Bus Bunch "Jimmy Burton Bradford Speaks Up"

Jimmy Burton Bradford Speaks Up A Brite Star Bus Bunch Book Copyright © 2023 by The Brite Star Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)3 All rights reserved.

Published by The Brite Star Foundation, Inc. 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway Suite 338 Las Vegas, Nevada 89141 Vincent W. Goett, Publisher

ISBN Paperback

979-8-89750-266-0

Digital

979-8-89750-267-7

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

Fridays at Brite Star School are French Fry Fridays. Every Friday.

“Come and get it!” calls Ms. Griggs, and everyone lines up for crinkle fries and curly fries. They line up for fried potato wedges, steak fries, and cottage fries. They even have smiley fries.

When Mr. Emerson, the bus driver, drives the Bus Bunch to Brite Star School on Mondays, they all ask, “What kind of fries will wehave this week?”

And on French Fry Fridays, they talk the whole ride home about cheese fries and chili fries and garlic fries and plain ole fries with ketchup.

French Fry Fridays are kind of a big deal.

They’re a big deal for everyone, that is, except for JimmyBurtonBradford.

Jimmydoesn’t like fries. He says, “Crinkle frinkle, curly burly,” and, “garlicbleck!”

But no one knows what JimmyBurton Bradford thinks, and no one knows what hefeels.

Because when Jimmysays, “Crinkle frinkle,” he says it to himself. And when he says, “Garlic blek,” he makessure that no one ever hears.

Jimmylikes to keep his thoughts to himself.

Every single one.

Mostly.

One Friday when Cynthia looked up at Ms. Griggs and said, “Crinkle fries, please,” Jimmy Burton Bradford heard Ms. Griggs say, “Attagirl!

Way to say what you think and think what you say!”

And when Miles said, “Smiley fries, please,” Ms. Griggs piled Miles’s tray withround smiling potatoes and said, “Attaboy! Way to say what you think and think what you say!”

Then Ms. Griggs looked at Jimmy.“And what about you?” she asked.

Jimmyshrugged. He always shrugged. Then he said, “Steak fries, please,” because he always asked for steakfries.

“Are you sure?” Ms. Griggs squinted her eyes and gave Jimmya sideways sort of look. “Yes, please,” he said.

And so Ms. Griggs gave JimmyBurton Bradford steak fries. She put the ketchup on the side.

“How come,” Jimmyasked Miles, “Ms. Griggs never says ‘attaboy’ to me?”

“I don’t know,”saidMiles.

“And what,”asked Jimmy,“does ‘say what you think and think what you say’ even mean?”

“I don’t know,”said Miles. “Are you going to eat those fries?”

Jimmywasnot going to eat those fries, so Miles ate them instead.

On the bus that afternoon everyone talked about fries. Everyone except JimmyBurton Bradford, who wasbusy thinking about what Ms. Griggs had said.

Say what you think. Think what you say.

“What does that mean?” he asked Mr. Emerson.

Mr. Emerson scratched his head. He twitched his mustache.

“It probably means to makegood choices,” he smiled.

Jimmyliked Mr. Emerson, but he had a feeling this wasn’t quite right.

That night Jimmywatched a movie about a girl who moved to the city. She helped people by speaking up for them and teaching them how to speak up for themselves.

“I mustspeak the truth!” she proclaimed. Itwas all very dramatic.

“How does she do that?” Jimmymumbled to himself.

“Do what?” asked Jimmy’smom.

“Oh,” said Jimmy,“Umm, speak up, Iguess.”

“Maybe she practiced,” Jimmy’smomshrugged.

“Makes sense, right?”

Itdid makesense. After all, Jimmypracticed hitting the volleyball over the net. He practiced his spelling words every night before bed.

Jimmy’smomwasstill talking, “My grandfather used to tell me, ‘Eleanor, say what you think.

Stand up straight, look people in the eye, always show respect, and speak up.’”

“Does it work?” Jimmyasked, “Topractice?”

“Sure it does,” she said. Then she stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Practice.

Jimmyhad a good imagination, so he tried to imagine a lifetime of not speaking up. A lifetime of keeping his thoughts to himself. There would probably be a lot of fries.

I’m gonna do it, Jimmythought. I’m going practice speaking up.

The next Friday, and for the first time in the history of French Fry Fridays, JimmyBurton Bradford spoke up. He stood tall. He took a deep breath.

He looked Ms. Griggs in the eyes and said, “No thank you, Ms. Griggs. Idon’t like french fries.”

“Is that so?” said Ms. Griggs.

“It is,” said Jimmy.

And then Ms. Griggs disappeared.

That is to say, she knelt behind the buffet, and Jimmycould no longer see her. When she stood up, she washolding a large brown basketfull of muffins and apples and fruity-fruit bars and peanutty nutter loafs.

“Want one of these instead?”

Jimmyliked peanutty nutter loafs. He liked them a lot. So he smiled and said, “Yes,thankyou!”

“Attaboy,”said Ms. Griggs. “Way to say what you think and think what you say!”

Jimmylooked up at her. “What does that mean?” he asked.

“Well,” she said, “it means to know your mind.

And live it!”

Knowyour mind, thought Jimmy. “Sounds like a good wayto live,” he said.

And he was right.

Think About It 1. Fridays atBrite StarSchool are FrenchFry Fridays. Who atBrite StarSchool does not like french fries?

2. Howcome no one knewwhatJimmyBurton Bradford thought orfelt?

3. Why do you think Jimmykept his thoughts to himself? Do you like to share your thoughts,or do youlike tokeep themtoyourself instead?

4. Jimmy’smomencouraged himto practice speaking up. Do think that was good advice?Why or whynot?

5. Ms. Griggs said, “Say whatyou think,and think whatyou say.”Whatdo you think she meant?

Let’s Work Together!

Yourthoughtsand feelings matter! Sometimes speaking up is easy,but sometimesit’s difficult. We can practice speaking up, and wecan listen to what others have to say.

IWill . ..

• Stop and takea deep breath whenthe unexpected happens. My family and friends are with me!

• Be sensitive tootherswhentheyfeeloverwhelmed.

It’s okay to keep somethoughts to ourselves, but weshould never keep quiet because we’re afraid. Haveyouever been afraid tospeak up for yourself?

WhatYouThink Matters JimmyBurton Bradford tried to imagine a lifetime of not speaking up. Whatdo you think life would be like if no one ever shared their thoughts? Do you think it wasa good idea for Jimmyto practicespeaking up?Whatare someexamples of thoughts and feelings wecan share withourfriends?

"The Brite Star Kids” 979-8-89750-263-”Th9979-8-89750Entertaining Through Life Lessons in 263-9 the Magical World of Brite Star!"