Free Judy Moody Saves the World! by Megan McDonald Page B

using something that came from the rain forest. And right here at home, malls are replacing trees, animals are disappearing, and we’re running out of places to put all of our trash.
    “Today, let’s come up with ways we can help save the earth. Sometimes it’s good to start small. Think of ways we can help at home. In our own families. And at school. Any ideas?”
    “Don’t leave lights on,” said Hailey.
    “Recycle your homework,” said Frank.
    “And cans and bottles and stuff,” said Leo.
    “Turn garbage into dirt,” said Rocky.
    “Yes,” said Mr. Todd. “That’s called composting.”
    Judy raised her hand, knocking her note to the floor. “Plant trees!”
    “Don’t be litterbugs,” said Jessica Finch.
    “I wasn’t littering,” said Judy, picking up the note. She crossed out the Finch in Jessica’s name and changed it to Jessica Fink. Sheesh. Sometimes Jessica Fink Finch gave her the jitterbugs.

    “Great!” said Mr. Todd. “These are all good ideas. Look around you — at home, in school, on the playground — not just in Science class. How can we help the planet? How can we make the world around us a better place? We can each do our part. All it takes is one person to make a difference.”
    One person! If all it took was one person, then she, Judy Moody, could save the world!
    She knew just where to start. With a banana peel.
    On the way home from school that afternoon, Judy asked Rocky, “Hey, can you come over and eat some bananas?”
    “Sure,” said Rocky. “What for?”
    “Compost,” said Judy.
    “I’ll eat two!” said Rocky.
    In Judy’s kitchen, Judy and Rocky each ate one and a half bananas. They fed the fourth and last one to Mouse, Judy’s cat. Then Judy tossed all four banana peels into a bucket.
    “Why don’t we make a sign for the bucket that says TURN GARBAGE INTO DIRT,” said Rocky.

    “Rare!” said Judy. “Tomorrow we can tell Mr. Todd how we started to heal the world.”
    “Double cool,” said Rocky.
    “Wait just a minute,” said Judy. “Why didn’t I think of it before? HEAL THE WORLD! That’s it!”
    “What’s it?”
    “My Band-Aid. For the Crazy Strips contest! You’ll see.” Judy ran upstairs and came back with markers and some paper. At the kitchen table, Rocky made a sign for the compost bucket while Judy drew a picture of Earth with a Band-Aid on it. She wrote HEAL THE WORLD under the globe in her best not-in-cursive letters. Then she drew banana peels all around the world.

    Stink came into the kitchen. “What are you drawing?” he asked Judy.
    “Banana peels,” said Judy.
    “For the Crazy Strip Contest,” Rocky said.
    “And you thought bats were weird?” said Stink. “Bats aren’t half as crazy as banana peels.”
    He looked at the empty bowl on the table. “Hey! Who ate the last banana?”
    “Mouse!” said Judy. Judy and Rocky fell on the floor laughing.
    “No way,” said Stink.
    “Just look at her whiskers,” said Judy.
    Stink got down on the floor, face to face with the cat. “Gross! Mouse has banana smoosh on her whiskers.”

    “Told you,” said Judy.
    “I’m telling Mom you ate all the bananas,” said Stink. “And you fed one to Mouse.”
    “Tell her it’s all in the name of science,” said Judy. “You’ll see. From now on there are going to be a few changes around here.”
    “We’re making compost,” said Rocky. “See?” He held up his sign.
    “It takes like a hundred years to turn garbage into dirt,” said Stink.
    “Stink,
you’re
going to be dirt. Unless you make like a tree and leaf us alone.”

It was still dark out when Judy woke up early the next morning. She found her flashlight and notebook. Then she tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen and started to save the world.

    She hoped she could save the world before breakfast. Judy wondered if other people making the world a better place had to do it quietly, and in the dark, so their parents would not wake up.
    She, Judy Moody, was in a Mr.