Justine McKeen, Pooper Scooper by Sigmund Brouwer

Text copyright © 2012 Sigmund Brouwer
Illustrations copyright © 2012 Dave Whamond
    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.
    Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
    Brouwer, Sigmund, 1959-
Justine McKeen, pooper scooper [electronic resource] / Sigmund
Brouwer ; illustrated by Dave Whamond.
    (Orca echoes)
    Electronic monograph.
Issued also in print format.
ISBN 978-1-55469-932-2 ( PDF ).-- ISBN 978-1-4598-0317-6 ( EPUB )
    I. Whamond, Dave II. Title. III. Series: Orca echoes (Online)
PS 8553. R 68467 J 878 2012        j C 813’.54         C 2012-902630-1
    First published in the United States, 2012
Library of Congress Control Number : 2012938310
    Summary : In the third book in the Justine McKeen series, Justine leads a group of kids in cleaning up a park located across from the school board’s offices as part of a plan to get her school librarian back on the job.
    Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
    Cover artwork and interior illustrations by Dave Whamond
Author photo by Reba Baskett
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To all the story divas—you know who you are,
and you are proud of it!

Chapter One
    â€œThis is great,” Justine McKeen said to Michael and Safdar. She sat on a bench, holding her new ebook reader. “My backpack is so empty without all my books.”
    It was a beautiful fall day. Justine and her friends had stopped at the town’s Central Park on their way home from school.
    â€œGuys?” she said, lifting her head.
    Michael and Safdar were playing catch with a football. Jimmy Blatzo was sitting by himself on the grass in the middle of the park. He was looking at his own new ebook reader. Jimmy Blatzo often sat alone. Justine thought this needed to change.
    She set her ebook reader on the bench. She ran and caught the ball.
    â€œInterception!” she yelled and danced a victory dance.
    â€œHey!” Michael said. “We had a game going.”
    â€œHey!” Safdar said. “If I had caught that, I would have won.”
    â€œHey, yourself,” Justine said. “In a real game, people try to take the ball away. Nyah-nyah, booboo, crybabies.”
    She laughed and ran through the park with the ball. Michael and Safdar chased her.
    â€œBlatzo,” she called as she got close. “Go for the long bomb!”
    â€œYou’re a girl,” he said as he stood. “You can’t throw.”
    She stopped and fired the football. He couldn’t catch it because he was holding his ebook reader. The football hit him in the stomach. He groaned loudly.

    Michael and Safdar caught up to Justine. Jimmy Blatzo picked up the football and stomped toward them.
    Justine said, “Bad catch, Blatzo. Run over there. I’ll let you try again.”
    â€œHow many times do I have to tell you?” he said. “Don’t call me Blatzo. People will think we are friends.”
    Jimmy Blatzo had been the first one to call Justine the Queen of Green. Now everybody did. Justine McKeen really was a