The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane

by Nikki Shannon Smith

  That didn’t help at all. Tiana had probably been dreaming. An elf had definitely not stolen Greenie.

  While I was trying to think, the doorbell rang. Tiana and I ran downstairs. When we got to the foyer, Mama was giving Auntie Sam a hug. Woofer was running around them.

  Auntie Sam saw us and grinned. “Hi! What are you girls up to?” she asked.

  Mama went back to the kitchen to finish cooking. Sometimes she left someone else in charge of breakfast at the restaurant on Sundays. Whenever she took a Sunday off, she made brunch. And Auntie Sam always came over.

  “I’m solving a mystery,” I said. “We still can’t find Greenie.”

  “Still?” Auntie Sam said.

  Tiana yelled, “Somebody stealed him!”

  Auntie Sam raised one eyebrow. “Greenie was stolen?”

  Tiana and I both nodded. Then I told Auntie Sam about the dirt and leaf I’d discovered in Tiana’s room.

  A few minutes later, Mama yelled, “Breakfast is ready!”

  Everyone hurried to the kitchen. Nia came downstairs singing “Ease on Down the Road.” She sounded really good. Auntie Sam knew the song too, so she started singing along. Then Daddy came in and sang with them too.

  Mama laughed and said, “Sit down and eat, everyone.”

  The table was full of food. Mama had made ham, eggs, fruit, biscuits, potatoes, and orange juice. Woofer put his nose up to the table, and Auntie Sam shooed him away.

  We all ate and talked. For a little while I forgot all about Greenie and my diorama.

  When everyone stood up to help clear the table, Woofer came running through the kitchen. He had Daddy’s slipper in his mouth.

  Daddy yelled, “Catch that thief!”

  “Don’t let him take that outside!” Auntie Sam exclaimed. “He’ll bury it, and you’ll never see it again.”

  Suddenly I realized the slipper wasn’t just a slipper—it was a clue. And it was just the clue I needed.

  I looked at Woofer’s feet. They were dirty. I thought about what Daddy had said. He’d called Woofer a thief. A thief stole things, and Greenie had been stolen!

  Woofer looked at me and scratched. The scratching made his collar jingle. Tiana had said she’d heard jingle bells at nap time. She hadn’t been dreaming after all. She’d heard Woofer’s collar.

  “Woofer did it!” I shouted. “Woofer stole Greenie!”

  Tiana’s eyes got big. “Woofer?”

  I nodded. “Look at his dirty feet! And did you hear how his collar jingled when he scratched?” I was finally about to solve the mystery! “And Auntie Sam just said he buries stuff in the backyard. That’s where we need to be searching. Greenie is out there somewhere!”

  Tiana got up and clapped. “Yay! Find Greenie! Find Greenie!”

  Everybody ran outside. Woofer came with us too. He wagged his tail and almost looked like he was smiling. Woofer thought this whole thing was funny.

  I knew we needed a strategy. We couldn’t just dig holes all over the yard. That would take too long. It would also make Mama and Daddy mad.

  “Let’s spread out,” I said. “Look for spots where the ground doesn’t look normal. Like piles of dirt or little holes.”

  I went to the far side of the yard and started searching. I found a spot that didn’t look right. I brushed the dirt to the side and found Woofer’s ball. Woofer barked at me and wagged his tail.

  “Azaleah!” yelled Tiana. “Come look!”

  I hurried over to where Tiana stood next to a loose pile of dirt. I poked a finger into the ground to see if I felt anything and touched something soft. I pulled it out.

  “Woofer stealed Mama’s sock?” said Tiana.

  “Looks like Woofer’s been busy,” Daddy said.

  Before long, everybody was running around pulling things out of the ground. Woofer had stolen a spoon, a paintbrush, and Nia’s wig from her last musical.

  Finally I found a big pile of dirt under one of the bushes. I had to put my whole head under the bush to dig. There was definitely something under there, but I couldn’t reach it.

  “Tiana, come help me!” I yelled.

  Tiana came running. “Did you find Greenie?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “You’re smaller than me. You have to go under there and dig.”

  Tiana got on her stomach and scooted under the bush. I watched her legs wiggle while she dug.

  “Greenie!” she yelled. She scooted back out of the bush, clutching Greenie in one hand.

  Leaves were stuck in Tiana’s hair. Both she and her stuffie were filthy, but Tiana didn’t seem to care. She and Greenie gave me a big hug.

  They got me dirty, but I laughed and hugged them back. Everybody cheered.

  “Me and Greenie are going to take a bath,” said Tiana. She ran inside.

  Woofer licked my hand and barked.

  “I think Woofer needs a time-out,” Auntie Sam said. “Sorry about the yard.”

  Daddy shook his head and smiled at me. “Good job, Detective Azaleah.” He kissed my forehead. “Better go finish that diorama now.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” I said.

