Crossing Guard

When the beloved crossing guard Mr. Earl collapses and ends up in the hospital, eleven-year-old Benny discovers a secret past and hatches a plan to help his friend.

Every morning, eleven-year-old Benny walks to Maple Street Elementary past the corner of Oak and Fifth. And every morning, the same friendly face is waiting there with a bright orange vest, a stop sign on a stick, and a joke that is never quite funny enough to be cool but always funny enough to make you smile.

That face belongs to Mr. Earl, the crossing guard. He has been standing on that corner for as long as anyone can remember.

'Rain, snow, or sunshine,' Benny's mom always says. 'That man is there every single day.' And she is right. Benny has never once walked to school without seeing Mr. Earl waiting for him.