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that about me? Did I hear my name? Of course you’re talking about me, but how aboutkeeping down the noise? Can’t a puppy get some sleep around here?
    “Just wait,” Lizzie warned. “If he spends much more time around her, Buddy will turn into a yappy dog, just like Princess.”
    Princess barked again at the sound of her name.
    “Really, Lizzie,” Mom said. “Princess isn’t that bad.”
    “No, she isn’t!” Charles said. Why couldn’t Lizzie learn to love Princess? “She’s cute, and she’s really smart, and —”
    Just then, Buddy let out three little barks and put his
other
paw up on Charles’s knee. Lizzie made a
“See?”
face, and Charles trailed off. What if Princess really
was
teaching Buddy bad habits? He had to find this spoiled — but wonderful — puppy a forever home. And he had to do it soon.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    It was Saturday, and Aunt Amanda and Charles were on their way to the library for the second Reading With Rover session. It had been a little over a week since the tiny Yorkie had come to live with Charles and his family, and the truth was that the Petersons had just about had it with Princess.
    Dad said Princess was a good teacher — “a little
too
good” — when it came to the way she had taught Buddy to beg for special treats.
    Lizzie was sick of Princess always having to be the center of attention.
    Mom was tired of moving Princess’s palace all over the house, from the living room, where she napped during the day, to Charles’s room, where she slept at night, to the porch, where she hadto have it as a resting place during outdoor playtime.
    The Bean was acting cranky because
he
wasn’t getting enough attention.
    Buddy was acting naughty for the same reason.
    As for Charles? Charles still liked Princess a lot. But he had to admit that he wished he had never seen the List. He could not believe how complicated it could be to take care of one tiny puppy.
    It seemed like Charles had been spending almost all his free time making sure that Princess was happy. Now, even on Saturday, when he had thought he might be enjoying a little break from taking care of Princess, he was not. True, he was with Aunt Amanda. True, they were on their way to the library. But this time, Bowser was not the only dog in the back of Aunt Amanda’s van. This time, Princess was there, too, tucked inside her pink palace.
    Princess wasn’t coming to be part of ReadingWith Rover. For one thing, she hadn’t been to the training program. For another, it would be too distracting for the kids to have an extra dog on hand. No, Princess was just along for the ride.
    It was cool enough outside so she would be safe waiting in the van, as long as it was parked in the shade with the windows cracked open, while Charles and Amanda were in the library. (Charles knew you should
never
leave a dog in a car with the windows up. The inside of a closed-up car can get way too hot for a dog, even if it’s not hot outside.)
    And, after Reading With Rover was over, Charles and Aunt Amanda were going to take Princess over to Bowser’s Backyard for some playtime with other dogs. All of this would give the rest of the Petersons, including Buddy, a much-needed break.
    Charles got a break, too. While he was at Reading With Rover, he would not have to think about how to take care of Princess. He would nothave to pay attention to picking out a bow that perfectly matched that day’s T-shirt (FASHION: Part One) or figuring out which leash went with which collar (FASHION: Part Two) . All he had to do was help Aunt Amanda.
    When they got to the library, Nathaniel was already there, waiting. He looked happy to see them, even if he didn’t run over to throw his arms around Bowser. And once again, Charles ended up doing most of the reading. Nathaniel still seemed to be nervous about sitting too close to the big dog, so he sat on Aunt Amanda’s lap while Charles sat next to Bowser, stroking the dog’s long, silky ears while he read. Charles