Karen's Paper Route

  The author gratefully acknowledges

  Stephanie Calmenson

  for her help

  with this book.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  1 Tag, You Are It!

  2 Big House, Big Lunch

  3 Work, Work, Work!

  4 But I Want It Now!

  5 Karen’s Idea

  6 Job Hunting

  7 Wanted!

  8 Teamwork

  9 Bright and Early

  10 Picky, Picky!

  11 A Mysterious Friend

  12 Ribbons or Rubber Bands?

  13 The Rules

  14 A for Effort

  15 There She Is!

  16 A Miserable Morning

  17 Sam and Charlie to the Rescue

  18 A Big Relief

  19 Mrs. Casper

  20 Moonbeam

  About the Author

  Also Available

  Copyright

  Tag, You Are It!

  It was a sunny Saturday in May. My favorite kind of day.

  My friends and I were outside playing a game of tree tag. In tree tag, if you are touching a tree, you are safe from being tagged.

  Hannie Papadakis had her eye on me. I was nowhere near a tree. And Hannie was it.

  “You would not!” I said. “We are best friends.”

  “I would,” she replied. “And I am going to get you right now.”

  She raced after me and tapped my arm.

  “Tag, you are it!” she called.

  Boo. Oh, well. I really do not mind being it. I like running after my friends and trying to tag them. I love running and playing.

  My name is Karen Brewer. I am seven years old. I have blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles. I wear glasses. I wear my blue pair when I am reading. I wear my pink pair when I am playing tag and doing just about everything else. (Well, not sleeping.)

  I saw David Michael out of the corner of my eye and headed in his direction. He saw me coming and raced to the closest tree before I could reach him.

  Boo. Big boo! I like tagging my seven-year-old stepbrother. I would just have to try again later.

  Callie and Keith Bates were racing by me, giggling. (They are twins and they are only four.) I ran to catch them. They grabbed on to each other and started screaming as soon as I got near them.

  “You need to touch a tree to be safe, not each other!” I said.

  That made them scream even louder. They started hopping up and down instead of running toward a tree. I decided not to tag them even though I was close enough. I was afraid whoever I tagged might start to cry.

  I spun around fast and reached out.

  “Tag, you are it!” I called.

  I did it! David Michael was trying to slip past me, but I got him.

  “Karen and David Michael! It is time to come inside for lunch,” called Kristy.

  Kristy is my big stepsister. She is thirteen years old and the best sister ever.

  I was having fun playing tag, but I was also getting hungry.

  “See you later!” I called to my friends.

  “I am going to visit my relatives later. We are staying overnight,” said Hannie. “So I will see you on Monday.”

  “Have a good time,” I replied.

  I followed David Michael inside. I knew a delicious lunch was waiting for us.

  Big House, Big Lunch

  Saturday lunches at the big house are the best. We bring out all the leftovers from the week and line them up on our kitchen table. Then everyone gets a plate and starts filling it.

  This is what I took: tuna salad, cold spaghetti, pickles, corn chips, guacamole. Does that sound weird? It was not. It was an excellent lunch.

  The reason we have so much food is that there are so many of us. Right now there are nine people at the big house. And that is only part of my family. I will tell you the story of my family, in case you want to know.

  A long time ago, when I was very young, my family was just Mommy, Daddy, Andrew, and me. (Andrew is my little brother. He is four going on five.) We all lived together right here in this big house, in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.

  Then Mommy and Daddy got divorced. My one small family split up, and then it grew. This is how.

  Mommy moved out with Andrew and me to a little house not far away. Then she met a very nice man named Seth. She and Seth got married and now Seth is my stepfather. Seth brought along his dog, Midgie, and his cat, Rocky.

  We all lived together in the little house with Emily Junior, my pet rat, and Bob, Andrew’s hermit crab. That is, until recently. You see, Seth had to move to Chicago for a few months to take a very good job. Mommy, Andrew, and I went with him. But I missed Stoneybrook so much I came back. So for now, Mommy, Seth, and Andrew live in Chicago, and I live here in the big house.

  The big house is where Daddy stayed after the divorce. (It is the house he grew up in.) He also met someone very nice and got married again. She is Elizabeth and now she is my stepmother. Elizabeth was married once before and has four children. They are my stepbrothers and stepsister. They are David Michael, Kristy, Sam and Charlie. (Sam and Charlie are so old they are in high school.)

  My other sister is Emily Michelle, who is two and a half. Daddy and Elizabeth adopted her from a faraway country called Vietnam. I love her a lot, which is why I named my rat after her.

  Nannie, my stepgrandmother, also lives at the big house. She is Elizabeth’s mother.

  Here are the pets: They are Shannon, David Michael’s big Bernese mountain dog puppy; Scout, our training-to-be-a-guide-dog puppy; Boo-Boo, Daddy’s cranky old cat; Crystal Light the Second, my goldfish; and Goldfishie, Andrew’s fish. When Andrew asked Goldfishie to move to Chicago, the answer was no. At least we think it was. That is why Goldfishie stayed behind.

