by Martha Maker
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Knot a Problem
Chapter 2: Puppy Practice
Chapter 3: Training Day
Chapter 4: A Dog Named Woody
Chapter 5: Ah-Ah-Ah-Chooooo!
Chapter 6: Diagnosis: Disaster
Chapter 7: Paper Pooches
Chapter 8: A Surprising Discovery
Chapter 9: High Hopes
Chapter 10: Lucky Dog!
How to Make . . . An Origami Dog
Breaking the Piggy Bank Excerpt
About the Author and Illustrator
CHAPTER 1
Knot a Problem
Bella Diaz was in the craft clubhouse—formerly known as the old shack in her backyard—waiting for her three best friends to arrive. It was Saturday afternoon. As often as possible, and especially on weekends, the foursome met up at the clubhouse to do craft projects together.
Knock, knock-knock, knock!
Bella jumped to her feet at the sound of the familiar knock. But when she opened the door, she did not see a familiar face. All she could see were sequined sneakers, bright purple leggings, and two hands carrying a towering pile of fabric pieces.
“Maddie?” Bella guessed.
“How’d you know?” The sneakers shuffled forward, and the giant pile of material landed with a soft thump on the big worktable. Maddie Wilson’s trademark grin came into view.
“Lucky guess,” said Bella, smiling back. Maddie was the stylish seamstress of the bunch, and since her mother was a fashion designer, she often got her mom’s leftover scraps.
“Very cool,” Bella added. “But what are all these scraps for?”
“My mom just finished creating an entire line of fleece jackets, so she gave me the leftover material. It’s so cuddly and soft. I thought we could make knotted blankets.”
“What’s a knotted blanket?” asked Emily Adams as she and Sam Sharma entered the clubhouse. Now all four friends were there.
“This!” Maddie showed them a pattern. “See? You cut out a square at each corner, and then you cut fringe all the way around. After that you line up the two pieces of cloth and knot the fringe together. Or braid them, if you prefer. There are lots of ways to do it.”
The four friends were game, so they each selected fabric pieces and quickly got to work.
Or tried to.
“This is harder than it looks,” said Emily.
Sam nodded. “My knots are not holding.”
Bella came over to take a look. “Do either of you know how to make a square knot?”
They didn’t, but they learned quickly when Bella showed them a how-to video on her computer. “See? Knot a problem,” she joked.
Everyone laughed.
Before long, all four friends were working away, knotting and braiding the fringes on their blankets in different patterns.
“These are cool,” said Sam. “What are we going to do with them when we’re done?”
“I’m not sure,” admitted Maddie. “They’re pretty small. I guess we could leave an opening and put stuffing between the two layers? That would make them into pillows.”
“They’d make cute dog beds, too,” said Emily.
“Ohh, that reminds me . . . ,” said Sam. “It’s my turn to take Bibi out. If I’m late, it will be trouble.”
“Sam, you are so lucky,” said Emily. “I wish I could have a dog, but my parents think it’s too much work.”
“Well, they’re kind of right,” said Sam.
“Hey, whose side are you on?” said Emily, jabbing Sam’s arm playfully.
“I’m just saying, it’s totally worth it, but it is a lot of responsibility and a lot of work,” Sam said with a smile.
Emily nodded, but the only part she heard loud and clear was: “totally worth it.”
CHAPTER 2
Puppy Practice
The next day Emily woke up still thinking about dogs. She really wanted one. But how could she convince her parents? She remembered what Sam said about it being a big responsibility. What if . . . ? That was it! She had an idea!
Later that morning, Emily called Sam and excitedly explained her plan.
“If I pitch in more at home, my parents will see how responsible I am,” she said. “Then they couldn’t possibly say no to a dog. I’ll take out the garbage and unload the dishwasher without being asked, set the table, and—”
“Okay, but how will you show them you know how to care for a dog?” asked Sam.
“Well, I could . . .” Emily hadn’t thought about that.
“You could practice by helping me with Bibi,” suggested Sam.
“Would your parents let me?”
“Of course!”
On Monday, Emily went to Sam’s house after school. Bibi met them at the door, jumping around and barking excitedly.
“Hand me the leash, quick!” said Sam.
“What’s the rush?” asked Emily.
“She’s still a puppy,” said Sam, trying to grab Bibi while she wiggled just out of reach. “So, when she gets excited, she—”
“Oops!” said Emily, noticing a puddle.
“Aw, Bibi,” said Sam.
“You take her out. I’ll wipe it up,” offered Emily.
While Sam took Bibi around the block, Emily wiped up the mess. It wasn’t fun, but it made her feel like a real dog owner. And when Sam got back, Emily got to do the really fun part: playing with Bibi and teaching her tricks.
That night Emily set and cleared the table, loaded the dishwasher, and took out the trash and the recycling. The next morning she set her alarm for a half hour before she usually got up, to practice for when she had a dog of her own to walk. Since she was up early anyway, she decided to make coffee for her parents. She’d seen her dad do it enough times, though she still sort of had to wing it.
