Picture of the earth taken from space. North and South America are visible under streaks of white cloud. The star marks the place where Jerry lives.
Chapter I An Ordinary Saturday Jerry and his family live in the middle of the northern United States, on the banks of one of the five Great Lakes. He is ten years old. He has a brother named Tom and a sister named Teresa. They are twins and they are eight years old. And his baby sister Clare is only one year old. Jerry’s real name is Jerome. He is named after the great Saint Jerome who translated the Bible a long, long time ago, around the year 400. The twins are named for the wise saints Thomas Aquinas and Teresa of Avila, and little Clare is named in honor of Saint Clare, the best friend of Saint Francis of Assisi. Jerry’s dad came downstairs whistling cheerfully one summer morning and said to his wife, “ Honey, this is a beautiful sunny morning, and I know sometimes that makes you feel like making up a poem. What do you say?” Mom smiled, thought for a moment, and said,
“Jerry, Tom, and Teresa,
Went down to the beach with Dad. They took little Clare, who got sand in her hair,
And the sunshine and waves made them glad.”
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