Archangel Grace shook her head sadly. “You’re clearly not feeling very well, Primrose dear. I think you’d better spend the rest of the day quietly in bed.”
“But it’s the party!” gasped Primrose. “And I’ve got a halo stamp.”
“I really don’t think it would be wise for you to attend. Come on now, dear. Back to bed. I’ll ask one of the older angels to bring you up a dinner tray later.”
Primrose took one last look at Ella, Poppy, Jess, and Tilly—who were giving her sympathetic looks. “Gahhhh!” she cried, and she flounced out of the door.
Archangel Grace sighed and shook her head. “Poor Primrose. She seems very out of sorts today. I’m sorry to have disturbed you, girls.”
She turned to go, when something caught her eye.
“What a beautiful picture.” She pointed to the painting on the wall next to Tilly’s bed. She turned to Tilly. “Is it yours?”
“It is now,” said Tilly. “But I didn’t draw it. Ella did.”
“It’s beautiful,” said Archangel Grace. “Such a good picture of the school.” She smiled. “And there I am too. It would look wonderful on my study wall.”
“You can have it!” Tilly said, quickly. She turned to Ella. “See, I told you so. Drawing is a skill.”
“A very highly valued angel skill indeed,” said Archangel Grace. “Why? Did you think it wasn’t, Ella?”
“Well, yes,” Ella admitted. “We don’t have drawing classes, do we? They’re not mentioned in the handbook.”
“That’s because your handbook is for third-grade angels in their first term. You will certainly be doing drawing classes next term and I am sure Angel Gabriella, our art teacher, will be delighted to know she has such a talented student to teach. Well done on such a lovely picture, Ella. You really must have a halo stamp for it. Come to my study and collect it.”
And with that, she turned on her heel and closed the door. The four friends looked at one another for a moment and then collapsed into giggles.
“See!” said Tilly. “Didn’t I tell you drawing was a talent?”
“And I thought I only had a talent for getting into trouble!” Ella said.
Poppy hugged her. “Now that you’ve got your halo stamp, you can come to the party!”
“While poor Primrose has to stay in bed with a dinner tray,” said Tilly. They all giggled again.
“I’m just glad we got back from Rainbow’s End without being discovered!” said Jess in relief.
“Why did you go there, Ella?” said Tilly.
Ella remembered and, reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the purple flower. It was rather crumpled, but still in one piece. “I went to get this for Tilly. It’s a remembering flower. Do you remember Raffaella told us that they can make people happy? I hoped that if Tilly held it, it might make her less homesick.” She held it out.
Tilly caught her breath. “Oh, Ella. That’s so nice of you.”
“Try it,” Ella urged. “You have to touch the center.”
Tilly took the flower and touched the center. A fountain of silver sparkles cascaded out, just like they had back at Rainbow’s End. “It’s totally glittery, isn’t it?” said Ella happily, as the sparkles filled the air and her three friends squealed. “I mean, anyone’s going to feel happier if they’re surrounded by sparkles, aren’t they?”
“Wait!” said Jess suddenly. “I don’t think it’s just the sparkles that make the person holding the flower happier. Look!”
Ella stared. In the center of the sparkles a picture was forming. It showed four angels, a man, a woman, and two little girls.
“Oh my goodness! It’s Mom and Dad and my sisters!” cried Tilly. “Oh wow!” Her face split into a grin as she looked at them.
“It didn’t work like that for me,” said Ella, puzzled.
“The flower must work for people who really need it—by showing you people who make you happy!” realized Jess.
“It’s wonderful!” said Tilly. “I love it!”
As she spoke the picture changed and became a picture of Ella, Poppy, and Jess all laughing, just as they had been a few moments ago.
“Now it’s showing you us!” said Ella in surprise. “That’s odd.”
Tilly’s eyes shone. “No it’s not. It’s because you all make me happy too!”
Ella, Poppy, and Jess hugged her. After a few moments the sparkles faded. Tilly sighed happily. “Thank you for my flower, Ella.”
“Do you feel a bit less homesick now?” Ella asked hopefully.
Tilly nodded. “I really do. Today’s been so much fun.” She smiled around at them all. “You know, I think I’m actually just as happy at school as I am at home.”
“Good. Angel school is fantastic!” said Ella.
“And do you know something else that’s going to be fantastic?” said Poppy.
They all grinned. “The party!” they chorused.
The party was fantastic. It was held in Archangel Grace’s special private garden. Giant butterflies the size of dinner plates fluttered in the air and bright flowers filled the marble pots and tubs. Seraphina was conjuring up sticks of pink cotton candy and Angel Celestine was making lollipops grow on the golden trees. Some of the teachers were playing music so people could dance and, at the end of the garden, there was a massive rainbow slide. It wasn’t quite as amazing as sliding down the real rainbow, but it was loads of fun!
