All About Ellie Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 Starring . . . Ellie!

  Chapter 2 Ellie Takes the Stage

  Chapter 3 VIBs: Very Important Bunnies

  Chapter 4 One-Track Mind

  Chapter 5 Preshow Jitters!

  Chapter 6 Ellie’s Fan Club

  Chapter 7 A Bad Kind of Drama

  Chapter 8 An Ellie Sometimes Forgets

  Chapter 9 A Secret Movie Star

  Chapter 10 Making Things Right

  Chapter 11 Bravo, Ellie!

  Liz Learns a Lesson Excerpt

  Starring . . . Ellie!

  “Okay,” said Ellie, kneeling on her bed. “Here’s what I planned for us to do tonight!”

  Her best friends, Liz, Amy, and Marion, had just arrived. Ellie was so excited. It was Friday and her turn to host their weekly sleepover.

  “First I can teach you this really cool dance I learned in tap class,” Ellie began. “And after that we can put on the play we made up at Liz’s house! And—”

  “Ellie, hold on,” Liz said with a giggle. “We just got here!”

  “Yeah,” agreed Marion. She unrolled her sleeping bag. “All that sounds fun, but maybe we could relax and talk first?”

  Ellie’s face fell a little. She’d been looking forward to this sleepover for . . . well, forever. After all, she only got a turn to host every four weeks, and being the host was special. It meant planning everything and being at the center of it all!

  “Oh!” said Amy. “We have some Critter Club stuff to talk about. Remember?”

  Ellie got excited again. “The bunnies!” she cried.

  “Right,” said Amy. “Our first animals at The Critter Club!”

  Ellie and her friends had been working hard to get The Critter Club up and running. A few weeks ago it was an empty barn belonging to Ms. Sullivan, their new friend. Now, with the help of Amy’s mom, veterinarian Dr. Purvis, it was an animal shelter. It had all been Ms. Sullivan’s idea!

  Before The Critter Club the girls thought Ms. Sullivan was kind of mean, but they’d been totally wrong. When Ms. Sullivan’s puppy Rufus had gone missing, the girls helped her find him. That’s when The Critter Club was born!

  “You still don’t know who left the bunnies?” Marion asked Amy.

  Amy shook her head no. “There was no note,” Amy replied. “Just three baby bunnies in a cardboard box.”

  “Poor things!” said Ellie. “How could someone just leave them?”

  Amy shrugged. “Mom thinks someone’s pet rabbit had babies, and they couldn’t take care of them all.”

  “Well, speaking of taking care of them,” said Marion, pulling out a notebook, “we should make a schedule.” Marion was super organized. She was always writing things down and making lists.

  Ellie hopped off her bed. She sat on the floor next to Marion. In her notebook Marion made a chart.

  “So we’ll take turns,” said Marion. “Each day after school two of us will go feed the bunnies and give them water. Amy’s mom and Ms. Sullivan will handle the morning shifts.”

  All the girls agreed. Liz picked up a pen. She drew three little bunnies below the chart.

  “We have to find good homes for them,” Ellie said. “They’re counting on us, and we can’t let them down!” Then she jumped up. “Okay, now, on to other things . . .”

  Ellie ducked behind her hot-pink window curtains. She peeked out at her friends. “Who’s trying out for the spring play?” she asked.

  Their school, Santa Vista Elementary, put on a play every year. This year’s musical was called Miss Ladybug Saves Spring.

  “We should all try out!” Ellie cried excitedly.

  “Not me,” said Liz. “I’m finishing my painting for that big art contest, remember?” Liz was an amazing artist. “Plus, you guys know I can’t sing!” she added with a laugh.

  Marion pulled her long brown hair into a ponytail. “I’m way too busy too,” she said. “Homework plus piano lessons three times a week!”

  Ellie sighed. “How about you, Amy?” she asked. But Ellie knew what Amy was about to say.

  “Me? Get on stage? In front of people? And dance? No way,” Amy said, shaking her head.

  Liz smiled a little smile. “How about you, Ellie? Are you going to try out?”

