Andre J. Garant
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A humorous tale about sixty-six fourth graders from Center Road School in Vernon, Connecticut, Fourth Grade Day will surely keep any elementary age child giggling for hours on end. From the class of fourth graders, a boy named Zachary Peters is chosen to act as principal of the school after winning a writing contest sponsored by a local children’s author. Assisting him is Bethany Daigle, a hard-working girl who does much to beautify the school in her role as assistant principal. A multitude of activities take place during the day in order to keep the kids quite busy, to include a talent show, a sports festival, and a tremendous pool party. But the fun really begins when a food fight breaks out in the cafeteria, and the icing on the cake comes when the governor of Connecticut gets attacked by a pet snake while using the rest room. All of the kids featured in Fourth Grade Day are real boys and girls, and like any other fourth grader in the world, they love to laugh. In fact, if you enjoy laughing, then you’ll surely love this book, but beware………..your stomach might hurt from laughing so much!
Andre J. Garant lives in Tolland, Connecticut and is the author of fourteen chapter novels for boys and girls between the ages of eight and twelve. When he’s not busy working as an accountant for a large healthcare system, he enjoys visiting elementary schools to speak to kids about his books and the lessons that can be learned from them. Since becoming a children’s author in 1999, he has interacted with thousands of children, many of whom have become characters in his books. For more information about Andre or his books, please visit his official website at www.authorguy.com.
After each of us had done at least three dives apiece, Morgan decided it was time for our little challenge. “I think it’s now or never to see if Zack can outdo me in a cannonball contest.” Whoops and cheers sounded from the boys as all of the kids began to crowd around the diving board. “Come on, Zack, don’t chicken out now,” Morgan teased me.
I gasped. “Me, chicken out? I don’t think so, Morgan Fisher.”
“Oh, I just can’t wait to see this,” Lauren Shade announced as she huddled next to Mallory and Leann.
“I get to go first and Governor Rell will be the judge,” Morgan declared as she jumped up on the diving board and waited for everyone to watch her with baited breath. For some reason, my heart began to beat a little faster as I felt a wave of nervousness wash through me. “Here it goes, Zack.” Morgan then catapulted off the diving board and jumped at least four feet high before she crashed down into the pool with a humongous splash.
“That was awesome,” Shane Forzano cried out.
Taylor McGuire shot me a sympathetic look. “I don’t know, Zack. That is one tough dive to beat.”
“Yeah, Zack, I think she’s gonna cream you in this dive competition,” Sarah Kline muttered.
“Come on, Zack, you can do it,” Steven Newth shouted as I mounted the diving board.
“Yeah, Zack, don’t let her show you up like that,” Ryan Drew added.
I waited for complete silence to take hold before I went running down the diving board and pushed off with my toes. While pulling my knees into my chest, I cradled my body into a fetal position and prepared for touchdown. With one second to spare, all seventy-five pounds of my body weight slammed into the water as if it was concrete. The sounds of muffled shouting filled my ears as I pushed with my feet to get back to the surface of the pool................
