Judy Moody Saves the World! by Megan McDonald

Judy Moody did not set out to save the world. She set out to win a contest. A Band-Aid contest.
    Judy snapped open her doctor kit. Where was that box of Crazy Strips? She lifted out the tiny hammer for testing reflexes.
    “Hey, can I try that?” asked Stink, coming into Judy’s room.
    “Stink, didn’t you ever hear of going knock, knock?”
    “Sure,” said Stink. “Who’s there?”
    “Not the joke,” said Judy. “The thing a little brother is supposed to do before entering a big sister’s room.”
    “You mean I have to tell a joke just to come in your room?” asked Stink.
    “Never mind,” said Judy.
    “Never mind who?” asked Stink.
    “Stink! Just sit on the chair and cross your legs,” said Judy. “I’m going to test your reflexes.”
    “Please don’t do doctor stuff to me!” Stink said.
    “C’mon, Stink.” Judy tapped Stink’s knee with the hammer. Stink’s foot shot out and kicked her in the leg.
    “Hey, Stink,” said Judy. “You kicked me! Who do you think you are, a cassowary?”

    “A what-o-wary?”
    “Cass-o-wary. I learned it in Science. It’s a rain forest bird that can’t fly, so it kicks its enemies.”
    “I’m not a casso-whatever,” said Stink. “I just have really good reflexes.”
    Judy flashed her best anaconda eyes at Stink. “Forget it,” she said, putting the hammer away.
    Stink reached into Judy’s doctor kit and pulled out some Crazy Strips.
    “Stink! I told you not to steal my Crazy Strips. Now this box is empty, as in ALL GONE. I told you I’d put your arm in a sling if you didn’t stop stealing my stuff.”
    Stink did not want his arm in a sling again. Especially when it wasn’t broken. “Give it,” said Judy, taking the box from Stink. “I want to read about the contest.”
    “Contest?” asked Stink. “What do we have to do?”
    Judy read the box.
    Crazy Strips 5th Annual
    Design Your Own Bandage Contest.
    Create your own Crazy Strip.
    Draw with pencils, crayons,
    or markers.
    Think of a theme!
    Go wild with a style!
    Be outrageous! Be you!

    “You mean we draw something to go on a Crazy Strip?” asked Stink. “What do we win?”
    Judy read on.
    Thirteen top designs will be chosen to be printed on Crazy Strips. Just think — kids all across the country could be wearing YOUR creative, colorful Crazy Strip.
    “Is that all?” asked Stink.
    “Rare!” Judy said. “I, Judy Moody, could have my own Crazy Strip.”
    “They have to let you win something,” Stink said, grabbing the box from Judy.
    “Just think. Knees, ankles, and elbows everywhere will be wearing a Judy Moody original. Even Elizabeth Blackwell, First Woman Doctor, didn’t have her own Crazy Strip.”
    “Oh, brother,” said Stink. “Before you get too famous, can I use some of your skinny markers?”
    “What for?” Judy asked.
    “I want to draw a Crazy Strip, too. It says here the Grand Prize is a pair of Rollerblades.”
    “Rollerblades! Let me see that.”
    Top Winner: Crazy Strip of the Year Rollerblades plus your design printed on a Crazy Strip for one year
    Runners-up: Crazy Strip of the Month Crazy Strips sunglasses plus your design printed on a Crazy Strip for one month
    All participants receive Honorable Mention certificates.
    “Dream on, Stink. Only one kid in the whole entire United States of America gets Rollerblades.”
    “So?”
    “So look at some of the kids who won last year. They’re ten years old. Eleven. One is even thirteen. That’s a teenager. You’re only seven.”
    “And a quarter,” said Stink.
    “You’d have to be Picasso for them to pick your design,” she said.
    “Who?”
    “You know. The guy who painted all those blue people.”
    “Then let me borrow your blue marker,” said Stink.
    Judy dumped all the markers, crayons, colored pencils, and pastels she had on the floor. Stink grabbed the first blue marker he saw and started to draw.

    “What are you drawing?”
    “Bats,” said Stink. “Blue bats.”
    “
You’re
bats,” said