Audrey found that Tuesday was even more fun than Monday. In the morning the kids sang camp songs and played sports. Then Susan, their counselor, had led the second-graders in a very silly game of follow the leader. They had had to climb the monkey bars, then hop across the playground on one foot, then walk backward while singing “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.” By the end of the game, Audrey was laughing so hard she could hardly sing.
Then they had eaten lunch. This time Audrey did not spill her juice.
After lunch, they had quiet period. The campers read their books under the oak tree. All morning long Debbie had stuck to Audrey’s side like taffy. Whenever they played a game that needed partners, Debbie was there. They had eaten lunch together. Now Debbie was reading her book next to Audrey.
Audrey was glad to have a special camp friend. But she liked everyone else in her group, too. Sometimes Audrey wanted to play with some of the other campers. But Debbie always seemed to get between them. Audrey guessed that Debbie needed a friend. It would not hurt Audrey to try to be a good friend to her.
“All right, campers,” said Ms. Colman. “Quiet period is over for today. Now it is time for drama. We are going to start by playing a fun game.”
“Oh, goody,” said Karen. “I love drama.”
“Goody gumdrops,” said Terri.
“The game is called charades,” said Ms. Colman. “You will pick a slip of paper out of this hat.” She held up a straw hat. “The paper will list the title of a movie or a book. You will then have to act out that title. We, the audience, will try to guess what it is. The audience may also ask yes-or-no questions. You can respond by shaking or nodding your head. But the person acting out the title may not say a single word.”
Audrey grinned. Charades sounded like fun. She hoped she would draw an easy title. She also hoped that someone else would go first. That way she could see how it was done.
“Tom has volunteered to go first,” said Ms. Colman. “Then you will understand how to play.”
Good old Ms. Colman, thought Audrey. She always thinks of everything.
“And then it was my turn. I picked Beauty and the Beast,” Audrey reported at dinner that night.
“How did you act it out?” asked Mrs. Green.
“First I walked around, acting fancy and beautiful. Then I hunched over and made my hands into claws and showed my teeth. Like this.” Audrey grimaced at her parents and bared her teeth.
“Ooh. Very beastlike,” said Mr. Green.
“Ms. Colman said I did a very good job,” said Audrey.
“Good for you, honey,” said Mrs. Green. “So was it a little bit fun, then?”
“Yeah,” said Audrey. “Summer school is not too bad, I guess. But Debbie Dvorak is there every time I turn around. She is nice. But she is always there.”
“Maybe she will make more friends as day camp goes on,” said Mrs. Green.
“I hope so,” said Audrey.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
By Thursday, Audrey had finished reading her book. Now it was time to come up with a project about it. She decided she would ask Ms. Colman for help after lunch.
That morning they sang camp songs, as usual. Audrey liked “Good Morning to You” and “Here We Go A-Camping.” They were cheerful songs. Then, since it was a very hot day, the counselors decided to have water fun first instead of team sports. Everyone scrambled to change into his or her swimsuit.
“I want Audrey on my team,” said Jannie, once they were all gathered outside. Audrey smiled and stood by Jannie.
“No fair,” said Debbie. “Audrey and I have to be on the same team.” Debbie had already been chosen for Ian’s team.
“I think you can be on different teams just this once,” said Ms. Colman. “Now, both teams need to get ready.”
Audrey could not believe what happened next. A water-balloon war. At school.
Each team was given a large bucket of water balloons. The kids chased each other around, throwing the balloons. There were a few rules: Campers had to stay in the playing field and not go on the cement. There was to be no throwing at anyone’s head. And no ganging up on anyone.
Audrey had never, ever expected to have so much fun at day camp. And it was nice not to have Debbie by her side the whole time.
Finally Ms. Colman clapped her hands. “Time to dry off and have lunch,” she called.
“Rats,” said Audrey.
After lunch and quiet period, it was time for arts and crafts. Audrey talked to Ms. Colman about her project. Audrey decided to draw pictures for Sarah, Plain and Tall, since there were no pictures in the book. (Audrey had felt very grown-up, reading a book with no pictures in it.)
