There was no other word for it. It wasn’t exotic in the way that she imagined the Far East would be. It wasn’t idyllic like a Caribbean island. In fact, it was just as dank and gray as she’d been promised. And yet, expansive, colorless, and understated as London seemed, it was, to Abby, completely alive. She was living her Let’s Go. Or Fodor’s. Either way, it was cool as all hell. She half expected a Beefeater to come marching by.
“Are you ready, then?” Zoe slid down off of the lion and gave a final shake of her butt toward the pigeons, who responded by exploding into a frenzy of flapping wings.
“Yeah, um, will you just take my picture? In front of the lions?” Abby asked, handing her digital camera over. “You just have to press that button.”
“Sure thing, sister. Closer to the right. Not that close,” Zoe commanded, waving. “Cool. I want to get some pigeons into the frame.”
“You scared them all away with your disco trip,” Abby pointed out.
“Well, sure, if you’re going to be all nitpicky about it. Okay, this is it. You look bee-yoo-ti-ful. Smile.”
She put the camera down and placed her hand on her hip in frustration. “Excuse me, but do you have some form of clinical depression? Seasonal Affective Disorder, or something? Because where I come from, that’s not a smile, that’s indigestion.”
Abby burst out laughing.
“Yes, much better.” Zoe raised the camera again. “Now say . . .” A smile of her own spreading across her face. “Say ‘Westminster’ Abby!”
“Westminster Abby!”
There was no other word for it. It wasn’t exotic in the way that she imagined the Far East would be. It wasn’t idyllic like a Caribbean island. In fact, it was just as dank and gray as she’d been promised. And yet, expansive, colorless, and understated as London seemed, it was, to Abby, completely alive. She was living her Let’s Go. Or Fodor’s. Either way, it was cool as all hell. She half expected a Beefeater to come marching by.
“Are you ready, then?” Zoe slid down off of the lion and gave a final shake of her butt toward the pigeons, who responded by exploding into a frenzy of flapping wings.
“Yeah, um, will you just take my picture? In front of the lions?” Abby asked, handing her digital camera over. “You just have to press that button.”
“Sure thing, sister. Closer to the right. Not that close,” Zoe commanded, waving. “Cool. I want to get some pigeons into the frame.”
“You scared them all away with your disco trip,” Abby pointed out.
“Well, sure, if you’re going to be all nitpicky about it. Okay, this is it. You look bee-yoo-ti-ful. Smile.”
She put the camera down and placed her hand on her hip in frustration. “Excuse me, but do you have some form of clinical depression? Seasonal Affective Disorder, or something? Because where I come from, that’s not a smile, that’s indigestion.”
Abby burst out laughing.
“Yes, much better.” Zoe raised the camera again. “Now say . . .” A smile of her own spreading across her face. “Say ‘Westminster’ Abby!”
“Westminster Abby!”
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month this November, Penguin Random House Education is highlighting books that detail the history of Native Americans, and stories that explore Native American culture and experiences. Browse our collections here: Native American Creators Native American History & Culture
The Penguin Random House Education Middle School and High School Digital Collections feature outstanding fiction and nonfiction from the children’s, adult, DK, and Grupo Editorial divisions, as well as publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Peruse online or download these valuable resources to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: English Language Arts,
Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen. Click here to explore phonics
All reading communities should contain protected time for the sake of reading. Independent reading practices emphasize the process of making meaning through reading, not an end product. The school culture (teachers, administration, etc.) should affirm this daily practice time as inherently important instructional time for all readers. (NCTE, 2019) The Penguin Random House High
Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017) It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.
