Amy's Very Merry Christmas Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 Snowy and Alfie

  Chapter 2 Pet Presents

  Chapter 3 ’Tis Better to Give . . .

  Chapter 4 You’re Invited

  Chapter 5 From the Heart

  Chapter 6 Fingers Crossed

  Chapter 7 Ah-CHOO!

  Chapter 8 A Glimmer of Hope

  Chapter 9 Snowy and Alfie Go Home

  Chapter 10 A Christmas Surprise

  ‘Ellie and the Good-Luck Pig’ Excerpt

  About Callie Barkley and Marsha Riti

  Snowy and Alfie

  At her mom’s vet clinic, Amy Purvis peeked into the guinea pigs’ cage. She had just hung a new toy from its top. Will they figure out how to play with it? Amy wondered.

  Snowy, the white guinea pig, tried it out first. He sniffed at the jingle bell dangling at the end of a silver velvet ribbon. Jingle. The bell rang softly. Snowy darted away and hid inside a tissue box.

  His brother, Alfie, came over next. He nudged the bell with his paw. Jingle-jingle!

  Before long, the two guinea pigs were taking turns batting at the bell.

  Amy smiled as she watched them play. “Happy holidays, guys!”

  It was a week before Christmas. Snowy and Alfie had been staying at the vet clinic for a few days. Their owner had brought them in because they seemed sick. They hadn’t been eating or moving around much. But Amy’s mom, Dr. Melanie Purvis, had known exactly what to do.

  “Look at them now!” Amy’s mom said, walking up behind Amy. “You see? They just weren’t getting enough vitamin C before. It’s a common problem for guinea pigs.” Dr. Purvis had fed the guinea pigs lots of oranges and kiwi fruit. “They’re just about well enough to go home.”

  Amy gave a happy clap. “Yay! Home in time for the holidays!” she said.

  Amy loved animals, so she also loved helping out at her mom’s clinic. It was in the building right next door to Amy’s house, where she lived with her mom. On some weekdays, after school let out, Amy brought her homework over to the clinic. She sat at the front desk, did her reading and math, then helped with chores.

  Today she cleaned out cages, refilled water bowls, and took two dogs for walks. But making the toy for Snowy and Alfie had been the most fun.

  “Mom,” said Amy. “I just got an idea: I’m going to make a present for each animal at the clinic.”

  Dr. Purvis gave Amy a hug. “I think that’s very nice of you,” she said. “Maybe your Critter Club friends would like to help?”

  “Yes!” said Amy. She and her best friends, Marion, Liz, and Ellie, ran an animal shelter called The Critter Club in their friend Ms. Sullivan’s barn. Together, the girls had helped lots of stray animals in Santa Vista find new homes.

  Right now, the club didn’t have any animal guests. So it was the perfect time for the girls to find some other critters to help.

  The animals at the clinic need some holiday cheer, Amy decided. This is most certainly a job for The Critter Club!

  Pet Presents

  Amy shared her idea with the girls the next day, and they all loved it. After school, the four friends met at The Critter Club. They had some chores to do to keep the barn tidy. Then the rest of the afternoon was free to work on presents for the animals at the vet clinic. And, since it was Friday, they got to have a sleepover at Amy’s house that night! Everyone was excited.

  “This is going to be so fun!” Ellie exclaimed, ­sitting down at the work­table.

  “I know!” said Liz. “I love making presents. It’s one of my favorite things to do around the holidays.”

  “My mom said we can go over to the clinic whenever we want to deliver them,” Amy added.

  “It will be fun to watch the animals play with the little things we make!” said Marion.

  The girls unpacked the materials they had brought. Ellie’s Nana Gloria had lent Ellie her sewing bag. Inside were fabric scraps, colored ribbons, yarn, and buttons. Marion, whose dad did woodworking, had some leftover pieces of wood and sandpaper. Amy had found a few more jingly bells at the bottom of the Christmas ornament box. Liz, the artist, had brought her art set. It was full of paints, markers, and a small pad of paper.