  Before the move to Chicago, Andrew and I switched houses almost every month — we spent one month at the big house, then one month at the little house. That is when I gave us our special names. I call us Andrew Two-Two and Karen Two-Two. (I thought up those names after my teacher read a book to our class. It was called Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang.) I call us those names because we have two of so many things. We have two families with two mommies and two daddies. We each have two sets of toys and clothes and books. We have two bicycles, one at each house. I also have two best friends. Hannie lives across the street and one house over from the big house. Nancy Dawes lives next door to the little house.

  That is my story. While I was telling it to you, I ate everything on my plate. It was very delicious. I think I need a refill.

  Work, Work, Work!

  I woke up on Sunday with the sun streaming through my window. It was another beautiful day.

  I remembered that Hannie was not around. Nancy had said she would be busy with her family too. I decided to see what my family was doing.

  “Is there anything special for breakfast?” I asked. On Sundays, Nannie sometimes makes pancakes or waffles. Or Daddy buys muffins and bagels.

  “I am sorry, Karen,” said Nannie. “I have a rush order to fill this afternoon. I have been up since early this morning making my candies.”

  Nannie started a home candy-making business. She works out of the new kitchen that used to be our pantry. I should have known she had started cooking from the good, sweet smells drifting around the house.

  I did not see Daddy. Maybe he was out shopping. I peeked out the window. His car was in the driveway. Then I heard papers rustling in his office. (Daddy works at home.)

  Oh, well. It was a Krispy Krunchies morning. I put some strawberries on my cereal and gobbled my breakfast down.

  Now it was time to have fun. Maybe Kristy would do something fun with me. I knocked on the door to her room. K
risty was tying back her hair. She looked as if she were getting ready to go somewhere.

  “What are you doing today?” I asked. “Do you want to do something fun with me?”

  “I would like to, Karen. But I got called yesterday for a last-minute baby-sitting job,” she replied.

  “Too bad,” I said.

  I looked for David Michael. He was not in his room. I found him in the den with Elizabeth. He was piling up papers and stapling them together.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I have a crash deadline,” replied Elizabeth. Elizabeth works for an advertising company. I used to think her job was boring. Then she put my classmates and me into a Wacky Cracky Bubble Gum commercial. It was so much fun!

  “I am helping,” replied David Michael.

  “Oh,” I said. I slipped away.

  Nannie said that Sam was at the A&P. (That is where he works.) And Charlie was driving around delivering flowers for the flower shop. (They were having a busy day and needed extra drivers.)

  Hmmph. The only ones who did not have jobs were me, Emily Michelle, and our pets.

  I thought about getting a job myself. It could be a good thing. Or not. Good thing. Not a good thing. Good thing. Not a good thing.

  I could see it both ways.

  Finally I decided not to decide. Instead I went outside to ride my bike. It was the weekend and I was going to have fun.

  I had a very good time too, even without my family. I rode my bike, played with some kids in the neighborhood, and read a funny book out in the yard. So there.

  But I Want It Now!

  I had a very good day at school on Monday. I answered all my math problems right. And I won a class spelling bee. (I am a very good speller. I even won a county spelling bee once.)

  After school I ate a snack, did my homework, then watched TV. (It was raining, so I did not go outside to play.)

  While I was watching, I saw a commercial for Moonbeam, the new video game system. I had heard some kids talking about it at recess. They said it sounded really cool and they all wanted to buy it. I could see why. The commercial showed kids playing very exciting games.

  The voice on TV boomed, “Light up your life with Moonbeam, the new video game system. Moonbeam is the only way you’ll get to play the latest, greatest games. Don’t be left in the stardust. Buy Moonbeam. Landing in stores soon!”

  That was it. I had to have it. I love video games. And I did not want to be left in the stardust.

  I headed straight for Daddy’s office and poked my head in the door.

  “May I ask you a question, Daddy? It will only take a minute,” I said.

  “A big minute, or a little minute?” asked Daddy. He was smiling.

  “A medium-size minute,” I replied. Then I asked my question. “There is a new video game system coming out. It is called Moon-beam. It looks very exciting and I would love to have it. Would you buy it for me? Please?” I asked.

  I could tell my minute was up.

  “I will think about it,” replied Daddy. “Maybe I will get it for you for Christmas.”

  “Christmas? That is such a long time from now! Moonbeam will be landing in stores soon.”

  “I am sorry, Karen. We do not need a new game system. It can wait,” said Daddy.

  “But I want it now!” I groaned.

  “I am sorry, Karen. My answer is no.”

  “May I please call Chicago? I have an important question to ask Mommy,” I said.

  “I know the question,” Daddy said. “And the answer is no, you may not call Chicago to ask it.”

  “May I call Granny in Nebraska?” I asked. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again, right? Wrong.

  “Absolutely not,” replied Daddy.

  Boo and bullfrogs. It was May. Christmas was in December. The end of December. That was nearly eight months away. I could not wait that long. I just could not.

  Karen’s Idea

  When I left Daddy’s office, I nearly smacked into David Michael.

  “I heard what you were asking,” he said. “I saw the commercial for Moonbeam too. It sounds so cool. I do not have enough money to buy it either.”