“Whee!” cried Ella as she whizzed down it.
“Whee!” yelled Poppy crashing into her.
They pulled each other to their feet, laughing, and looked to where Jess and Tilly were swinging each other around to the music. “Hasn’t today been great?” said Ella happily.
“Oh yes!” said Poppy. “Our first real adventure. I hope we have lots more!”
“We will,” Ella promised. “We really will!” Her eyes sparkled as she looked around the garden. She had a feeling that the fun had only just begun!
Read on for a sneak peek at Ella’s angel-tastic adventures in:
To the Rescue!
WHAT’S GOING ON?” ELLA BROWN fluttered down the spiral staircase at the Guardian Angel Academy, coming to land at the bottom next to her friend, Tilly. The hallway was crammed full of angels gathered around a sign, and excited chatter filled the air. Something was definitely happening!
“Come and look at this!” Tilly pulled Ella through the crowd. “Excuse me! Excuse me, please,” she said to the other angels until they reached the front.
The sign was glittery and sparkly and kept changing colour. “The Guardian Angel Academy Third-Grade Fireworks Show,” Ella read aloud. “Friday the twenty-fifth of October. Oh, angel-tastic!” she exclaimed, pushing her dark brown hair behind her ears. “We’re having a fireworks show in three days.”
“I know!” said Tilly, her eyes shining. “It’s the day our parents come to take us home for the midterm break.”
Ella clutched her arm. “Look—the paper’s changing again!” They watched excitedly as the paper turned purple.
Tilly read the words. “All third-grade angels will be expected to take part in the show.”
Ella caught her breath. “So we’re all going to actually perform in the fireworks show?”
“Yes, indeed,” came a voice from behind them. Everyone swung around. Angel Seraphina, Ella and Tilly’s class tutor, was standing there. “Every third-grade angel will get a turn at carrying the different lights through the sky, and the very best angel will get a starring role in the finale.”
“Oh, halos and wings!” breathed Ella.
“That would be really scary,” said Tilly, her eyes wide.
“It would be amazing!” said Ella, imagining everyone watching her as she swooped and dived, setting off fireworks in the sky.
“One thing’s for sure, you’re all going to have fun whether you have a starring role or not.” Angel Seraphina smiled. “And I’m sure your parents will enjoy watching the show, before taking you home for the midterm break. However, if yo
u want that starring role you’d better practice your flying.” Angel Seraphina flew away.
Ella turned to Tilly. “I’ve seen a fireworks show before, but to actually take part in one—maybe have the main part—wouldn’t that be totally glittery!”
“I wouldn’t get too excited, Ella Brown,” came a haughty voice from behind them. “It’s not likely you’ll get the starring role, is it?”
Ella turned and saw Primrose standing there. She was the most annoying angel in the whole school. With her sparkling blue eyes, and pretty blonde hair curled into ringlets, she looked perfectly angelic—but she so wasn’t.
Ella felt Tilly shrink back—Tilly hated arguments—but she wasn’t scared of Primrose. “And why shouldn’t I get the starring role?” she demanded.
“Didn’t you hear what Angel Seraphina said?” Primrose nudged the angel standing beside her, who had red hair and giggled when prompted. “Only the best angel will get the starring role. And one thing’s for certain—you definitely don’t fall into that category.” Her eyes swept snootily over Ella. “All you’re best at is getting into trouble!”
Ella put her hands on her hips. “You’ve been sent to the Sad Cloud as often as me, Primrose.”
“Ella, don’t get into an argument now,” Tilly pleaded, tugging her arm. “You heard what Angel Seraphina said—everyone will get to take part in the show. It doesn’t really matter who has the starring role.”
“Come on, Veronica.” Primrose turned to her friend. “We’ve got better things to do with our time than stand around talking to troublemakers like Ella.” And with that she flounced off.
“Right! That’s it!” Ella sprang after her.
Tilly grabbed her. “No, Ella! Ignore her. She’s just trying to make you mad so you get into trouble.”
Ella stopped herself. Tilly was right. Primrose loved to make her lose her temper—usually when there was a teacher around. Angels were never supposed to lose their temper. It said so in the handbook that all the third-grade angels had been given a copy of. “All right, I won’t go after her,” said Ella, “but she is just so annoying! I hope she doesn’t get the starring role in this show.” And I hope I do, she added to herself.
“Forget Primrose,” said Tilly. “Let’s find the others and tell them all about the fireworks show.”
