Laurie Friedman - Red, White & True Blue Mallory

To my nieces and nephews
Emma, Evan, Hannah, Katie, Louis, Miriam, Ramie, and Tillie
In alphabetical order, but all first in my heart.

Big huge hugs and kisses,
Aunt Laurie

For my sweet little Juliette
J.K.

by Laurie Friedman
illustrations by Jennifer Kalis

Carolrhoda Books Minneapolis New York

CONTENTS

The Wheels
on the Bus

ON THE BUS ON THE WAY TO W.D.C.!

Dear Trip Journal,

The wheels on the bus go around and around and around. And Mr. Knight says they have to go around a whole lot more because we have a long way to go before we get to Washington. Thats the bad news.

The good news is that hes passing out doughnuts.

G.2.G.E.D. (Thats short for got 2 go eat doughnuts.)

Mallory

P.S. Its not so easy to write while youre on a moving bus. Its also not so easy to write when your best friend (Mary Ann, in case you didnt know who I was talking about) is asleep on you. C B Lo 2 C what I mean.

STILL ON THE BUS,
STILL ON THE WAY TO W.D.C.

Dear Trip Journal,

10 things I have done since the last time I wrote in you:

#1 EATEN one plain, one chocolate, and one blueberry-filled doughnut. This sounds easy, but it wasn't because I have a loose tooth on the left side of my mouth. My friend Pamela Brooks's advice: chew the doughnuts on the right side. Also not so easy.

#2 REFUSED to be a human pillow.

#3 PLAYED Go Fish, Hearts, and Solitaire. (It is even harder to play cards on a bus than it is to write in a journal.)

#4 TRIED to pay attention while Mrs. Brooks (Pamelas mother and our official trip chaperone) read us the history of the White House. Also not so easy to do as the White House has a VERY long history, and Mrs. Brooks read us every bit of it.

#5 TALKED to lots of people on this bus including: April, Joey, Pamela, Dawn, Zoe, Sammy, and C-Lo (a.k.a. Carlos Lopez cute, new boy from Mexico whom I had a crush on and who I think would have had one back on me except that Mary Ann claimed him first). I didnt actually talk to him. Mary Ann did. But I sat next to her while she did.

#6 GONE to the bathroom (4 times). How cool is it that there is a bathroom on this bus?

#7 READ three magazines.

#8 FILLED OUT one magazine questionnaire (with Mary Ann) about finding your soul mate. According to our answers, hers is right here on this bus and mine is in Australia.

#9 TAKEN pictures of people on the bus. Most of the people were awake and smiling (like Pamela), but some were asleep and snoring (like Joey). Heres a fact: Awake and smiling people look better in pictures than asleep and snoring ones. (Im leaving a space to put in pictures so you can see what I mean.)

#10 LISTENED to Maxs iPod, which I still cant believe he let me bring on this trip. (Note to self: Buy nice gift for Max so he will let me borrow iPod more often.)

I just asked Mr. Knight if we are almost there. He didnt answer, which I think means we still have a long way to go.

Mallory

P.S. Actually, I did 11 things since the last time I wrote in you.

#11 WIGGLED my loose tooth (a lot). On a scale of 1-10, Pamela said my tooth is a 4, which means I have a lot more wiggling to do.

G.2.G. (Got to go.) G.2.W. (Got to wiggle!)

Mallory

STILL ON THE BUS,
STILL ON THE WAY TO W.D.C.

Dear Trip Journal,

This bus ride is taking a looooong time, which means I have had a loooong time to think about something that is bothering me. And that something is that I dont really like writing Dear Trip Journal. If you ask me, writing Dear Trip Journal sounds kind of grownup-ish, and not so cute, if you know what I mean.

So... Ive decided Im going to name you. I have a very nice name picked out, but before I tell you, I want to tell Mary Ann. So B.R.B.A.S.A.I.T.M.A. (Thats short for be right back as soon as I tell Mary Ann.)

OK. Im back. Mary Ann loved the name I picked. Its Martha! As in Martha Washington. Georges wife. Get it? Love it?!? I hope so because its yours! From now on, Im going to be writing Dear Martha instead of Dear Trip Journal.

Mallory

P.S. Mary Ann is going to call her trip journal Zac Efron.

STILL ON THE BUS,
STILL ON THE WAY TO W.D.C.

Dear Martha,

Mr. Knight said were getting close! He also said he has some rules he wants to go over, AND hes going to tell us who our partners will be when we go places and whom we will be rooming with at the hotel. Pamela just told me its time to stop writing and start paying attention.