said.
Father looked puzzled. âWhat does he mean?â
Abby knew. âHe means the bows on their bedroom curtains.â
âYes,â said Jimmy. âAll girl things come down.â
Mother nodded. âAll frills must go. You and Sung, er . . . Shawn can help us change your room to look like a boyâs room.â
Jimmy danced a jig.
Shawn tossed his silver dog tag in the air. âYes!â
Abby went to get the camera. Her father took pictures of all the kids.
âThereâs a surprise for you,â Abby whispered to Shawn.
âSurprise?â Shawnâs dark eyes sparkled.
âAfter dinner.â
At the table, Father said to join hands. Everyone bowed heads for a Thanksgiving prayer.
When Amen was said, Shawn spoke up. âI say thank you to God for new family. Big thank you.â
Abby smiled at him across the table.
After dinner, Abby met her father in his study. âAre we ready for the you-know-what?â
He hugged her. âItâs just the right time.â
Abby called Shawn. She led him to Carlyâs room. She slid the skinny door open to the secret place. She held her breath.
There was a fluffy puppy wagging its flouncy tail!
Shawnâs eyes shone. He sat on the floor and the puppy jumped all over him. He laughed so hard he fell backwards. The puppy stood on his chest and licked his face.
Carly and Jimmy came running. The puppy yipped at them.
âGoody!â said Carly. âIs she ours?â
âWe adopted her,â said Abby. âBut mostly sheâs Shawnâs.â
âA good surprise,â said Shawn, giggling.
âI can think of two more good surprises.â First she looked at Jimmy, then at Shawn. âA double dabble surprise,â said Abby.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beverly Lewis remembers waiting for the mail as a kid. She wrote lots of letters to pen pals and other friends. (Still does!)
Beverly and her younger sister, Barbara, had lots of fun with their neighborhood friends. They made âMushy Goo-Gooââa secret recipe that included a little water and lots of dirt. They dressed their cats in doll clothes. They hitched up Maxie, their Eskimo Spitz, to a sled and went to the store in a blizzard.
They even had a carnival to raise money for a Jerryâs Kids Telethon. And ended up in the newspaper, and later got to be on TV!
If you like books that tickle your funny bone, look for Beverlyâs next books in the Cul-de-sac Kids series.
Visit Beverlyâs Web site at www.BeverlyLewis.com .
THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES
Donât miss #2
CHICKEN POX PANIC
Abby Hunter is planning a birthday cake her brother will never forget. Will she be able to keep it a secret from him? Or will her little sister's big mouth get in the way?
As the party day nears, Abbyâs best friend, Stacy Henry, needs help solving a mystery. Abby goes broke playing detective. How will she buy the birthday stuff now?
Then, three days before Shawnâs party, he breaks out with chicken pox! Abbyâs in a panic. One by one, the rest of the Cul-de-sac Kids come down with the itchy gitchy pox. What could be worse?
Also by Beverly Lewis
Amish Prayers
The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook
G IRLS O NLY (GO!)â
Youth Fiction
Girls Only! Volume One ⢠Girls Only! Volume Two
S UMMER H ILL S ECRETS â¡
Youth Fiction
SummerHill Secrets: Volume One ⢠SummerHill Secrets: Volume Two
H OLLYâS H EART
Youth Fiction
Hollyâs Heart: Collection One⡠⢠Hollyâs Heart: Collection Two â¡
Hollyâs Heart: Collection Threeâ
S EASONS OF G RACE
Adult Fiction
The Secret ⢠The Missing ⢠The Telling
A BRAMâS D AUGHTERS
Adult Fiction
The Covenant ⢠The Betrayal ⢠The Sacrifice
The Prodigal ⢠The Revelation
A NNIEâS P EOPLE
Adult Fiction
The Preacherâs Daughter ⢠The Englisher ⢠The Brethren
T HE R OSE T RILOGY
Adult Fiction
The Thorn â¢