The Day of the Iguana by Henry Winkler Read Free Book Online Page A

coming?” she asked.
    â€œIt’s coming,” I said.
    She casually strolled over to my desk and glanced at my notebook. I had nothing written there. She raised an eyebrow.
    â€œHey, this takes time, Mom. You can’t hurry science. It’s not a subject you can speed through.”
    The truth was that what I kept thinking about was what happened at Aunt Maxine’s house. I kept seeing that wall of video equipment with all the numbers and dials and lights flashing at me. I played it over and over in my mind, seeing the television screen with the programs and channels running by, starting at the bottom of the screen and racing to the top. The words and numbers had gone by so fast. If only there had been a way to slow them down. There must be a million kids like me who can’t follow them, I thought. I’m not the only slow reader in the world... am I? No, no way.
    Wait a minute. Wait just a minute.
    That was it! The idea of the century. I’d invent a way to slow down the words and numbers crawling across the television screen. I would be the hero for problem readers around the world.
    It was a science project to be proud of. It was the King of All Science Projects. Hank Zipzer, I love you, I thought. I sprang up from my chair and danced around my room. I gave myself kisses up and down my arms.
    What an idea! What a breakthrough! Way to go, Hank!

CHAPTER 13
    AT DINNER THAT NIGHT, I told my mom and dad about my idea. I told them that I was going to find a way to make the program guide on the television screen easy to read for kids like me. I explained that this would help kids around the world and possibly even as far away as Neptune.
    â€œThere must be learning challenged kids on Neptune,” I said. “I’m sure they need help, too.”
    â€œThat’s a lovely thought, Hank,” said my mom. She always tries to help people in need, like giving the leftover food from the deli to the homeless shelter. I could tell she was happy that I was trying to help the learning challenged kids on this and every other planet.
    â€œHow exactly are you planning to do this?” asked my father.
    â€œExperimentation, Dad,” I said, trying to sound really smart. “The way all science is created.”
    â€œHmmph,” my dad grunted. “Sounds messy.”
    â€œDo you think Thomas Edison’s dad worried that he was making a mess when young Tom invented the lightbulb?” I asked. “No, absolutely not. His dad probably just said, Tom, don’t forget to wear gloves so you don’t cut yourself on the glass.”
    â€œThomas Edison was thirty-two when he invented the lightbulb in 1879,” said my father. “I don’t think he was living with his parents at the time.”
    When you argue with someone who is a crossword puzzle nut, they pull out their facts at the drop of a hat. Someone with facts can be pretty frustrating when you’re trying to make a point.
    â€œOh, you’re right, Dad. It was his wife who reminded him about the gloves.”
    â€œYou’re making that up,” Emily said through a mouthful of vegetarian lasagna. She pulled a piece of zucchini from the lasagna and handed it to Katherine, who was sitting on her shoulder looking particularly ugly.
    â€œI happen to know that Thomas Edison was very happily married,” I said to Emily.
    â€œOh, yeah? What was his wife’s name?”
    â€œMrs. Edison,” I answered.
    That made my mom laugh.
    â€œWell, whatever you do,” my dad said with a yawn, “make sure you put your name on the paper.”
    â€œThanks for the tip, Dad.” I wasn’t being sarcastic, either. It was actually a good suggestion since most of the time I forget to put my name on the paper and my teacher Ms. Adolf takes a half point off my grade.
    My parents were so tired from the trip that they went to bed right after dinner.
    â€œDon’t stay up too late,” my mom said,