  Hmm. I was starting to get an idea.

  “You do not have enough money. Does that mean you have some money?” I asked.

  “I have saved up a lot. I have about half of what Moonbeam costs,” said David Michael.

  “That is good news!” I said. “I will be right back.”

  I ran upstairs to my room. I took out my savings and counted it carefully. It was nowhere near what David Michael had saved. But I was not going to let that stop me. I ran back downstairs.

  “Here is my idea,” I said. “Let’s ask Daddy if you and I can buy Moonbeam together. That way we will not have to wait for Christmas.”

  “All right! I think we should ask him right now,” said David Michael.

  We knocked on Daddy’s office door.

  “May we come in?” I asked.

  “Of course you can,” replied Daddy.

  “We do not want to wait until Christmas to get Moonbeam,” said David Michael. “We want to get it as soon as it comes out.”

  “We want to buy it together,” I said. “Is that okay with you?”

  “I cannot see why not,” said Daddy. “Do you each have enough money saved up?”

  “I do!” replied David Michael. “I have enough for half.”

  “I do not have half yet. But I will,” I replied. “I am going to get a job. What do you think of that?”

  Daddy thought for a minute, then said, “I think it is a good idea, if you can handle the job responsibly.”

  “I will be the most responsible worker in Stoneybrook history,” I replied.

  “I guess that does it, then,” said Daddy. “As soon as you have enough money, I will drive you two downtown to buy Moon-beam.”

  Yes! David Michael and I gave each other the thumbs-up sign.

  “By the way, Karen,” said Daddy. “What kind of job do you plan to get?”

  Hmm. I had not thought about that yet. What kind of job could a seven-year-old get who needed to make money fast?

  “Um, I will have to let you know,” I replied. “I am sure I will have the answer for you right away.”

  Job Hunting

  I went upstairs and flopped down on my bed with a pad of paper and a pencil. At the very top of a page I wrote in giant letters, “JOBS.” Below that, I wrote a big number one.

  “I need to think of a job I can do to earn money fast,” I said to Moosie, my stuffed cat. “Do you have any ideas?”

  I always know what Moosie is thinking. Now he was thinking about jobs I could do around the house. Such as dusting and watching Emily.

  “I have done those kinds of jobs before,” I said to Moosie. “They do not pay enough money. It would take me until Christmas to earn what I need. I do not want to wait that long.”

  I needed another kind of job. A job in the real world. A job that would pay a lot of money, and fast.

  Maybe I would have to go to the library to get a book about jobs. Wait! Instead of getting a book, maybe I could write a book. I am a very good writer.

  I wrote, “WRITE A BOOK” in big letters next to the number one on my list. I did not even have to write the number two. This was the job I wanted.

  I turned to a fresh page in my pad. I was ready to write my book. All I had to do was decide what I wanted to write about. I tapped the pencil against my cheek and waited for an idea to come.

  I had one idea after another, but none of them seemed right. Then I remembered when an author visited us at school. He said it sometimes takes a long time to get an idea you really want to work on. Then it can take a long time to write it the way you want.

  But I did not have a long time. I wanted to make money right away. I decided being an author would have to wait. I needed to think of another way to make money.

  I wrote a big number two on my list. In no time I had a new job idea. Nex
t to the number two I wrote, “DETECTIVE.”

  Not long ago I found a map stuck in a wall at the little house. It was an old map and hard to follow. But with a little help from Kristy and Andrew, I found a hidden treasure in the backyard. It was a trunk filled with valuable coins.

  But I did not find the treasure the first time I tried. Or the second. In fact, I dug up quite a bit of the backyard before finding the right place. Mommy and Seth were not too happy.

  Maybe being a detective was not such a good plan.

  I wrote a big number three on my list and soon had another idea. I am very good at grooming horses. At pony camp, I got a prize for grooming my horse, Blueberry.

  But there are not too many horses in Stoneybrook.

  “I am not doing very well at this Moosie,” I said. “Job hunting is hard work. I want a raise!”

  Wanted!

  After dinner Nannie went into the den to read the paper. I remembered that Sam had looked at the want ads to find his job at the supermarket.

  “Excuse me, Nannie. Are you through with the job page?” I asked.

  Nannie knew that I needed to make money to buy Moonbeam with David Michael.

  “You are welcome to the job page, Karen,” she replied.

  I took the page and plopped down on the couch. Then I popped up.

  “I will be back,” I said. “I need to get a pencil. I am sure there will be a lot of ads for me to circle.”

  I came back with a sharpened red pencil and started reading. But I was having a problem. Most of the ads were in some kind of code.

  “Nannie, what is a secy?” I asked. “Is it a very hard job?”

  “Secy is short for secretary,” Nannie replied.

  “Too bad,” I said.

  I could do some parts of a secretary’s job very well. I am good at taking phone messages. (Well, most of the time. There have been times I have been in big trouble for not reporting important messages.) But I am not the best typist yet. So I did not circle the ad.

  “What is an oppty?” I asked.

  “Let me see,” said Nannie. She looked at the place where I was pointing. It said, OPPTY OF A LIFETIME!