Charlie and Frog by Karen Kane

Author:Karen Kane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2018-04-10T00:00:00+00:00

Mrs. Castle piled lentils and peas onto Charlie’s plate. He stared at the brown-green mush and remembered Yvette’s meat loaf. He took a cautious bite, hoping for the best.

It was not the best.

Everyone else seemed to like the mush. They sat at the large round table, eating and signing while Charlie poked at his dinner. Occasionally Oliver would interpret, but mostly Charlie had no idea what was going on. Instead, he thought about all of his unanswered questions.

Dex and Ray had come to the castle. First and most important question—were they still here? Second question—why had Dex and Ray come? To look for Aggie? To look for the same thing Aggie was looking for? Or both? Charlie swirled the mush into brown-green circles and brought his attention back to the conversation.

Mrs. Castle was signing. Her eyebrows, eyes, mouth, shoulders, arms, hands—all were part of what she was saying. Frog had the same expressions as her mother. Mr. Castle wasn’t nearly as interesting to watch. His signs were much smaller than Mrs. Castle’s and Frog’s, and his face did not move as much. It was hard to watch Oliver sign as Charlie was sitting right next to him. Millie was busy feeding Bear under the table.

Smart Millie.

Mrs. Castle banged the table to get Millie’s attention. Charlie didn’t need an interpreter to tell him Mrs. Castle was saying, “Millie! Stop feeding Bear your dinner.”

Mrs. Castle signed something else.

“Mom’s telling Millie she’s ruining her appetite with all those peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches she’s been making,” Oliver told Charlie.

“I am not ruining my appetite, Oliver!” Millie yelled.

“Don’t blame the messenger, Millie,” Oliver said. “I’m just telling Charlie what Mom said.”

Mrs. Castle looked pointedly at Charlie’s plate. She signed to him. It was clear what she was saying. Charlie ate another tiny bite of brown-green mush.

Mrs. Castle snorted.

Charlie took a much bigger bite.

Satisfied, Mrs. Castle began talking again.

“So, Charlie, I know Frog has been teaching you signs,” Mrs. Castle said as Oliver interpreted. “But I hope Frog has explained that signs are only part of ASL—”

“Mom!”

Mrs. Castle ignored Frog. “Because how you move your face and how you move your body are also part of our language—”

“Mom! Charlie doesn’t care—”

“—using signs while speaking English is a way to communicate; but it’s not ASL, which Frog should be teaching you—”

“Mom! I am!” Frog kicked Charlie under the table. Charlie nodded vigorously.

“Good,” Mrs. Castle said. “That’s important. So, Charlie, why did your family move to Castle-on-the-Hudson?”

“It’s just me,” Charlie said. “Not my parents.”

Mrs. Castle gave Charlie a sharp look. “Why?” she asked. “Where are your parents?”

“My parents are busy helping,” Charlie explained. “Right now they’re helping in South Africa.”

“Helping who?”

“Giant golden moles,” Charlie answered.

“Moles need help?”

“Giant golden moles do,” Charlie said. “I guess.”

“For how long?”

“Three weeks,” Charlie said. “Well, now it’s down to sixteen more days.” Mrs. Castle’s brow furrowed, so Charlie quickly added, “But I’m staying with my grandparents.”

Mrs. Castle nodded approvingly. “Good,” she said again. “Our own grandpa Sol will be back tonight. I’ll be relieved when he’s home.

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