The Amazing Stardust Friends #2: Be a Star! Read online

  HEATHER

  ALEXANDER

  B R

  B

  R

  A

  N

  C

  H

  E

  S

  TM

  THE AMAZING

  STARDUST

  FRIENDS

  B R

  By Heather Alexander

  Illustrated by Diane Le Feyer

  R  U

  THE AMAZING

  STARDUST

  FRIENDS

  1

  2

  

  1: The Happy Flip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

  : Surprise Number One . . . . . . . .9

  : Surprise Number Two . . . . . . . . 16

  : Hollywood, Here I Come! . . . .23

  : Allie Sparkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

  : The Camera s

  U . . . . . . . . . .35

  : Tiny Blue Speck . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

  : Quick-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

  : Rainbow Allie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

   : Dance, Act, Flip . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

   : My Show, My Way . . . . . . . . . . .64

  : Do-over and Over . . . . . . . . . . . 71

   : Bumping Cones . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

   : Stars! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

  To Joe, with love — H.A.

  To Mum and Dad, who made it all possible — D.L.

  Copyright © 2015 by Heather Alexander, L.L.C.

  Interior illustrations copyright © 2015 by Scholastic, Inc.

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.

  Publishers since 1920. scholastic, branches, and associated logos are trademarks and/or

  registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for

  author or third-party websites or their content.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part

  of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse

  engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system,

  in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter

  invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information

  regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557

  Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the

  product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual

  persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Alexander, Heather, 1967- author.

  Be a star! / by Heather Alexander ; illustrated by Diane Le Feyer.

  pages cm. — (The Amazing Stardust Girls ; 2)

  Summary: Allie, Bella, Carly, and Marlo, eight-year-old performers in the Stardust Circus,

  are normally best friends—but when a film crew comes to do a television special on the

  circus, Allie's dreams of being a Hollywood star threaten to drive a wedge between them.

  ISBN 0-545-75754-1 (pbk.) — ISBN 0-545-75755-X (hardcover) — ISBN 0-545-76092-5

  (ebook) — ISBN 0-545-76093-3 (eba ebook) 1. Circus performers—Juvenile fiction.

  2. Best friends—Juvenile fiction. 3. Ambition—Juvenile fiction. [1. Circus—Fiction. 2.

  Best friends—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Ambition—Fiction.] I. Le Feyer, Diane,

  illustrator. II. Title.

  PZ7.A37717Be 2015

  [Fic]—dc23

  2014033955

  e-ISBN 978-0-545-76092-8

  First edition, May 2015

  Illustrated by Diane Le Feyer

  Book design by David DeWitt

  Edited by Katie Carella

  Dance music blasted in the circus tent. The

  air smelled of buttered popcorn. The crowd

  cheered.

  I waited backstage. I didn’t go out.

  Not yet.

  I’ve been in the circus since I was born. I

  knew to let the crowd’s excitement grow.

  “It’s time for the Stardust Circus parade!”

  Liam the Ringmaster said into his microphone.

  1

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  1

  I smiled at my three best friends.

  We were in the parade together.

  “First up is Allie,” called Liam.

  “Allie is the youngest member of

  the fabulous trapeze family the

  Flying Faltos!”

  The crowd cheered louder.

  Then I did back

  handsprings across the

  circus tent.

  I love to flip.

  I can even do a

  layout somersault

  on the trapeze.

  That’s a flip in

  the sky!

  2

  “Here comes Carly the clown!” Liam

  told the crowd.

  “Beep! Beep!”

  called my friend

  Carly Bruni.

  She zoomed

  in on a unicycle.

  Her hot-pink braids

  stuck out. She held

  an umbrella and acted

  like it was raining

  inside the tent. The

  crowd laughed.

  Carly loves

  making people

  laugh.

  3

  “Hold your horses, folks! It’s

  Bella, our animal trainer!”

  Liam called out.

  A white horse galloped in.

