Karen's Big Sister Read online

  When we had finished eating, Daddy said to Ms. Colman, “How about opening your presents now?”

  The card was on top of the pile. A big smile spread across Ms. Colman’s face when she opened it.

  “I will keep this forever,” she said. She was looking at me when she said it. I think she knew I had made the card.

  Next, she started opening boxes. We had gotten her all the things on our list. When the class saw the blanket I made, they oohed and ahhed. I felt gigundoly proud.

  One of the gifts Ms. Colman received was a tape of nursery rhymes set to music. We played it while we talked and laughed. Suddenly Ms. Colman smiled and said, “I know this song. My mother sang it to me when I was little.” She began to sing along.

  Up to the ceiling, down to the ground,

  Backwards and forwards, round and round:

  Dance, little baby, and mother shall sing,

  With the merry gay choral, ding, ding, ding-a-ding, ding.

  I knew Ms. Colman was a wonderful teacher. I could tell from the way she sang the song that she was going to be a wonderful mommy, too.

  Sisters Always

  After school, I went to my room to drop off my jacket and my bookbag. I did not feel like having an after-school snack. I had eaten too much food at the party. But Nannie, Emily, and Andrew were waiting to hear how everything had turned out. I dropped off my things and ran to the kitchen.

  “The party was great,” I told them. “I wish you could have seen the look on Ms. Colman’s face. She was so surprised. Everyone loved my blanket. And, Nannie, they ate every last bite of the cookies you made.”

  “I am very glad they enjoyed them,” said Nannie.

  After dinner that night, I went to my room to get ready for the next day. There was not going to be a party, but it was another important day.

  I looked at my calendar. I crossed off the party. It was January 31st, the last day of the month. The next day was February first. Andrew and I would be going back to the little house. We would live there for the month of February. We would return to the big house on March first.

  It was time for me to pack a few things and say good-bye to Moosie, Crystal Light, and my big-house dolls.

  I was picking out the books I wanted to take to the little house with me when Kristy knocked on my door.

  “May I come in?” she asked.

  “Sure,” I replied.

  She handed me a small gift-wrapped box.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “You are welcome. But you did not even open it yet,” said Kristy.

  “I do not have to open the present to thank you for being thoughtful,” I said. (I said it just the way Ms. Colman had said it at the party.)

  Then I ripped off the paper and opened the box. Inside was a gold-colored I.D. bracelet with writing on it. I picked it up and read it. It said Sisters Always in fancy script letters.

  “It is beautiful!” I cried. “Thank you for real, Kristy.”

  “You are welcome for real.”

  Kristy pushed up the sleeve of her shirt. She was wearing an I.D. bracelet just like mine.

  “This is the nicest present ever! Sisters always!” I said.

  “Sisters always,” repeated Kristy.

  Kristy’s gift was proof that she had truly forgiven me. Our fighting days had been over for awhile. We were Sisters Always. And we would be friends always, too.

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1996 by Ann M. Martin

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1996

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-05895-6