Free A Good Night for Ghosts by Mary Pope Osborne Page B

of their book. He read:
    Jazz began in New Orleans in the early 1900s and was first played by African Americans. It is a style of music that has a strong beat and is played with lots of feeling. Jazz melodies are often made up on the spot .
    “Got it,” said Annie. “Read more about Louis.”
    Jack flipped back to the pages about Louis Armstrong and read:
    As a young teenager, Louis Armstrong often performed with “kid bands” on the streets of the city. Eventually he played with older musicians in dance halls and developed his musical talents performing on Mississippi riverboats. When he was twenty-one, he moved to Chicago, where—
    “Stop. That’s all we need,” Annie broke in.
    “It is?” asked Jack.
    “Yep, we’ll just ask someone what the date is,” said Annie. “Then we can figure out how old Louis Armstrong is, and we’ll know where to look for him: the streets, a dance hall, or on the Mississippi River.”
    Annie picked up the magic trumpet. She tuckedit under her arm and started down the rope ladder.
    “I
guess
that’s a plan,” murmured Jack. “Sort of.” He put the New Orleans book in his bag and followed her.
    In their bare feet, Jack and Annie hurried a short distance to the wide, busy street. A sign read CANAL STREET.
    The sidewalks on both sides of Canal Street were crowded with vendors pushing carts and shouting in rich, loud voices.
    “Buttermilk! Buttermilk! Fresh from the buttermilk man! Bring out your bucket! Bring out your can!” shouted a man.
    “Blackberries! Mighty fine! Three sacks for a dime!” called an old woman.
    “Read all the news! Chase away the blues!” sang a boy with newspapers.
    “Let’s buy a paper,” said Jack. “It’ll tell us the date.”
    Jack and Annie ran over to the boy selling newspapers.
    “A paper, please,” said Annie.
    “A penny, please,” said the boy.
    Jack and Annie dug into their pockets.
    “Uh-oh,” said Annie. “No money.”
    “Uh-oh,” said the boy. “No paper.” He started to walk away.
    “Wait, please,” said Jack. “Can you just tell us the date?”
    “October thirty-first, the eve of All Saints’ Day,” said the boy. “You didn’t know that?”
    “Uh, not really,” said Jack.
    “And what year is it?” Annie asked.
    The newsboy scowled. “It’s 1915! Don’t you two know anything? Who are you?”
    Before Jack could think of an answer, Annie blurted out, “We’re musicians. We came all the way from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.” She held up their trumpet.
    “Oh, right. And it’s a different year in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, than here in New Orleans, Louisiana! I forgot!” The newsboy headed up thestreet, laughing at his own joke.
    “Well,
yeah
,” said Annie.
    Jack laughed. “Okay, Louis Armstrong was born in 1901, so if it’s 1915…”
    “He’s fourteen years old,” said Annie. “So that means he’s playing with kid bands in the streets. Excuse me!” she called to the buttermilk man. “Can you tell us where some kid bands might be playing today?”
    “Try Jackson Square in the French Quarter,” said the man.
    “What’s the French Quarter?” asked Jack.
    “It’s the oldest section of the city,” said the buttermilk man. “Catch that streetcar that’s stopping up ahead! It will take you right there.”
    “Thanks!” said Annie. She and Jack ran up the sidewalk.
    “So I guess those train cars in the street are called streetcars,” said Jack.
    “Makes sense!” said Annie.
    Jack and Annie ran to a streetcar stop. Theystood in line and then climbed aboard. “Oh, wait,” Jack said to Annie. “We can’t! We don’t have money!” He started to leave.
    “Hey, sonny, are you coming or going?” said the conductor.
    “Sorry. We made a mistake,” said Jack. “We don’t have any money.”
    “Don’t worry, there’s no fare today. It’s the eve of All Saints’ Day,” said the conductor.
    “Oh! Good,” said Jack. He and Annie chose a wooden seat near the door and sat down.
    “Could