  “Let’s make a list of the animals at the clinic,” Marion said. “That way we won’t forget anyone.”

  Amy listed off all the animals while Marion wrote down their names.

  Next the girls began making gifts. They started simple, with more toys like Snowy and Alfie’s jingling bell. Then they decided to use fabric scraps to make the toys extra fun. They made a mouse bell for Mittens the cat, and a cheese bell for Pinky the mouse.

  Ms. Sullivan and Rufus, her dog, stopped in to say hello, and the girls excitedly explained their project. Ms. Sullivan smiled. “It sounds like you girls are getting into the holiday spirit,” she said.

  She helped the girls with the sewing on a toy fly for a frog named Croaker.

  They even made a floating bell toy for a fish!

  Soon the girls had a special treat for each of the animals on their list. They packed up the things they’d made. Ms. Sullivan gave them a ride over to the vet clinic.

  “Thank you for all your help, Ms. Sullivan!” Amy called as the girls got out of the car.

  Inside, Dr. Purvis was sitting at the front desk.

  “Mom, look!” Amy exclaimed. “We have something for every one of your patients!”

  Dr. Purvis looked excitedly over their handiwork. “You four have been very busy!” She carefully checked each toy to make sure it was safe for the animals to play with. “No loose pieces, no drippy glue they could eat—everything looks wonderful! Thank you so much!”

  The girls smiled. “We had fun making them,” Liz said. “We hope they have fun playing with them!”

  Just then a quiet jingling came from the far end of the front desk. Alfie was batting at the bell toy in his cage.

  Amy brought her friends over so she could introduce them to the guinea pigs. “These are the little guys I was telling you about,” Amy said. Then, remembering something, she looked up at her mom. “Wait. I thought they were going home this morning.”

  Dr. Purvis sighed. “I thought so too,” she said. “But their owner called . . . with bad news. She just moved and her new apartment building doesn’t allow pets. She’s really upset, but she can’t keep them.”

  “Oh no!” Amy cried. Poor Alfie and Snowy!

  Christmas was only six days away. It seemed the guinea pigs might not be home for the holidays, after all.

  ’Tis Better to Give . . .

  “What will happen to Snowy and Alfie?” Ellie moaned. “Where will they go? Who will take care of them? Oh, those poor, poor little guinea pigs!”

  The girls were in Amy’s room, getting ready for bed. Ellie, Marion, and Liz had unrolled their sleeping bags.

  “Ellie, it’s okay,” Amy said gently. Ellie had a way of getting swept away by her feelings—whether they were feelings of happiness or worry. “My mom will take good care of them for now.”

  Liz added, “And we can help find them a new home. We are The Critter Club, after all!”

  Marion pulled her calendar out of her backpack. “It would be nice to find them a new home by Christmas,” she said.

  Amy nodded. “Maybe we can get them adopted fast!” Amy saw a folded piece of paper fall out of Marion’s calendar. “Hey, what’s that?”

  Marion picked up the paper and clutched it to her chest. “Oh, nothing,” she said with a sly smile. “Just a list of Chanukah gift ideas for my family.” Marion paused. “And my friends,” she added.

  “Ooooh!” Ellie cooed. “Let me see?”

  Marion shook her head. “No way! That would ruin the surprise! But I can r
ead some of it to you.” She unfolded the paper and peeked at it. “I’m doing a number theme this year with my family. Tonight is the sixth night of Chanukah. So I gave my sister, Gabby, six pretty hair clips. For the seventh night, I’m giving my mom and dad seven ­coupons. They can cash them in for chores I’ll do.”

  Amy, Ellie, and Liz agreed it was a fun idea. “How about the eighth night?” Liz asked.

  Marion explained she had the perfect present for Coco, her horse: eight shiny red apples!

  Later the girls talked about their favorite things about the holidays. Ellie loved Christmas music. Liz loved the decorations, no matter what holiday they were for. Amy looked forward to having her family together. Marion loved holiday parties.

