Dexter the Tough

Margaret Peterson Haddix


Dexter just moved to Seattle to live with his grandmother and that meant he had to go to a brand new school. Before the first day was over, he knew he hated that school. His teacher Mrs. Abbott made the class write a story so Dexter did one on the fight he got into earlier that day. Dexter beat up a kid named Robin in the bathroom because he was mad. The reason he punched Robin really had nothing to do with him, he just was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When Dexter was writing his story he started feeling really bad about what he did to Robin. Dexter was really mad about his mom and dad leaving him in Seattle,the principal, secretary and janitor all being mean to him and all the kids laughing at him after he slipped in the hallway. It was a really bad first day that he took out on poor Robin who was crying in the bathroom.

Even though Dexter didn't really say sorry he wanted to be friends with Robin. During recess they started talking and Dexter found out that Robin never told on him about what happened in the bathroom that day. Dexter thought that was really cool of him not to get him in trouble. So in the end they became great friends and Dexter wrote a great story all about how they met.