by Brann Garvey
“What’s our third choice?” I asked Becca.
“My house,” Becca said.
“I don’t know,” Monica said. “Your mom is always bugging us.”
Becca’s mother wasn’t nosy. And she didn’t think we were doing something wrong. She was just too nice!
She brought snacks. Then she brought drinks. She was interested in our projects and liked to help. But we didn’t want a mom hanging out with us all the time.
“I didn’t mean my room,” Becca said. “We can use the garden shed.”
Becca’s garden shed stood in a corner of her back yard. There were two windows and a door on the front.
The shed was white with red shutters, just like Becca’s house. There was even a little rose bush planted right next to the door.
“It’s really cute,” I said.
“It’s just like a tree house on the ground,” Monica said. “PERFECT !”
We thought we’d found the perfect place. But then we looked inside.
The shed wasn’t like the tree house at all. Not even one tiny bit.
The tree house had open windows that let in sunlight and fresh air. The small shed windows were covered with grime. There was dirt on the floor and cobwebs in the corners. A gross, musty smell stung my nose.
The tree house had built-in benches where we could sit and store our stuff.
The shed was full of old tools, pots, and bags of soil. Becca’s dad stored the lawnmower on one side. The shelves on the other side were loaded with boxes and rusty cans.
Becca looked disappointed. “I’m sorry, you guys. I didn’t know the shed was so dark and gloomy,” she admitted.
“It’s okay. It will look better after we clean it up,” Monica said.
“And we’ll have privacy here,” I said.
Becca smiled. “Then let’s get to work,” she said.
I picked up a moldy rag and reached for a broom. Monica squealed, and a mouse ran for cover. A dust cloud made Becca sneeze.
We sorted, swept, and cleaned for two hours.
When we finished, half the floor was clear. The cobwebs were gone, and the windows were clean. But the walls still smelled like old leaves, and very little light came in.
The shed was almost as dreary as my basement.
Garden Shed rating: No light = – 5
Junk = – 5
Privacy = + 5
Last option = +10
Total = + 5
We didn’t have a choice anymore. After next Saturday, the shed would be the only meeting place we had.
CHAPTER 9
PROS AND CONS
Adam had a baseball game Friday afternoon. I sat with our friends to cheer on his team. The Panthers won 4 to 3. After the game, Adam walked over to us.
“Great game!” Tommy said. He stood up and gave Adam a high five.
“Have a seat, Adam,” I said. I scooted over to make room on the bleachers.
“Have some water,” Peter said. He gave Adam a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” Adam said. He took a long swallow. Then he wiped sweat off his face and said, “Too bad your pool isn’t ready, Claudia. I could REALLY use a cool dip.”
“Me too!” Becca said, fanning herself with a folded paper. “It’s sizzling hot.”
“I’m counting the days,” Monica said. “Just don’t throw me in.”
“Pool party pooper,” Tommy said. “It’s no fun if we can’t push people in.”
“No way!” Peter said. He looked horrified.
“It’s just water,” Tommy said. “Not bog mud or lake goo.”
“I don’t swim very well,” Peter explained. “Once at the lake Anna said I swim like a waddling walrus.”
“I’ll help you,” Monica offered. “You’ll learn fast when we can practice all the time.”
“Good point,” Peter said, smiling. “And I won’t feel so self-conscious in Claudia’s pool. You guys won’t tease me.”
“No teasing. The point is to have fun,” Tommy said. “Knock-knock.”
“Who’s there?” Becca asked.
“Splash,” Tommy said.
Becca played along. “Splash who?”
“Splash you!” Tommy yelled. He flicked bottled water at Becca.
Becca giggled and ducked. “I can’t wait to have water fights in Claudia’s pool!” she said.
I smiled, but I wasn’t as happy as my friends. I walked home with a heavy heart.
“How was the game?” Mom asked when I walked into the kitchen.
“Adam’s team WON ,” I told her. I sat at the kitchen counter.
“Great,” Mom said.
Mom always gave me good advice when I had a problem. I had a really big problem now.
