Green Queen Read online

  “Now that’s a real good idea!” Momma exclaims. “We’ll make Jacksonville as shiny as a pretty new penny.”

  Momma calls Granny to tell her about all of our great green ideas. I decide to take a shower instead of a bath because it uses less water. And I turn off the water while I brush my teeth and turn it back on when I am ready to rinse out the toothpaste.

  Ugly Brother is waiting for me in my room when I go in. I climb into bed. I need to be well rested to help plant trees in the morning!

  Daddy comes to kiss us goodnight. “I love you to the moon and back,” he says, giving me a big squeezy hug.

  I squeeze him back and say, “I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!”

  Daddy turns off the light. I close my eyes and get ready to count some sheep until I fall asleep. Suddenly Ugly Brother jumps right out of bed and starts barking.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask. “Are you scared?”

  “Ruff!” he barks. That means no. Then he barks some more and sits down.

  “Come to bed, you silly doggie.” I tell him.

  “Ruff!” he barks again.

  I look down and see that he is sitting right beside my pink princess night-light. He looks at it, then looks back at me.

  “Are you trying to tell me to unplug that light and save energy?” I ask.

  “Ruff, ruff!” Ugly Brother barks.

  “You’re right, Ugly Brother,” I agree. “I am a big girl, and second graders do not need night-lights.”

  After I unplug that night-light, my room is as dark as the inside of a pocket. I see stars twinkling outside, so I make a very special wish.

  I bet you think I wished that I was a beauty queen, huh? But if that’s what you thought, you’d lose that bet. I wished for Granny to be the next Garden Club president. Then I pull up my covers and decide to count stars instead of sheep.

  The next morning, Momma wakes us up bright and early to go help. “Kylie Jean, T.J., Ugly Brother! Wake up!” she calls. “We have to get going. It’s time to plant some trees.”

  T.J. stumbles downstairs looking half-asleep. I think he stayed up all night playing video games again. “I wish I could stay at home and dream about planting trees instead,” he says.

  Momma puts her hands on her hips, which is never a good sign. T.J. is fixin’ to get in trouble!

  “Timothy James Carter,” Momma says, “you will not sleep through planting the trees. You are a good, strong worker, and Granny needs you today. She needs all of us.”

  T.J. looks like he feels bad. “I’m sorry, Momma,” he says.

  Daddy walks into the kitchen just then. “Come on, son,” he says to T.J. “You’ll wake up on the way over there. We’re going to be the best tree-planting team ever.”

  When we walk outside, Daddy has our bikes waiting in the driveway. As part of our green-living plan, he has been leaving his truck at home and riding his bike to work.

  T.J. looks at Momma’s van, and I can tell he wants to drive over to the tree planting. But he doesn’t say a thing. Instead, he shoves the rest of his toast in his mouth and hops on his bike.

  I put on my pink helmet and pedal my pink bike right down Peachtree Lane toward downtown. Ugly Brother can’t ride a bike on account of he’s a dog, so he runs along beside me.

  Before long, we can see the tops of the trees waving at the sky! They are extra tall, waiting in truck beds for us to come and plant them.

  In the town square, people in Green Team T-shirts are rushing around like ants at a picnic. Daddy asked his boss at the newspaper to sponsor a T-shirt sale. All the money will go to the Garden Club so they can plant gardens all around town.

  Before we get started planting, the mayor welcomes everyone with some exciting news. “The judges have looked at Mrs. Carter’s photos and contest application, and Jacksonville is a finalist for the Prettiest Town contest!” he tells the crowd. “Now we really need to get busy planting those trees before the judges come to town.”

  Granny looks as happy as a bee in a blossom. Everyone comes over to congratulate her.

  I give Granny a big squeezy hug. “I’m so proud of you,” I tell her.

  Granny squeezes me back. “We haven’t won yet, little lady, but thank you,” she says.

  Daddy and T.J. start unloading and planting the trees. Ugly Brother wants to help too. He’s a good digger, but you need a big hole for a tree.

