Free Bee in Your Ear by Frieda Wishinsky Page A

could?” said Kate.
    â€œIf you don’t want people to see your stupid spelling, you should cover your paper up. Anyway, I’m never embarrassed to show my paper. Come on, Lila. Let’s start to review that spelling. Those two don’t have a chance.”
    Violet and Lila skipped off.
    â€œIt’s not going to be easy to win,” Kate told Jake.
    â€œWe’re good at spelling too,” said Jake. “We just need to practice.”
    â€œI wish I wasn’t up against you, Jake. I’d love to beat Lila and Violet, but not you.”
    â€œCome on, Kate,” said Jake, patting Kate on the back. “It’s just a contest.”
    â€œBut you want to win, Jake. I know you do. You like to win everything. Even coin tosses.”
    It was true. Every time they had a coin toss and it didn’t come out the way Jake guessed, he’d say, “Let’s do it again. How about two out of three?” And if two out of three didn’t work, he’d beg for three out of five.
    â€œWell, Kate M’Mate, if I don’t win, I want you to win. And if there’s a second prize, I hope you get it.” Jake smiled his friendly crooked smile.
    Kate smiled back. It was hard not to smile when Jake called her Kate M’Mate, like they were pirates.
    But she still wished she didn’t have to try to beat him at spelling. He wasn’t going to like losing. But then again, neither was she.

CHAPTER TWO

Homonym Headaches
    Kate bounded into the kitchen. Her mom was slicing onions. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
    â€œO-n-i-o-n-s,” spelled Kate, handing her mom a tissue.
    â€œThanks,” said her mom.
    â€œYou’re w-e-l-c-o-m-e,” spelled Kate.
    â€œWhat’s all the spelling for?” asked her mom, wiping her eyes.
    â€œWe’re having a spelling contest in spelling club and I’m practicing,” said Kate.
    â€œAnyone who can spell onions and welcome is already ten points ahead,” said her mom, sliding the onions into a sizzling pan.
    â€œThose words are easy, but homonyms are not,” said Kate. “Homonyms give me a headache. Why are there so many words that sound alike but are spelled differently? And why do we have to have so many on our spelling list?”
    â€œHomonyms are hard,” her mom agreed.
    â€œThey’re impossible,” said Kate, plopping down on a kitchen chair. “The person who invented them should be sent to jail.”
    â€œImagine how hard it would be if you came from another country and were trying to learn English,” said her mom.
    â€œEnglish is hard to spell even if you are born here,” groaned Kate.
    â€œHow many kids are there in your spelling club?” asked her mom.
    â€œTen, and they’re all great spellers, especially Violet and Jake. So I have to spell, spell, spell, spell till I know every word!” said Kate.
    The next day, as Kate and Jake raced to the swingsat recess, Jake said, “Let’s study spelling together after school.”
    â€œGreat,” said Kate. “Let’s spell a lot of homonyms. They’re the hardest for me.”
    â€œLike h-i-g-h,” said Jake as he pumped his swing up.

    â€œYes,” said Kate, pumping up too. “Like h-i-g-h.”
    â€œI hate the words with silent letters like k or p,” said Jake. “Who needs silent letters? It’s like wearing a tie. My mother made me wear a tie to my cousin’s wedding, but a tie is good for nothing, like silent letters.”
    Kate laughed.
    â€œCome at seven,” she said. “We’ll have chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate always helps me remember spelling words.”
    â€œPotato chips help me,” said Jake.
    â€œWe have a bag of those too,” said Kate.
    â€œGood. I’ll be there!” said Jake, hopping off his swing.
    â€œDon’t be late, Jake,” said Kate, hopping off too.
    â€œMe, late? Never,” said