Roscoe Riley Rules #5: Don't Tap-Dance on Your Teacher

By Katherine Applegate and Brian Biggs

The fifth book in a hilarious chapter book series about an accidental rule breaker from Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal–winning and bestselling author of The One and Only Ivan, Endling, and Wishtree.

Roscoe loves to make noise and tap shoes make the best noise ever! But tap dancing? The big boys at his school say that’s just for girls. Roscoe promised his friend Emma that he would tap in the school talent show with her. When the teasing starts, will he keep his word?

Roscoe and his comical misadventures will appeal to fans of Megan McDonald’s Stink series; Nancy Krulik’s George Brown, Class Clown series; Rebecca Elliott’s Owl Diaries series; and Dan Gutman’s My Weirder School series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 3, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061850882

Katherine Applegate

Katherine Applegate is the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including the One and Only series, the Endling series, Crenshaw, Wishtree, the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter books series, and the Animorphs series. She lives with her family in Nevada.

Book preview

Dedication

For the Dusek clan

Contents

Dedication

1.    Welcome to Time-Out

2.    Something You Should Know Before We Get Started

3.    Something Else You Should Know Before We Get Started

4.    Mr. Megaphone

5.    The Amazing Coolness of Noisy Shoes

6.    The King of Tap

7.    Surrounded

8.    The Gentleman

9.    Emma’s Question

10.   Dancing Girls

11.   Nurse Oshkosh

12.   Crutching

13.   Twinkles and Clomps

14.   Good-Bye from Time-Out

Roscoe’s Time-Out Activities!

10 Noises I Really Love

10 More Rules To Live By

Can You Spot The Difference?

Did You Find Them All?

Excerpt from Roscoe Riley Rules #6: Never Walk in Shoes That Talk

1. Welcome to Time-Out

2. Something You Should Know Before We Get Started

3. Something Else You Should Know Before We Get Started

4. Uncool Shoes

Excerpt from The One and Only Ivan

hello

names

patience

how I look

Back Ads

About the Author and Illustrator

Books by Katherine Applegate

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher

1

Welcome to Time-Out

I can guess what you’re thinking.

Time-out AGAIN? What rule did you break this time, Roscoe?

Well, since you asked, it was Rule Number 542: DO NOT PRETEND TO NEED CRUTCHES WHEN YOU REALLY DO NOT NEED THEM JUST TO GET OUT OF AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION.

Personally, I don’t think a guy should get punished for breaking a rule when he didn’t even exactly know there was such a rule.

But my mom and dad see things a little differently.

Sometimes I wonder if they ever really were kids.

You’d think people who used to be kids would understand that sometimes a guy just really needs a good crutch. Or two.

You know what I’m talking about, right?

Well, maybe it is a little confusing.

I’ll begin at the beginning of the beginning.

With my friend Emma’s amazing, noisy shoes . . .

2

Something You Should Know

Before We Get Started

Mom says girls can do anything boys can do.

Dad says boys can do anything girls can do.

Probably they’re right.

Parents usually are.

But somebody needs to make sure kids hear this news.

Kids need to know there’s no such thing as just-for-boys stuff and just-for-girls stuff.

Like for instance, dancing elephants can be boys or girls.

Dancing mice too.

3

Something Else You Should Know

Before We Get Started

If you are pretending you