Excerpt
The Meeting
The sun shone bright this afternoon. It was the kind of day when the warm sun rays on the skin would have made anyone feel good. Yet Kevin sat on the front stairs with a sad look on his face. Kevin leaned back and looked down the long stair rail where something peculiar caught his eye. A strange kind of insect appeared to be watching him. Kevin shaded his eyes from the bright sun and looked closer. Standing on top of the rail was what seemed to be some sort of beetle? It was wearing little tennis shoes, sunglasses, and a red vest with five silver buttons. A gold book tucked under its middle right leg. He was startled when the strange-looking beetle suddenly spoke. “Hello young man, why do you look so sad?” Kevin sat up straight and stared at the funny looking beetle, shaking his head in disbelief. He looked around to see if there was anyone else there, but before he could say anything the beetle spoke again. “What is your name?” Looking even closer at this odd beetle Kevin began to feel comfortable. Was it those five silver buttons down the front of his red vest, that gold book tucked under his middle right leg, or the little tennis shoes and sunglasses? Something, about this different beetle put him at ease and he replied “My name is Kevin. People don’t think I’m smart because I can’t read well and it makes me mad; I hate reading”. He closed his mouth tightly, causing his lips to poke out in a pout. “Oh-oh-oh-oh boy!” the funny looking beetle yelled as he jumped up and clicked his little heels together, and waved his top two legs in the air. A smile lit up the beetles face. “Why are you so happy?” Kevin asked with a frown on his face. He didn’t think this bug understood what he had told him. “Oh! I’m sorry Mr. Kevin”, the beetle said as he walked over and stood closer to him. “You see, my name is Readle. I’m a “Love Reading” Beetle. I have helped people from A to Z, here to there, and anywhere to everywhere become lovers of reading. I thought I had lost the love to read magic! I have not had a friend to lead to Love Read Land, in such a long time; I began to think I would never find another love-to-read friend.” Looking up at Kevin with a big smile and those dark sunglasses Readle asked, “Now that I have met you, I hope you will let me be your love reading friend.” He spread his top two legs out in a welcoming way. Kevin couldn’t believe this was happening. He wanted to be a better reader more than anything. He didn’t know why, but he trusted this little beetle. Still, what could a funny looking beetle do? Feeling it was an impossible task, Kevin asked. “Tell me, how you going to make me a better reader?” Readle looked at Kevin gave him a big smile and replied with confidence. “It’s very easy Mr. Kevin, One word at a time.” Kevin gave a slight smile, pleased at his answer. “If you’re ready Mr. Kevin lets get this trip started. Readle began to gesture with his top two legs like he was showing him the way. Kevin didn’t know where he was going, yet he found himself saying, “Let’s go!” Readle and Kevin made themselves comfortable in the shade. Readle knew the journey to Love Read Land had begun.
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