Nancy Krulik - I Want My Mummy!

Ms. Frogbottom's Field Trips

I Want My Mummy!

Nancy Krulik

New York Times Bestselling Author

Also in the

MS. FROGBOTTOMS FIELD TRIPS series

Book 2: Long Time, No Sea Monster

COMING SOON:

Book 3: Fangs for Having Us!

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 authors imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ALADDIN

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division

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www.SimonandSchuster.com

First Aladdin paperback edition April 2021

Text copyright 2021 by Nancy Krulik

Illustrations copyright 2021 by Harry Briggs

Also available in an Aladdin hardcover edition.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

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Cover designed by Karin Paprocki

Interior designed by Mike Rosamilia

The illustrations for this book were rendered digitally.

Library of Congress Control Number 2020936642

ISBN 9781534453975 (hc)

ISBN 9781534453968 (pbk)

ISBN 9781534453982 (ebook)

For my mummy and my daddy, Gladys and Steve Krulik

N. K.

WELCOME TO CLASS 4A.

We have a warning for you:

BEWARE OF THE MAP.

Our classroom probably looks a lot like yours. We have chairs, desks, a whiteboard, and artwork on the walls. And of course we have our teacher, Ms. Frogbottom.

Actually, our teacher is the reason why things sometimes get strange around here. Because Ms. Frogbottom is kind of different.

For starters, she carries around a backpack. It looks like any other pack, but somehow strange things always seem to be popping out of it. You dont have to worry about most of the stuff our teacher carries. But if she reaches into her pack and pulls out her giant map, beware. That map is magic. It has the power to lift us right out of our classroom and drop us in some faraway place. And somehow its always the same exact time as when we left. No matter where we go, we wind up meeting frightening creatures none of us ever believed were realand getting into all sorts of trouble.

You dont have to be too scared, though. Things always seem to turn out okay for us in the end. Or at least they have so far.

Your new pals,

Aiden, Emma, Oliver, Olivia, Sofia, and Tony

MS. FROGBOTTOMS FIELD TRIP DOS AND DONTS

• Do stay together.
• Dont take photos. You cant experience the big world through a tiny camera hole.
• Dont bring home souvenirs. We want to leave the places we visit exactly as we found them.
• Dont use the word weird. The people, places, and food we experience are just different from what you are used to.
• Do have fun!

1

YOU KNOW THAT SKIN THAT sticks out from the sides of your fingernails? The kind that looks like pieces of shredded strings?

I hate that skin. Which is why Im always picking at it.

It makes my mother crazy when I pick. But stringy skin is really annoying. So I keep picking.

And picking.

And picking.

Luckily, my moms not here to yell at me. Im in school, waiting for the bell to ring and for my teacher, Ms. Frogbottom, to show up.

Ms. Frogbottom doesnt scold me for picking at the skin around my fingernails. Or at least she hasnt yet.

Hey, Tony! my best friend, Oliver, says as he and his twin sister, Olivia, walk into the classroom.

Oliver hangs his jacket and his backpack on a hook and walks over to my desk. How was your weekend? Did your cousin take you to see that movie about summer camp?

Yeah, I reply. It was okay.

Just okay? Olivia asks, butting into our conversation. We loved it.

I liked most of it, I explain. Just not the part where the bear shows up while theyre making smores. That scared me.

Did I mention that I hate being scared?

Oliver and I had our fencing competition on Saturday, Olivia says. Guess who came in first place?

Olivia is wearing a huge gold-colored plastic medal around her neck. Which, of course, means she came in first.

I have a feeling Olivia is just wearing the medal to annoy Oliver. I dont know how he puts up with her.

Check out Sofia, Oliver says, changing the subject. Shes already got her math book open.

I dont know why Oliver sounds surprised. Sofia is the class brain. Shes always got her nose in a book. Or in her tablet, looking something up.

Okay, you cant really have your nose in a tablet. But you know what I mean.

Sofia is so busy solving a math problemjust for funthat she doesnt even look up at the sound of her name.

Do you know why the math book was always upset? Olivia asks Oliver.

Because it had so many problems! Oliver answers her. The twins start laughing hysterically.

Ms. Frogbottoms coming! Suddenly my classmate Aiden, who has been standing near the door, shouts out a warning. He races over to his desk and sits in his seat.

The twins sit down too. Now were all in our places, with bright shiny faces, except

Emma! Aiden exclaims. Sit down. You know how mad Ms. Frogbottom gets if were not all seated when she gets here.

I look over at the window. Emma is staring at her reflection in the glass. Shes moving her head around and making funny expressions. Smiles. Frowns. And something that looks like duck lips.

Emma, hurry. Aiden sounds worried. I dont blame him. I dont want Ms. Frogbottom to be in a bad mood right at the start of the day.

Emma stops staring at herself long enough to glare at Aiden. Are you talking to me? Because if you are, my names not Emma. Its Rainbow.

Im not surprised by that. Last Friday, Emma told everyone shed changed her name to Starshine. And a few days before that, it was Moonglow.

Im just sticking with Emma.