KATELYN™
BLIZZARD ON MOOSE MOUNTAIN by
Julie Driscoll
Cover Art by Kristi Valiant Story Illustrations by Kelly Murphy
An
book
Battat Incorporated Publisher
A very special thanks to the editor, Joanne Burke Casey.
Our Generation® Books is a registered trademark of Battat Incorporated. Text copyright © 2007 by Julie Driscoll Characters portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, chararacters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. ISBN: 978-0-9794542-0-2 Printed in China
For Emily, Kerry and Steve. Thanks for all your support and inspiration.
A very special thanks to the editor, Joanne Burke Casey.
Our Generation® Books is a registered trademark of Battat Incorporated. Text copyright © 2007 by Julie Driscoll Characters portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, chararacters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. ISBN: 978-0-9794542-0-2 Printed in China
For Emily, Kerry and Steve. Thanks for all your support and inspiration.
Table of Contents
Read all the adventures in the Our Generation® Book Series
The Mystery of the Vanishing Coin featuring Eva®
Adventures at Shelby Stables featuring Lily Anna®
One Smart Cookie featuring Hally™
Blizzard on Moose Mountain featuring Katelyn™
Stars in Your Eyes featuring Sydney Lee™
The Note in the Piano featuring Mary Lyn™
Chapter One 9
The Sticky Situation
Page
Chapter Two
Decisions, Decisions
Page 17
Chapter Three
Brake for Moose! Bear on the Loose!
Page 24
Chapter Four
What a Sap!
Page 33
Chapter Five
Snow, Snow Go Away & Don’t Come Back—Ever!
Page 41
Chapter Six
Cabin Fever
Page 46
Chapter Seven
Slow Man
Page 55
Chapter Eight
I’ll Moose You
Page 60
Chapter Nine
Nervous Nellies
Page 65
Chapter Ten
Still a Sticky Situation
Page 79
Chapter Eleven
Choosing to Choose
Page 84
Chapter Twelve
Don’t Bug Me!
Page 90
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Big words, wacky words, powerful words, funny words… what do they all mean? Look for words with the symbol *. They’re in the Glossary with their meanings at the end of this book.
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Table of Contents
Read all the adventures in the Our Generation® Book Series
The Mystery of the Vanishing Coin featuring Eva®
Adventures at Shelby Stables featuring Lily Anna®
One Smart Cookie featuring Hally™
Blizzard on Moose Mountain featuring Katelyn™
Stars in Your Eyes featuring Sydney Lee™
The Note in the Piano featuring Mary Lyn™
Chapter One 9
The Sticky Situation
Page
Chapter Two
Decisions, Decisions
Page 17
Chapter Three
Brake for Moose! Bear on the Loose!
Page 24
Chapter Four
What a Sap!
Page 33
Chapter Five
Snow, Snow Go Away & Don’t Come Back—Ever!
Page 41
Chapter Six
Cabin Fever
Page 46
Chapter Seven
Slow Man
Page 55
Chapter Eight
I’ll Moose You
Page 60
Chapter Nine
Nervous Nellies
Page 65
Chapter Ten
Still a Sticky Situation
Page 79
Chapter Eleven
Choosing to Choose
Page 84
Chapter Twelve
Don’t Bug Me!
Page 90
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Big words, wacky words, powerful words, funny words… what do they all mean? Look for words with the symbol *. They’re in the Glossary with their meanings at the end of this book.
