Piper Reed, Campfire Girl (Piper Reed, 4, Band 4) - Softcover

Holt, Kimberly Willis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312674821 ISBN 13: 9780312674823

Verlag: Square Fish, 2011

Inhaltsangabe

In Kimberly Willis Holt's Piper Reed, Campfire Girl, the Reed family is going camping on Halloween, and Piper is determined to make it a holiday to remember.

>Get ready for another terrific adventure starring the ever-spunky, ever-loving Piper Reed.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Kimberly Willis Holt; illustrations by Christine Davenier

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Piper Reed, Campfire Girl

By Kimberly Willis Holt

Square Fish

Copyright © 2011 Kimberly Willis Holt
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780312674823

Piper Reed, Campfire Girl

1

ALL ABOUT STANLEY

Halloween was just two weeks away. Trick-or-treating and jack-o'-lanterns--that was all I could think about. But I still hadn't decided on my costume. I thought about dressing as a Blue Angel pilot for the U.S. Navy since that's what I planned to be when I grew up. But I didn't own a Blue Angel's uniform.

On the way to school, I asked, "Do you think the base is going to do anything special for Halloween?"

We lived at NAS Pensacola because our dad was a Navy chief.

"I'm going to be someone that I've never been before," my little sister, Sam, said.

"Who?"

"Princess Elizabeth."

"What's new about that?" I asked. "You're a princess every year." Sam would use any excuse to wear her crown.

Sam frowned. "I've never been Princess Elizabeth before."

"I thought she was Queen Elizabeth." I knew some things about the royal family.

"Queens have to be princesses first," said Sam.

"What are you going to be?" I asked Tori.

My big sister was sitting in the front seat with Mom. We had to drop her off at the middle school before Mom drove us to the elementaryschool where we went and where she worked as the art teacher.

Tori didn't answer me so I spoke louder. "Well, what are you going to be?"

She turned around and rolled her eyes. "Piper, Halloween is for little kids. I'm almost thirteen. I don't do dress up."

"You mean you have to stop having fun when you're a teenager?" I was sure glad I was in fifthgrade. That meant I still had a few good years left.

"I'll stay home and give out the candy," Tori said.

"Gosh," I said, "the trick-or-treaters won't stand a chance." My sister loved to eat. She'd probably empty the candy bowl before the first goblin rang our doorbell.

Tori glared at me. "Piper Reed, you're mean." Then her head snapped in Mom's direction. "Mom!"

Mom wasn't a morning person. She needed coffee. Lots of coffee. She probably didn't hear one word I said, but she went into her warning tone. "Girls, behave. It's too early for this."

Before the bell rang I met the other Gypsy Club members. We gathered in our usual spot near the front of the school sign. The twins, Michael and Nicole, were already there. But this time there was someone else standing inour circle--a boy with hair that stuck straight up like he forgot to comb it.

Hailey hopped off the bus and raced across the school yard. When she caught up with me, she asked, "Who's that boy?"

"I don't know, but he's in our meeting place."

"Hi, Piper." Nicole flashed her braces. She must have gone to the orthodontist because yesterday her rubber bands were fuchsia. Today she wore orange and black ones.

"Hi," I said, but I was staring at the new kid. He had the thickest glasses I'd ever seen on anyone.

"This is Stanley Hampshire," Michael said. "He just moved here." He punched Stanley's shoulder. He acted like Stanley was his new best friend.

"Oh," I said. "Hi, Stanley. I'm sorry, but this is a Gypsy Club meeting spot."

Hailey snapped, "Piper, you're mean!" That was the second time I'd heard that today and the morning bell hadn't even rang yet. Hailey was right. I was being mean. My dad was a Navy chief. I knew what it was like being the new kid. I'd moved a zillion times.

"I ... I was thinking," Michael stammered. "I was thinking Stanley could be in our Gypsy Club."

I gave Stanley a good look over. I'd only lived in Pensacola a year. That first day was hard until I started the Gypsy Club.

"He meets all the qualifications," Michael said. "His dad is in the Navy. He moves a lot, too. And he already knows the Gypsy Club creed."

"What?" I yelled.

Everyone stared at me.

"You taught him the Gypsy Club creed without asking permission of your fellow Gypsy Club members?"

Michael folded his arms across his chest. "I don't remember that being a rule."

"Well, some rules shouldn't have to be spoken."

"Am I supposed to read your mind?"

Stanley stared down at the ground. He was probably real smart and read a lot. Smart people had to wear glasses because they wore out their eyes from reading all those books. That meant my eyes had a lifetime guarantee.

Nicole spoke up. "I don't see anything wrong with Stanley being in the Gypsy Club. It's hard to be new and make friends."

Without saying a word, Stanley glanced around the playground. I guess he was the silent type. The smart, silent type, who had replaced me as Michael's best friend.

Everyone scowled at me. My face burned. I knew when I was outnumbered. Sometimes even a captain has to listen to her soldiers. I saluted him. "Welcome to the Gypsy Club, Stanley!"

All of a sudden, Stanley opened his mouth real wide and shouted, "Get off the bus!"

Then he started to talk very fast. "I mean thanks. You're really not going to regret this. I've never been a member of a club before, but I think I'll be good at it. I once was in the Boy Scouts of America. That's not really a club. The Boy Scouts of America is an organization, but, anyway, I was only a member for a short while. I never earned a badge though. I wanted to earn the knot-tying badge. I really wanted that one bad because my dad is a sailor. I mean, he's an officer, but he sails for a hobby. I go with him sometimes, but I'm not very good at it. Now my brother, Simon--"

The school bell rang. Kids raced by us and went inside the building. I usually dreaded that sound, but now I knew what it meant to be saved by the bell!

Nicole took off for her class while Hailey andI followed the boys. I wasn't sure about this new kid, Stanley. He'd already weaseled his way into the Gypsy Club. Now he was going to be in my class, too. That added up to a lot of Stanley Hampshire. At least he lived in the officer housing instead of the enlisted housing. That way I wouldn't be bumping into him on my street.

As usual Ms. Gordon made a big to-do about Stanley being the new kid. She always made it sound like a new kid was a gift to our class.

"Students," she said, "may I present Stanley Hampshire. He moved here from Norfolk, Virginia. Stanley, would you like to tell us a little about yourself?"

Uh-oh. For a teacher, Ms. Gordon sure had a lot to learn.

Stanley stood like he was running for mayor of Pensacola, Florida. He pushed up his glasses.He cleared his throat. "Well, my name is Stanley Hampshire, but you already know that. I was born in Germany, but I don't remember a thing about it because we moved by the time I was six months old, although my mom said I lived there long enough to develop a taste for Wiener schnitzel. But my dad says that's a fairy tale. Next we moved to Bremerton, Washington, and apparently we could see Mount Rainier from our backyard, but I don't remember that either because we moved before I was three. Then after that--"

Ms. Gordon said, "Okay, Stanley, thank you."

"But I didn't get to tell you about the otherplaces I lived or what my favorite color is or my favorite television show."

Ms. Gordon's right eyelid started twitching. "That's quite all right, Stanley. We need to start our day."

Stanley looked disappointed. "Well, all...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Square Fish
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2011
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0312674821
• ISBN 13: 9780312674823
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 176
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Europaallee 1; Bad Hersfeld; 36244; Deutschland