  My friend Bella Lu stood

  on its back. Purple

  ribbons in her long,

  dark hair flew

  behind her.

  4

  “Make some noise for Marlo!”

  cried Liam. “She’s new to our parade.

  She’s a hula-hoop whiz!”

  Marlo Sommer skipped out.

  Five colorful hula-hoops spun

  around her body. Around and

  around.

  Marlo was eight, too—just

  like Carly, Bella, and me.

  The four of us held

  hands. We kicked our

  legs high.

  “Meet the Amazing

  Stardust Girls!” called

  Liam.

  5

  My friends are amazing!

  The spotlight shined on us.

  I did a back handspring.

  I flip when I’m happy. It’s just what I do.

  When the show ended, I undid my bun

  backstage. Mamá makes it so tight and pinch-y!

  I shook out my thick, brown curls. I pulled on

  my sparkly hoodie.

  “Come on!” I called to my friends.

  6

  It was time for my most favorite part of

  every show:
saying hi to my fans. Fans really

  love the circus. They wait outside to meet the

  performers.

  Carly, Bella, Marlo, and I left the tent together.

  Bella’s three white dogs—Marshmallow, Tofu,

  and Coconut—followed. Bella always has

  animals with her.

  7

  “Amazing Stardust Girls!” yelled a tall girl.

  “Can I get your autograph?”

  “For sure!” I said.

  I didn’t sign my full name—

  Alejandra Padillo Falto.

  I wrote: Allie.

  I always dotted my

  i with a star.

  “Your turn,” I said, handing the girl’s paper

  to Carly. Then I signed another autograph. And

  another.

  All with stars.

  “My hand is tired,” whispered Bella.

  “Not me,” I said. “I could sign autographs all

  night!”

  “It’s time to go. And I have two amazing

  surprises,” said Marlo.

  She raced off with Carly and Bella.

  I chased after my friends.

  Then I did another back handspring for the

  fans. I just had to!

  8

  Where are you taking us, Marlo?” I cried.

  Marlo ran past the long, purple Stardust

  Circus train. Everyone in the circus lives on

  the train. Each part of the train is called a car.

  There are apartment cars, a restaurant car,

  and even a school car. Our train is the coolest

  place to live. And it drives us from show to

  show.

  2

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  ACROBATS’

  APARTMENTS

  MISS

  ROSS

  SCHOOL CAR

  DANCE CAR

  BAND APARTMENTS

  WARDROBE

  CAR

  GYM

  TENT & GEAR

  CIRCUS CARS

  AND TRUCKS

  LIAM

  MUSIC ROOM

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  T S C T!

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  LOCOMOTIVE

  ENGINE

  HORSES

  PERFORMERS’

  APARTMENTS

  PIE CAR

  DRESSING

  ROOM CAR

  CREW & STAFF

  CIRCUS OFFICE

  PROPS CAR

  MEDIA &

  GAME CAR

  ACTING CAR

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  “Hurry!” Marlo waved us around back.

  Bella’s guinea pig, Boris, sniffed the air.

  “Boris smells hamburgers,” said Bella.

  “Look!” I pointed to tables set up in the field.

  “Everyone’s here.”

  Acrobats. Clowns. Dancers.

  And my big trapeze family: Papi and Mamá

  sat with my two cousins. My teenage sisters,

  Renata and Danna, shared a picnic blanket.

  “Surprise!” called Marlo. “My mom made a

  big barbecue!”

  1

  Marlo’s mom is our circus cook.

  She makes the best food.

  Mamá says Marlo’s mom’s salsa is as good

  as my abuela’s. That’s huge. My family came

  from Mexico, and my grandma is famous for

  her spicy salsa.

  And for her triple somersault on the trapeze.

  She’s that kind of grandma.

  We’re that kind of family.

  I stood in line behind Carly. She piled her

  plate with cheeseburgers, corn, potato chips,

  and pickles.

  Marlo’s eyes widened.

  “Clowning makes me hungry,” Carly said

  proudly.

