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    Stage Fright
    Stage Fright
    Stage Fright
    Ebook111 pages1 hour

    Stage Fright

    By Ann M. Martin

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Can Sara overcome her shyness to perform in the school play? 

    Sara is extremely timid—she only has two friends, and one of them is her cousin. Her mother is constantly pushing her to leave the safety of her room and be more social, but for Sara, being in public is a punishment worse than death.

    When Sara’s teacher insists that everyone this year—shy or not—participate in the school play, Sara is filled with terror. To top it off, she finds out her best friend, the one person who understands her, might be moving away. More than ever, Sara wants to climb into her shell, but the play is looming and there’s no place to hide.

    This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Ann M. Martin, including rare images from the author’s collection.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Media
    Release dateApr 22, 2014
    ISBN9781480469297
    Stage Fright
    Author

    Ann M. Martin

    Ann M. Martin grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. After attending Smith College, where she studied education and psychology, she became a teacher at a small elementary school in Connecticut. Martin also worked as an editor of children’s books before she began writing full time. Martin is best known for the Baby-Sitters Club series, which has sold over one hundred seventy million copies. Her novel A Corner of the Universe won a Newbery Honor in 2003. In 1990, she cofounded the Lisa Libraries, which donates new children’s books to organizations in underserved areas. Martin lives in upstate New York with her three cats.

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      Book preview

      Stage Fright - Ann M. Martin

      1.

      The Birthday Party

      ME, ME, ME!

      Ooh, ooh, ooh!

      Pick me, pick me!

      I looked around. Every single girl at Carol’s tenth birthday party was waving her hand wildly. They all wanted to be picked as the magician’s assistant.

      Except me.

      I was hoping nobody would even see me. I didn’t want to be the magician’s assistant. I’d rather have eaten Brussels sprouts for the rest of my life. No kidding.

      We were sitting on folding chairs in my cousin Carol’s backyard. I was in the last row next to Wendy, my very best friend in the whole world.

      Wendy lives next door to me, and Carol lives across the street. Carol turned ten first, Wendy’d catch up in two months, and I’d catch up in four months.

      Anyway, Wendy and I were in the back row. I always choose the back row if I can. When you’re up front, people can see you, and I hate being seen.

      The magician’s name was Dr. Sorcery. Dr. Sorcery was standing in front of us. He was wearing a black top hat with a yellow flower stuck in the band, and a black coat with glittery stars and moons on it.

      He looked around at all the hands. Let’s see, he said.

      Me! Me, me! That was Wendy. She was waving harder than anybody. She just loves being seen.

      I slumped down in my chair so far I almost slid onto the ground.

      Finally the magician made a choice. Okay, he said. You in the blue dress.

      That was Wendy.

      I sighed with relief.

      Wendy ran around the chairs to Dr. Sorcery. When she reached him, he shook her hand and said, Hello, young lady. What’s your name?

      Wendy, she replied, grinning.

      I would have died.

      But Wendy enjoyed it.

      Well, said Dr. Sorcery, starting right now, you’re not Wendy, you’re Magicadabra, my faithful assistant.

      Everybody giggled. Wendy grinned even harder.

      Sometimes I wish I could be just like Wendy.

      Sometimes.

      Dr. Sorcery gave Wendy a bright blue cape to wear and a silvery crown-thing for her hair. Then she helped him by holding up rings and scarves and tubes. She pulled a bouquet of flowers out of an empty black velvet bag. She fanned out a deck of cards so he could do mind reading. And she broke an egg into his hat.

      At last the show was over. Everybody clapped while Dr. Sorcery and Magicadabra took their bows. Wendy gave back the cape and crown. Then my Aunt Martha, Carol’s mother, said, Thank you, Dr. Sorcery. Now if everybody will come to the picnic tables, we’ll have cake and ice cream.

      Yay! shouted the girls.

      I was glad it was time for cake and ice cream, but I didn’t feel like shouting.

      I caught up with Wendy as fast as I could. I just had to sit next to her or Carol at the table.

      We found seats together at Carol’s table. There was a yellow plastic basket full of candies at everybody’s place. There was also a little box that turned out to be holding a beaded bracelet and one of those snappers that pops when you pull the ends apart.

      As soon as we were sitting down, all the girls began snapping their favors.

      Pop! Pop! Bang! It sounded like we were in the middle of a war.

      Wendy pulled hers apart with a satisfying crack! and examined the prizes inside—a paper party hat, a red ring for her finger, and a fortune on a folded slip of paper. The fortune said: Spend your money wisely now, and you will be rich later.

      Wow, said Wendy. Rich.

      She looked longingly at my party favor.

      Want to pop it? I asked gratefully.

      Really? asked Wendy. I can pop it? I’ll give you all the stuff inside, okay?

      Okay, I said.

      Wendy snapped mine open and gave me the hat, the ring, and the fortune. My fortune said: You won’t be lonely for long. A handsome stranger will sweep you off your feet by the end of the month.

      Wendy and I giggled. A handsome stranger, she teased. Wooo-weee, your first boyfriend!

      Oh, Wendy, I said. I was probably blushing, but I was laughing, too.

      It was right then that Carol suggested, Hey, let’s go around the table, and everybody read your fortune out loud so we can all hear, okay?

      I froze. My tongue glued itself to the roof of my mouth, and my stomach dropped about a foot.

      I must have looked awful, because Wendy said, Sara? What’s wrong?

      I glanced at her but didn’t say anything.

      Don’t you want to read your fortune? Wendy guessed. She knows me pretty well.

      I certainly did not. It’s bad enough having to read aloud, but all that stuff about a handsome stranger—the girls would tease me from here to next year.

      I managed to shake my head.

      Okay, Wendy said. I’ll take care of it.

      I didn’t bother to ask how. Just as long as someone was going to take care of it.

      Carol read her fortune out loud and everybody laughed. Then Annie, sitting next to Carol, read her fortune, and everybody laughed at her. Two people to go and it would be my turn. What was Wendy going to do?

      Ha ha. Hee hee. Everyone was laughing again.

      Now it was my turn.

      Okay, Sara, called Carol. What does yours say?

      Before I could even look at Wendy, she jumped in and said, You’ll never guess what happened. I ate Sara’s fortune. It was an accident. It was stuck to this piece of candy—

      Wendy! exclaimed Aunt Martha suddenly. She was walking around the table putting a scoop of ice cream on everybody’s plate. She stopped with the scooper in midair. You ate the paper? That could be dangerous. Maybe—

      Oh, it’s all right, Wendy interrupted quickly. I didn’t swallow it or anything. I just sort of chewed it up. I spit most of it out.

      Well, if you’re sure…

      I am. Listen, my fortune was great. She read it out loud.

      Everybody had forgotten about me and my fortune, and Wendy had saved me from another mess.

      What would I do without her?

      When we were through reading the fortunes, Aunt Martha and Uncle John brought Carol’s cake to the table. We sang three different verses of Happy Birthday. First we sang the regular Happy Birthday to you verse. Then we sang the How old are you?

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