  CHAPTER 10

  MISSION COMPLETE

  First, I collected plants from our yard. I decided to use little branches from the bush Greenie had been hiding under. They would be the bushes and trees in the tiger habitat. Once I had enough, I ran upstairs to finish my diorama.

  I crossed step four off my list, since I had already collected plants. Next, I painted my tiger. It had to dry before I could stick everything onto the box. But now that the mystery was solved, I had the rest of the day to let it sit on my desk.

  While I was cutting out some paper grass, there was a knock on my door. I hoped it wasn’t Tiana. This time I was going to make her keep her promise to leave me alone.

  “Who is it?” I asked.

  “Mama.”

  I was relieved. “Come in,” I said.

  Mama carried a white plate with a gigantic white mug sitting on it. It was her famous gourmet hot chocolate. Everyone loved Mama’s hot chocolate. It had secret ingredients. They were so secret she wouldn’t even tell us what they were.

  “I made this especially for you,” Mama said, putting it on my desk. She had even put a big swirl of whipped cream on top.

  I gave Mama a hug, took a sip, and said, “Ahhhh.”

  Mama sat on my bed and watched me work. I sipped hot chocolate and cut the paper grass. After a while, Mama tiptoed back to the door.

  “I love you, Azaleah Lane. You’re amazing,” she said.

  I smiled at Mama. “I love you too.”

  I stayed in my room and worked on my diorama for the rest of the day. By the time I cut the grass and stuck all of the plants on the diorama, my tiger was dry.

  I added some extra touches too. I crumpled up a strip of dark-green tissue paper to make a swampy river, since tigers were really good swimmers. Then I got a piece of binder paper and cut out a little rectangle. I wrote some important tiger facts on it:

  Tigers are critically endangered.

  They only live on seven percent of what used to be their native habitat.

  They can be found in Russia, Sumatra, China, and other parts of Asia.

  They can live in forests, near swamps, and on grasslands.

  The National Zoo is trying to help save the tigers.

  I glued the paper on top of my diorama. Then I stuck Nikita in the middle of her habitat. My extra touches were really good. The diorama looked just like I wanted it to. It was impressive. At least I thought so. Hopefully, Ms. Li would think so too.

  * * *

  On Monday morning, I walked very carefully up the steps to my school. I walked so slowly that I barely made it to my classroom before the bell rang.

  “Go
od morning, boys and girls,” said Ms. Johnson. “If you have a diorama, put it on the shelf and sit down.”

  I walked over and set my diorama down on the bookshelf. Six others were already there—I counted five pandas and one naked mole rat. Everyone had done a nice job, but I was the only one with a tiger and the only one with a list of facts.

  Rose came over and set her diorama down on the shelf too. She had made a very impressive panda habitat. It was the best panda of all.

  “Wow,” Rose whispered, looking at my diorama. “That’s really good. I bet you’re going to get congratulations and recognitions.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  I walked to my seat, grinning all the way. I hoped Rose was right, but either way I was proud of my diorama and my amazing mystery-solving skills. Now I could finally relax … until there was another mystery to solve, of course!

  About the Author

  Nikki Shannon Smith is from Oakland, California, but she now lives in the Sacramento area with her husband and two children. She spends her days teaching elementary school, and writes everything from picture books to young adult novels. Her books include The Little Christmas Elf, Treasure Hunt, and three books in Capstone’s Girls Survive series: Ann Fights for Freedom: An Underground Railroad Survival Story, Noelle at Sea: A Titanic Survival Story, and Charlotte Spies for Justice: A Civil War Survival Story. When she’s not busy with family, work, or writing, Nikki loves to visit the coast. The first thing she packs in her suitcase is always a book.

  About the Illustrator

  Mari Lobo was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she spent her childhood playing on the streets and climbing trees. She was always fond of drawing and painting, and by age fifteen she decided to be an artist. After a quick detour—a degree in industrial design and a couple of years in the fashion industry—Mari moved to California and attended the Academy of Art in San Francisco, where she earned her master’s degree in visual development for animation. She lives in the Bay Area with her awesome classical musician husband, where she goes to concerts, on hikes, and to dinner with friends. But mostly she sits in front of her computer and draws for kids all day, every day because she loved being a child herself.