For arts and crafts Audrey’s group met in Ms. Colman’s classroom. Audrey felt strange being in her classroom in the summertime. Day camp was held mostly outside, and sometimes in the gym and cafeteria.
Hootie, the class guinea pig, was not there. He was taking turns staying with Audrey’s classmates over the summer. (It would be Audrey’s turn at the end of July. Audrey wondered how Hootie and Sasha would get along.) The classroom seemed empty without Hootie.
“Where do you usually sit?” asked Debbie. “I want to sit by you.”
Audrey sighed to herself. “I sit there,” she said. “What are you going to do for your project?”
“Well,” said Debbie. “In my mystery book, the final clue was found in a clock. So I am going to make a clock out of a card-board box. Then I will put the clue inside. The clue is a secret. People will have to guess the secret. Then I will open the clock and show them.”
“Cool,” said Audrey. “That is a very good project.”
Debbie blushed and looked pleased. “Thank you. That is why I like you, Audrey. You are very nice.” Debbie ran off to get some arts-and-crafts materials.
Audrey thought about what Debbie had said. I am nice, but I am not amazingly nice. Maybe Debbie is not used to nice people. Maybe that is why she wants to be with me all the time.
Audrey decided to use colored pencils for her pictures. She found several sheets of paper and a large coffee can full of colored pencils. She sat down at her desk next to Debbie. Then she began to draw.
First she drew a picture of Anna and Caleb, the two children in the book. She drew sad faces on them. They were sad because they had no mother.
“Ms. Colman!” called Jannie. “Is it supposed to look like this?” Jannie held up a brush. There was goo dripping off it. Jannie was making something out of papier-mâché.
Audrey looked up to see what Jannie was talking about. Then she reached for a yellow pencil. She did not notice that the can of colored pencils was on the very edge of her desk. Audrey knocked the can to the floor.
Crash! The metal made a loud noise. Colored pencils scattered everywhere, across the floor and under the desks.
“Oh my goodness!” cried Debbie. “That was not your fault, Audrey. Your desk is wobbly.”
Audrey frowned as she picked up the pencils. Her desk was not wobbly. She had simply knocked the can over. Debbie was making a big deal out of it.
Debbie stooped down to help Audrey pick up the pencils. “This can is not good for holding pencils,” she said. “It falls too easily. We should use something else. I will tell Ms. Colman.”
“No, do not worry about it,” said Audrey. Her voice sounded a tiny bit angry. Why did Debbie have to help her? Now everyone was looking at Audrey. She felt embarrassed.
Finally Audrey picked up the last pencil. She put the can in the middle of her desk. She would try very hard not to knock it over again.
Debbie began to paint her clock brown. Audrey did not even look at her.
AUDREY’S PROBLEM
“Mommy, can Sara come over?” asked Audrey when she got home.
“I do not see why not,” said Mrs. Green.
Audrey and Sara shared a snack. They drank juice and ate grapes and rice cakes with peanut butter. Then they played jacks on the front porch.
“So what did you do
today?” Audrey asked Sara.
“I went grocery shopping with Mommy. Then we got new shoes for Marcus.” Marcus was Sara’s older brother. “What did you do?”
Audrey told Sara about the water-balloon war, and about having lunch outside like a picnic, and about arts and crafts and sing-along time.
“That sounds great,” said Sara. “You are having so much fun.”
“Yes,” said Audrey. She finished three-sies and threw the jacks again. “Except … do you remember Debbie Dvorak, from Mr. Berger’s class?”
“Uh-huh. Oops, you missed. My turn.” Sara took the jacks and the ball.
“Debbie is at day camp too,” said Audrey. “She follows me everywhere. Debbie is nice, but she never leaves me alone.”
“Hmm. Does she have a best friend?” asked Sara.
“No. She is friends with everyone. But I think she has decided that I am her best friend. She is like my Siamese twin.”
The girls giggled.
