On a sunny Monday morning, Anna walked into her classroom, feeling the flutter of butterflies in her belly. She was always excited to learn, but today was special because they were getting a new student.

The room buzzed with whispers as the kids guessed what the new kid would be like. Some hoped for a new best friend; others wondered if he would like the same games as they did.

Mrs. Parker, their teacher, had a warm smile when she walked in with a boy by her side. 'Class, this is Max. He's joining our fourth-grade family today,' she announced.

Max looked around with big green eyes, taking in the colorful posters and the sea of curious faces. He gave a shy wave and muttered a 'Hello.'

Anna noticed that Max clutched a small dinosaur toy in his hand. It reminded her of her own favorite toy at home. She felt a spark of connection.

During recess, Anna saw Max sitting alone under the big oak tree, gently twirling his dinosaur. She took a deep breath and walked over to him.

'I like your dinosaur,' Anna said, sitting beside him. Max's eyes lit up. 'He's a Stegosaurus. Do you like dinosaurs too?' he asked.

Anna nodded eagerly. 'Of course! My favorite is the Triceratops.' They spent the rest of recess chatting excitedly about their prehistoric passions.

When they went back to class, Mrs. Parker had them work on math problems. Max seemed worried, but Anna whispered, 'Hey, we can figure this out together.'

By the end of the day, Anna and Max had not only solved the math problems, but they had also drawn a whole dinosaur landscape on the back of their worksheet.

As they packed up to go home, Max turned to Anna with a smile. 'Thanks for being my friend, Anna. Today was fun because of you,' Max said gratefully.

Anna beamed, feeling her heart swell with joy. She had helped Max feel welcome, and she had made a new friend. 'See you tomorrow,' she said, waving goodbye.