  “Just let him dig until he gets tired,” Daddy says. “He’ll quit.”

  “But Carters aren’t quitters,” I tell him. “He might just keep on digging till he’s all worn out!”

  “I’ll keep an eye on him, Little Bit,” T.J. promises.

  With the boys busy, Momma and I get to work passing out cold water to the other people planting.

  “Did you know trees keep the soil strong?” I ask them. “It’s true. The roots just hug up all that rich, dark dirt and keep it together.”

  “That’s just one good thing about trees,” Momma agrees. “They also help clean our air and make shade.”

  Momma and I look around the town square at all the lovely leafy green trees. I sure do hope they help us win!

  After we pass out the last bottle of water, we head over to buy our own T-shirts.

  “There are so many people in green T-shirts!” I point out excitedly. “Granny better get ready to plant a lot of flowers.”

  “If Granny can get the mayor to plant all of these trees, the flowers will be easy,” Momma says. “Just you wait and see!”

  This year, Jacksonville’s Earth Day parade is going to be bigger and better than ever! Daddy’s newspaper is going to have a float in the parade, and the Garden Club will have one, too.

  Now that our town is a finalist in the Prettiest Town contest, everyone is working extra hard to prove that Jacksonville is pretty inside and out.

  During the week, Daddy’s newspaper is running stories about green living. They’re also passing out tips on how to be kind to the environment.

  I already know some of the tips, like taking a shower instead of a bath and turning off the water when you brush your teeth.

  Mayor Jenkins liked Daddy’s idea and set up a watering schedule, which was printed in the paper. The whole town is divided into zones. Our house is in zone five, which means we can water the grass on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

  On Monday evening, I see that Miss Clarabelle is watering her grass. I go right over to see if she knows about the new watering schedule.

  When I knock on her door, she comes right away. “Kylie Jean!” she says. “How are you?”

  “I’m just fine, thank you for asking,” I reply. “But did you know you’re in watering zone five now?”

  Miss Clarabelle looks confused. “What is watering zone five?” she asks me.

  I explain all about Daddy’s plan to save water. Then I show her the story in the paper that has the list of zones and days for watering.

  “I guess I missed that page when I was reading the paper,” she tells me. “I’m so glad you came by to tell me.”

  Before I go, I remind her, “Don’t forget that your watering days are now Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Okay?”

  Miss Clarabelle nods. “I’m going to write it on my calendar,” she says. “Thank you for being a good little neighbor and coming right over to explain it to me.”

  As I cross our yard on my way back home, I see my bike has a tire as flat as a fat snake’s belly. Oh, no! I run inside to get help.

  “T.J., Ugly Brother, come quick!” I holler. “I need help!”

  T.J. comes running outside right away. Ugly Brother is right on his heels. “What’s wrong?” T.J. asks.

  “My bike has a flat tire,” I tell him. “I need it to ride to school.

  T.J. and Ugly Brother both follow me out to the yard. T.J. looks at the tire.
It is flatter than a pancake.

  “Let’s try to fill it with air first,” T.J. suggests. “We need an air pump.”

  I run into the garage and dig to find Daddy’s air pump. It has to be there somewhere! Ugly Brother sees it in the corner and starts barking. He’s a real good finder.

  T.J. sets up the pump and starts to attach it to the tire when Ugly Brother comes over and tries to sit on it. T.J. laughs. “Hey, Brother, it’s not time to pump yet,” he says. “Besides, I think you are too short for the job.”

  T.J. starts to fill the tire. “If the air leaks back out, you’ll probably need a new tire,” he says. Pump, pump, pump. My tire gets fatter and fuller as the air goes in.

  I’m holding my breath, and I have my fingers crossed for luck. “You can help me by crossing your paws for luck. Okay?” I tell Ugly Brother.

  “Ruff, ruff!” Ugly Brother barks. He crosses his paws and keeps them crossed.

  T.J. finishes pumping, and we watch and wait. The air stays in. Yay!

  “Thanks, T.J.!” I say. “Thanks, Ugly Brother!”