“Every time I have an accident, Debbie rushes to help me,” said Audrey. “I wish she would not do that. It just makes things worse.”
Sara nodded. “I bet Debbie wants a best friend,” she said. “Maybe she is lonely. Maybe that is why she is being a pain.”
“I guess,” said Audrey. “I do not mind being friends with her. She is very nice. But she is too much.”
After jacks, Audrey and Sara decided to swing in Audrey’s backyard. They walked around the side of the house.
“Have I told you about my camp project?” asked Audrey.
“No. What are you doing?” said Sara.
“I am drawing — oh!” Audrey had stepped on the end of a garden rake. The rake snapped up and hit her shoulder. Audrey pushed it away, and the rake fell against a stack of clay flower pots. Several pots broke.
Audrey and Sara stared at the broken pots. Then Sara’s eyes met Audrey’s. The corners of Sara’s mouth turned up. She started giggling, her hand over her mouth. Her giggle turned into a laugh. Soon both Audrey and Sara were laughing very hard.
“You did it again!” cried Sara.
Audrey laughed and nodded.
FIELD TRIP
On Friday morning Ms. Colman gathered her group together.
“Today is our surprise field trip,” she reminded them. “Here is our school bus.”
“Please choose a partner, everyone,” said Susan, the counselor.
Debbie grabbed Audrey’s hand. “We will be partners,” she cried.
Audrey wished Jannie Gilbert was her partner. Jannie would have made a nice change. Jannie and Nina Bluesky decided to be partners. Audrey sighed.
“Where are we going, Ms. Colman?” asked Omar Harris.
“Here is a clue,” said Ms. Colman. “This is Book Camp. Our field trip has to do with our theme.”
“A bookstore?” called Karen.
“No. We are going to see how books are printed,” said Ms. Colman. “There is a printing company about half an hour away. We will see how they make books.”
“Cool,” said Karen.
“This will be neat,” said Audrey. “I have never seen a book being made.”
The printing company was called TMJ Repro.
“It looks like an office building,” said Hank as the bus pulled up in front of TMJ Repro.
Inside, a woman greeted them. Her name badge said CAROLINE JACOBS.
“Hello, and welcome to TMJ,” she said. “I understand you have been doing a lot of reading lately.”
“We have been going to Book Camp,” said Karen.
“Well, you are in luck today. We are printing a new picture book,” said Ms. Jacobs. “Come with me, and I will show you.”
Ms. Colman’s group passed through a large room full of desks and computers. Ms. Jacobs explained that designers and artists worked at them.
Then Ms. Jacobs pushed through some swinging doors. Audrey’s eyes widened. She was standing in a huge room full of enormous machines. The machines were whirring and clicking and swishing. A yucky chemical smell was in the air. Audrey wrinkled her nose.
“Ugh,” said Debbie. “It smells terrible in here.”
Ms. Jacobs overheard her. “You’re smelling the ink from the presses. I guess I am used to it.” She walked closer to a machine that practically reached the ceiling. On it were big metal rollers that were spinning fast. Audrey could see them sucking up large sheets of paper, as big as her bed at home. The paper whirled around several metal rollers. Then the machine spit it out on the other side. When it came out, it was printed with words and pictures.
Several kids stepped closer to the machine. Audrey tried to join them, but Debbie held her back.
“I do not want to go closer,” said Debbie. “That machine is scary.”
Audrey rolled her eyes.
Ms. Jacobs lifted one of the big sheets of paper from the stack. It smelled new and crisp and hot. There were sixteen different pictures printed on it. They were all out of order. Some of them were upside down. Ms. Jacobs explained that the sheet would be folded up and cut into book-size pages. It would be the inside of a picture book. Audrey thought that was neat.
With Debbie hanging on to her hand, Audrey toured the rest of the printing plant. Ms. Colman’s group saw how the insides of books are glued, sewn, or stapled into their covers. They saw how the large sheets of paper were printed with four different colors — black, blue, red, and yellow. The kids saw how every picture in a book is made of thousands of tiny, tiny dots of ink. It was hard to believe, but it was true.
