Judy Moody Declares Independence Read Free

money), and they walked to the snack bar.
    “You owe me four dollars and ninety-seven cents plus tax,” said Stink.
    “Tax! Mom! Dad! Stink’s going all British on me. I need a raise in my allowance so I can pay Stink back.”
    “We’ll talk about more allowance when we get home,” said Mom.
    “Time for lunch,” said Dad. “I need a coffee.”
    “Not tea?” asked Mom.
    “Just being loyal to my country,” Dad said.
    “Can I try coffee?” asked Judy. “I want to be loyal to my country, too.”
    “Dream on,” said Dad.
    “How about tea?”
    “How about chocolate milk,” said Dad.
    “The Boston Chocolate Milk Party. How UN-Revolutionary.”
    Judy ordered a Ben Franklin (grilled cheese with French fries). In the middle of bite three of her Ben Franklin, she said, “Hey, there’s Tori!”
    “Tori the Tory,” said Stink.
    Tori and her mom came over. While everybody met, Tori showed Judy all the new Bonjour Bunny stuff in her bag.
    “You have all the luck!” said Judy. “I need more allowance. For sure and absolute positive.”
    “Mum gives me two pounds a week,” said Tori.
    “Star-spangled bananas!” said Judy. Tori got
pounds
of allowance! All Judy got was a few stinky ounces.
    “C’mon,” said Tori. “Let’s collect more Ben Franklin sugar packets.” While the grownups talked and Stink blew bubbles in his un-Revolutionary chocolate milk, Judy and Tori sat at an empty table and spread out all the sugar packets.
    A penny saved is a penny earned.
    Don’t cry over spilled milk.
    Fish and visitors stink after three days.
    “Let’s make up our own!” said Judy. She wrote on the backs of the packets:

    “Crikey! That’s jolly good!” said Tori. She made one up, too:

    Judy taught Tori how to play Concentration with sugar packets. Tori showed Judy how to build a sugar-packet castle. When it came time to go, Judy did not want to leave her new friend.
    “Mom? Dad? Can Tori come back to the hotel with us?” Judy asked.
    “Or can Judy go swimming at our hotel with us?” Tori asked her mom.
    “Can Tori come to Chinatown with us tonight?”
    “Can Judy sleep over at our hotel? We can sleep on the floor like we do in our flat at home.”
    Mom looked at Dad. Dad looked at Mom. “I don’t think so, honey.”
    “AW! Why not?” asked Judy.
    “We’ve only just met Tori,” said Mom.
    “Yes, that’s right, girls,” said Tori’s mom.
    “Please, Mum,” said Tori. “Judy’s ever so fun.”
    “Judy and her family have got their own plans,” said Tori’s mom. “And we have tickets for the Duck Tour later this afternoon.”
    “Besides, we have to get an early start in the morning, Judy. It’s back home to Virginia tomorrow,” Dad said.
    “Please-please-pretty-please with sugar packets on top?” Judy begged. “This is our one and only chance. We might never see each other again ever. Please? It would be brilliant!”
    Mom shook her head no.
    “Not even on account of the Revolution? I’m American and she’s British and it’s really good if we’re friends. We could change history!”
    “We said no, honey,” Dad said.
    “Well,” said Tori’s mom, “it’s been lovely meeting you and your family, Judy. Hasn’t it, Tori?”
    “Crumb cakes!” said Tori. She hung her head. She kicked at a stone.
    “Now, don’t get in a nark,” said Tori’s mom.
    “Who’s going in an ark?” asked Stink.
    “A nark,” said Tori’s mom. “It means a bad mood.”
    “Ohh. My sister has narks ALL the time,” said Stink.
    “Maybe when Tori gets back to London and we get home,” said Mom, “you two can write to each other. Like pen pals!”
    “That would be lovely,” said Tori’s mom. “Wouldn’t it, Tori?” Tori didn’t answer. “Well, we’d better nip off,” said her mother.
    “Here, you can have these,” Tori told Judy. “To remember me by.” She gave Judy her Bonjour Bunny ears.
    Judy gave Tori a whole pack of gum. “You can start your own ABC collection,” said