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schedule. “Share Your Talent,” she read.
    â€œJasper?” she asked, coming back to the table with a worried look on her face. “You’ll have to be extra good at your Talent to make up for missing the Science Experiment.”
    â€œI will be. Don’t worry.”
    The worried look didn’t go away. She asked, “What talents did the other kids share?”
    Jasper said, “Isabel did Scottish dancing. Leon played the violin. Ori played the violin. Paul C. played the violin.”
    â€œI wish we’d started you on the violin,” Mom said. “I guess it’s too late.”
    â€œDon’t worry about my Talent,” Jasper said.
    â€œWe’re not very musical,” Mom said.
    â€œI’m musical,” Jasper said. “I’m
really
musical.”
    â€œReally?” Mom said.
    â€œYes, you just worry about the Special Snack.”
    The phone rang and Dad got up to answer it. He said, “Congratulations! I just heard about the baby! Where’s Ori? I don’t know.”
    â€œOh, no!” Jasper cried. “He’s still a hump!”

Chapter 9

    That night Jasper was very excited. Not only was he over the hump, he was going to have his first sleepover. His wooden brother Earl was going to sleep with him.
    Mom and Dad stood in the doorway. “Don’t talk all night,” Dad said. “You have school tomorrow.”
    â€œYou don’t want to be too tired to Share Your Talent,” Mom said.
    Jasper said, “I won’t.”
    â€œAre you sure about your Talent?” Mom asked.
    â€œYes,” Jasper told her.
    â€œAre you sure you’re going to be comfortable tonight?”
    â€œPlease,” Jasper said, “can you close the door? I’m ready for the sleepover to start.”
    Mom and Dad closed the door.
    Jasper cozied up to Earl. Mom was right. It wasn’t very comfortable sleeping with a person made of wood. It would be a lot more comfortable if Earl was wearing pajamas.
    Jasper turned on the light. He got out of bed and went over to his pajama drawer, took a pair out and held them up for Earl to see. Earl didn’t like them.
    â€œThey’re nice,” Jasper said. “They’re my second favorite.”
    Earl let Jasper know that he wanted to wear the ones with the sheep, the ones Jasper was wearing, Jasper’s first favorite.
    â€œEarl,” Jasper sighed.
    Jasper changed into the fire-truck pajamas. He dressed Earl in the sheep pajamas, then turned off the light and got back into bed. He felt sleepy. The night before, he’d been up way past his bedtime making Earl. He rolled over onto his side with his back to Earl. Earl jabbed him with his wooden arm.
    â€œStop it,” Jasper said.
    Earl didn’t. He was a bit of a troublemaker. Jasper wiggled closer to the edge of the bed, out of Earl’s reach. For a while, Earl lay there getting madder and madder because Jasper was falling asleep and not paying any attention to him. Jasper knew because Earl was making quiet little growling sounds that Jasper ignored. Finally, Earl got so mad he leaned over and bit Jasper.
    Jasper sat up with a howl. When Dad rushed in, Jasper hollered, “Earl bit me!”
    There, sticking out of his shoulder, was one of Earl’s teeth!
    Dad pulled the sliver out, then said Earl wasn’t allowed in Jasper’s bed anymore. Earl had to sleep on the floor. Dad kissed Jasper good night for the second time and closed the door.
    Earl lay all by himself on the hard cold floor. “It’s your own fault,” Jasper whispered down to him. “You ruined our sleepover. You have no heart.”

Chapter 10

    The next day, both Jasper and Ori got the lates. Jasper really wanted to be on time because he knew Ms. Tosh would be waiting by her desk to take the star out of the drawer and pin it to his chest. The whole class would be waiting for him to do the calendar and Share His Talent. But