When her father came downstairs, he raised an eyebrow.
“You made coffee?” he asked.
“Yup!” said Emily proudly. “I’m doing extra chores and getting up early and learning dog care from Sam. You know, just in case we ever decide to get a dog.”
All week long Emily tried to think of chores and jobs she could do to demonstrate how responsible she was. She even skipped going to the craft clubhouse with her friends. She figured that if she had a real dog, it would have to take priority.
On Friday morning she noticed a tiny paper animal on her friends’ desks. A purple monkey, a green swan, and a yellow frog.
“Where did you guys get those?” she asked Sam.
“We made them at the clubhouse yesterday!” he replied.
Emily felt a twinge of sadness that she’d missed out on the fun. But she reminded herself what Sam had said about caring for a dog: It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.
By dinnertime that night Emily was feeling tired from getting up early all week and doing chores every afternoon. At the table, she closed her eyes to rest them, just for a moment.
Crash!
Emily’s eyes flew open. She jumped up at the sudden feeling of something cold and damp. Oh no! She had dozed off and knocked over her glass of milk. And what was worse—the glass had shattered on the floor.
Tears welled in Emily’s eyes. “I’m so s-sorry!” she said. “I’ll clean it up!” She couldn’t believe she had been so clumsy. After all her hard work being responsible all week, now she was ruining everything.
“Emily, it’s okay,” said her mom gently. “Your dad and I have noticed all the work you’ve been doing to take care of things around the house. And we really appreciate it.”
“But you don’t have to get carried away,” said her dad. “There are bound to be accidents and messes from time to time. That’s just the way it is with a new puppy.”
“With a . . . what?” Emily looked at hi
m, confused.
“Hang on,” said Emily’s mom, smiling. “We’re not getting a dog quite yet. But your dad and I have been impressed with how hard you’ve been working to prove you’re ready. So we decided it might be a good time for you to volunteer at our local animal shelter if you’d like. That way you’ll learn more about pet care. And then, if the right dog comes along, we can consider it.”
“Really?!” Emily asked. Her mom and dad nodded.
Emily couldn’t believe it. Her plan had worked . . . almost!
CHAPTER 3
Training Day
On Saturday morning Emily was the first one downstairs. She tried to be patient, but waiting was even worse than taking out the garbage.
Finally, it was time to go to the shelter. Emily’s mom had already explained that Emily wasn’t old enough to volunteer on her own, but she could participate in a “shelter assistant” program with a parent. And Emily’s mom was willing to join her!
“Nice to meet you, Emily,” said the man who greeted them at the shelter. “I’m Dave, and your mom tells me you’re really responsible. Today’s volunteer training session will start soon. For now, why don’t you go look around.”
Emily made a beeline for the door marked DOGS FOR ADOPTION. On the other side she found a long hallway lined with separate kennels holding one or two dogs. The kennels had glass on one side, and almost all the dogs ran up to the glass when they saw Emily.
Emily caught sight of an especially cute dog with long floppy ears.
“Hi, sweetie,” she said, leaning in toward the kennel.
“Ahhh-ahhh-ahhh-chooo!”
The dog jumped back in surprise.
Emily stepped away, a little embarrassed by her loud sneeze. Then she noticed another cute dog. This one was big, jet-black, and shaggy. She went over to take a look.
She felt like she might sneeze again, but she managed not to.
She rubbed her eyes. She decided to go get a tissue and some water. Then she joined her mom in the waiting room. There were a few other kids and parents there too.
Just then Dave came in and addressed the group. “I know you’re all eager to meet our adorable shelter residents. They’re excited to meet you, too.”
Emily smiled. The two dogs she’d already met were definitely excited to see her.
“But first,” Dave continued, “we need to go over the rules and expectations we have for all our volunteers. We’ll start by watching a short video.”
Emily enjoyed the training session. There was a lot to learn, but the training made her feel like an important member of the shelter team. According to Dave, it was up to all of them to care for the animals while the animals waited for their “forever family.”
I hope my family can be a dog’s “forever family,” Emily thought as she left the shelter at the end of the day. She sneezed again. But first, I hope I’m not getting sick!
CHAPTER 4
A Dog Named Woody
The next morning Emily was happy to discover that she didn’t feel sick anymore. She bounced out of bed and got dressed in a hurry, tossing her brand-new SHELTER VOLUNTEER T-shirt in her backpack. Now she’d be ready to go after school.
The school day went slower than it had ever gone before. At lunch, Emily’s friends were all talking about their crafting plans for that afternoon.
Emily was sorry she was going to miss out again, but she was also really excited to return to the shelter.
After school Emily and her mom went straight there.
“Let’s start by taking a tour of the whole shelter,” Dave suggested to the group. “We’ll start in the cat complex.”
Emily and her mom followed Dave. As soon as he opened the door, they heard a chorus of meows.
