Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Tighty Whitey
DOODLEBUG 2
by Dorren Bussey
It's not like I have nothing better to do in my life than draw a million little stripes on skinny outlines at letters.
Then why doodle?
THE PEOPLE ASK ME.
If you could see inside my head, you would unerstands.
Without a pen a or pencil in my hand, my brain keeps on bringing up TOPICS.
Ack! Overload! Must jump up and act!
But put a pen in my hand and my big old brain can finally SHUT UP and in the new quiet.
NO I CAN HEAR BIRDS again and AIRPLANES flying over and PEOPLE sniffing and my break and IT'S BETTER BETTER BETTER (except in Ms. Farley's class) and is my new motto. YEAH!!!
Doodling saves loves!
THINGS are good. are great!
Elizabeth Kaur/Colleen Callahan or, as she is know in these parts, the COOTIE CATCHER, is telling Memo's fortune with her paper-folding arts. "You will become a world-famous opera singer, Maureen." "NAH, I'm going to be a ROCK STAR." And Mom says. "That's Momo for ya. She never settles." In the kitchen, Magic Marco Pinho says, "You mean, nothing's ever good enough for her?" (HIS CHEEKS ARE EVEN PINKER THAN WHEN HE GOT HERE, AND THAT WAS ALREADY PRETTY PINK!) "Not a bit!" says Dad. "She doesn't let what anyone else says or does LIMIT her." And then he makes a great proclamation.
"EVERYBODY SHOULD MAKE THEIR OWN STOP SIGNS IN LIFE."
Hooray for that idea out isn't it time to get going? This is the reason we are all hire together at our house. All together, we are going to witness MOM'S big Cottony moment:
Jolene Bussey
show us your underwear!!!
Her underwear SIGN.
AND NOW, MS. JOLENE BUSSEY BRINGS cool, clean, cottony shine to the moon over S.F.!!
That's you! Serene as the moon over San Francisco
we drove out of the city and came back until suddenly we saw it!! I bopped Momo on the head and said, "THAT'S MY MAMA!" She waved both hands and yelled, "THAT'S MY MAMA!" Dad signed. "IT'S GORGEOUS, JO!" C.C. said, "Those are the biggest undies I've ever seen, Mrs. Bussey, Impressive!" Marco said, "Your very own sign." Mom said, "You are all very sweet." and smiled.
We dropped M.M. and C.C. off on our way home.
Marco lives in a tall, modern apartment house on be of the HIGHEST hill. "SWANKY!" says Mom.
"What does his father do?" asks Dad.
"He's a graphic artist," says Elizabeth.
"Oh, so it CAN be done!" says Mom.
Dad didn't answer.
Elizabeth lives in the cutest cottage in a long row of cute cottages. "Cute, but crowded," she says. "If Only I was on only child."
But she ahs 4 sisters.
"That's a SWEET have," says Dad. "It doesn't taken a lot of money to be happy." Says Mom.
There was silent space in the car. "Well, that's good!" Said Mama. "Since we don't have a lot of MONEY."
I said, "Yeah, well, pretty soon. TIGHTY WHITEYS will be on all the big shots in the city!!" Momo said, "You mean all the Gig Butts!!" Mom said, "From you to God's," I asked, "What will you buy?" Mom said, "A SWEET little house." DAD said, "No, a SWANKY apartment." Momo asked, "Can we take Sven?" And we all answered, "Sven is Staci's cat."
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Stuck in the Middle (of Middle School)"
by .
Copyright © 2013 Karen Romano Young.
Excerpted by permission of Feiwel and Friends.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