7
Chapter One
THE STICKY SITUATION Annie Hill’s skates were old and worn. The white leather was spattered with brown scuff marks and the rust spots on the blades made it difficult to see any reflection at all. My skates were shiny and new. Annie’s leggings were faded and a little short. There was a small hole forming at the knee. My warm-up clothes were brand new and fit just right. Annie had recently moved here with her mom, dad and two sisters. And even though her skates were old and her clothes were not very stylish, she was special to me and I liked her. There was only one problem. My friends didn’t like her. They didn’t want her to be a 9
Chapter One
THE STICKY SITUATION Annie Hill’s skates were old and worn. The white leather was spattered with brown scuff marks and the rust spots on the blades made it difficult to see any reflection at all. My skates were shiny and new. Annie’s leggings were faded and a little short. There was a small hole forming at the knee. My warm-up clothes were brand new and fit just right. Annie had recently moved here with her mom, dad and two sisters. And even though her skates were old and her clothes were not very stylish, she was special to me and I liked her. There was only one problem. My friends didn’t like her. They didn’t want her to be a 9
part of our group and this, as my annoying little brother Bobby would say, made for a VERY STICKY SITUATION indeed! It was school vacation week and also the week of my annual* ice skating competition*. My parents decided to take a short vacation before the competition. I really wanted to stay home and practice my toe loops* and backward crossovers* with Annie. Instead, there I was, riding in a car with my mom, dad and brother Bobby. We were headed up to a cabin on Moose Mountain. Oh joy! Bobby is always coming up with a new obsession*. Last month it was frogs, before that it was tornadoes and this month it’s silly little sayings like HOT DIGGITY DOG and GEEZ LOUISE. I mean really. Who the heck is Louise anyway? I had to hum and block my ears for most of the ride. I had a lot of time to think during the long car ride so I thought about the competition. I had been practicing so hard. I hoped that I
would get a medal this time. I had been competing for three years, trying my absolute hardest to get my routine just right—but no medal yet. I mostly thought about Annie, though. I remembered how I had hurt Annie’s feelings and I wondered what she was doing that minute. Was she sad? Did she hate me? I hoped not. I thought about the first time that my friends, Caroline, Casey, Sarah, and I noticed Annie. We were in the school cafeteria, sitting at our special table. The four of us have been friends since kindergarten and we’ve been sitting at our special table since as long as I can remember. Being friends for so long, we’ve been through a lot together. And the one thing that I’ve learned is that we are all far from perfect. For instance, Caroline is a little bossy. Whatever she says, goes. But she would do anything for us. She’s always bringing us gifts, inviting us for sleepover parties and making us
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part of our group and this, as my annoying little brother Bobby would say, made for a VERY STICKY SITUATION indeed! It was school vacation week and also the week of my annual* ice skating competition*. My parents decided to take a short vacation before the competition. I really wanted to stay home and practice my toe loops* and backward crossovers* with Annie. Instead, there I was, riding in a car with my mom, dad and brother Bobby. We were headed up to a cabin on Moose Mountain. Oh joy! Bobby is always coming up with a new obsession*. Last month it was frogs, before that it was tornadoes and this month it’s silly little sayings like HOT DIGGITY DOG and GEEZ LOUISE. I mean really. Who the heck is Louise anyway? I had to hum and block my ears for most of the ride. I had a lot of time to think during the long car ride so I thought about the competition. I had been practicing so hard. I hoped that I
would get a medal this time. I had been competing for three years, trying my absolute hardest to get my routine just right—but no medal yet. I mostly thought about Annie, though. I remembered how I had hurt Annie’s feelings and I wondered what she was doing that minute. Was she sad? Did she hate me? I hoped not. I thought about the first time that my friends, Caroline, Casey, Sarah, and I noticed Annie. We were in the school cafeteria, sitting at our special table. The four of us have been friends since kindergarten and we’ve been sitting at our special table since as long as I can remember. Being friends for so long, we’ve been through a lot together. And the one thing that I’ve learned is that we are all far from perfect. For instance, Caroline is a little bossy. Whatever she says, goes. But she would do anything for us. She’s always bringing us gifts, inviting us for sleepover parties and making us
10
11
feel special. Casey is just plain fun. She’s bubbly and extremely talkative. She talks and talks and talks. Sometimes, after listening to her, I feel like I need to take a nap. She chews her gum really loud and that kind of bugs me. And she goes along with whatever Caroline says because it’s just easier that way. Then there is Sarah. I don’t know how else to describe Sarah except to say that I’m not sure if she has a lot going on upstairs—if you get my drift. She is nice. She is a little shy. But that’s not why I think that she’s not very smart. It’s mainly because she can’t seem to make any decisions about anything on her own. If Caroline says that the boy who sits in front of her is bad news then, to Sarah, he is bad news. And she will tell everyone else that that boy is bad news, even if he isn’t. If Caroline thinks that blue is the best color in the world and no other color is better, well then, blue it is! Sarah will wear blue, talk
