Bookworm Buddies Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Yes, it’s me.”
    “Was it an exciting day at the library, dear?” asked her mother, coming down the stairs. “Did you and Mary Beth get some good books?”
    “Yes,” said Molly. It was not a lie. They had been good books. Once. Right now one was a dead book.
    “I’m going up to my room to read,” said Molly. She dashed up the steps before her mother could ask to see what books she’d chosen.
    In her room, Molly sat down at her desk to think. She got out a notebook and pencil to help her. It always felt better to make a list when there was a problem.
    She made a big “1.” Then she wrote, “Find a way to pay for Skippy’s book without my parents finding out.”
    Actually it wasn’t Skippy’s book—he had no library card. But it wasn’t her book either, anymore.
    “2,” she printed. “Help Tim earn money to pay for his book.”
    Last, she wrote, “3. Find Tracy’s book, or help her find a way to pay for it.”
    Rat’s knees, there seemed to be an awful lot of books missing! Molly wondered if any of the other Pee Wees were having book trouble.
    When meeting day came on Tuesday, Molly found out they weren’t. Everyone but Molly, Tim, and Tracy had their books safelyin book bags. Not one was damaged, lost, or eaten. And lots of the Pee Wees had book reports written!
    “Mrs. Peters!” said Rachel, waving her hand. “I have six book reports done!”
    “I have four,” said Patty Baker. “And I read a chapter out loud to my mom.”
    “I’ve got sixteen!” yelled Roger.
    “But ten of your baby books make one,” said Kenny. “So you really only have about one and a half.”
    Roger frowned and sat down.
    “How many book reports have you done?” Mary Beth asked Jody.
    Jody was not the kind of person to brag. That was one of the things Molly liked about him.
    “Oh, not many,” he said.
    But Molly could see lots of books in his bag, and lots of neatly written reports sticking out of them.

    “I think he’s got about twenty,” whispered Ashley.
    “Did you tell Mrs. Peters about losing your book?” Molly asked Tracy.
    Tracy shook her head. “No,” she said. “We have to find it, or pay for it.”
    Molly noticed she said “we.” Well, that was what Scouts were for. To help each other. If a Scout wouldn’t help, who would?
    “I’m not telling either,” said Tim.
    It was all right for them, thought Molly. They had already told Molly. But who would Molly tell about what Skippy had done? She felt that she had to tell someone or she’d explode. She wanted to tell her best friend, Mary Beth, but it was embarrassing to admit she had been careless. Especially after Tim and Tracy had asked Molly for help. And what could Mary Beth do? She didn’t have money to pay for three books!
    Molly had written three reports on favoritebooks she had read during the summer, but her heart wasn’t in it. And she’d need a lot more than three to win the prize. Three might be enough for her badge, but what would happen when Mrs. Peters found out about the book Skippy had eaten? Would that disqualify her? Maybe what she read and wrote wouldn’t count. Was there a rule that said “No badge allowed to people who were proud”? It rhymed. Or “No badge for a book read by a crook”?
    Now Molly could not stop rhyming! Her mind was spinning with funny rhymes about sad subjects.
    “No badge is what I hate, for a book my doggie ate.”
    “To the library I can jog, but my book is in my dog.”
    Too bad the badge wasn’t for writing a poem, instead of reading a book!
    Tim interrupted her thoughts by asking,
    “When are you guys going to help me earn some money for the book you ruined?”
    Molly frowned. “You ruined it first! Anyway, I’ve got problems of my own!” she said. Why wasn’t Tim grateful for all her help?
    Mary Beth looked at her. It wasn’t like Molly to be cross with her friends. “What problems?” Mary Beth asked.
    But before Molly could answer, Mrs. Peters tapped on the table. She held up