Afterward Ms. Colman’s group thanked Ms. Jacobs for the tour. They climbed back into their school bus.
“That was gigundoly cool,” said Karen. “I loved seeing how a book is made.”
“Yes,” said Audrey. “I will think of that tour every time I read a new book.”
“Those machines were kind of scary,” said Debbie. “I was worried you would trip and fall into them, Audrey. I did not want you to get smushed.”
Audrey stared at Debbie. “I am not a baby, Debbie,” she said. She felt angry. “You do not have to protect me.”
“I am sorry,” said Debbie. “Please do not be angry at me. I just did not want you to be hurt, because I like you so much.”
Audrey looked out the window. She did not say anything.
THE GIANT PEACH DISASTER
By Wednesday of the next week, Audrey was no longer angry at Debbie. They played together. They ate lunch together. And they sat by each other during arts and crafts.
During arts and crafts each day, Audrey worked on her book project. She had completed six drawings for Sarah, Plain and Tall. Some of her drawings were better than others. But on the whole she liked them.
Debbie had finished her clock on Tuesday. On Wednesday she brought in an old-fashioned key. She showed it to Audrey. Then she hid it inside the clock when no one was looking. She taped the clock shut.
Karen and Nancy were doing a project together. Karen had written a skit based on a book called Tutu Much Ballet, by Gabrielle Charbonnet. The book was about a girl who did not want to take ballet lessons. Karen and Nancy were acting out a chapter from it.
Hank had read about Robin Hood and his Merry Men. He was making a Robin Hood costume. Tom Baldwin was helping him with the bow and arrow.
Jannie had read James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl. She was making a huge papier-mâché peach. It was almost finished. It was bigger than a basketball. She had painted it to look like a peach. She was going to add some paper leaves to the stem.
“That peach looks like a big belly button,” said Hank.
“Oh, be quiet, Hank,” said Jannie.
All the campers were finishing up their projects. Some kids were going to recite poems. Some were going to perform skits. A couple of kids were going to show illustrations for their books, like Audrey.
The day passed. Soon most of the campers had left. Audrey’s mother was going to pick her up in just a few minutes. Audrey stacked her pictures neatly in her day-camp cub
by. Debbie waited for her. They were alone in the room.
“There. I have only one more picture to do,” said Audrey. “I will be ready on Friday.”
“Good,” said Debbie. “You have worked very hard on your project.”
Audrey took a step back. And somehow … she lost her balance. She fell backward, swinging her arms like a windmill.
“Oh!” she cried, crashing into a desk. Jannie’s humongous peach was on the desk. The peach fell to the floor. And Audrey fell on top of it.
It was very quiet in the classroom. Audrey could feel the peach under her. She had crushed it completely. She looked at Debbie. Debbie’s hands were on her cheeks.
Slowly Audrey got up. Debbie straightened the desk. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yes. But look at Jannie’s peach,” said Audrey miserably. Audrey picked up the peach and set it on the desk. It was a big, hollow, smushed mess. Audrey thought of how hard Jannie had worked on it. She leaned against the cubbies and held her head in her hands. This was terrible. What should she do?
“Goodness!” said Ms. Colman, standing in the doorway. “What happened here?”
“Well, I —” began Audrey.
“We do not know,” interrupted Debbie. “We came in to put our projects away, and we found Jannie’s peach like this.”
Audrey stared at Debbie. Debbie was lying to Ms. Colman. Audrey knew she should tell the truth. She did not want to. But she had to.
“You see, I —” Audrey began again.
“Someone must have come in here before us,” said Debbie. “It is too bad about Jannie’s peach. But we do not know what happened. We swear.”
“Hmm. I see. Very well, girls,” said Ms. Colman. “You may go. I will get to the bottom of this somehow.”
“Come on, Audrey,” said Debbie. Debbie grabbed Audrey’s backpack and pulled her out of the room.
Audrey followed her. She was very confused.
THE PEACH PROBLEM
Just as Audrey and Debbie were leaving the room, Jannie ran in.