Nancy Belgue - Casey Little, Yo-Yo Queen

Casey Little
Yo-Yo Queen

Nancy Belgue

ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

Copyright 2005 Nancy Belgue

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in
writing from the publisher.

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

Belgue, Nancy, 1951
Casey Little yo-yo queen / Nancy Belgue.

(Orca young readers)
ISBN 1-55143-357-5

I. Title. II. Series.

PS8553.E4427C37 2005 jC813.6 C2005-905191-4

First published in the United States, 2005
Library of Congress Control Number: 2005932257

Summary: When a magical carnival sets up across the street from
Casey Littles house, it turns out that she will have to overcome her
deepest fear if she is to have any chance of making her dream come true.

Free teachers guide available at www.orcabook.com

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support
for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies:
the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry
Development Program (BPIDP), the Canada Council for the Arts,
and the British Columbia Arts Council.

Typesetting and cover design by Lynn ORourke
Cover & interior illustrations by Samia Drisdelle

www.orcabook.com
Printed and bound in Canada.
08 07 06 05 6 5 4 3 2 1

To John and Daniel,
who make every day magical!

Contents

You wont believe what I just saw! Casey Little whispered to her best friend, Mickey.

Mickey slouched down under his spy hat and went on dusting his kitchen table for fingerprints. He grunted.

Stop fooling around, Mickey, Casey said, nudging him with her elbow. Come here and look!

Im not fooling around, Mickey said, looking up from his notepad. Im finding out who ate the last donut. He pointed to the plate, sprinkled with chocolate crumbs and fingerprint dust. I was saving that donut for lunch!

Forget the donut. The new neighbor just had a pinball machine delivered to her house.

Sure. And I just did a Nollie 360 kick-flip.

No, really. The delivery men are just leaving.

Casey pulled Mickeys sleeve. He came over to the window. A big truck was pulling away from the house across the street. Phils Vending Machines was written in bright red letters on its side.

Across the street, Mrs. Lombardis house sat smugly in the sun. The curtains were drawn.

As Casey and Mickey watched, the lawn sprinklers spurted to life, filling the yard with tiny rainbows.

What would an old lady like that want with a pinball machine? Casey asked.

Mickey shrugged. We could spy on her and find out.

Casey shook her head. Maybe shes trying to attract kids into her house so she can eat them!

Mickey smiled. I dont think so. I heard my mom tell my dad that Mrs. Lombardis a vegetarian.

Your mom talked to her? Casey turned to Mickey, her eyes wide. I didnt think anyone had ever seen her.

Sure. My mom knocked on her door the day she moved in. Mickey had gone back to studying the empty plate. I think my brother, Felix, ate the donut, he said at last.

Are those his fingerprints? Casey asked, peering at the plate and forgetting Mrs. Lombardi for a minute.

Mickey shook his head and pointed out the back window. Felix was pedaling his tricycle up and down the driveway. Chocolate was smeared from one end of his mouth to the other.

Good detective work, Mickey, Casey said.

Theres more than one kind of evidence, you know, Mickey said indignantly. Sometimes all the proof you need is right in front of your eyes.

Mickeys mother poked her head in the back door. Im taking Felix to the park. Do you want to come? Mickey folded up his fingerprint kit and nodded.

What about you, Casey? asked Mrs. Mitchell.

Casey shook her head. Ive got work to do.

Mrs. Mitchell smiled. How many have you got on your list this week, Casey?

Three, Casey said proudly. Mrs. Richardsons dog, the Singhs fish and the Littlejohns snakes.

Hows your horse fund coming along?

I have three hundred dollars saved already. Only one thousand two hundred dollars to go! Casey was saving all her money to buy Lightning, her favorite horse. The riding stable where Casey rode was being sold because the owner was retiring. Casey had worked really hard all summer to save three hundred dollars.

Thats amazing. Well, come on then, boys. Mrs. Mitchell bustled around the kitchen, throwing snacks into a canvas sack.

Notice anything missing? Mickey asked his mother, staring at the empty plate.

Mrs. Mitchell patted Mickey on the head. No, dear.

The donut?

Mrs. Mitchell smiled. Did Felix get it?

Its not funny, Mom.

Casey could still hear Mickey complaining as he followed his mother and brother down the street. She stood for a minute, then checked her pocket for the keys. She had each familys key on a separate ring, labeled with their name. She would start with the Singh house. Casey fished out the Singhs house key and crossed the street, still staring at Mrs. Lombardis.

She let herself in the back door, just the way Mrs. Singh had showed her. Casey had started her pet-sitting business in the spring. At first her mom had thought that ten was too young to take on so much responsibility. But so many people had called after shed delivered the flyer shed printed up on her computer that her mom had let her take customers as long as they lived on her street.

Casey liked the Singhs house. Pictures of foreign buildings with pointed roofs hung all over the walls, and the furniture was bright and inviting. A gigantic aquarium stood in the opening between the kitchen and the dining room.

Some of the brightly colored fish floated lazily in the deep green water, while others flashed by like little neon signs. Casey sprinkled fish food into the tank, watered the ficus tree in the living room and brought in the flyers that someone had tossed on the lawn. Then she let herself out the back door, making sure she locked it behind her.

That done, she took another key out of her pocket. The snakes were next. When her customers came home from their vacations, she would have another fifty dollars for her horse fund. She was just thinking how long it would be before she would be able to buy Lightning, when the curtain flickered in Mrs. Lombardis living-room window.

A shiver ran down Caseys spine, and the story of Hansel and Gretel popped into her head. She looked around nervously for breadcrumbs. Why did Mrs. Lombardi give her the shivers? The little stone house looked innocent enough. It was just that no one had ever seen Mrs. Lombardi, Casey decided. At least none of the kids on Willow Street had ever seen her.

Casey! Brenda Bristowe shouted from her swing. Come here!

Casey trotted over to Brendas fence.

Did you hear about Zelda? Brenda said.

Casey shook her head. Zelda owned the stable where Casey and Brenda rode. Casey glanced back over her shoulder.