Mailbox Mania by Beverly Lewis

ONE
    Abby Hunter yawned and stretched. And yawned again.
    Summer had come. Hot, fly-buzzin’ summer.
    No school. Nothing to do.
    Abby missed school. She missed her favorite teacher, Miss Hershey. “Summer’s boring,” Abby said.
    Abby’s sister, Carly, crabbed about her paper dolls. “They’re floppy,” she said.
    Their adopted Korean brothers,Shawn and Jimmy, were tired of American rice. “It’s too dry,” they said.
    All the Cul-de-sac Kids were bored.
    Dunkum Mifflin boxed up his basketball. “Too hot to play,” he said.
    Stacy Henry was sick of sculpting. “The clay’s too soft when it’s hot outside,” she said.
    Jason Birchall fussed about his frog. “Croaker never says, ‘Rib-bitt’ anymore.”
    Eric Hagel complained about his paper route. “I never get to sleep in,” he said.
    But the Fourth of July was coming. The United States of America’s birthday.
    Abby and her friends stood in front of her house. “Four more days,” she said. “I can’t wait!”
    Eric and Dunkum, Stacy and Shawn agreed.
    The younger Cul-de-sac Kids looked at each other. Dee Dee, Carly, and Jimmy shrugged their shoulders. “We oughtahave a club meeting,” Dee Dee said.
    â€œGood idea,” Abby said. She was the president of the Cul-de-sac Kids. Nine kids who lived on one street.
    Dunkum smiled. “Let’s meet at my house.”
    Abby grinned. They always met at Dunkum’s house. He had the biggest basement. “How soon?” asked Abby.
    â€œGive me ten minutes to straighten things up,” said Dunkum. And he jogged down the cul-de-sac.
    Carly, Dee Dee, and the others crowded around Abby.
    â€œLet’s think up something to do,” Jason said. “Something really fun!”
    â€œYeah,” Eric said. “Let’s brainstorm.”
    Stacy leaned on Abby’s mailbox. “I can’t think of anything fun.”
    Abby tried to dream up something.
    Just then, a mail truck came down the street. Mr. Pete, the postal worker, stopped at each house. The kids watchedhim till he came to Abby’s house.
    Mr. Pete waved to them. “Good morning, kids!”
    The Cul-de-sac Kids waved, too.
    Stacy backed away from the mailbox. Mr. Pete stuffed the Hunter mailbox full.
    Abby stared at the mailbox. Then an idea hit. “I know!” she shouted. “I know what we can do!”
    Carly spun around. “What?”
    â€œTell us!” Jason said.
    Dee Dee’s eyes got big. “Please?”
    â€œCome on,” Abby said. “It’s time for our meeting. I’ll tell you about it there.”
    And she raced down the cul-de-sac to Dunkum’s.

TWO
    Abby took off her sneakers. They were new. One red, one blue.
    The kids lined up their sneakers along the wall.
    Jason plopped down on the floor. The others did, too. “Okay,” Jason said. “Let’s get started.”
    Abby sat in the president’s seat—a beanbag. “The meeting will come to order,” she said. “Does anyone have old business?”
    â€œForget the old business,” Jasonhollered. “Let’s have the new stuff!”
    â€œTell us your idea, Abby!” Carly shouted. “We can’t wait!”
    Soon, all the Cul-de-sac Kids were shouting.
    Dunkum whistled.
    Quickly, they settled down.
    â€œNow,” Abby began. “Let’s start over.”
    Eric’s eyes shone. “Abby sounds like a teacher.”
    Abby grinned. She liked that. Maybe someday she’d be a teacher like Miss Hershey.
    Jason swayed back and forth. He seemed wound up. “Forget school,” he said. “Let’s hear Abby’s idea.”
    â€œYa-hoo!” Dee Dee said.
    Abby’s voice grew soft. “I have a great Fourth-of-July idea.”
    The kids leaned forward, listening.
    â€œA contest,” she said. “We’ll call it Mailbox Mania.”
    Eric