The Science Project

By Elaine Donadio

For Middle Grade readers. Eleven year old New York City boy, Nestor, is usually the one causing the problems, but ask him, and you'd get a different story. He's always in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Nestor learns boundaries when he exhausts the patience of his friends and classmates with his incessant teasing, until they exact a plan to reinstate the relationships with a new set of rules.

Nestor's best friend, Phil, doesn't want to know him. During the class science project presentations, Kwan Min, Nestor's most recent victim, sics his toad on Nestor's pet and science project, little Hector, the cockroach. Nestor never sees this coming.

Nestor's insecurity and lack of popularity result in poor choices. He's always in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. At first, Nestor doesn't see his part in this negative reaction. In time, Nestor notices the scratches on the surface of the science table as he realizes that his wise-cracking attempts to be "cool" make his classmates grumble - not at all the reaction he expects.

Nestor discovers many science facts with his online research: DNA, amber, resin and cockroaches. His classmates share facts about parakeets, snakes, hamsters and toads. Information is presented in an entertaining way, making it interesting and easy to learn. Nestor and the other students in the science class provide information in an entertaining way, making it interesting and easy to learn.

You'll laugh your way through Nestor's antics. You see, Nestor really doesn't have a clue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elaine Donadio
• Release date: Oct 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311091086

Elaine Donadio

Author and Reading Specialist at New York City Schools, Elaine Donadio is a New York City girl by birth and by choice. Her characters reflect the urban lifestyle. She writes about what she loves and spends hours researching facts so her books feed your head, your heart and your soul. She's concerned about the effects of human carelessness on the world in which we live.Learning is the point but better viewed through the wondering eyes of a character whose experience communicates information and feelings as the world unfolds its secrets. You'll meander through facts, following a path that gently leads to what was previously unknown. Like a flower blooming in unhurried stages, you'll learn about our world in the context of personal experience. Readers will learn and laugh at the same time.

Book preview

The Science Project

By Elaine Donadio

Copyright 2016 Elaine Donadio

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Many thanks to Judy Bullard for the cover design [e-mail].

Many thanks to Marti [e-mail]

and Brenda Niekerk [e-mail] for ebook formatting.

This book is dedicated to my family with love.

Series: The Montgomery School Kids

Contents

Chapter 1: The Game

Chapter 2: The Idea

Chapter 3: The Trap

Chapter 4: The Close Call

Chapter 5: The Research

Chapter 6: The Quest

Chapter 7: The Reflection

Chapter 8: The Teasing

Chapter 9: The Hiding Spot

Chapter 10: The Training

Chapter 11: The Big Mistake

Chapter 12: The Bonding

Chapter 13: The Betrayal

Chapter 14: The Conspiracy

Chapter 15: The Warnings

Chapter 16: The Payback

Chapter 17: The Conversations

Chapter 18: The New Friends

Chapter 19: The Broken Friendship

Chapter 20: Making It Right

Chapter 1: The Game

When I make a mistake, I do it in a big way. Not just a little oops, but in a Dude, what were you thinking? kind of way. You’d think by the time I turned eleven years old, I’d get it right.

It was the beginning of the school year, and my life was a mess. My mother said it’s a natural part of growing up. The problem is that my best friend, Phil was growing up faster than I was. So what? you ask.

Phil had gotten tall over the summer. I looked like his little brother.

He wanted to play basketball with the older kids. They wanted him on their teams.

He was easy going. Kids invited him to hang out.

He was starting to like girls more than he liked me. They liked him back. On top of that, he had this cocoa-skin-and-green-eyes thing going on. Like some rock star.

So, what am I really good at? Hmm, good question.

Getting back on point, my science teacher wanted to know our topics for our projects. I didn’t have a topic. I needed Phil to help me. He’s a year older and usually looks out for me. Now, he was too busy. Busy with what? Hanging out with his new friends.

There’s no easy way to make you understand. You’re going to have to hear the whole story. My father always told me, Nestor, you need to step back from a situation to take a good look at yourself. Well, he stepped all the way back to Alaska. We haven’t heard from him in three months.

Mom was really sad. I figured that maybe if I could do good in school, it would make her feel better. Maybe it would take her mind off missing my father.

Sounds like a plan, right?

Things got out of control. That’s all I can tell you.

I walked out of Montgomery Middle School at dismissal looking for my