building.
âHello! Hello!â a young woman in a long red dress said to Eric, Beth, and Danny. âIâm Judy.â
Cam whispered to Eric, âSheâs the director of the senior center.â
âThank you for helping,â Judy told Mr. Jansen, Cam, and her friends. âThe main hall is ready. The lights and microphone are set. Itâs almost time to start.â
Mr. Jansen, Cam, and the others followed her into a large room. Lots of chairs were set up in rows. They all faced a small stage. People were standing by tables on the side of the room. Many of the people held canes. Some had walkers. On the tables were trays of cakes, cookies, and fruit. There were also pitchers of water and ice tea.
âPlease, find seats,â Judy told the seniors. âYou can eat later. The show is about to begin.â
Chapter Two
Mr. Jansen stood by the microphone.
Cam and her friends sat in the first row of seats facing the stage. Lucy Lane and a man wearing a white apron sat behind them.
âThis is Ken,â Lucy Lane told Cam and her friends. âHe baked the cakes and cookies for the party.â
Mr. Jansen waited while the seniors went to their seats.
âThat reminds me,â Danny whispered. âIâ m hungry.â
âYou just want some cookies,â Beth said.
âI donât just want some cookies,â Danny whispered. âI want lots of cookies and lots of cake.â
Mr. Jansen held the microphone. When everyone was seated he said, âGood morning. Welcome to the Fall party and talent show. Our show begins with jokes. Here is the very funny Danny Pace.â
Mr. Jansen gave Danny the microphone. Danny bowed and everyone applauded.
âListen to this,â Danny said, really fast. âI told my teacher to please not punish me for something I didnât do. She said she wouldnât. Then I told her I didnât do my homework.â
No one laughed.
âI built a dog house and hammered a nail. Wow! That hurt! It was my fingernail.â
Danny waited. But again, no one laughed.
âThen I dropped the hammer on my toe and do you know what I did? I called a tow truck.â
This time Danny didnât wait for people to laugh. He quickly told another joke.
âI dropped the hammer on a leopard. Wow! That hit the spot! And I once heard a singing cow. It made beautiful moo-sic.â
âHis jokes arenât funny,â Ken the baker whispered to Lucy Lane.
âAnd he talks so fast,â Lucy said.
Mr. Jansen got on the stage.
âThank you. Thank you,â Mr. Jansen said.
âNo, wait. I have more jokes. Do you know whatâs cold and white and flies up and down and up and down? Itâs a mixed-up snowflake.â
Mr. Jansen took the microphone from Danny.
âThank you, Danny Pace,â he said.
Cam, Eric, Beth, and a few other people applauded.
âNow,â Mr. Jansen told the seniors, âweâll see some memory magic.â
Cam got up on stage and stood next to her father.
âHere is my daughter Jennifer Jansen, the girl with the amazing photographic memory.â
Jennifer is Camâs real first name. But when people found out about her great memory, they started calling her âThe Camera.â Soon âThe Cameraâ became just âCam.â
Cam bowed and people applauded.
âPlease, come up here,â Mr. Jansen said to Lucy Lane and Ken the baker.
When they were onstage, Lucy Lane whispered to Mr. Jansen, âWe canât stay very long. Weâre going to a wedding.â
Cam looked at Lucy and Ken. She closed her eyes and said, âClick!â
Cam turned and faced the wall behind the stage.
âWhat color is Lucyâs shirt?â Mr. Jansen asked.
âItâs blue,â Cam answered.
Camâs eyes were still closed. She was still facing the wall.
Cam said, âThere are small white flowers on Lucyâs shirt. In the middle of each flower is a