  “Parties!” Ellie said, putting down her pen. “I love parties too! We should have a holiday party!”

  “Yeah!” said Liz. “Maybe we could have it at The Critter Club?”

  What a great idea! thought Amy. “We can invite Ms. Sullivan and Rufus,” Amy said. “And maybe Snowy and Alfie can come too! Is there anyone else we should invite?”

  Then, suddenly, Amy had an idea that surprised her. Usually she liked small parties better than big ones. But at that moment, she thought of a good reason to invite as many people as possible!

  “Hey!” Amy exclaimed. “Maybe we can have a party and find a home for the guinea pigs . . . at the same time!”

  You’re Invited

  On her way to The Critter Club on Saturday afternoon, Amy stopped her bike at every house she passed. Inside each mailbox, she put a small piece of paper that said:

  By the time she got to The Critter Club, Amy had no invitations left. She had delivered them all, and she’d bet Marion, Liz, and Ellie had done the same with theirs. The girls were meeting at The Critter Club to decorate. They only had two days to get the place ready for the big party!

  “Hello Amy dear!” Ms. Sullivan called as Amy walked in. Ms. Sullivan was up on a ladder, hanging lights. Liz was holding the ladder steady.

  “Hi Ms. Sullivan!” Amy replied. She knelt down to greet Rufus as he came running over and licked her face. “Hello to you too, Rufus!”

  Amy helped out by ­hanging holly, wreaths, and lights all around the barn. Marion set up folding chairs. Ellie swept the barn floor.

  “Ms. Sullivan, thanks for letting us use all these great decorations,” Marion said as they worked.

  “You’re welcome!” Ms. Sullivan replied. “I have more holiday stuff than I need. I’m happy you can use it.” She climbed down the ladder and dusted her hands off on her skirt. “I have no guests coming this year. So I’m not even sure it’s worth the energy to decorate the house.”

  Amy turned, a wreath in her hand. “No guests?” she asked. Ms. Sullivan and Rufus lived in a huge house, just the two of them. “Ms. Sullivan, you should come to my house for Christmas! My dad and Julia and Chloe are coming over. It’s going to be so fun.” Julia was the fiancée of Amy’s dad, and Chloe was Julia’s daughter. Amy’s parents had been divorced for years, but they were still friends.

  “No, no!” Ellie chimed in. “Come to my house for Christmas. Rufus and Sam could play all day long!” Sam was Ellie’s family’s golden retriever.

  Liz smiled at Ms. Sullivan. “Or you could come to my house! My dad is making a tofurkey. It tastes like turkey, but it’s really tofu!”

  Marion put her hands on her hips. “And you should come to mine for Chanukah! Tomorrow night is the last night!”

  Ms. Sullivan laughed and pulled all the girls close to her. “Oh, you girls are so sweet. But you know what? I won’t be all alone. I’ve got Rufus to keep me company. Right, Rufus?”

  Rufus ran to Ms. Sullivan’s feet. He barked happily in reply.

  “See?” Ms. Sullivan said, smiling. “Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”

  But Amy wasn’t so sure. A “just fine” Christmas didn’t sound as much fun as a very merry one. She didn’t like the idea of Ms. Sullivan and Rufus being all by themselves for the holidays.

  And she was determined to do something about it.

  From the Heart

  Finally, it was party time. When Amy and her mom got to The Critter Club on Monday evening, Ms. Sullivan, Ellie, Liz, and Marion were already there. The barn looked beautiful. All the lights and the decorations made it look like a holiday wonderland.

  “Wow!” said Ellie as Amy and her mom put down a huge tray of sandwiches they had made. “Those should feed everyone!”

  “Have you gotten any RSVPs?” Amy asked Ms. Sullivan. “Is anyone coming?”

  Ms. Sullivan nodded. “Lots!” she replied. “I think people are very excited to meet Snowy and Alfie.”

  The guinea pigs’ cage was on a big table in the middle of the barn. Amy went over to say hello. She noticed right away that they were each wearing a little red-and-green Christmas hat.

