Free The Landry News by Andrew Clements Page A

News had needed a second sheet of paper—for section B.
    Cara had to plan each edition. She had to read every story and every feature, plus she would help kids with their rewriting and revising. And on Thursdays, when Joey was assembling everything on the computer screen, Cara often had to cut articles or features that took up too much space.
    Cara also had to reject whatever she didn’t think would be right for The Landry News. Chrissy wanted to start a gossip column called “Hot Stuff” about school romances—crushes, rumors, and who was going to be dumped. When Cara asked if the information in her column would always be true, Chrissy had to agree that private notes passed among friends was the best place for this kind of news. And when Josh wanted to start a weekly ranking of the best fifth-grade athletes, Cara told him the list would have to include girls as well as boys. Josh decided to write a piece about ocean kayaking instead.
    With all she had to do for the newspaper—not to mention her other schoolwork—Cara was barely able to find time each week to write her own editorial. The editorial was always the last item in the paper, and by the fifth edition that meant it went on page four.
    The front page of The Landry News was the general news and information page—the main news stories, a summary of school and town events, and a weekly “Homework Countdown” that listed upcoming fifth-grade tests and project due dates. There was always a photograph,and if there was room, the front page also included the weekend weather prediction from the United States Weather Service, complete with little drawings that Alan made of sunshine, clouds, droplets, or snowflakes.
    The second page was different advice and information columns that kids kept coming up with, like this question-and-answer column about pets.
    Pets? You Bet !
    by Carrie Sumner
    Dear PYB:
    I have a cockatiel bird named Dingo, and all he will say is “pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird,” over and over again. I talk to him for an hour every day, and I have tried to teach him to say other words, but he isn’t interested. No matter what I say to him, and no matter how many times I say it, all he says is “pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird.” It’s driving me nuts. Any advice?
    From Crazy in Birdland
    Dear Crazy:
    I think your bird is mad at you because you named him after an ugly Australian wild dog. He wants to make sure that you know he’s a bird, and a pretty one, too. Try changing his name to Wing-Ding or SuperBird or Flier, and see if that works. And if it doesn’t, maybe you should thinkabout exactly why you want to be talking to a bird in the first place.
    With deep concern, PYB
    Alan Rogers had started a column where he interviewed kids about their favorite foods and how they got their parents to buy them.
    Snack Attack !
    Dedicated to life, liberty, and the pursuit of junk food
    by Alan Rogers
    AR: So, JJ, [not his real name] I hear you’ve perfected a way to get your mom to buy sugary cereal and Pop Tarts every time she goes to the store, even if you’re not there to beg for them. Sounds too good to be true. Can you tell us about it?
    JJ: Believe me, it’s true. But it didn’t happen overnight.
    These things take time and planning.
    AR: What was the first step?
    JJ: I asked my health teacher what meal is the most important one of the day.
    AR: But didn’t you already know the answer?
    JJ: Of course. I knew she would say “Breakfast.” And once she did, I went home that afternoon and told my mom that my health teacher said the most important meal of the day is breakfast.
    AR: Ahhh! You were laying the foundation, right?
    JJ: Exactly. Then I skipped breakfast for the next three days. Mom tried to get me to eat, but I just said, “I don’t like anything we have in the house.”
    AR: Didn’t you starve those mornings?
    JJ: I had asked my friend