Launching the Lunchroom: Gzzargles Alien Stories, #1

By Anne E. Johnson

"I hate Earth Studies!"

John knows he'll never get that report on pollination done in time. "Why do we have to live on Earth? There's all this stuff to learn, and it's so boring."

In Launching the Lunchroom, some intergalactic visitors overhear John's complaint. Unfortunately, they misunderstand his meaning. John and his friends learn a whole new definition of "keeping your lunch down."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anne E. Johnson
• Release date: Jan 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386151838

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

ORANGE DREAM

John fidgeted at the desk in his bedroom. How can I write this Earth Science report by tomorrow?

He cracked his knuckles and groaned. His teacher, Mrs. Retton, wanted five pages about pollination. One almost-empty page stared up at him. He rubbed his eyes and sneezed. Just thinking about this report is making me allergic to pollen.

He flopped facedown onto his textbook. His lips stuck to the paper. I can’t. I just can’t. I hate Earth Studies, he moaned. Why do we have to live on Earth? There’s all this stuff to learn, and it’s so boring. Why can’t fourth grade be in outer space? Then we wouldn’t even have Earth Studies class.

The air rippled around him. A flash of orange light blazed across his room. The glow disappeared instantly. John looked out the window to see if a car was passing. The street was empty. I must be imagining things, he said, shivering and blinking his eyes.

Bedtime, sport, his mom called from the hallway.

Bedtime? John gulped for air. His report was not done! His dad’s favorite expression played in his mind: There’s nothing to do about it, so there’s no point in worrying about it.

Fine. He wouldn’t worry. Instead, he decided to make up an excuse on his way to school the next day. Making up excuses was kind of fun, like telling a story. He lay on his bed, thinking. What should it be this time? Maybe a swarm of bees carried his homework off to their hive? A can of floor cleaner spilled and ate through the paper? He would come up with something.

The teachers never believed his stories, of course, but the other kids in his class enjoyed them. Everyone needed entertainment during Earth Studies. He hoped he would even impress Pin-I Li, a sweet, smart girl he secretly sort of liked. John never knew what to say to her.

He drifted off to sleep, thinking about flowers and bees.

A buzzing noise woke him up. He opened his eyes and raised his head. A flickering orange glow lit up his room. It looked like there must be a fire, but when John got out of bed and examined every corner, he saw no flames. I must be dreaming. This can’t be real.

The basketballs showed up next, except they were not really basketballs. They were a bit bigger than your average basketballs. And not quite the same orange. More like the color of traffic cones, or the middle stripe on a piece of candy corn. The orange was so bright it made John’s eyes hurt. Also, they glowed.

He looked closer and realized that they were not quite round. He gasped. They’re shaped like heads! Now he knew he was dreaming. The balls (the heads?) bobbed and twirled along in a row. They lit up the corners of John’s room as they flew around in an orange parade. One of them blinked three big, black eyes at John.

At first, the orange vision happened in silence. Then paper rustled over by John’s desk. He was afraid to turn on the light and see what was making the noise. The rustle turned into a sizzle, like eggs frying in a skillet for Sunday morning breakfast.

A few heads floated into a bunch in the corner by John’s desk while the rest continued their parade. The sizzling grew louder. It sounded like a swarm of bees. He pulled his pillow over his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Why won’t this dream end?

Suddenly all the sounds