“Wow,” said Emily. There were cats in kennels, but many of the cats were exploring the common space. Rising almost to the ceiling were wooden and carpeted climbing towers, which were being scaled by some of the more curious cats.
Emily loved to design and build things. She wanted to spend time with the dogs, but maybe she could also volunteer to build some more climbing towers for the shelter!
Emily began to speak, but instead of words—“ah-ah-ah-chooooo!”—a sneeze came out.
Oh no. Not those pesky sneezes again!
Emily swallowed quickly and tried again. “It’s totally awesome here. It’s really—ah-choo! Ah-choo!”
Dave gave Emily a funny look.
“On second thought, let’s go back to the front desk,” he said. “There’s some office work I could really use your help with. And we’ll find tasks for the rest of you too!” he told the group.
Emily smiled, trying to be agreeable. But all she could think was: Me and my big sneezes! He’s probably worried I’m going to get the cats sick or something.
Emily and her mom spent the rest of the afternoon stuffing envelopes, making copies of a handout for a puppy kindergarten class, and folding donated towels. Emily knew all these tasks were important, but she missed the animals.
Looking out the office window into the shelter’s outdoor play yard, Emily saw a girl walking a shelter dog on a leash. Two adults were with her, and Emily saw them nod. Then the girl knelt and hugged the dog.
Emily felt a pang of jealousy. She closed her eyes and pictured her perfect dog, with bright shining eyes, soft-as-velvet fur, a wagging tail, and kisses to spare.
Just then an elderly man walked into the shelter with an adorable fluffy dog that reminded Emily of Sam’s dog, Bibi. But this one had shiny brown fur. The man came up to the desk and spoke to Dave.
Emily strained to hear what the man was saying. She caught only bits and pieces. She heard the man say something about his neighbors moving and having to give up their dog, and how he knew this would be the best place for the dog since he couldn’t take care of it. Then she clearly heard him say that the dog’s name was Woody.
Emily saw Dave hold out his hand for the dog to sniff.
Then she was pretty sure she heard Dave say, “Dogs like this don’t come in very often. We’ll find Woody a good home in no time.”
Dogs like this don’t come in often? What did that mean? Emily started to wander over to the front desk, hoping to take a closer look. But before she could, Dave whisked the dog away to the examination room so the shelter veterinarians could make sure he was healthy.
Emily tried not to get her hopes up, but she couldn’t help feeling like there was something special about Woody.
CHAPTER 5
Ah-Ah-Ah Chooooo!
The next afternoon, something came up at Emily’s mom’s office, so she couldn’t take Emily to the shelter. Instead, Emily was happy enough to go to the craft clubhouse with her friends.
“Check it out,” said Bella. “We learned to do a whole bunch of new origami folds yesterday. I’ll show you the website with the instructions. It was super-easy!”
“Maybe for you,” said Maddie. “Everything I made came out looking like a swan. Fat swan, skinny swan, long-necked swan, giant swan . . .”
“Maddie!” said Bella. “You’re being too hard on yourself. Anyone can see that’s a parrot, a butterfly, a rose, and, um, uh . . . a giant swan?”
“I told you so!” Maddie laughed. “It’s okay. Luckily, I have other talents.”
“Are there instructions for folding a dog?” asked Emily.
“Sure! All kinds of dogs,” said Bella excitedly. “Here, let me show you.”
Emily joined Bella at the computer. Sure enough, the screen was soon filled with all sorts of dogs.
Emily was so captivated by the possibilities that she didn’t hear the clubhouse door open. “Wow!” she said. “I want to make them—ah-ah-ah-ah-choo!”
“My swans!” said Maddie, diving forward as Emily’s sneeze sent the origami creations sailing off the table.
“I’m so sorry!” said Emily, ducking down and meeting Maddie on the floor to gather up the origami creatures.
Just then Emily noticed she was face-to-face with S
am’s bright yellow sneakers. As well as twelve furry paws!
“Woof! Woof! Woof!” barked all three dogs.
“Bibi! Riley! Rocky! Stop!” yelled Sam, trying to get them under control.
“What in the world?” said Bella. “Sam, did you get two more dogs?”
“No. Riley and Rocky belong to my cousins,” explained Sam. “They’re out of town, so we agreed to watch their dogs. My mom asked me to get them out of the house so she could vacuum—they’re shedding all over the furniture. Bibi doesn’t shed, so we’ve never had to deal with this!”
Emily wanted to tell Sam about volunteering at the shelter. But when she opened her mouth, all that came out was “ah-choo!”
“Sorry!” said Emily, grabbing a handful of tissues. “I must be getting a cold or something. I should probably go home before I get everyone sick.”
Emily grabbed her backpack and ducked out the door, giving all three dogs quick hi-and-bye pats as she passed Sam.
“Ah-choo! Ah-choo! Ah-CHOO!”
And with that, Emily sneezed herself out the door.
CHAPTER 6
Diagnosis: Disaster
“I don’t feel sick anymore,” said Emily at breakfast the next morning. “I haven’t sneezed since yesterday afternoon, honest!”