Justine McKeen, Walk the Talk by Sigmund Brouwer

Chapter One
    â€œI wish all cars had smoke coming out of them like that,” Justine McKeen said to her friends Michael and Safdar. She pointed at an old car passing them on their way to school. A long trail of blue-black smoke followed behind it.
    â€œWhat?” Safdar said. “You’re the Queen of Green! An old car like that should be taken off the road!”
    The three of them had almost reached the school. There were only a few minutes until the bell rang to start the day.
    â€œYes,” Justine said. “I am the Queen of Green. And yes, that car should be taken off the road. But look at all the cars in front of our school.”

    A long line of cars idled as kids were being dropped off. There was also a lineup of buses. Kids exited the buses and ran into the school. “Do you see all the stuff coming out of those cars?”
    â€œThose cars are a lot newer than that old one,” Michael said.
    â€œJust because we don’t see any black smoke doesn’t make them better. All of these cars are sending invisible stuff called carbon dioxide into the air. Too much carbon dioxide is bad for the environment. Did you know, if nine kids walk to school all year instead of going in cars or buses, it stops over a ton of carbon dioxide from going into the air? It also saves gas. The less gas we use, the less we have to drill for oil. And that’s good too. Plus walking is healthier for kids.”
    â€œLet me guess,” Safdar said. “You have a plan. Again.”
    â€œOf course I do,” Justine said. “I am the Queen of Green.”
    â€œLet’s hope it’s a better plan than your last one,” Safdar said. “I still can’t believe you talked us into helping you move all that dirt to start a roof garden at school.”
    â€œSpeaking of the garden,” Michael said, “don’t look now, but the janitor is up on the roof. And he doesn’t seem happy to see you, Justine.”
    When someone says, “Don’t look,” the first thing a person does is look. So Safdar and Justine looked up at the roof. Mr. Noble, the janitor, had climbed a ladder to get to the top. His hands were on his hips. He frowned at all three of them.
    â€œHi, Mr. Noble!” Justine waved. “Nice to see you!”
    â€œIt’s not nice to see you,” he yelled.
    â€œI already said I’m sorry! Can I help clean up the mess?” Justine asked.
    â€œYou stay away from me! Your help would only make it worse!”
    Michael and Safdar tried pulling Justine inside the school.
    â€œEverybody is staring at us,” Safdar said.
    â€œIt’s your hat,” Michael said to Justine.
    Justine wore a wide-brimmed hat with a stuffed bird perched on the side.
    She smiled. “I like my hat. It goes with my dress.”
    â€œI’m afraid to ask,” Safdar said, “but what’s your plan for those cars? Plug all the exhaust pipes with bananas?”
    â€œGood idea,” Justine said. “Or maybe a potato. We just sneak up behind each car and—”
    â€œI was joking,” Safdar said. “Please don’t try that. Something could go very wrong. Just like the garden on the school roof went wrong.”
    â€œHow would I know two days of rain would make the dirt so heavy?” Justine said. “And how many times does a person have to say sorry?”

Chapter Two
    â€œDon’t look now,” Michael said to Justine and Safdar. “There’s the school bully, Jimmy Blatzo.”
    Whenever someone says, “Don’t look,” the first thing a person does is look. So Safdar and Justine looked. Jimmy Blatzo was beside the water fountain by their classroom.
    â€œHey, Blatzo,” Justine said.
    â€œQuit calling me Blatzo,” Jimmy Blatzo said.
    â€œI know, I know.” Justine grinned. “If I call you Blatzo, people might think I’m not scared of you.”
    â€œYou just said it