  I sat with my friends. Bella fed Boris a potato

  chip. Carly popped a whole pickle in her mouth.

  “Hey, Marlo,” I said. “You said there were

  two very amazing surprises. What is Surprise

  Number Two?”

  Marlo’s green eyes twinkled. “We’re going to

  have a party—a paint party!” she said.

  “I love parties!” I jumped up.

  “And I love painting!” said Bella.

  1

  “But I’m still eating,” said Carly.

  I laughed. I knew Carly. She wouldn’t budge

  until she was finished. Even for a party.

  Finally, Carly ate her last chip.

  We got on the train with everyone else. A

  whistle sounded. The train began to chug on

  the tracks.

  “We’re off to our next show,” said Bella.

  “And the four of us are off to a fabulous paint

  party!” I said.

  We ran through the train.

  1

  Bella and Marlo tied their hair back as we

  hurried into the Pie Car.

  The Pie Car is the train’s restaurant. It’s

  where Marlo’s mom cooks. When Marlo first

  saw the Pie Car, she said it needed a makeover.

  Carly’s mom sewed pretty lavender tablecloths

  to decorate it.

  Now Marlo’s mom handed us each a smock,

  a brush, and a bucket of paint.

  “Time to say good-bye to these ugly olive-

  green walls,” she said.

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  “With pink paint!” said Carly.

  Carly is all about pink.

  I’m more of a blue girl.

  “Let’s paint!” I said. I couldn’t wait to start!

  “Don’t make a mess,” warned Marlo’s mom,

  going into the kitchen.

  “We need tunes,” said Bella. She turned on

  music.

  Then Bella painted hearts. Marlo painted

  flowers. Carly made swirls.

  I painted a big, drippy star, while I did the

  Twist.

  My brush splattered paint on Carly’s smock.

  “Hey!” Carly laughed. She
flicked her brush

  at me.

  “Boris, duck!”

  cried Bella as paint

  flew back and forth.

  Bella always talked

  to her animals.

  “Boris, Boris, you

  are so smart,

  You hide away

  when we do art.”

  I giggled. “That’s

  so cute. You made

  a rhyme for him.”

  “I’m practicing for our Poem Day at school

  tomorrow,” said Bella. “I wrote my poem about

  a bunny. But maybe I’ll use this new poem.”

  “Mine’s about rainbows,” said Marlo.

  “Mine’s about pizza. And a wizard,” said

  Carly. “I can’t wait to share it!”

  1

  “What’s yours about, Allie?” asked Bella.

  I gulped. “I’m still working on it.”

  Carly rolled her eyes. She knew I forgot the

  homework. Again.

  Luckily, just then Liam opened the door.

  “Hello, Stardust Girls!” boomed Liam. “Sorry

  to crash your fabulous paint party. But I’m

  walking our guests through to the other cars.”

  We all stopped painting.

  “Meet Teegan and Brett,” said Liam. “They’re

  riding with us to Hollywood.”

  “Hollywood?” I asked. My heart began to

  beat fast.

  “Yes,” said Liam. “We’ll do two shows there.”

  “And we'll be filming both shows for a TV

  special,” said Teegan.

  2

  “¡Fabuloso!” I cried. Our circus was going to

  be on TV! I got a tingly feeling.

  “See you soon,” said Brett. He and Teegan

  left with Liam.

  “I’m scared to be on TV,” said Marlo. “What

  if I drop my hula-hoops?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll run out and make it funny,”

  said Carly. “Do you think I can make the people

  watching us on TV laugh?”

  “For sure,” I said. Then I did a happy dance.

  “Hollywood people are here! I so want to be a

  TV star!”

  2

  “Wow! Really?” asked Marlo.

  “Allie’s dreamed about it since we were

  little,” said Carly.

  Bella nodded. “And I want Boris to be a TV

  star, too.”

  “Boris?” I couldn’t hold back my surprise.

  We all laughed.

  “Me and you, Boris.” I tickled his furry head.