Ruby Lu, Star of the Show by Lenore Look & Stef Choi

Author:Lenore Look & Stef Choi
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 2011-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Christina was right. Panchito was very annoying in that way. He didn’t like anything or anybody. He didn’t even like candy.

“Then you can just go home,” said Emma.

“No,” said Panchito. “I want to stay.”

“Then get with the program,” said Christina, who could be kind of bossy.

“No quiero hacerlo,” said Panchito.

“Fine,” said Emma. “Then we’re just going to ignore you.”

“Fine,” said Panchito.

And that was the end of that. It was the same way with Panchito at recess. He never went along with the program, and everyone just ignored him.

Ruby’s friends were right. Her parents couldn’t afford to pay Mr. Yu for tutoring, at least not until her dad found a job again . . . or . . . if she somehow came up with the money herself.

That was it!

“I’m going to pay for it myself,” said Ruby.

“How?” asked Emma.

Ruby pulled out “How to Survive Hard Times” from her pocket. “I’m going to start my own business,” she said. “And you can all be my customers.”

“Hooray!” said Wally, shaking the tree so that the leaves were applauding.

“I’ll be your first customer!” cried Tiger.

“Me too!” signed Flying Duck.

“But none of us has any money,” said Christina.

“No problem,” said Ruby, reading her sheet of survival tips. “Make some money. Scan some twenty-dollar bills. Cut carefully.”

No one had a twenty-dollar bill, but Emma had a five-dollar bill left over from her birthday money.

Flying Duck had a crisp twenty renminbi note from China. And eventually Christina coughed up a ten-dollar bill.

Then Ruby’s friends all ran next door to Emma’s house, where there was a color copy machine and scanner in her mom’s office.

By the time they had carefully cut out all their bills and stuffed their wallets full and run back to Ruby’s backyard, Ruby was ready and waiting. Her tent was open for business. The sign she hung out in her best cursive handwriting said:

Ruby’s Plum Tree Spa

Underneath it was a menu:

HAIRCUT: $10

FACIAL: $10

NAILS: $10

RELAXATION: $10

PUT UP YOUR FEET: Free

THE WORKS: $40

And the fine print at the bottom said:

If you’re my mom: Free

“Wow,” said Christina. Her mouth dropped open.

Flying Duck whistled. She gave Ruby two thumbs-up.

“Bring it on!” said Emma. “I’ve never been to a real spa before.”

“I don’t like spas,” said Panchito.

“You don’t like anything,” said Ruby.

“It’s just for girls,” said Panchito.

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