  “Oh! They’re all dressed up!” Amy exclaimed. “How sweet!”

  Liz giggled. “It was Marion’s idea.”

  Marion shrugged. “Well, they are the party hosts!”

  Before the guests started to arrive, Amy and her friends exchanged some small gifts they’d brought for one another. Marion passed out tote bags she had decorated herself. Liz gave hand-lettered bedroom door signs, each with the girl’s name written in purple cursive. Ellie handed out note cards. “I wrote songs about each of you!” Ellie said proudly. “I can sing them for you later, if you want.”

  Amy gave her friends homemade treats she had baked the day before. She and her mom loved baking together, especially at holiday time.

  Liz sniffed at the bread in her basket. “I smell gingerbread!” she said. “Yummy!”

  Walking by, Ms. Sullivan stopped to breathe in the delicious scent. “What a wonderful Christmas aroma!” she said. “When I was a girl, my mother always baked ginger­bread cookies at this time of year.”

  Amy watched Ms. Sullivan’s face. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes looked a little . . . sad. Or was Amy just imagining it?

  Amy’s friends pulled her in for a big group hug. They thanked one another for their presents. At that moment Amy wished she had brought a present for Ms. Sullivan, too. Was there something they could give her that would help make her Christmas a merry one?

  Amy glanced down. Inside their cage, Snowy and Alfie seemed to be looking up at the girls.

  “Now for Snowy and Alfie’s present,” Amy said. “Let’s see if we can find them a new home!”

  Fingers Crossed

  “It was such a great party!” Liz said as she swung on a playground swing the next day at recess.

  “So many people came!” said Ellie, swinging next to her. “The sandwiches were gone before I even got to try one.”

  “Too bad no one adopted the guinea pigs,” Marion added as she batted a tetherball around its pole.

  “No one yet,” said Amy, standing next to the swings. “But remember the older couple that came? They seemed really interested.”

  Marion nodded. “And also that kindergarten teacher. She was thinking of getting a classroom pet.”

  Ellie jumped off her swing. “And that girl with her mom,” she added. “They had all kinds of questions because they’ve never had pets before.”

  “Oh yeah,” Amy said. “The girl really wanted to hold the guinea pigs before they left. But her mother was in a hurry to get somewhere. She did say they might come back again today!” Amy crossed her fingers hopefully.

  The end-of-recess bell rang. Together, the girls walked toward the school door. “Liz,” said Amy, “you and I are on Critter Club duty this afternoon, right?”

  Liz nodded. “I think Snowy and Alfie’s cage might be due for a cleaning!” She held her nose and laughed.

  “You guys must call us if there’s any adoption news!” Marion said.

  Amy and Liz promised they would.

  Ah-CHOO!

  After school, Amy left a note for her mom at home.

  Then she got on her bike and pedaled do
wn the bike path to Ms. Sullivan’s place.

  Amy saw Liz’s bike leaning against the outside of the barn. Then she noticed two cars in the driveway. One of them looked familiar. Is that Mom’s car? What’s she doing here now? Amy didn’t recognize the other car. She parked her bike next to Liz’s and hurried inside.

  Standing by Snowy and Alfie’s cage were the same little girl and mother who had been at the party! Amy’s mom and Liz were chatting with them. They all turned as Amy came in.

  “Amy, this is Simone,” Dr. Purvis said, introducing the girl, who Amy guessed was a little younger than herself. “And this is her mother, Mrs. Cooper. You remember them from the party yesterday?”

  Amy smiled and gave a little wave. “Hi!” she said eagerly.

  Mrs. Cooper smoothed Simone’s long red hair. “Well, we were kind of in a rush yesterday,” she said. “We had to come back to visit the guinea pigs again. Simone and I really think they might be good pets for us.”

  Amy and Liz looked at each other and smiled. “So you’re going to adopt them?” Liz asked.

  “That’s so great!” Amy cried.

  “I know!” Simone said, jumping up and down. “Mom, can we take them home today?”