Judy Moody Around the World in 8 1/2 Days Read Free Page A

elephants, and when she was halfway around the world, she got a pet monkey named McGinty!”
    “Amy, why don’t you show us Nellie Bly’s around-the-world route on your globe?” said Mr. Todd.
    “Okay. I made a globe this morning. It’s still kind of wet.” She held up a big gloppy papier-mache ball. “Here’s where she started, in Hoboken.”
    “She started in Hobo Land?”
    “Hoboken is in New Jersey,” said Amy. “And she went to England, France, Italy. Then Egypt, in Africa.” The route was marked in black marker. Amy traced it with her finger.
    “Can somebody help me hold this?” asked Amy.

    “I will!” said Frank.
    “Me too,” said Rocky.
    Judy could not believe her ears. Ten minutes ago, Rocky and Frank were calling Amy a robber. A big fat friend-stealer. Now they were helping her!
    Frank held the papier-mache globe. “Where’s that Yeah Man place?” he asked.
    “I see it,” said Rocky. He went over to the bulletin board and pulled out a thumbtack. “It’s right down here, on the Red Sea.” As he said it, he stuck the pin into the globe to mark the spot.
    POW! A loud pop made everybody jump. Frank leaped backward. It was the balloon inside the papier-mache globe! All the air went out of the globe with a whoosh, and it collapsed in on itself.
    Frank looked at Rocky. Rocky looked at Frank. “Globe explode!” Rocky said, cracking up.

    Amy Namey stood in front of the whole entire Class 3T, holding a mushy, gushy mess of wet newspaper. A slobby-blobby, ooey-gluey globe of gloop.
    “Nellie Bly says goodbye!” said Amy, and she rushed out of the room.

Judy passed a note to Frank, who passed it to Rocky.

    Rocky passed a note to Frank, who passed it to Judy.

    Judy was about to pass another note when Mr. Todd told the class it was time for the big scoop. She sat up straight as a pencil.
    Mr. Todd was drawing a map on the board. Judy hoped a map was not the big surprise.
    “Class, we’re about to start a whole new way to learn geography,” Mr. Todd announced. “Class 3T is going to go around the world in eight days!”
    “What? Huh?” everybody asked.
    “We’re going to work with Ms. Valentine’s class —”
    “Yippee!” said Judy. “That’s Amy Namey’s class.” Rocky and Frank frowned at her.
    “We’ll make a big map like the one on the board and put it up in the hallway between our classrooms. Then we’ll trace the journey of First Around-the-World Woman Reporter Nellie Bly. We’ll learn about all the countries she visited.”
    “Did she go to Italy?” asked Rocky. “My grandma’s from there.”
    “Yes,” said Mr. Todd.
    “Did she go to Disneyland?” asked Bradley.
    Mr. Todd chuckled. “I’m afraid not.” He wrote the names of eleven countries on the board.

    “We’ll get into small groups, and each group will take a country. Here are some things you might try to find out about for each country.”
    Mr. Todd pointed to the board:

    “We have only eight days to get all the way around the world, so we’re going to have to work fast. There’s a lot to learn, a lot to do.”
    “Can we bring in something real from that country?” asked Jessica Finch. “I have a nesting doll from Russia.”
    “I’m sorry. That’s not one of the countries we’re studying,” said Mr. Todd.
    “I have money from Italy,” said Rocky. “And some carbone dolce. It’s black rock candy that looks like coal.”
    “Ooh, I have tea from London,” said Judy. “That’s in England. And I have a cuckoo clock in my bedroom that my grandma Lou brought me all the way from Germany.”
    “Tell you what,” said Mr. Todd. “These are all good ideas, but let’s wait until you know what country you’ll be working on.”
    “Is this the big scoop?” asked Frank. “Geography?”
    “Yes,” said Mr. Todd. “I’m afraid it is. But I haven’t told you the best part. We are going to kick off our Around-the-World tour with . . . a movie.”
    “Movie! What movie?” somebody