Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie (11 page)

When we reached Val

she handed me a letter.

A letter to Miss Eleanor Abigail Kane

from Ms. Bibi Bholasing.

I took that letter

and thanked Val

and ran with Natalie

all the way to my apartment.

Then I wasn't sure what to do.

I wanted to read Bibi's letter by myself.

But I didn't want Natalie to feel bad.

Natalie must have read my mind.

“Would you like to take the letter to your room?”

she asked.

“While I make us a snack?”

I smiled at Natalie

and nodded my head

and went in my room

and sat on my bed

and read my letter from Bibi.

It said:

I like reading Bibi's letter.

I read it every single day,

which is good.

Because reading is important for third grade.

I think Bibi's words are beautiful,

like the poems we're reading with Mr. Campanelli.

And like Natalie's hair.

I keep the letter right by my bed

so I see it when I wake up in the morning,

and when I go to sleep at night.

Bibi will always be my first babysitter.

My very special babysitter.

And she will always be my Bibi.

Even if she is waiting for the breeze in Florida,

and I am far away.

I am grateful to the real-life Bibi Bholasing, for inspiring this book and for so much more.

Many thanks as well to Amy Hest and Roslyn Streifer, my dear friends and advisors, for their ceaseless support; Tamar Brazis, my editor, for her graciousness and vision; and Rosemary Stimola, my agent, for making me laugh and for holding my hand.

Most of all, I thank my family, for everything.