Trouble in Toyland Read online

  Welcome to ALADDIN QUIX!

  If you are looking for fast, fun-to-read stories with colorful characters, lots of kid-friendly humor, easy-to-follow action, entertaining story lines, and lively illustrations, then ALADDIN QUIX is for you!

  But wait, there’s more!

  If you’re also looking for stories with tables of contents; word lists; about-the-book questions; 64, 80, or 96 pages; short chapters; short paragraphs; and large fonts, then ALADDIN QUIX is definitely for you!

  ALADDIN QUIX: The next step between ready to reads and longer, more challenging chapter books, for readers five to eight years old.

  To my wonderful, creative friend Jaida Blatt

  —A. K.

  Cast of Characters

  Andy Snowden: An Elf Academy student

  Ms. Dow: The second-grade teacher at Elf Academy

  Jay: Andy’s best friend

  Principal Evergreen: The principal at Elf Academy

  Craig Snowden: Andy’s older brother

  Santa Claus: Jolly gift giver

  Susu Snowden: Andy’s twin sister

  Nicole: Susu’s best friend

  Mr. and Ms. Snowden: Parents of Andy, Susu, and Craig

  Kal: An Elf Academy student

  Zahara: An Elf Academy student

  Jenny: An Elf Academy student

  Mrs. Claus: The first lady of the North Pole

  1 Helmet High Jinks

  The toy-building workshop at Elf Academy is a happy, busy place.

  Look around, and you’ll see wheels for trucks, game pieces, guitar strings, bouncy springs, and buttons of all sizes. Those parts will help create exciting toys, thanks to…

  Dozens of smiling, hardworking elves.

  Every morning, Andy Snowden and his second-grade classmates study math, science, reading, and history. And every afternoon, they snap, paste, and hammer during toy-building lessons. Everyone loves those lessons the most.

  Well, almost everyone, that is.

  Andy certainly enjoys building toys.

  But he is not happy making the same exact ones, day after day after day. Andy is tired of putting together hundreds of:

  yo-yos

  airplanes

  chess sets

  rubber ducks

  royal castles

  teeny-tiny frogs

  lime-green pianos

  rainbow bubble blowers

  shiny superhero capes

  walkie-talkies

  Not to mention… lots and lots of creepy-crawly caterpillars.

  So this coming holiday season, Andy is itching to build something different. He really wants to use his imagination.

  * * *

  “Watch this, everybody! Twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four…,” Andy said one day as he plopped a stack of outer-space helmets onto his head.

  “Andy!” Ms. Dow, his teacher, called out. “Please take off each and every one of those helmets. Right now!”

  “I know, I know, Ms. Dow. They are gifts that we built for children around the world,” Andy said. “I’m sorry, but I wanted to set a record for wearing the most helmets. I thought a good laugh would help the other elves make happier toys.”

  As Andy removed the giant pile from his head, his best friend, Jay, whispered to him, “I bet you could have reached fifty!”

  “Thanks, Jay,” Andy answered as he carefully placed the helmets into gift boxes.

  “Now, Andy, laughter is a good thing,” Ms. Dow said. “But this is work time,” she told him.

  “Most of all,” she continued, “you must remember the Elf Academy rules: We do not play with the toys we build. We do not wear the helmets we construct.

  “And what else, class…?”

  “We do not ride the tricycles, bicycles, and especially unicycles that we’ve put together!” everyone said.

  (That rule had been added after Andy had taken a speedy ride across the workshop a few weeks before.)

  After Andy put the helmets away, Ms. Dow spoke to the class. “I know that you’ve all been working hard for months. But it’s almost Christmas, and we will be busier than ever these last few weeks.”

  The elves nodded.

  Ms. Dow continued, “Principal Evergreen would like all the second graders to meet at the Snowflake Auditorium this afternoon. She has an important announcement.”

  Andy and his classmates were a little nervous. Christmas was near. What could be more important than spending time making toys?

  2 Bird Contest

  All the second graders filed into the hall. Paintings of snowy mountains and chimney tops, as well as Elf Academy class pictures, lined the walls.

  On the way to the auditorium, Andy glanced at one of his favorite photographs: his older brother Craig’s fourth-grade class picture. In it, all the elves were stacked like a pyramid, waving and smiling, and their teacher stood nearby. Andy knew that pose had been his brother’s idea. Craig always had the best ideas.

  When the elves were seated, Principal Evergreen walked out onto the stage. She had purple-and-orange braided hair that was piled high upon her head.

  “Good afternoon, second graders!” Principal Evergreen said with a big smile.

  “Good afternoon, Principal Evergreen!” they answered. They held their breath, not sure what their principal would say next.

  “First let me tell you about some of our new classes next term. You will all be studying world geography, the many sides of snowflakes, ancient art history, and undersea creatures.”

  Andy and Jay gave each other a thumbs-up. Ocean animals were some of Andy’s favorites. He imagined that with eight arms an octopus would be super helpful at making toys.

  Then their principal continued. “Now I have some exciting news.”

  Everyone’s ears tingled.