about blue and adopt the notion* that she really loves blue to the point that everyone thinks that Sarah is the one who came up with the idea herself. As for me, well, I guess I’m a mixture of all of them. I have strong opinions just like Caroline. When I disagree with her things are a little awkward* for a few days. I’m a little bubbly, but not as much as Casey. And sometimes I can even be shy, like Sarah. But despite all of our quirks*, we are friends. I always feel safe when I’m with my friends. I always feel as if I can be myself and not be judged for it. And I guess that’s what friendship is all about. Anyhow, we were sitting at our special table when we noticed Annie standing in the lunch line. “That’s the new girl,” said Casey. I glanced over at Annie. She was wearing a pair of light blue overalls and a red plaid shirt. Her straight black hair rested on her shoulders
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feel special. Casey is just plain fun. She’s bubbly and extremely talkative. She talks and talks and talks. Sometimes, after listening to her, I feel like I need to take a nap. She chews her gum really loud and that kind of bugs me. And she goes along with whatever Caroline says because it’s just easier that way. Then there is Sarah. I don’t know how else to describe Sarah except to say that I’m not sure if she has a lot going on upstairs—if you get my drift. She is nice. She is a little shy. But that’s not why I think that she’s not very smart. It’s mainly because she can’t seem to make any decisions about anything on her own. If Caroline says that the boy who sits in front of her is bad news then, to Sarah, he is bad news. And she will tell everyone else that that boy is bad news, even if he isn’t. If Caroline thinks that blue is the best color in the world and no other color is better, well then, blue it is! Sarah will wear blue, talk
about blue and adopt the notion* that she really loves blue to the point that everyone thinks that Sarah is the one who came up with the idea herself. As for me, well, I guess I’m a mixture of all of them. I have strong opinions just like Caroline. When I disagree with her things are a little awkward* for a few days. I’m a little bubbly, but not as much as Casey. And sometimes I can even be shy, like Sarah. But despite all of our quirks*, we are friends. I always feel safe when I’m with my friends. I always feel as if I can be myself and not be judged for it. And I guess that’s what friendship is all about. Anyhow, we were sitting at our special table when we noticed Annie standing in the lunch line. “That’s the new girl,” said Casey. I glanced over at Annie. She was wearing a pair of light blue overalls and a red plaid shirt. Her straight black hair rested on her shoulders
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and her eyes were big and dark. I thought she looked like a beautiful princess who was wearing grungy* clothes to disguise her identity. “She’s in Mrs. Doyle’s class with me,” said Sarah. “She moved here from Minnesota. Her dad is a farmer or something and someone said she has a porcupine for a pet.” “OK, well, that’s a little weird,” said Caroline. “That has to be a mistake. We should ask her to sit with us and find out,” I said. “I don’t think so,” protested Caroline. “Farmers aren’t my type. Besides, I like our group just the way it is.” And as usual, Casey and Sarah agreed with Caroline. “I think that she’s pretty and she sounds interesting,” I said, as I watched Annie walk over to a table and sit down by herself. Eventually, kids began filling in the seats around her. Not because they wanted to sit with her, but because there was no place else to sit. That was at the beginning of the year. 15
and her eyes were big and dark. I thought she looked like a beautiful princess who was wearing grungy* clothes to disguise her identity. “She’s in Mrs. Doyle’s class with me,” said Sarah. “She moved here from Minnesota. Her dad is a farmer or something and someone said she has a porcupine for a pet.” “OK, well, that’s a little weird,” said Caroline. “That has to be a mistake. We should ask her to sit with us and find out,” I said. “I don’t think so,” protested Caroline. “Farmers aren’t my type. Besides, I like our group just the way it is.” And as usual, Casey and Sarah agreed with Caroline. “I think that she’s pretty and she sounds interesting,” I said, as I watched Annie walk over to a table and sit down by herself. Eventually, kids began filling in the seats around her. Not because they wanted to sit with her, but because there was no place else to sit. That was at the beginning of the year. 15
And I remember thinking to myself that Annie would probably meet some nice new friends in Mrs. Doyle’s class and that it wasn’t my responsibility to help her. It’s funny how circumstances* in life take you down a path you weren’t expecting to travel on. That’s what happened with Annie and me.
Chapter Two
DECISIONS, DECISIONS Shortly after the school year began, I started my skating lessons. I had been practicing with Mrs. Billings, my skating coach, for six years. As fate* would have it, Annie was also a skater, and her lesson was just before mine. In the beginning, when Annie’s lesson was ending, we would simply smile as we passed one another on the ice. Soon after, we began saying hello. Some days, Mrs. Billings would take a small break in between our lessons to talk to Annie’s mom, or my mom, about our costumes or the skating competition that we were preparing for. Annie and I used that time to practice our spins and axels* together.
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“Blizzard on Moose Mountain� comes with the Katelyn Deluxe Doll Set. To read the first chapter of more Our Generation books, visit the OG Bookshelf.