  It’s good to have brothers to help you. Sometimes I wish I had a sister, but I have my best cousin Lucy, so it’s okay.

  Besides, Momma says when you have sisters, you have to share everything. Looking at my pink bike, I know T.J. would never, ever want to share it with me!

  Great news! The newspaper made enough money from the T-shirt sale for Granny and the Garden Club to plant gardens all around town.

  Everyone has an idea for where the gardens should go. “The area by the old train station could use some sprucing up,” T.J. suggests.

  “How about a garden in front of the courthouse?” Momma says. “That’d make the town square look just perfect.”

  I bet you already know what kind of garden I suggested — yup, a pink garden! And Granny loved my idea!

  On Tuesday, Granny and the rest of the Garden Club head over to the railroad station to plant a butterfly garden. They plant all sorts of flowers to attract the butterflies — purple coneflower, Mexican sunflower, butterfly weed, mist flowers, and butterfly bush.

  Next they fill in the borders with all sorts of plants that butterflies just love like sweet peas, sunflowers, marigolds, snapdragons, and hollyhocks. Finally they set a birdbath right in the center of the garden so that the butterflies will have someplace to rest when they’re tired from flying!

  On Wednesday, it’s time to tackle my garden! Granny loved my plan for a pretty pink garden. We found the perfect spot, too! We’re planting it right in front of the public library. It’s the perfect spot for me since I love to read so much!

  Ugly Brother and I get to help, and I invite my friends, too. Granny is waiting for us at the library after school. The sidewalk is covered with long boxes full of flowers, and the rest of the Garden Club ladies are standing nearby.

  Before long, I see Lucy. She is holding a watering can that is shaped like a sunflower. “You look like a real true Garden Club lady with that!” I tell Lucy.

  “Nanny gave it to me,” she says. “Did you see Miss Clarabelle’s straw hat? She looks like she is wearing a little garden on her head.”

  Lucy and I giggle and pull on our gloves. Ugly Brother barks and runs in a circle around us.

  “Are you ready to help too?” I ask him.

  He barks, “Ruff.” That means no. Suddenly he runs off and starts digging through Granny’s gardening bag. When he runs back, he has a pair of gardening gloves hanging from his mouth.

  “Are these gloves for you, Ugly Brother?” I ask.

  He barks, “Ruff, ruff.”

  “Oh, no!” Lucy says. “Dogs can’t wear gloves. What are we going to tell him?”

  I put on my thinking cap. There just has to be a way! It will break Ugly Brother’s poor little heart if he can’t have gloves, too. He always wants to be like everyone else.

  Just then an idea hits me. I reach down and tuck the gloves into his collar. “Is that good?” I ask.

  “Ruff, ruff!” he barks happily.

  Cara and Paula ride up on their bikes just in time to start digging. The garden pops with hot-pink daisies, soft-pink roses, and bubble-gum-pink geraniums. The geraniums remind Paula that she has bubble gum in her pocket.

  “Who wants a piece?” she asks, pulling the pink pack out of her pocket. “We can have a bubble-blowing contest while we work!”

  I think that is a great idea! We all take a piece and get to work. First we dig a hole, then we blow a bubble.

  Cara blows a giant bubble the size of a baseball. “I bet no one can blow a bubble bigger than that!” she says.

  Paula doesn’t like to lose. “I bet I can!” she says.

  We all watch as Paula blows a big bubble. She blows more and more, and the bubble gets bigger and bigger. It gets so big I am worried it’s going to pop.

  “Be careful —” I start to say. But my warning comes too late.

  There is a loud POP! as Paula’s bubble breaks and sticks all over her face. There are blobs of pink gum in her hair, too!

  Granny has to call Paula’s momma to come pick her up. “I don’t envy her momma,” Granny says. “Getting that gum off is going to be a challenge.”

  “I guess I win the contest,” Cara brags.

  Paula starts to cry.

  “Wait just a minute,” I say. “Paula did blow the biggest bubble.”

  “Kylie Jean has a point,” Lucy agrees.