  “For the first time ever, we are holding an Elf Academy Toy-Building Contest. Each of the second graders will design and build a bird of their choice. The students will select one of the birds as the Toy of the Year.”

  “YAHOO!” Andy cheered. Everyone turned to look at him.

  “Shhhh, Andy,” Jay whispered. “You’ll get in trouble.”

  Principal Evergreen smiled. “ ‘Yahoo’ is right, Andy.”

  Then she continued speaking to all the elves. “Once a toy wins the vote, you will then make many more, and Santa Claus will bring them to children around the world. Your teachers will give you the instructions for the contest when you get back to class. Good luck!”

  Once back in class, Ms. Dow shared the contest rules:

  “We will get started first thing tomorrow afternoon,” she told the elves. “I hope you are as excited as I am!”

  3 Lots of Decisions

  After school Andy, his twin sister, Susu, and Susu’s best friend, Nicole, walked home together.

  “I love hummingbirds,” Susu said. “That’s what I’m going to make.”

  “And I’m going to make a peacock,” Nicole told her friends. “I know it won’t be easy because they have such fancy tails, but I’ll try.”

  Andy had no idea what kind of bird he would try to build. There were so many different kinds in the world. How could he choose? He knew that toucans had colorful beaks. Flamingos could balance on one foot. And ostriches had eyes bigger than any other land animal.

  Andy was sure that he could make a great space helmet, skateboard, or dollhouse, but he had never created a bird before. Maybe Craig could help him later when they were home.

  * * *

  The Snowdens’ blue-and-green house was smack in the middle of North Pole Avenue.

  It was surrounded by yellow-and-purple, pink-and-orange, and black-and-white houses—some tall, some short, some round, some square, some shaped like triangles.

  Mr. and Ms. Snowden had to take Susu to a Snow Scouts meeting, so that gave Andy and Craig time to talk about the Elf Academy contest.

  “I’ve never created a bird,” Andy said. “I was excited when Principal Evergreen announced the contest, but I’m not really sure what to do.”

  Craig picked up four balls and started juggling. “A good bird needs interesting parts. Like baseballs. Or maybe wagon wheels. Kite tails. Perhaps water balloons.”

  Andy giggled. “Craig! Stop joking!” he said.

  Craig’s ideas might have been silly, but they did make Andy think.

  Getting creative, he said to himself. Is that what it takes to make a great bird?

  4 Time to Build

  Andy had a very hard time waking up the next morning. All night long he had tossed and turned and turned and tossed, with visions of different types of birds running through his mind.

  By the time he got dressed and rushed downstairs, Craig and Susu had already finished their snowberries-and-oatmeal smoothies and were halfway out the door.

  “Wait for me!” Andy called. He gulped down his smoothie, slipped into his jacket, and ran after his brother and sister.

  Andy was usually a laughing, joking chatterbox when he, Susu, and Craig walked to school.

  But today he was silent.

  And he was worried.

  Susu looked over at her twin brother. “Is everything okay, Andy? You haven’t cracked one corny joke.”

  “Well, well…,” Andy began.

  “Well what?” Craig asked.

  “I still can’t decide what type of bird to make for the contest,” Andy told them.

  As they reached the Elf Academy entrance, Craig smiled at him and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll find a way to be creative. You always do.”

 
Andy wasn’t so sure about that.

  * * *

  Morning classes passed quickly—too quickly for Andy. Usually he couldn’t wait to make toys, but today he was last in line when the elves marched to the workshop.

  Large tables were covered with different-colored feathers and sturdy wings, plus beaks, eyes, legs, and feet. The elves gasped with excitement.

  Ms. Dow said, “Class, feel free to use all of these materials. You will have one hour to complete your project. And as Principal Evergreen said, have fun!”

  More than anything else, Andy wanted to have fun. But if he wasn’t sure about the kind of bird he was going to make for the contest, how could he have fun?

  He raised his hand to ask a question.

  “Yes, Andy?” Ms. Dow asked.

  “Can we build as many birds as we want?” Andy wanted to know.

  “I’m sorry, Andy,” Ms. Dow replied. “Each elf is allowed to make one bird, and one bird only. So do your best.”

  Andy nodded.

  He looked around the workshop at:

  the different shapes and shades of feathers,

  realistic, birdlike feathers,

  the pointy beaks and the rounded ones,

  the feet that were webbed and ones that were clawed…

  And then…

  He finally had an idea!

  5 Imagine That

  “When I ring this bell, the bird making may begin,” Ms. Dow informed the elves.

  DING!

  The elves rushed toward the supply tables. In no time at all, feathers were flying!

  “I want the blue beak,” called Kal.

  Zahara said, “Pass me those sparkly eyes, please!”

  “Is there another pair of webbed feet?” asked Jenny.

  Everyone made their choices and then walked quickly to their tables.

  Everyone but Andy, who gathered up all the extra supplies.

  Andy stared at the huge pile in front of him, but he still didn’t know where to begin. He tried putting a feather here and placing a beak there.

  He looked over at the other elves, who were busily building.