  “YES!!!” Ellie squealed. She jumped out from behind the curtain. “I can’t wait! Have you seen the stage? It’s sooooo big! Do you think they’ll have the spotlight on for auditions? Oh! What should I wear? What song should I sing? You guys have to help me decide!”

  Liz, Marion, and Amy laughed. They settled in, happy to be Ellie’s audience. Ellie was so glad they were there to cheer her on and help her prepare.

  After all, that’s what friends were for. Right?

  Ellie Takes the Stage

  Backstage at the school auditorium, Ellie looked at herself in the mirror. It was the big day, and Ellie was next on the list. Mrs. Jameson, the teacher who ran drama club, would call her name any minute to audition for the lead role! That part almost always went to a third grader, but Ellie felt she had to try for it anyway. Obviously, Miss Ladybug’s costume would be red. Red is totally my color! thought Ellie.

  “Ellie Mitchell,” she said to herself, “this is your chance.” She fluffed her hair and smoothed her red dress. All her life—all eight years—she had wanted to be a star. At two years old, she dressed up and did shows for her mom and dad. At three years old, she started dance classes. She remembered a video her mom took of her first tap recital. In it she had bumped into another girl to be in the spotlight.

  Just then Ellie heard Mrs. Jameson calling. “Ellie! Ellie Mitchell!”

  It was time for her to take center stage. Getting the lead role would be her dream come true! “You can do this!” Ellie told herself. She hurried onstage.

  The stage lights were bright. Squinting, Ellie could make out Mrs. Jameson in the front row. She saw someone waving from the back row.

  It was Liz! And Marion and Amy were next to her! They had come to cheer her on! Aw, that’s so sweet of them, thought Ellie. They’re such great friends.

  “Hello, Ellie,” Mrs. Jameson said kindly. “Whenever you are ready, I’d love to hear your audition song.”

  Ellie took a deep breath. Her eyes locked on Liz, Marion, and Amy. She pretended she was in her own bedroom and that she was singing to them—just to them. The next moment she was lost in the song. Her voice filled the auditorium as she moved to the music. She even threw in some twirls, leaps, and hand motions.

  It was over before Ellie knew it. Her last note hung in the air, ringing clear and strong.

  Then another sound filled the air—a wonderful sound. Applause! In the back row Liz, Marion, and Amy were clapping like crazy. Ellie took a bow and waved at her friends.

  VIBs: Very Important Bunnies

  The next day after school the girls walked together to Mrs. Jameson’s classroom. She had posted the cast list outside her door. It listed the role each person had been given.

  There was Ellie’s name, right at the top!

  Ellie was so excited and surprised! She was speechless. She—a second grader—would star as Miss Ladybug, the biggest role in the whole play!

  Liz, Marion, and Amy each gave her a big hug. “Way to go, Ellie!” Liz squealed.

  Ellie was in heaven. She was so happy she felt like she was walking on air. Then it slowly began to dawn on her: She had so much to do to get ready for the show!

  Weeks flew by in a flash. Ellie had never felt so busy before.

  Each school day during lunch hour, Mrs. Jameson held short rehearsals in the auditorium. Every Wednesday after school, they had a longer rehearsal.

  Ellie also had Critter Club duty two days a week after school. On Mondays she went w
ith Liz. On Thursdays she and Amy went together.

  It was enough to make Ellie’s head spin! Luckily, Marion had made Ellie a schedule. She kept it taped to the front of her homework folder.

  And that was just weekdays! On Saturdays and Sundays all four girls met at The Critter Club to feed the bunnies and clean the big rabbit hutch.

  One sunny Saturday morning they were all in the barn. Marion sat on the floor with the bunnies playing around her.

  “Is that the one we named Floppy?” Ellie asked, pointing to a gray bunny.

  “No, that’s Fluffy,” said Amy. She was hosing down the inside of the hutch. “The other gray one is Floppy.”

  “Which other gray one?” asked Ellie. She opened a bag of wood shavings to make fresh bedding. “Aren’t they all gray?”

  Liz giggled as she swept around the rabbit hutch. “No, Frosty is silvery white. The light gray one is Fluffy. And the steel gray one is Floppy.”

