I pulled out a bench and joined him and G and all the other sunshine kids. Timmy Spencer got up and moved next to me. He squeezed my arm.
“Everything’s almost ready for Saturday’s surprise birthday party,” Loam said. “Do you think Officer Dashell suspects anything?”
“Probably. She’s a good cop. But I’ve been using my confidentiality and I’ve fooled her before.”
Not that I was real proud of that.
I liked calling Officer D, Officer D-Mom now. She was one of my favorite matching socks in my drawer. We had cocoa together almost every night, and I would tell her about my day and sometimes she told me about the cop stuff she handled down in Willis. She’s giving me batting lessons too, but I know I’ll never be as good at softball as her. I sure hoped Officer D-Mom would like our surprise.
G said, “Noreen is making Officer Dashell’s favorite old-fashioned doughnuts, the confetti is cut, the banners are finished, and now we’re making cards.”
Dandy clapped her hands.
I knew what she was telling me. She had finished her rainbow today. I turned to the large window on the south side of the dining hall. Loam’s dad and Mr. Landau had built shelves that arced over the window. Dandy’s rainbow was a thing of beauty, for sure, real museum quality. Folks just started giving her items they didn’t need. Sometimes she and Loam found things, but they were done stealing. Loam was conquering his ogre.
So was Pop.
I missed all the me-and-Pop good times, especially our longboarding, but I liked not worrying about the bad times.
I was proud of Pop. He was working hard at the warehouse and going to his meetings every day like he was required to do. Every Sunday, he came up to Three Boulders to visit me. On those days, Pop and Old Pop had their own private meetings. They told me I could sit with them, but I didn’t. I thought they needed time and space to heal and find redemption and forgiveness and all that stuff.
One day, maybe soon, Pop could move here too, with me and all these nice folks, my new family.
But until then, me and the People of Three Boulders . . . well . . . we got this.
And that’s the honest truth.
Acknowledgments
My heroes have always been authors. As a child I devoured books by Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl. My childhood world was rocked by Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Today, there is no end to the list of children’s authors who inspire me with their stories and voices. I am deeply humbled and honored to step into the community of children’s literature with this novel.
My sock drawer of support for this long journey from first draft to publication is overflowing. I’m indebted to so many. I’ll start at the beginning and thank my mom. Thank you for believing me when, at age seven, I told you I was going to be an author. You’ve been my forever cheerleader. Thank you to my dad, who is my favorite coach. Thank you for teaching me to hustle and to simply try my best. I love you both.
I am grateful to my agent, Ted Malawer, and his unending patience and willingness to travel with me. Thank you to my editor, Erica Sussman at HarperCollins, who loved Jane from the beginning and gave me just the right suggestions to make Jane’s story the honest truth. Matching socks go to the talented artistic team of Abigail Dela Cruz, Jenna Stempel-Lobell, and Alison Donalty for the glorious cover.
My critique group deserves the longest standing ovation ever. Sandy Grubb, you have probably read every draft of Jane’s story, and your guidance as an editor and friend is irreplaceable. Sarvinder Naberhaus, thank you for always reminding me to dig deeper. The digging was exhausting and emotional but worth it. Jill Van Den Eng, your work ethic and keen insight is more of an inspiration than you realize. Kerry McGee, thank you for your medical wisdom on signs of infection, but more so for your wisdom of story. Suzanne Klein, thank you for your ability to show me how to set a scene, and for crying along with me and Jane. Diana Schaffter, thank you for your fresh perspective and your compassion for children. I also send gratitude to other writers who read early drafts and touched this story: Holly, Ann, Stephanie, Kathy, Lori, Smadar, and Gayle.
Thank you to the staff at Jacob Wismer Elementary. It is an honor to work with such an exceptional group of educators. My students, present and past, deserve much recognition. You are why I write. Few things offer as much joy as watching your faces light up with a good book.
My extended family is enormous and quirky, and I love you all: Julie and Dan, Jack and Mary Ann, Kate, Patrice and Jordan, Joe and Ann, Alaine, Tony and Monique, Regan and Brad, and my sixteen incredible nieces and nephews and their families.
And last, yet always first in my heart, thank you to the three most important and beloved people in the world to me: Steve, Alli, and Ryan. You are my three boulders.
And that’s the complete honest truth.
About the Author
Photo by Constance Spurling
JODY J. LITTLE is a third-grade teacher who loves sharing her joy of books and reading with her students. She lives in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon, with her family and an immortal pet rabbit. Mostly the Honest Truth is her first novel.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Copyright
MOSTLY THE HONEST TRUTH. Copyright © 2018 by Jody J. Little. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Cover art © 2019 by Abigail Dela Cruz
Cover design by Jenna Stempel-Lobell
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018948779
Digital Edition MARCH 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-285251-9
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-285249-6 (trade bdg.)
1920212223PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower
22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5H 4E3
www.harpercollins.ca
India
HarperCollins India
A 75, Sector 57
Noida
Uttar Pradesh 201 301
www.harpercollins.co.in
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
Mostly the Honest Truth Page 15