“If there are good reasons for two choices, how do you decide?” I asked.
“Make a list of pros and cons,” Mom said. “Write down the good and bad things about each choice. That will help you think about your reasons.”
“That’s a great idea!” I said. I jumped off the stool and ran upstairs. I sat at my desk with a pen and a piece of paper.
Pros for getting a pool:
A pool is cool, period.
No more wishing for invites to Anna’s pool.
Adam can swim laps.
Peter can learn to swim without being teased.
Becca and Tommy will have a good excuse to hang out.
FYI: I knew Becca liked Tommy, and I was pretty sure that Tommy liked Becca, too.
Cons for getting a pool:
I’ll have to watch Nick, even when my friends are over.
Everyone will want to hang out at my house all
time, and I’ll have to clean up. 3. We have to cut down the tree-house-tree.
Pros for keeping the tree:
The tree is alive.
I love the tree and the tree house.
Cons for keeping the tree:
Jimmy will be mad at me forever if we don’t get a pool.
My friends will be disappointed if we don’t get a pool.
Anna and her friends will laugh and point and call me a lying loser every time they see me until twelfth grade if I don’t get a pool.
It would be really fun to have a pool.
There were more good reasons to get the pool. But I’d still feel guilty about cutting down the tree. It was at least fifty years old. Maybe a hundred!
I couldn’t decide.
Then the phone rang.
I picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Claudia! This is Brad.”
I almost fell over. My cheeks got warm and my stomach did flip-flops. Brad Turino was calling me!
Then I choked up.
I stumbled over my words whenever I talk to Brad in pers
on. But at least in person, I could smile and nod to cover it up. He couldn’t see me on the phone! I had to say something.
“Hi, B-B-Brad,” I stammered. “Uh—what’s up?”
“I’m just calling to say hi,” Brad said.
“Oh,” I said. I giggled. “Hi.”
“I heard you’re getting a pool,” Brad said. “That is so cool. Swimming at Anna’s house isn’t much fun. She’s got too many silly rules.”
“What kind of rules?” I asked. The words rolled off my tongue with no trouble!
“Stupid stuff,” Brad said. “No swimming laps, no water games that splash, no cannonballs.”
“That’s no fun!” I exclaimed. Wow! Talking to Brad on the phone was easy.
Brad laughed. “I hope you’ll invite me over sometime. I love swimming!”
“You can come over any time you want,” I said.
Swimming pool = Brad Turino
That was the best reason of all.
The pool won.
CHAPTER 10
FOND FAREWELL
I wanted Brad to visit my house more than anything.
Almost.
When I woke up Saturday morning, I realized I wanted to save the tree more.
It was the big day. I didn’t want breakfast. I couldn’t eat when I was miserable. I sipped O.J. and tried to look happy.
“What’s wrong, Claudia?” Mom asked.
“Nothing,” I told her. Then I sighed. “I’m just tired.”
I didn’t want to make my family feel bad. Everybody else wanted the pool.
“Too excited to sleep?” Dad asked as he walked in. He put the pool plans on the counter.
“Sort of,” I said. I had been too upset to sleep.
“I’m going to the store,” Dad told Mom. “I’ll be back before the tree service gets here.”
My stomach tightened. My throat went dry. Tears welled up in my eyes. I blinked them back.
Dad left and Mom went into the laundry room.
I grabbed the plans and ran outside. I had to do something. I didn’t have a plan to save the tree. I hoped something would come to me.
I stopped under the tree and looked up. The leafy branches were like a huge green umbrella. The day was already hot, but the shade was cool.
I didn’t care if there were more good reasons to get a pool. There was one gigantic reason to keep the tree.
The tree was a living member of the family.
And the old oak didn’t know it was doomed.
I had to do something!
Suddenly, I was inspired.
They wouldn’t cut down the tree if I was in it!
I scrambled up the ladder.
I set the pool plans on a bench and stared out the window. I knew my idea wouldn’t work. Dad could make me come down. But trying something silly was better than doing nothing.