Ella and Tilly hurried outside into the courtyard, where they found Poppy and Jess, their other two best friends, sitting underneath the marble statue of their founder, Archangel Emmanuel. Jess was bouncing a ball back and forth against a wall and they were sharing cloudberry cookies, their white halos gleaming in the sun. Archangel Emmanuel had been sculpted in full song, mouth open, eyes wide. It was one of Ella’s favorite statues in the school grounds.
“Where have you two been?” Poppy asked. As usual, her curly blonde hair looked like a bird had been nesting in it and the rest of her looked just as messy—her white dress even had a splotch of sauce from breakfast! Jess was much neater—her dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her uniform was clean.
“We’ve been finding out something very exciting,” said Ella. “Now,” she pretended to tease, “shall we tell them, Tilly? Or shall we not?”
“Tell us!” said Poppy eagerly.
“Well . . . guess what we’ll be doing in three days,” said Ella.
“What?” Poppy said.
“Only performing in a fireworks show!” Ella exclaimed. She quickly explained about the sign.
“Oh, glittersome!” exclaimed Poppy.
“Just think how totally sparkly it will be to take part in a fireworks show,” enthused Tilly.
Ella looked at Jess. The dark-haired angel was sitting quietly. “It’s really exciting, isn’t it, Jess?” Ella said, surprised her friend hadn’t said anything.
“Yeah . . . yeah, sure it is,” muttered Jess. Ella frowned. Jess didn’t sound that excited. But then Jess was kind of shy—maybe she didn’t like the idea of performing in front of everyone.
Before Ella could ask her if that was what it was, the school bell rang. “Time to go,” said Tilly, pulling Poppy up. “We don’t want to be late for class.”
A bluebird who had been circling around the head of the statue swooped down and pecked up the crumbs from their cloudberry cookies. His coat shone in different shades of indigo and turquoise and his dark eyes sparkled like jewels.
“Look at him. Isn’t he beautiful!” said Tilly.
“Bluebirds are supposed to be lucky,” commented Ella.
“He’ll be very unlucky for us if looking at him makes us late for Angel Gabriella’s class!” said Tilly, setting off. “Come on, all of you! I don’t want to lose any halo stamps today.”
Halo stamps were what you earned for good behavior and all of the angels at the Academy had halo cards for them. This being their first year, the third graders had been told that when they filled up their card, the color of their halo and uniform would change, and their wings would grow a bit bigger. All the third graders still had the white halos and white dresses they had started with at the beginning of term a few weeks ago, but the next level up was a sparkling sapphire-blue, and they all wanted to change to that. But they had to be careful—halo stamps could also be taken away for lateness, untidiness, and generally behaving in ways that angels shouldn’t.
“How many halo stamps have you all got now?” Poppy asked.
“Four,” said Tilly.
“Four! That’s fabulous,” said Poppy. “I’ve got three.”
“Well, I’ve only got two,” sighed Ella.
“You would have had three if you hadn’t had one taken away for that flying mishap with Primrose last month,” Tilly pointed out.
“True,” Ella said. “What about you, Jess? Jess . . . ?” Ella looked around. Jess was still standing at the foot of the statue, lost in thought. “Jess, come on!” Ella went back for her. “What are you doing? You should be coming to class with us.”
“Oh, sorry,” Jess said distractedly. “I was just thinking about something.”
“Is it the fireworks show?” Ella asked. “Are you worried about performing?”
Jess looked suprised. “Oh no, I’m not worried about that. I wouldn’t want a main part anyway. It’ll be nice just being in the background.”
“Oh. So what’s the matter?” Ella said.
“I’m fine. Nothing’s the matter. Nothing at all.” Jess quickly flew after the others.
Ella frowned as she watched her go. Jess could say what she liked, but she was beginning to feel sure something was up with her friend. What could it possibly be?
MICHELLE MISRA has written many stories for kids, including the Magic Ballerina, Battle Champions, and Wild Friends series. She lives in London, England, with her family.
ALADDIN
Simon & Schuster, New York
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authors.simonandschuster.com/Michelle-Misra
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ALADDIN
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First Aladdin hardcover edition June 2016
Originally published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK, Ltd.
Text copyright © 2013 by Michelle Misra and Linda Chapman
Interior illustrations copyright © 2013 by Samantha Chaffey
Jacket illustration copyright © 2016 by Christina Forshay
Also available in an Aladdin paperback edition.
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Designed by Karina Granda
The text of this book was set in Bembo STD.
Library of Congress Control Number 2016935285
ISBN 978-1-4814-5798-9 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-5797-2 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4814-5799-6 (eBook)
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