Jasper John Dooley, Left Behind by Caroline Adderson, Ben Clanton

visit Ori?”
    They left the library and got back on their bikes and pedaled over to Ori’s house. Mom and Dad waited while Jasper rang the doorbell. When Ori opened the door, Jasper held his two pink thumbs up high so Ori could see them.
    Ori smiled.
    â€œI’m sorry I blacked my thumb,” Jasper said.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Ori said. “Do you want to work on the ship?”
    â€œIt’s too late. We’ll never finish.”
    â€œThe thing is,” Ori said, “I’ll help now.”
    Jasper said, “I have a better idea. Do you have any paint left?”
    Jasper spent the rest of the day at Ori’s working on the better idea. Mom and Dad worked in the yard. The three of them stayed out of the house almost the whole day. Then Dad called across the alley and one house down that supper was ready.
    â€œBad news,” he said when Jasper came in the door.
    Hammy had eaten all the raisins. He still wasn’t in the cage.

    That night Jasper made a trail of macaroni to his room. He was so so worried that Hammy wouldn’t come back. If he didn’t, Jasper would get called to Mrs. Kinoshita’s office. He’d probably have to stay in Mrs. Kinoshita’s office for the rest of his life! And what about Nan? He wanted her to come home and see the better idea he and Ori had built. He missed her so so so so much!
    â€œI’m so so so so tired,” he told Mom when she came to kiss him good night. “I got so much exercise looking for Hammy and riding bikes to the library and building.”
    â€œI know,” she said.
    â€œIs Nan really coming home tomorrow?”
    â€œShe is.”
    Before he closed his eyes, he asked, “How long are we going to have to use the toilet paper in the box in the bathroom?”
    â€œA long time,” she told him.
    â€œPlease,” he said. “Never get me my own hamster.”

    Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!
    Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!
    Jasper woke in darkness. When he turned on the light, Hammy was sitting on his wheel. He didn’t seem too bothered. He just looked at Jasper and wiggled his nose. “Thank you, Hammy,” Jasper said.
    He got out of bed and closed the door of the cage.

Chapter 12

    On Monday morning, Jasper opened his eyes and saw Dad standing in the doorway, smiling. “Will you look at that?” Dad said.
    Jasper thought he was talking about Hammy. But he was looking at Jasper’s tummy. The covers were down and his pajama top was up. Jasper’s tummy looked white as an iceberg and all wrinkly. He couldn’t see any holes.
    â€œDid you take off my Band-Aids?” Jasper asked.
    â€œDidn’t you?” Dad asked.
    They lifted the covers. Thirty-four Band-Aids were stuck on the sheet. They had come off in the night and stuck themselves there like a pancake. Jasper ripped them off. “Look,” he said.
    Under all the Band-Aids, there was a hole in the sheet.
    Then Jasper remembered. He gave a big cheer. “Nan’s coming home today!”

    After school, Jasper and Mom and Dad picked Nan up at the ship. All three of them fluttered long strips of toilet paper in the air. The toilet paper was Jasper’s idea, so they could use up the loose paper in the box faster.
    â€œNan!” they called as she came down the ramp.
    The first thing Nan did was grab Jasper and kiss him seven times, once for each day of the cruise. Jasper could feel the happy lipstick flowers blooming on his cheeks.
    Then she held him out so she could look at him. “Jasper? What happened? You look so thin. You look so tired.”
    â€œHe’ll be fine now that you’re back,” Mom said.
    Mom and Dad carried Nan’s suitcases. Jasper carried Nan’s purse and held her hand. He was never going to let it go. He was going to hold it for the rest of his life. During the drive, neither of them spoke. They sat in the backseat, Jasper sniffing Nan’s hand. She smelled the same as