tory takes place, Miss Moore has rounded up the neighborhood kids and is going to bring them to F.A.O. Schwarz. Sylvia has a poor attitude toward the excursion because she feels that her day could have been better spent. “So this one day Miss Moore rounds us all up at the mailbox and its purdee hot and she’s knocking herself up about arithmetic. And school suppose to let up in summer I heard, but she don’t never let up.” (Bambara 470) Miss Moore hailed the group two cabs, and they were off. When they arrive at their destination, the author gives up another clue toward the extent of the childen’s poverty. “Then we check out that we on fifth avenue and everybody dressed up in stockings. One lady in a fur coat hot as it is. White folks crazy.” (Bambara 471)At the store, it is not long before the children begin seeing things that interest them. The first of these is a microscope that costs $300. Miss Moore comments on the educational value of microscopes but the children poke fun at the idea. “”Hey, I’m going to buy that there.”“That there? You don’t even know what it is, stupid.”“I do so,” he say punchin Rosie Giraffe. “It’s a microscope.”“Whatcha gonna do with a microscope, fool?”“Look at things.” (Bambara 471) Patterson 3 The next interesting item that the kids find is a very expensive paperweight. While discussing it, Miss Moore is sure to convey that while the object is very expensive, it’s purpose is very trivial. “”This here costs $480 dollars,” say Rosie Giraffe. So we pile up all over her to see what she pointing out. My eyes tell me it’s a chunk of glass cracked with something heavy, and different-color inks dripped into the split...
