Under the words, there was a picture of two kids, small and fuzzy. They looked like friends. And next to the friends, there was a golden sticker. I figured any book with a golden sticker on the cover was a good one to choose. But that sticker must have been there for a real long time because its edges were all roughed up and curling. I rubbed my thumb on it to press it down.

I turned the book over. The words on the back didn’t look all that complicated, mostly six- and seven-letter words. If I can get somebody to read me the back, I’m usually okay. And Ms. G. definitely seemed like the kind of teacher who let kids take the books home. Maybe my mom could read it to me if she wasn’t too tired or too busy.

“Find something?” Ms. G. asked. She was so quiet, I didn’t even hear her come up behind me.

I turned the book over and showed her the front. A lot of the time, it’s okay not to answer a teacher’s question, as long as they know you heard the question.

“Believe it or not, that one was mine when I was your age,” she whispered. “Let me know what you think.”

I nodded and went back to my desk. I could see Bertie out of the corner of my eye. She was flapping her arms like some kind of crazy bird trying to take off. She kept waving to me and pointing to me and pointing to the empty tumbleweed pillow. I pretended not to see her.

I sat at my desk and opened up Bridge to Wherever. The letters were tiny and inky and very close together. They looked like busy ants, but the ants weren’t telling me a story, the way I think they do for most kids. They were gathering their food and marching across the paper. I waited for a bit. I turned the page.

If you turn the pages too fast, teachers notice. And if you don’t turn the pages fast enough, they notice. And if you don’t turn the pages at all, they really notice. In my head, I always say My name is Austin ten times looking at the page on the left. Then I say My name is Austin ten times looking at the page on the right. Then I turn the page.

But this book seemed a little bit more grown-up and complicated. I decided to say My name is Austin fifteen times.