  Glossary

  audition (aw-DISH-uhn)—

  a tryout performance for an actor or musician

  conservation (kon-sur-VAY-shuhn)—

  the protection of animals and plants, as well as the wise use of what we get from nature

  diorama (dy-uh-RA-muh)—

  a three-dimensional replication of a scene (often a miniature version)

  elimination (i-li-muh-NAY-shuhn)—

  the act or process of getting rid of something

  endangered (in-DAYN-juhrd)—

  in danger of dying out

  habitat (HAB-uh-tat)—

  the natural place and conditions in which a plant or animal lives

  hypothesis (hye-POTH-uh-siss)—

  a prediction that can be tested about how a scientific investigation or experiment will turn out

  nocturnal (nok-TUR-nuhl)—

  active at night and resting during the day

  recognition (rek-uhg-NI-shuhn)—

  special attention or notice

  sachet (sa-SHEY)—

  a small bag that has a powder or mixture of dried flowers and spices inside it and that is used to give a pleasant smell to clothes, sheets, etc.

  species (SPEE-sheez)—

  a group of plants or animals that share common characteristics

  strategy (STRAT-uh-jee)—

  a careful plan or method

  suspect (SUHSS-pekt)—

  someone who may be responsible for a crime

  vulnerable (VUHL-nur-uh-buhl)—

  in a weak position and likely to be hurt or damaged in some way

  Let's Talk!

  Azaleah and her sisters, Nia and Tiana, are all very different. If you could choose one of the Lane girls to be your sister, which would you choose? Why? Talk about the qualities that made you choose that person.

  Tiana completely ruined Lazy Saturday with the hunt for Greenie. Do you think she should have been allowed to have a slumber party with Azaleah? Talk about why or why not.

  This story ends before we find out if Azaleah gets congratulations and recognitions from her principal, Ms. Li, on her diorama. What do you think happens after the last chapter? Talk about what you think might happen when Ms. Li sees Azaleah’s work.

  Azaleah searched for Greenie in many places both inside and outside of her house. Talk about all the places she searched. Can you get them in the right order? Feel free to look back through the story for help.

  Let's Write!

  Azaleah is torn between a tiger and a panda for her diorama, but Woofer might be the most important animal in this book. If he could talk, what do you think he’d say? Use your imagination to pretend you are Woofer. Write a letter to either Tiana or Azaleah about what happened.

  At the end of the book, Azaleah says she has amazing mystery-solving skills. Do you agree or disagree? Write a paragraph explaining your answer. Use at least three details from the book for support.

  Pick an animal that you might find at a zoo, and write a paragraph teaching others about it. Include three to five details about your animal, such as its natural habitat, what it eats, and other interesting facts. Try to find out if your animal is vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.

  Azaleah makes lists to help her get her work done. Think of a big job you need to finish. It can be homework, a project, or a chore at home, like cleaning your room. Make a list of all of the steps you will take to finish the job.

  Make Your Own Diorama

  You can make a diorama just like Azaleah’s! To get started, choose and research an animal. There are lots of resources you can use. You can visit a zoo in person, check out library books about your animal, or you can visit the Smithsonian National Zoo’s website.

  Pay attention to your animal’s habitat. What kinds of plants grow there? Is it a wet habitat, a dry habitat, or somewhere in between? Are there mountains, rivers, or lakes? Does your animal like to live alone or with a group? What is its source of food? Next, think about what your animal looks like. Is it big or small? Is it furry or scaly?

  Once you know all about your animal and its habitat, you’re ready to create a diorama. Be creative. You might have lots of things right at home to use for this project!

  What You Need:

  medium-sized box (shoeboxes work well)

  paint

  plants (real ones from outside or fake ones from an art supply store) for your habitat

  paper, cardboard, or molding clay to make your animal

  liquid glue or a glue stick

  crayons, markers, or colored pencils

  any extra supplies (like string, tissue paper, rocks, or dirt) you have to make your diorama amazing

  lined paper

  What to Do:

  Paint the outside of your box or cover it with paper.

  Begin making the inside of your box look like your animal’s habitat. You can start by painting the sky blue or the grass green.

  Create or collect plants and other natural features for your habitat. Glue them into your box. Make sure all the things your animal needs to hide, eat, and survive are in the diorama.

  Next, make your animal. You can draw and color it on paper or cardboard. Then, cut it out. You could also shape it out of molding clay. Paint it if needed.

  Glue your animal into its habitat.

  When you’re done, write a list of facts about your animal on lined paper. Attach it to the outside of your diorama, just like Azaleah.

  Oh, and if you have a younger sibling, like Tiana, keep her or him a
way from your finished project!

  Azaleah Lane is published by Picture Window Books,

  an imprint of Capstone.

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  Copyright © 2020 by Capstone. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.

  ISBN: 978-1-5158-4464-8 (hardcover)

  ISBN: 978-1-5158-4468-6 (eBook PDF)

  ISBN: 978-1-5158-7309-9 (eBook)

  Summary: Azaleah Lane can’t wait for her class field trip to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., especially when her teacher announces the chance to earn extra credit. But when Azaleah gets home, she quickly realizes extra credit isn’t as easy as she thought. Azaleah’s younger sister, Tiana, can’t find Greenie, her stuffed animal, and she’s sure he’s been stolen.

  Image Credits

  Shutterstock: Beskova Ekaterina, design element throughout

  Additional illustrations by Gloria Felix

  Designer: Kay Fraser