back the tears while Kimberly makes fun of her. It isn’t until Kimberly picks on the stuttering Sam that Maggie is able to forget her own dilemma. Indignant and determined, she summons up the courage to defend her pal and show everyone what she can really do.”