They Cage the Animals at Night

They move into the new house the week of Thanksgiving, but they have no money left to celebrate the holiday. Jennings and Larry’s new school is in a wealthier neighborhood, so the children pick on them for being poor. The teacher, Miss Keller, humiliates Jennings by calling him “a really stupid kid” (115) in class for not knowing how to add fractions. Larry tries to talk Jennings into playing hooky and sneaking off to Manhattan. The teacher makes Jennings stand in front of the board every day until he can solve the problem, but she does not teach him how. The other children insult him constantly.

The next morning, Walter surprises the class by scolding the teacher harshly for punishing his brother all day without teaching him. He insults the teacher, takes Jennings out of the class, and slams the door. Walter finds a new school for Jennings called St. Michael’s where the other children are not so conceited and rich. They advance him back to his grade level, and his teacher, Sister Gerard, works with him after school to help him catch up. Jennings changes his name to Michael in the school, and Sister Gerard teaches him about St. Michael.