The Granny Game
Authors: Beverly Lewis
Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers
P
ICTURE
B
OOKS
In Annika's Secret Wish   â¢Â   Jesse's Shoes   â¢Â   Just Like Mama
What Is God Like?   â¢Â   What Is Heaven Like?
T
HE
C
UL-DE-SAC
K
IDS
The Double Dabble Surprise
The Chicken Pox Panic
The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
No Grown-ups Allowed
Frog Power
The Mystery of Case D. Luc
The Stinky Sneakers Mystery
Pickle Pizza
Mailbox Mania
The Mudhole Mystery
Fiddlesticks
The Crabby Cat Caper
Tarantula Toes
Green Gravy
Backyard Bandit Mystery
Tree House Trouble
The Creepy Sleep-Over
The Great TV Turn-Off
Piggy Party
The Granny Game
Mystery Mutt
Big Bad Beans
The Upside-Down Day
The Midnight Mystery
Katie and Jake and the Haircut Mistake
© 1999 by Beverly Lewis
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwiseâwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-6086-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Cover illustration by Paul Turnbaugh
Text illustrations by Janet Huntington
Cover design by Lookout Design, Inc.
To
Carol Johnson,
a fun-loving grandma,
who enjoys both broccoli
and chocolate cake.
Contents
Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers
ONE
Abby Hunter felt like a jitterbox.
Grandma Hunter was coming for the weekend. The pickiest grandma in the west.
Abby dusted and mopped. She checked under the guest room bed. She looked behind the dresser.
Everything must be spotless and neat.
Abby stepped back for a final look. “Double dabble good,” she said.
Mother came in just then. “Thank you for helping, Abby. What a nice, clean room,” she said.
“Will Grandma notice?” Abby asked. She really hoped so.
Her mother nodded. “Only one thing is missing,” she said with a smile. “Can you guess?”
Abby looked all around the room. “Flowers! Grandma likes fresh flowers,” she said.
“You're right.” Mother gave Abby a big hug. “We'll buy some at the florist.”
She looked up at her mother. “I'm going to miss you and Daddy while you're gone.”
“We'll miss you, too, honey. But Grandma will take good care of you. And your sister and brothers.” Mother kissed the top of Abby's head. “The weekend will go fast.”
Suddenly, Abby remembered something about Grandma's cooking.
Her stomach churned.
Her taste buds faded.
Her nose twitched.
Grandma's favorite foods were yucky. She liked to cook things like broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, and asparagus. The greenest, smelliest vegetables in the world!
Quickly, she told her mother, “Carly and Jimmy will make a fuss about Grandma's cooking. And you know how Shawn likes Korean recipes.” She sighed. “What'll we do?”
There was a twinkle in her mother's eye. “Your grandma's very wise.”
“Oh,” said Abby.
She thought about being
very wise
. Did it mean eating dark green foods? And keeping the house perfectly clean?
Mother was grinning. “Grandma raised your father. Just think what a fine man he turned out to be.”
Abby had heard her father's childhood stories. “Grandma and Grandpa had a bunch of children,” she said. “Did all of them eat broccoli?”
Mother laughed out loud. “You'll have to ask Grandma about that.”
Abby would ask, all right.
First thing tomorrow!
TWO
It was Friday morning. School was out for a teacher work day.
Abby brushed her sister's hair. “Hold still. I'll make a ponytail.”
“Ouch, you're hurting me!” Carly wailed.
“Sorry. I'll be more careful,” Abby promised. She tried to keep her mind on Carly's wavy blond hair. It was so pretty.
She tried
not
to think about the long weekend.
“When's Grandma coming?” asked Carly.
“Right after breakfast,” Abby replied.
“She won't make that horrible dish, will she?” Carly asked.
“Which one?” Abby laughed. “They're
all
icky, aren't they?”
Carly pinched her nose. “What if we die from Grandma's cooking?” She was laughing, too.
Abby shushed her. “Don't say it so loud.”
“Why?âbecause Mommy and Daddy might not go on their trip?” Carly's eyes spelled mischief.
“Grandma won't poison us,” Abby assured her. “You know that!”
“Maybe . . . maybe not,” added Carly, frowning.
“She loves us, you silly sister,” Abby insisted.
Carly nodded. “I know. But she cooks terrible stuff.”
Abby understood Carly's worry.
What a weekend ahead!
When Carly's ponytail was done, Abby snapped in a bow. “Now you're ready for our prissy grandma.”
