Edith Cohn - Birdies Billions

BLOOMSBURY CHILDRENS BOOKS

Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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This electronic edition published in 2021 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published in the United States of America in November 2021

by Bloomsbury Childrens Books

www.bloomsbury.com

Text copyright 2021 by Edith Cohn

Illustrations copyright 2021 by Julia Bereciartu

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Cohn, Edith, author.

Title: Birdies billions / by Edith Cohn.

Description: New York: Bloomsbury Childrens Books, 2021.

Summary: When Birdie discovers cash in an abandoned house, she thinks it could be the answer to her and her mothers problems, but she wonders about the people who left that money behind and tries to figure what is best for her family and what is the right thing to do.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021018104 (print) | LCCN 2021018105 (e-book)

ISBN: 978-1-5476-0711-2 (HB)
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0782-2 (eBook)

Subjects: CYAC: Lost and found possessionsFiction. | BehaviorFiction. | Mystery and detective stories. | LCGFT: Detective and mystery fiction.

Classification: LCC PZ7.C66493 Bi 2021 (print) | LCC PZ7.C66493 (e-book) | DDC [Fic]dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021018104

LC e-book record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021018105

Book design by Jeanette Levy

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For Tatra

CONTENTS

Birdie tried to concentrate on her math homework as the familiar smell of orange dust spray and lemon floor polish made a chemical fruit basket in her nose.

Mama waved a cloth in Birdies direction. Can you help me with this curio cabinet?

Birdie jumped up. She would take any excuse not to do math word problems, even if it meant dusting. How do you know this thing is called a curio cabinet? Mrs. Hillmores house was filled with fancy oddities like the huge glass case in front of her, which had a light shining down on dozens of breakable figurines.

I dont know. I guess the same way I know curio is short for curiosity. Mama handed Birdie a porcelain figure of two kids holding a sand pail. Maybe I learned it watching Downton Abbey.

Downton Abbey was Mamas favorite TV show featuring a family of British nobles. Right! The Crawleys probably have tons of curio cabinets.

Mama gave Birdie a sly smile like they were in on a secret together. You know they do, along with thirty maids to dust them.

Poor Mrs. Hillmore with just us to take care of everything.

Mama laughed. Shell have to survive.

Birdie took all the figurines out of the case, cleaned the glass bottoms of the cabinet, and put them back inside, being extra careful with a wobbly ice skater precariously perched on one leg. Then she sat back down at Mrs. Hillmores enormous table, which had too many chairs, to finish her homework.

But she couldnt stop fidgeting.

She followed Mama to the basement where she was taking out Mrs. Hillmores laundry from the dryer. Can I borrow your phone or Mrs. Hillmores to see if Haileys home? Mrs. Hillmore still had a house phone, so if she could use that, she wouldnt waste any of Mamas minutes. I want to skateboard over there. Her best friend Hailey lived near Mrs. Hillmores house, and it was always so fun to zip super-fast on the wide, smooth streets in the nicest neighborhood in Valley Lake.

Mama stopped pulling out the laundry and turned toward Birdie. I want you to stay inside today. Ill drive you to Haileys tomorrow.

What? Why? Birdie had brought her board, and the weather was nice. Sure, Mama had to work on Saturdays, but Birdie didnt. She could finish her homework tomorrow.

Im sorry, Mama said. Its safer to stay inside.

It didnt make any sense. The whole reason theyd moved to Valley Lake was because it was so safe. They had great public schools, and Mama could make twice as much money cleaning for rich people. It was why Birdie had to leave all her friends and everything she knew behind. And now she was trapped inside because Mama suddenly thought it was unsafe?

The unfairness of it all bumped up inside her like the rocky, narrow streets of her own neighborhood that knocked her skateboard loose under her feet.

Back at Mrs. Hillmores too-big table, she tried to focus on her math homework. She studied a problem about marblesred, yellow, and blue ones, and how many yellow ones did the kid playing with them have left after shooting half of the red ones in the bushes? But she couldnt sit still or stop thinking about all the fun her friends were having while she was stuck at Mrs. Hill-mores. A small tornado of fury funneled up inside her.

Her skateboard was attached to the back of her bookbag with straps that Mama had sewn on special for her. The Velcro made a loud ripping sound as she pulled her skateboard loose. Mrs. Hillmores cat heard the noise and came over to check things out. Birdie rubbed behind his soft, white ears, but he lifted his head as if to ask is that all?

Im sorry. Its just a skateboard. But to her it was everything. It could take her anywhere she wanted to goif only she could go outside. Why wasnt she allowed?

Her fingers gripped tightly over her board and her feet itched to move. Fine. If Mama wanted to be crazy not letting her outside, she could be crazy, too. She stepped on her board and wiggled herself around a bit while the wheels stayed still. She threw out her arms, bent her knees, and imagined she was sailing over a huge set of stairs. Flying, flying, flying. Long enough to gain serious air. Long enough that shed defied gravity. Long enough that crowds of kids had gathered around with their phones out recording her, cheering. She bowed, imagining shed landed the trick. Thank you! Thank you, all!

The cat, her only actual audience, stared at her a moment, then sauntered off. He jumped to the top of the couch and turned his back to her as if shed betrayed him.

Okay, okay. Ill check the cabinets for some treats for you. Im not supposed to go snooping around, but for you, Ill break the rules.

She stepped forward, wobbled, leaned the wrong way, and before she knew it, the board was out from under her feet flying toward the curio cabinet. Her body hurled backward into a side table. Everything crashed with a heavy thud.