  We declare Paula the bubble-blowing winner right as her momma pulls up. I give her a big squeezy hug, but I’m careful not to get any of that sticky gum on me.

  I look back at the garden and realize we are almost done. “The border of pink flowers looks almost like a crown!” I tell Granny.

  “You think everything looks like a crown,” Cara says. Since my dream is to be a beauty queen, she’s right!

  “We better hurry and clean up,” Granny says. “It’s getting close to suppertime.”

  We clean up our supplies, and as Ugly Brother and I get ready to head home, I just have to take one more look at my beautiful pink patch of pretty flowers. It is a garden fit for a queen!

  Thursday’s garden is a water garden in the middle of the town park. It has lots of lotus flowers, cattails, and lily pads. There are even fish swimming in it!

  On Friday, it’s time for Granny’s garden — the final one. Granny decides to plant her garden in front of the town hall.

  She decides to work all by herself, and at the end of the day, everyone is amazed at her magnificent garden! Granny sure did save the best for last!

  In the center, plants and flowers form a giant dogwood tree. All around the edges of the garden, flowers in every color of the rainbow form a border. Butterflies flit happily over the blossoms, and bees buzz in appreciation.

  At the end of the week, our little town has gardens galore! We’re sure to win the Prettiest Town contest now!

  It’s less than a week before Earth Day, and some VIPs have come to Jacksonville! VIPs are Very Important People. Can you guess who they are? The judges for the Prettiest Town contest!

  When Momma calls me downstairs for breakfast, I am all ready to go to school! I have on my Green Team T-shirt, and my hair is in a ponytail that I fixed all by myself. I check it in the mirror and see that it looks a little crooked.

  “Does my hair look okay?” I ask Ugly Brother.

  He barks, “Ruff, Ruff!” That means yes!

  “We better get downstairs,” I tell him. “I think I smell banana nut muffins for breakfast!”

  In our big, sunny kitchen, breakfast is waiting on the table. I was right — there is a big plate of muffins right smack-dab in the center. Yum-O! There are glasses of milk and a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice, too. Daddy loves fresh OJ.

  Momma gives me a kiss. “Good morning, Sweet Pea. I see Ugly
Brother. Is T.J. up, too?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I say with a nod.

  “Your ponytail is a little crooked,” Momma says. “Come over here, and let me fix it for you.”

  After Momma fixes my hair, Daddy comes in looking handsome in his navy suit. Momma fixes him a plate. He gives her a kiss on the cheek and opens the morning paper.

  “I heard those judges stayed at the Magnolia Hotel downtown last night,” Momma tells us. “I sure hope they liked it. It’s the best hotel we have, and we want them to like our little town!”

  “I sure hope they get to see all the important things we’ve been doing around town,” I tell Momma. “Especially all of the beautiful gardens and trees. Do you think they will come to your newspaper, Daddy?”

  Daddy shrugs. “Maybe. I’m not sure,” he tells me.

  Just then, I hear the bus turning the corner at the end of Peachtree Lane. I start to shout for T.J. to hurry up, but right at that very moment he dashes in, grabs two muffins, and runs to the front door. I’m right behind him.

  On the bus, I sit in my best seat behind Mr. Jim. I want to talk to him about the VIPs. “Have you seen the judges for the contest?” I ask.

  “I sure did!” he says. “It’s two men and a young lady. She kind of reminds me of a famous actress. I can’t think of her name — the one who is trying to clean up the rivers.”

  “What about the men?” I ask.

  Mr. Jim says, “Just two fellas in suits.”

  I sigh. “I sure do wish I could see them,” I say.

  “I wouldn’t get your heart set on it,” he says.

  Mr. Jim is probably right. I’ll be in school today while they’re deciding if we’ve won or not. I don’t know it then, but I am in for one big surprise!

  After lunch, Ms. Corazón is teaching our science lesson when we hear voices in the hall. The door opens, and our principal steps in with four guests. One of the men is Mayor Jenkins. The rest of the folks must be the judges. This is so exciting!