  Susu was gluing feet onto the tiny purple hummingbird she was creating.

  Nicole was placing just the right dark blue feathers for her majestic peacock.

  Jay was making a cardinal, using most of the red paint in the workshop to make it look real.

  Andy carefully studied each piece and part.

  And just like an eight-armed octopus, he started building!

  A little glue here.

  A twist-snap-twist there.

  Then he added a beak, feathers, and claws.

  Andy was so busy that he didn’t bother checking the clock. But then he heard Ms. Dow say, “Six minutes left, class. Start finishing up!”

  Finish up? Andy said to himself. But I’m just getting started!

  * * *

  DING! DING!

  “Time’s up, everyone,” Ms. Dow announced. “Please stop building.”

  The elves all stood back to reveal their creations. Workbench after workbench was filled with birds from redheaded woodpeckers to snowy owls to goldfinches.

  “Good work, one and all,” Ms. Dow said proudly. “Tomorrow morning we will find out which of you wins the contest. There is no homework tonight, so have a great evening.”

  As the elves started filing out of the classroom, Susu passed her brother’s workbench.

  She stopped. She looked at his toy design. And she blurted out, “Andy! What in the North Pole did you build?”

  Andy had been feeling happy about what he had made. But now Susu made him sad. He threw a cover over his toy and ran out of the room, with everyone laughing.

  * * *

  During a game of Chimneys and Ladders later that day, Craig asked his brother and sister how the bird building had gone.

  “Great!” Susu said. “I made a teeny-tiny hummingbird!”

  Andy didn’t respond. Instead he stopped playing the game and slumped in his chair.

  “Andy, I’m sure you made something elf-tacular,” Craig said to his brother. “Remember your super-sprinkle cookies? Or your windup flying robot? Every time we create something, we win, even if you don’t win tomorrow.”

  “I guess,” Andy said sadly.

  Ms. Dow had wished the elves a great evening. But Andy’s wasn’t great at all. He even went to bed one hour before his normal bedtime.

  Just like he had done the night before, Andy tossed and turned and turned and tossed, worried he had made an elf-tastic mistake.

  6 The Big Decision

  The halls of Elf Academy were filled with merriness the next day.

  Teachers, students, and toy makers of every age couldn’t wait to see what the second graders had made for the contest.

  Andy asked himself, What if everyone reacts the way Susu did? Did I overdo it?

  * * *

  The Snowflake Auditorium was buzzing with excitement; every seat was filled. A smiling Principal Evergreen strolled onto the stage.

  “Good morning, elves!” she said. “We are here to decide the winner of the first Elf Academy Toy-Building Contest. Remember, second graders, there can be only one winner—but you are each a winner every time you create something.”

  Craig waved to his brother and mouthed, “That’s what I told you!”

  One by one the elves walked out onstage and showed off their feathered toys. As they did, the Gift-O-Meter recorded the audience’s applause.

  Nicole shared her jewel-colored peacock. Everyone clapped.

  They also clapped when Susu held up her itty-bitty hummingbird.

  Kal got cheers for his falcon, which looked as if it were soaring high in the sky.

  After everyone else had presented their contest entries, it was finally Andy’s turn.

  He walked to the center of the stage and slowly uncovered his toy. He was nervous, but he knew there was no turning back.

  “Okay, everyone,” he announced. “Get ready to meet the world’s first… GLOP CLOP PLOP!”

  “What… is… that?” Ms. Dow asked. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Neither could anyone else. Everyone started laughing and pointing.

  Andy’s face turned beet red. But he repeated, “A GLOP CLOP PLOP.”

  “Andy, there is no such thing,” Ms. Dow insisted. “It doesn’t look like any bird I’ve ever seen.”

  Everyone kept laughing. Andy wanted to run backstage, but when he looked out into the crowd, he spotted Craig. His brother smiled at him and gave him a thumbs-up.

  That was all Andy needed to continue.

  He took a deep breath and said, “Ms. Dow, take a closer look. It looks like many birds you’ve seen from all around the world.”

  Andy began:

  “G is for ‘goose.’

  L is for ‘loon.’

  O is for ‘ostrich,’ and

  P is for ‘parrot.’ ”

  Andy pressed a button, and the bird said, “Pretty bird, pretty bird.”

  Then he continued,

  “C is for ‘cuckoo.’

  L is for ‘lark.’

  O is for ‘oriole,’ and

  P is for ‘pelican.’ ”

  Andy held up the toy, and a cuckoo sprung out of the bird’s mouth two times, to let everyone know that it was eleven o’clock. He continued:

  “P is for ‘penguin.’

  L is for ‘lovebird.’

  O is for ‘owl,’ and

  P is for ‘puffin.’ ”

  Andy grinned. “Do you see what I mean, Ms. Dow? G-L-O-P C-L-O-P P-L-O-P! One bird, so many ways to play.”

  No one said a word. It was so quiet, you could hear a snowflake drop.

  7 GLOP CLOP

  Then suddenly Susu called out, “That’s elf-tacular, Andy!”