puppy’s soft fur. Carefully, she picked Bella up. She was definitely growing. Lizzie was sure the little girl puppy weighed more now than she had in the morning. Suddenly, just like that, Lizzie felt all her fear fall away. With Buddy’s help, Bella really was goingto make it. Buddy scrambled to his feet and put his head on Lizzie’s knee so he could stay close to Bella.
Lizzie petted his head. “Mom, can I read you my Persuasive Essay?” Lizzie asked.
“Sure,” Mom said. “I just finished some work, and I don’t have to pick up the Bean from day care for another hour.” Mom tapped a few keys on her computer and put it to sleep.
Lizzie put Bella back into her box, then rummaged in her backpack and pulled out her essay. She couldn’t wait for Mom to hear it. But first, she had to get ready to read. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall just like Mrs. Abeson had taught them, and took a deep breath.
“Okay. It’s called —”
The front door slammed. “Where is everybody?” Charles yelled from downstairs. “How’s Bella? Where’s Buddy?”
Lizzie gave an exasperated sigh. Charles hadbeen riding his bike home from school lately with Sammy, his best friend from next door. They liked to take the long way home, exploring a different neighborhood every day, so he always got home later than Lizzie.
“We’re all up here,” Mom called. “Bella’s fine. There are apples in the bowl on the counter.”
Lizzie could hear Charles heading into the kitchen. She picked up her essay again. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall, took a deep breath, and got ready to read. “As I was saying, it’s called —”
The doorbell rang.
Lizzie threw up her hands. Was she ever going to get to read her essay?
“Who could that be?” Mom said. She got up to go downstairs, and Lizzie followed her. There at the front door was Tina Wu.
“Hi,” she said. “You must be Mrs. Peterson. Lizzie and I met this morning, but I wanted tointroduce myself. I’m Tina Wu, your new neighbor. Thanks so much for the delicious lasagna.”
“Come in, come in,” said Lizzie’s mom. “Lizzie told me about your topsy-turvy schedule, so I’ll say good morning instead of good afternoon! You must be up early today.”
Lizzie smiled, trying to hide her impatience. She was glad to see Tina again, but now she was going to have to wait to read her essay. She really, really wanted Mom to hear it.
Mom must have noticed. “Lizzie was just about to read an essay to me,” she said to Tina. “Maybe she’d like a bigger audience.”
“I’d love to hear it,” said Tina.
Lizzie ran upstairs to get her essay. She decided to bring Bella downstairs, too. “Come on, Buddy,” she said, nudging him out of the box. Bella whimpered a little, but stopped as soon as Lizzie picked her up. Buddy followed right at Lizzie’s heels as she went back downstairs.
“Oh, can I hold her?” Tina asked, as soon as she saw Bella. “She’s so adorable.”
Lizzie brought Bella over, and Tina began to pet the tiny puppy. Bella looked completely at home cuddled up in Tina’s lap. Buddy sat at Tina’s feet, leaning against the couch and gazing up at Bella.
Lizzie picked up her essay and stood in front of the fireplace. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall, and took a deep breath. “My essay is called ‘Anybody Can Be a Mom,’” she began.
CHAPTER NINE
Charles came in, still chewing on an apple. He joined Mom and Tina on the couch as Lizzie continued to read. “‘This week, my family is fostering a newborn puppy named Bella. Bella’s mom, Sissy, is sick, and Bella’s brothers died. Bella could have died, too. But she is going to make it. And I learned something from watching our dog, Buddy, help take care of Bella.’” Lizzie paused to give her next words special weight. She made eye contact with each of her audience members. Then she went on.
“‘It’s this: If you give birth to a baby, then you become
Lizzie petted his head. “Mom, can I read you my Persuasive Essay?” Lizzie asked.
“Sure,” Mom said. “I just finished some work, and I don’t have to pick up the Bean from day care for another hour.” Mom tapped a few keys on her computer and put it to sleep.
Lizzie put Bella back into her box, then rummaged in her backpack and pulled out her essay. She couldn’t wait for Mom to hear it. But first, she had to get ready to read. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall just like Mrs. Abeson had taught them, and took a deep breath.
“Okay. It’s called —”
The front door slammed. “Where is everybody?” Charles yelled from downstairs. “How’s Bella? Where’s Buddy?”
Lizzie gave an exasperated sigh. Charles hadbeen riding his bike home from school lately with Sammy, his best friend from next door. They liked to take the long way home, exploring a different neighborhood every day, so he always got home later than Lizzie.
“We’re all up here,” Mom called. “Bella’s fine. There are apples in the bowl on the counter.”
Lizzie could hear Charles heading into the kitchen. She picked up her essay again. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall, took a deep breath, and got ready to read. “As I was saying, it’s called —”
The doorbell rang.
Lizzie threw up her hands. Was she ever going to get to read her essay?
“Who could that be?” Mom said. She got up to go downstairs, and Lizzie followed her. There at the front door was Tina Wu.
“Hi,” she said. “You must be Mrs. Peterson. Lizzie and I met this morning, but I wanted tointroduce myself. I’m Tina Wu, your new neighbor. Thanks so much for the delicious lasagna.”
“Come in, come in,” said Lizzie’s mom. “Lizzie told me about your topsy-turvy schedule, so I’ll say good morning instead of good afternoon! You must be up early today.”
Lizzie smiled, trying to hide her impatience. She was glad to see Tina again, but now she was going to have to wait to read her essay. She really, really wanted Mom to hear it.
Mom must have noticed. “Lizzie was just about to read an essay to me,” she said to Tina. “Maybe she’d like a bigger audience.”
“I’d love to hear it,” said Tina.
Lizzie ran upstairs to get her essay. She decided to bring Bella downstairs, too. “Come on, Buddy,” she said, nudging him out of the box. Bella whimpered a little, but stopped as soon as Lizzie picked her up. Buddy followed right at Lizzie’s heels as she went back downstairs.
“Oh, can I hold her?” Tina asked, as soon as she saw Bella. “She’s so adorable.”
Lizzie brought Bella over, and Tina began to pet the tiny puppy. Bella looked completely at home cuddled up in Tina’s lap. Buddy sat at Tina’s feet, leaning against the couch and gazing up at Bella.
Lizzie picked up her essay and stood in front of the fireplace. She cleared her throat, stood up straight and tall, and took a deep breath. “My essay is called ‘Anybody Can Be a Mom,’” she began.
CHAPTER NINE
Charles came in, still chewing on an apple. He joined Mom and Tina on the couch as Lizzie continued to read. “‘This week, my family is fostering a newborn puppy named Bella. Bella’s mom, Sissy, is sick, and Bella’s brothers died. Bella could have died, too. But she is going to make it. And I learned something from watching our dog, Buddy, help take care of Bella.’” Lizzie paused to give her next words special weight. She made eye contact with each of her audience members. Then she went on.
“‘It’s this: If you give birth to a baby, then you become
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