I watched Ping-ping chase a butterfly across the yard. It was a big yard. A really big yard.
Then an idea struck me. Why did the new pool have to go in that spot? There was lots of room in the yard.
Good question!
I unrolled the pool plans. I looked out the window. Then I looked back at the plans.
Outside, Ping-ping ran through my mom’s garden.
Then inspiration struck again. BAM ! Like a bolt of lightning.
There was almost as much room on the other side of the yard, where my mom’s garden was! If she’d agree to move the garden, we could have a pool and keep the tree!
I grabbed the plans and ran toward the house.
Nobody would care if the pool was a little shorter. And Mom wouldn’t mind losing her garden. I’d help her plant more flowers. They grow fast.
But we couldn’t grow another tree-house-tree.
CHAPTER 11
P.S.
My family was thrilled with my idea. They didn’t care that the pool would be smaller, and no one thought it was CHILDISH to want to keep the old oak. Not even Jimmy.
Funny thing: Nobody in my family wanted to cut down the tree-house-tree. But everyone thought everyone else wanted a pool more. So nobody spoke up to save the tree. They were all glad I did.
I helped Mom plant a new garden in front of our house. It looked great!
Nick was so happy he didn’t throw a tantrum for a week! He and I sat in the tree house to watch the machines dig the hole for the pool. He loved it.
The day we filled the pool, I invited all of my friends over to swim in it.
Including Brad Turino.
About the Author
Diana G. Gallagher lives in Florida with her husband and five dogs, four cats, and a cranky parrot. Her hobbies are gardening, garage sales, and grandchildren. She has been an English equitation instructor, a professional folk musician, and an artist. However, she had aspirations to be a professional writer at the age of twelve. She has written dozens of books for kids and young adults.
About the Illustrator
Brann Garvey lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, Keegan, their dog, Lola, and their very fat cat, Iggy. Brann graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor of fine arts degree. He later attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he studied illustration. In his free time, Brann enjoys being with his family and friends. He brings his sketchbook everywhere he goes.
Glossary
admiration (ad-mur-AY-shuhn)—respect
appearance (uh-PEER-uhnss)—the way something looks
backfired (BAK-fye-urd)—did not work out as planned
chlorine (KLOR-een)—a gas with a strong smell that is added to water to kill harmful germs
collided (kuh-LIDE-id)—crashed together forcefully
compost (KOM-pohst)—a mixture of rotted leaves, vegetables, manure, etc., that is added to soil to make it richer
dreary (DREER-ee)—dull and miserable
exclusive (ek-SKLOO-siv)—if something is exclusive, only certain people are allowed to know about or do it
particular (pur-TIK-yuh-lur)—if someone is particular, they are careful about details and prefer things to be done a certain way
privacy (PRYE-vuh-see)—being away from other people, where you can’t be seen or heard
torment (TOR-ment)—great pain or suffering
Discussion Questions
What would you do if, like Claudia, you had to choose between the tree house and the new pool? Explain your answer.
Tommy says that pools are for teenagers and tree houses are for kids. But Claudia thinks both things are for teenagers. What are some other things that people might think are for kids, but you know that teenagers like too?
Claudia figures out a solution to her pool problem. What do you think would have happened if the tree had been cut down? What would have happened if the pool hadn’t been built? Talk about the different possibilities.
Writ
ing Prompts
Claudia lists many reasons she likes her tree house. Where is your favorite place to hang out? Make a list of reasons why you like to be there.
Claudia spends most of her time with her friends Becca and Monica. Write about your closest friend. What is that person like? What do you like to do together?
Design your perfect back yard. What does it contain? Don’t forget to include things that other people in your family might like.
Claudia Cristina Cortez is published by Stone Arch Books
A Capstone Imprint
151 Good Counsel Drive, P.O. Box 669
Mankato, Minnesota 56002
www.capstonepub.com
Copyright © 2010 by Stone Arch Books
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
Gallagher, Diana G.
Pool problem / by Diana G. Gallagher ; illustrated by Brann Garvey.
p. cm. — (Claudia Cristina Cortez)