Free A New Home for Truman by Catherine Hapka Page B

drop off some homemade dog and cat toys we made last weekend. I could help you look at dogs then if you want.”
    â€œThat would be awesome,” Janey said. “I’ll mention it to my parents if they haven’t gotten my dog yet. Come to think of it, they might be thinking the same thing. They donate money to the shelter every year.” She sighed happily. “Anyway, I don’t really care what kind of dog I get. I just can’t wait to have one of my very own!”
    She’d been dreaming about this day ever since she could remember. Janey had always loved animals—all animals. She read booksabout dogs, hung cute pictures of cats on her walls, and doodled horses and elephants and rabbits all over the margins of her school notebooks. She loved spending time with Roscoe, Adam’s dog-sitting clients, and any other animal that came along. But nothing would compare to having a pet of her very own, to cuddle and snuggle with any time she wanted.
    It was going to be so great! She shivered with excitement, wondering how she was ever going to wait until tomorrow.

Birthday Surprises
    Janey woke up early the next morning. For a second she couldn’t remember why she was excited. Then she smiled.
    â€œHappy birthday to me!” she said, jumping out of bed.
    She pulled on her bathrobe and raced downstairs. The smell of banana pancakes and bacon greeted her.
    â€œHappy birthday, sweetheart!” Janey’s father sang out. He was at the stove with a spatula. “I’m making your favorite breakfast.”
    â€œThanks, Daddy.” Janey looked around the kitchen. There was a pile of wrapped gifts on the counter. None of the packages had air holes that she could see.

    But she couldn’t see her mother, either. Maybe Mom was out in the garage with the dog, waiting to surprise her.
    Then her mother hurried in from the living room. “Happy birthday, Janey, love!” she said. “How does it feel to be a year older?”
    â€œFab,” Janey said. Her father set a platter of pancakes and bacon in front of her, and Janey helped herself. “I can’t wait to see what you got me this year!”
    Her parents traded a smile. “We can’t wait, either,” Janey’s father said. “Eat your birthday breakfast, and then you can open your gifts.”
    Janey loved banana pancakes and bacon. But that morning, she hardly tasted them. She ate as fast as she could.
    â€œFinished!” she said, gulping down some juice. “Time for presents.”
    Her parents both laughed. “All right,” her mother said. “Go ahead, love.”
    Janey grabbed one of the gifts and shook it. Even if there wasn’t a dog in the pile of gifts, maybe the packages contained dog stuff, like a collar and leash or food dishes or dog toys. Now that she thought about it, that made more sense anyway. Then Janey would be all ready to go and pick out her own dog at the shelter. She couldn’t wait!
    She ripped the paper off the first gift. “Oh,” she said in surprise.
    There was no collar or leash. No dishes or dog toys, either. Just a shirt with a sparkly collar.
    â€œIt’s the one you liked at the mall last weekend, remember?” her mother said with a smile.
    Janey nodded. She did like the shirt, even if she wasn’t that excited about it right now. But maybe she could wear it to the shelter when she chose her dog.
    â€œThanks,” she said. “Next!”
    For a second she thought the next gift was a collar, but then she realized it was a bracelet. Janey opened several more packages after that, but all of them contained non-dog gifts.
    Finally there was only one gift left. That had to be the dog gift!
    Janey picked it up. “Don’t shake that one, sweetheart,” her father said.
    Janey nodded. She had a bad feeling about this. The shape and weight of the gift didn’t seem right for any kind of dog stuff. It was light and