Piper Reed, Rodeo Star - Softcover

Holt, Kimberly Willis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250004098 ISBN 13: 9781250004093

Publisher: Square Fish, 2012

Synopsis

A visit to Piper's grandparents' ranch means time for exploration and adventure!--in Kimberly Willis Holt's Piper Reed, Rodeo Star, featuring illustrations by Christine Davenier

Piper's parents are going on vacation to France and not taking the whole family. What rotten luck! Still, Piper always looks on the bright side. The Reed sisters will be visiting their two sets of grandparents in Piney Woods, and Piper is determined to have four adventures. By working in a grocery store, listening to Tori's scary stories, and lassoing a calf, Piper almost reaches her quota. But sometimes the best adventures are the most unexpected ones.

About this title

About the Authors

Twenty three years ago Kimberly Willis Holt stopped talking about wanting to be a writer and started to pursue her dream. Because of her family's Louisiana roots she considers herself a southerner, but her father's military career took her to places beyond the South, including Paris and Guam.

She's the author of more than fifteen books for a wide range of ages, many of which have won awards and honors. Her third novel, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She writes and gardens in Texas.

As a young girl growing up in Tours, France, Christine Davenier loved listening to her older sister read fairy tales aloud. But she frequently found herself wondering, What does the princess’s beautiful dress look like? or How exquisite are her jewels? Christine was left to her own imagination, for the books had few illustrations. So it comes as little surprise that today, Christine embraces her career as an illustrator. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to create the illustrations I dreamed about seeing as a child,” she says.

When Christine was fourteen, she received her first box of watercolor paints, a gift from her grandmother. That was the beginning of many afternoons spent painting together in her grandmother’s garden. “My grandmother was an extraordinary woman,” Christine says. “Even though she worked in an office all her life, she was an artist through and through. She shared everything she knew about color―in painting and in life. Her wisdom and talent still inspire me today.”

She has illustrated many picture books, including Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen by Cari Best. She lives in Paris, France.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Piper Reed, Rodeo Star

(Piper Reed No. 5)By Kimberly Willis Holt

Square Fish

Copyright © 2012 Kimberly Willis Holt
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781250004093

Piper Reed, Rodeo Star

1

A PINEY WOODS CHRISTMAS

Mom and Chief were going on a honeymoon to Paris, France. Chief called it a second honeymoon, but Mom said she didn't call driving from Piney Woods, Louisiana, to Waukegan, Illinois, in an old Buick Impala a honeymoon. Mom and Chief lived in Waukegan when Chief received his first assignment at the Great Lakes Naval Station.

"Where will we stay while you're in France?" I asked.

"Piney Woods," said Chief. "You girls can have a nice visit with your grandparents."

Both sets of our grandparents lived in the country. And they both had a few animals--not enough to be a real farm, but it was the closest to a farm that we'd ever seen.

We were sitting on the back porch while Chief barbecued chicken on the grill. Bruna ran around the yard, barking. Anytime we gathered out in the backyard Bruna got excited, as if the yard belonged to her and we were her guests.

"What about Bruna?" I asked.

Chief snapped the tongs three times before using them to turn the chicken. "She can go, too," he said. "Although you'll have to keep her on a leash when she's outside. Remember what happened when we took her camping, Piper?"

I didn't need to be reminded. It had been my fault when Bruna wandered off Halloween night and caused us to form a search party.

"How about Peaches the Second?" Sam asked. "Can she go to Piney Woods?"

"Brady's family will watch your goldfish," Mom said. "Piney Woods is too far of a drive for Peaches."

"Peaches the Second," said Sam. "But who will feed her?"

"We've already asked Yolanda. She said Brady would love to take care of your fish."

Sam folded her arms in front of her chest. "Brady is too little."

"What's the big deal?" I asked. "It's just sprinkling fish flakes in the fishbowl."

Tori sighed. "I've always wanted to go to France." My big sister thought she should get to do anything she wanted since she was thirteen years old.

I told her, "Tori, you just think France has a huge all-you-can-eat buffet with french fries." She loved french fries and just about any other thing called food.

"That's not why!" Tori snapped. "I want to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. I want to walk the streets of Montmartre where van Gogh lived."

Sam jumped to her feet. "I know who Vincent van Gogh is." My little sister was thebiggest six-year-old show-off on the planet.

"We all know van Gogh," I said. Mom was our art teacher at school, but even before that, she made sure we knew every great master. Anytime a museum had a special exhibit, Mom acted as if it was a new roller-coaster ride at Six Flags and took us. I actually liked going to the museum exhibits. But not as much as I wanted to ride a roller coaster.

"Just think of the fun you'll have with all your relatives," Mom said. "And your grandparents are looking forward to spending time with you."

"When are you leaving?" I asked.

"During the holidays," Mom said. "We'll be back in time to ring in the new year."

Sam's eyes bulged. "You won't be with us for Christmas?"

Mom looked at Chief, who cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry, girls. There was no other way. You get out a few days before Christmas, and I couldn't get off sooner than that."

Mom held the platter for Chief while he removed the chicken from the grill. I loved Chief's barbecued chicken because of the secret ingredient (Louisiana hot sauce!).

"Tori," Chief said, "please set the picnic table."

"It's Piper's turn," Tori snapped.

"Piper?" Chief said.

I saluted him. "Aye, aye, Chief." I dashed into the house and opened the silverware drawer. I was going to miss Mom and Chief. Last year Chief was on a ship during Christmas, but we'd never spent Christmas without Mom.

When I came back out, I studied all the sadfaces around the table. The USS Reed Family ship was sinking fast. Somebody had to cheer up the crew. I decided to start with the squirt. "Don't worry, Sam. Santa can figure out where you are."

Little puddles filled Sam's eyes. "Who will read us The Night Before Christmas?"

Every Christmas Eve, Chief read Cajun Night Before Christmas, which is kind of like the regular Night Before Christmas, only it has alligators instead of reindeer and gumbo instead of sugarplums.

No one said anything. Sam stared my way. "Don't look at me!" I snapped. Except for dog books like Shiloh and Sable, I'd rather go to the mall all day with Tori than read. Even if I didn't have dyslexia, I'd find something else to do.

"I'll read it," Tori said. That figured. She would probably require a costume and make us pay admission to listen to her read.

"Chicken's ready," Chief said. We settled around the picnic table. Smoke from the grill was dying down, and the smell of our chicken mixed with other barbecue smells from our neighbors' backyards in the enlisted housing. That's what was nice about living in Florida. You could barbecue all year long.

Chief passed the bowl of potato salad. "Girls, this was a hard decision for us to make. We hate missing Christmas, but your mom and I haven't had any time by ourselves since before Tori was born. Sometimes parents need a little alone time."

"Why?" I asked. "Aren't we any fun?"

Mom looked at Chief. "Karl, this is starting to feel like a terrible idea. Maybe we could wait until another year."

"When?" Chief asked. "When all the girls are grown?"

"Hey," I said, "great idea!"

Chief frowned at me.

"Bad idea," I mumbled.

Chief shook his head. "Edie, we'll lose the deposit money."

All of a sudden, I felt torn down the middle. I wanted them to stay. I wanted them to go.

Then I heard myself say, "Mom, you and Chief go to Paris. Sometimes kids need a little alone time without parents."

Text copyright © 2011 by Kimberly Willis Holt

Continues...

Excerpted from Piper Reed, Rodeo Star by Kimberly Willis Holt Copyright © 2012 by Kimberly Willis Holt. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Square Fish
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1250004098
• ISBN 13: 9781250004093
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Davenier Christine
• Number of pages: 176