Summary

The title pages of Chapter 3 include three miscellaneous items: a button with an alligator on it that says “Gates Lane School,” a card from Spectrum House dated 1982, and underneath the card is a letter from Leslie telling Jarrett she loves him. The chapter opens with Grandma waking Jarrett up for school. Jarrett explains that he lives in Steve’s old bedroom, that was redesigned to be Shirley’s room. The next page is a panel of a tea kettle and a cigarette. Jarrett does not want to go to preschool but his grandparents talk him into it while he eats breakfast. While at school, his teacher says they will draw pictures to “celebrate our mommies and daddies at home who take care of us” (70). Jarrett thinks for a minute but tells the teacher he does not have a Mom and Dad...