  Marion and Amy laughed. “Leave it to the artist to have three different names for the same color!” Marion said.

  Ellie felt badly that she hadn’t known which bunny was which. She hadn’t been there when Amy’s mom had given the bunnies full checkups. Dr. Purvis had also taught the other girls the basics of caring for them. Bunnies loved to be petted. They were calm and gentle, but their nails could be sharp. Bunnies sometimes chewed on things they shouldn’t. The girls could give them special chew toys or carrots to chew instead.

  Amy’s mom said that people looking for a new pet might not even think of rabbits. It was up to The Critter Club to change that and find homes for their furry friends!

  But right now all Ellie could think about was how much more play practice she needed.

  One-Track Mind

  There was so much going on! Ellie made sure to keep her friends up to date on everything. She jumped at any chance to tell them all about the play.

  One morning Ellie was walking to school with Amy. Amy was talking about her weekend at her dad’s house in Orange Blossom. Orange Blossom was a bigger city near Santa Vista.

  Meanwhile Ellie had a thought. She wanted to tell Amy about her costume for the play. It had long, flowing sleeves that looked like ladybug wings. The red fabric looked glittery under the lights. When Ellie twirled around the stage . . .

  “Ellie? Hello? Ellie?” Amy was saying.

  “Oh, huh?” Ellie replied. “What did you say?”

  “I was telling you all about my weekend at my dad’s,” Amy said. “It was really—”

  “I’m so sorry, Amy!” Ellie jumped in. “I was thinking about my costume for the play!” She went on to tell Amy everything about her costume from head to toe.

  Ellie saw Amy roll her eyes. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe Amy had something in her eye? So Ellie kept on talking. She made sure not to leave anything out.

  Another day Ellie was on the phone with Liz. “I forgot our reading book at school,” Liz said. “Can I borrow yours?”

  “Sure!” Ellie replied. “Come over! While you’re here, I can read you my lines from the play! And you haven’t heard my part in the opening song! I’ll sing that for you too. And I’ve got to tell you what happened at rehearsal today!”

  “Um, actually,” Liz said, “I bet Amy has her book at home. Her house is closer. I’ll borrow hers. Thanks.” And she hung up. Guess she’s in a hurry to do her homework, thought Ellie.

  Two days later at Marion’s house, Marion was telling Ellie a story about her horse, Coco. Right in the middle of it, Marion stopped. “Ellie, are you even listening?” she asked.

  “What?” said Ellie. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you were humming,” Marion said, “while I was talking.”

  “I was?” Ellie said. She had been thinking about a song from the play. She didn’t realize she’d been singing it out loud. Ellie giggled. “Oops. It’s just a song from the play. Want to hear it?”

  Marion frowned. “Oh,” she said. “Yes. My story can wait. Let’s hear your song.”

  “Okay!” said Ellie, and she began to sing. If her friends couldn’t be in the play with her, she was glad she could tell them all about it!

  Preshow Jitters!

  The next Friday before school Ellie checked the calendar. The play was exactly one week away!

  At school, before the morning bell, the girls met up on the playground. “Do you know what today is?” Ellie asked them.

  “Yep!” said Liz. “Friday!”

  “We have a sleepover tonight!” Amy cheered. “Marion, it’s at your house, right?”

  Marion nodded and opened her mouth to speak. But Ellie blurted out, “No! Not that! I mean, the play! The play is in one week—one week from today!”

  Liz put her arm around Ellie. “Don’t worry,” she said in a calm tone. “You’re going to be great.”

  “You’re totally ready,” said Marion.

  “We’ve heard all the lines to all the songs . . . ,” said Amy. “You definitely know them by heart!”

  Ellie smiled. “I know, I know,” she said. “Oh yeah! I almost forgot to tell you guys. I can’t make it to the sleepover tonight.”

  “What?” Liz asked, surprised. “Why not?”

  Ellie sat down on a swing. “I really need to use all my spare time to prepare for the show—study my lines, and rehearse my songs, and get a ton of rest,” said Ellie. “It’s going to be a busy weekend. We have an extra rehearsal tomorrow morning. Then my mom is taking me to Orange Blossom to pick up my specially made costume!” Going shopping in Orange Blossom was always a special treat.

