Melanie Martin Goes Dutch Read Free

importantand that she'll explain it to me as we go along. Anne was a girl who had to hide during World War II to save her life. We will visit the place in Holland where she hid with her family.
    Today we read just a few pages. Anne Frank started her diary on her thirteenth birthday (well, two days after) and she wrote, “I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart.”
    Diaries are good for that.
    Friends are too.
    Happy Almost Independence Day,

    Dear Diary,
    Matt asked, “What color M&M's do you like best?”
    I said, “Brown, then red, then yellow, in that order.”
    “I like blue.”
    “I hate blue!”
    “Why?”
    “Because food should not be blue, except for blueberries.”
    “Blue is my
favorite
food color! Blue cotton candy and blue jelly beans and blue ice pops.”
    “Yeah, well, you're a doo-doo head.” (That sort of slipped out.)
    “Well, you're an E.B.S.” (That means Evil Big Sister.)
    “Only because you're an A.L.B.” (That means An noying Little Brother.) “Hey, Melanie, how come Cecily hasn't been over?” Matt asked. “Are you guys in a fight?”
    Out loud I said, “No.”
    But inside, I started to feel… blue blue blue.
    Bluely yours,
    M&M

Dear Diary,
    No wonder Cecily hadn't called me back!
    I just found out what's going on.
    Cecily finally called and Matt and I both pickedup the phone. Matt pretended to hang up, but I could tell he hadn't because I could hear him breathing in and out. “Hang up N-O-W!” I yelled, and he did. (Even Matt knows what N-O-W spells.)
    Cecily said she was sorry she hadn't called, but she and her mom have been going to doctors' appointments, and she didn't want to talk yet because she had some scary news that she kept hoping would change.
    “
What
?” I asked. That's when Cecily told me that her mother has a disease. She got a test and they found out she has breast cancer and she might have to have an operation.
    I'm glad Cecily called but I feel terrible for her and her mom.
    Breast cancer! I've heard of it, but I've never known anybody who had it.
    Now I feel kind of guilty that I wrote that Mrs. Hausner has been acting crabby. I mean, she's obviously been stressed and stuff! I wonder how bad it is. I wonder if she looks different.
    This sounds really stupid, but tonight we're going to a Fourth of July picnic in Central Park, and I'm goingto try not to look at Cecily's mother's chest. It's not like I normally do or anything. But I'm afraid I might accidentally glance at her chest and I wouldn't want Cecily or her mom to catch me doing that.
    Once, I was reading the front of a lady's T-shirt because it had all these jokes on it. But then the lady stared at me staring at her. She thought I was a perv when she was the one with jokes all over her chest.
    I hope Cecily's mom will be okay!!
    I asked Cecily if she'd mind if I told my mom about her mom and she said no. She said her mom is on the phone all the time now with doctors and friends.

    Dear Diary,
    At the picnic, first there were fireflies; then there were fireworks! Red, white, and blue ones, like giant sparklers in the sky.
    Cecily's mom looks the same as ever. If I didn't know something was wrong, I would never have guessed.
    When I saw her, I knew that the first thing I should do was apologize for having hung up on her, and the second was say “Get well soon” or “I hope you feel better.” I knew I should do that. But somehow all I could squeak out was a pitiful little “Hi, Mrs. Hausner,” as though things were normal. She said, “Hi,” and acted normal back.
    I feel kind of guilty that I didn't do the right thing.
    On my first sleepover ever, which was at Cecily's, I got scared and worried. Cecily's mom made me cocoa and told me about her first sleepover and how she got scared and worried too. She helped me feel better.
    Being homesick and being sick-sick aren't the same, but still, I wish I had thought of something nice to