"Nicholas"

It's nice to read two illustrated books in a row.  There really should be more of them.

This is the first in Goscinny & Sempé's Le Petit Nicolas series. 'Playing Cowboys' is probably my favorite story out of this book, but really the whole thing is just lovely.

• We can him Spuds because he is always saying, "Boy, look me in the eye!" and potatoes have eyes. No, I didn't get it at first either, it was some of the older boys who explained it to me.
• (Cuthbert) is always scared of new boys in case they get to be top of the class and teacher's pet instead. Cuthbert knows he's safe enough with us.
• (Report cards time:) Matthew told me they've got so used to it by now that once a month his mom doesn't bother to make a dessert at all and his dad arranges to go next door to watch television.
• (Singing _La Marseillaise): but instead of telling off the big boys for getting left behind she told us off, which wasn't fair, because we'd won.
• Alec wasn't too pleased, he wanted to be the crowd all on his own, but our teacher told him to be quiet.
• .. when all of a sudden our teacher shouted, "That will do! Go back to your seats! We will not be acting this play at the celebrations after all. I'm not letting the Principal see a performance like this!" <> We all stood there with our jaws dropping. <> It's the first time we ever heard our teacher say she was going to give the Principal a punishment.