  “Wait,” said Amy. “So you’re not coming to the sleepover and you won’t be at The Critter Club tomorrow?”

  The Critter Club! thought Ellie, remembering. She shook her head and shrugged. “I can’t make it,” she said. “It’s just . . . the play is only a week away. Just seven days.”

  Marion rolled her eyes. “Uh, yeah. You mentioned that.”

  Just then the bell rang. Everyone had to line up to go inside. That got Ellie thinking. At the end of the play would the cast line up to take a bow together? Or would they each get to take their own bow? She had to ask Mrs. Jameson about that at rehearsal.

  Ellie’s Fan Club

  “Ellie!” called Mrs. Mitchell. “Time for dinner!”

  It was Sunday evening. In her room Ellie sighed. She dropped her script and went downstairs. She stood next to her seat at the dining room table. Ellie’s mom, dad, little brother Toby, and Nana Gloria were already there, waiting for her.

  “Mom, I don’t have time to eat,” Ellie said.

  “Oh, come on, Ellie,” her mom replied. “You have to eat something.”

  “Your mother’s right,” said Nana Gloria. “You need to keep up your strength. Otherwise you’ll never make it to Friday’s showtime!” She winked and smiled at Ellie. Ellie smiled back. She was so happy Nana Gloria had come to live with them a few weeks ago. Already, Ellie couldn’t remember what the house was like without her. She always gave good advice.

  Her dad picked up a covered dish. “You’ve been going nonstop all weekend, Ellie,” he said. “So sit, relax, and eat. We made your favorite.” He whisked the lid off the dish.

  “Chicken pot pie!” Ellie cried. Mmm, she thought. I am kind of hungry. She sat down next to Toby.

  “Yummy!” said Toby, picking up his fork.

  “Bravo!” came a squawky voice from the corner. Everyone laughed and looked at Nana Gloria’s parrot, Lenny, perched in his cage. Ellie and Lenny had become good pals. Ellie had taught him to say “Bravo!” after she sang and danced.

  “Can Lenny come to the play, please?” asked Toby. “And Sam, too?” Sam was their golden retriever. Toby didn’t like going places without Sam.

  Ellie laughed at the thought of barks and a squawky “Bravo!” mixed in with the applause. “I don’t think so, Toby,” she said.

  Plus, adorable critters would totally steal the spotlight! Ellie thought.

  A Bad Kind of Drama

&
nbsp; On Monday at school, Ellie spotted Amy and Marion heading into the classroom. “Guys! Wait up!” she called and hurried over.

  “Oh, hey, Ellie,” Marion said flatly.

  “Hi,” said Amy.

  They both sounded kind of bored to Ellie. They kept on walking.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Ellie said excitedly. “I haven’t seen you guys all weekend! How was the sleepover? How was Saturday at The Critter Club?” Ellie went on without really waiting for an answer. “Boy, what a crazy weekend I had! Rehearsal, costume fitting, studying my lines—”

  “That’s nice, Ellie,” Marion said in the same flat voice.

  “Yeah, sounds great,” said Amy.

  That’s funny, thought Ellie. They don’t sound like they think it’s nice and great.

  Their teacher, Mrs. Sienna, asked everyone to take their seats. Without another word Amy and Marion crossed the room. They sat at their desks by the window. Ellie saw Liz already in her seat by the bookshelf. Ellie waved. Liz waved back, but didn’t smile. That’s not like Liz, thought Ellie. I wonder if she’s feeling okay.

  Ellie sat down at her desk near the classroom door. Soon Mrs. Sienna got them started on morning math, but Ellie couldn’t concentrate on fractions. She kept looking over at her friends. They all had their noses in their work. Ellie tried to catch their attention, but none of them looked her way all morning.

  It was almost lunchtime when there was a knock on the classroom door. Mrs. Sienna answered it. A fifth grader gave the teacher a folded piece of paper. “Liz,” she said after reading it, “the principal would like to see you.”