Aloha for Carol Ann
Written by Margo Sorenson, Illustrated by Priscilla Garcia Barnes,
Page 1
Carol Ann trudged down the path to her new classroom.
“Look at the pink, fluffy flowers, Carol Ann!” Mom said.
Carol Ann scuffed her shoes on the pebbles.
“Feel the warm Hawaiian trade winds blow,
Carol Ann!” Mom said.
Page 2
Carol Ann shoved her hands down inside her jean pockets.
“Don't the palm trees make a lovely rustling sound?” Mom asked.
Carol Ann scrunched up her nose.
Page 3
“Come on, Carol Ann,” Mom said. “You don't want to be late to your new school!”
Thunk! Carol Ann kicked a little stone right at a palm tree.
“You'll make so many new friends,” her mother said.
Carol Ann made a face. Carol Ann didn't want new friends. Nope.
Page 4
She just wanted her old friends— Robert, Jasmine, and Emily. She didn't want fluffy, pink flowers. YUCK! She didn't want warm trade winds. Nuh-UH. She didn't want rustling, palm trees. Not at ALL.
Page 5
And she definitely didn't want a new school.
Page 6
Carol Ann and her mom stopped in front of a red classroom door.
“Here we are,” Mom said.
“What are these?” asked Carol Ann.
Dozens of pairs of shoes were lined up outside the classroom door — rubber flip-flops, sandals, sneakers, and flats. They all looked about her size.
“I don't have to take off my shoes, too, do I?” Carol Ann asked Mom.
Page 7
“We'll find out, soon,” Mom answered. “Let's go in and meet your new third-grade teacher, Ms. Kishimoto.”
Carol Ann took a deep breath and opened the door.
Mom gave her a hug. “I'll pick you up after school, dear,” she said.
Page 8
“Hello! You must be Carol Ann,” the teacher said with a smile. As Mom shut the door behind her, Carol Ann stood there, all alone.
Page 9
Twenty-six pairs of eyes stared at her. There were almond-shaped black eyes and brown eyes. There were round black eyes and big blue eyes. Carol Ann wanted to shrink so small that none of the eyes could see her.
Page 10
“Maile will show you to your seat,” said the teacher.
“Your desk is this way, Carol Ann,” Maile told her politely. Maile wore a fluffy pink flower behind one ear. Carol Ann saw a lot of the other girls wore flowers, too.
Page 11
Carol Ann followed Maile. Maile smiled and sat down at the desk next to hers. Carol Ann put her backpack, her lunch, and her snack under her desk.
“This is Carol Ann, from the Mainland,” Ms. Kishimoto announced to the class. “Let's all wish her aloha!”
A chorus of voices answered, “Aloha, Carol Ann!”
Page 12
What did that mean? What were they saying? “Aloha is our word for welcome, goodbye, and love — all in one, Carol Ann,” said Ms. Kishimoto.
“It's more special than just ‘hello’.”
What was wrong with just 'hello' anyway? Carol Ann wondered. Was she going to have to learn a whole new language, too?
Page 13
“It's time to get into your reading groups, class. Teh-Wei, please take Carol Ann with you to the Mongoose reading group for today,” said Ms. Kishimoto.
Kids hurried to their reading groups. A tall boy with a black buzz cut grinned at Carol Ann and motioned to her. She followed him to a circle of kids on chairs. They smiled at her.
Page 14
“I'm Kawika,” said a boy with brown hair and freckles.
“I'm Sachi,” a girl giggled. She had star-shaped white flowers tucked around her black pigtails.
Page 15
“My name is Rafael,” added a boy with black hair.
“And of course, I'm Teh-Wei,” Teh-Wei said.
Carol Ann tried out a little smile. She slid down in her chair. Soon, the reading period ended.
Page 16
Ms. Kishimoto announced,
“Time for recess, class! Get your snacks.”
Recess! Carol Ann's heart sank
to the tops of her shoes.
What would she do now?
Who would she play with?
Page 17
This wasn't anything like her old school and her old friends. How she wished she were back there right now! Carol Ann lined up at the door with the other kids. She kept her head down. Her heart pounded under her shirt. Maile squeezed in line next to her.
Page 18
“Come play with us on the swings, Carol Ann,” invited Maile.
That was what Carol Ann's friend Jasmine used to say.
Page 19
“Carol Ann, would you like to try some of the musubi my mother made for snack?”asked Sachi. Her eyes twinkled. Carol Ann's friend Emily used to share her grandma's cookies.
Page 20
“We eat our snacks together under the
banyan tree, Carol Ann. Come on,”
Kawika said. “My auntie made some
great mango shortbread.”
Carol Ann remembered how her friend
Robert always got all the kids together.
Page 21
“Here, Carol Ann.” Maile held out a
fluffy pink flower. It looked just
like the flowers Carol Ann had seen
this morning along the path.
“Put this hibiscus behind your ear,
like mine,” Maile said, with a smile.
Page 22
Carol Ann felt her face turn warm with happiness.
She tucked the flower behind her ear,
just like Maile's.
Page 23
What if Mom could see her now? Wouldn't she be surprised! Carol Ann blinked. Wait — wouldn't Mom like a flower, too? “May I please have one for my mother?” Carol Ann asked.
“Of course,” Maile said. Maile gave Carol Ann another pink flower.
Page 24
Carol Ann carefully put the other pink hibiscus in her shirt
pocket. There was something else important, Carol Ann
remembered. Carol Ann asked Maile, “How do you say hello
and goodbye and love all at the same time? Ah — aho — ?”
“Oh!” Maile giggled. “You mean ‘aloha’!”
Page 25
“A — lo — ha,” Carol Ann repeated slowly. After school, she would give Mom the flower to wear. Then she would say, “Aloha!” And Mom would hug her. Carol Ann smiled back at Maile.
“Okay,” she said. “I'm ready!”
Page 26
And Carol Ann raced with Maile to the
banyan tree to join the rest of her friends.
