Witch Switch by Nancy Krulik Page B

construction paper and began to cut out a triangle. She was going to turn her yellow beanbag into a big jack-o’-lantern. The triangle would be the jack-o’-lantern’s nose.
    â€œThis is so much fun,” Emma Weber said as she began taping black plastic spiders around the top of her beanbag chair. “I love Halloween.”
    â€œMe too,” Katie told her. “I can’t wait to trick-or-treat on Friday.”
    Emma W. sighed. “Lacey and I have to take Matthew and the twins with us when we get home from school in the afternoon,” she said.
    â€œOh.” Katie wasn’t surprised by that. Emma and her older sister, Lacey, had to watch their three younger brothers a lot. Matthew was in first grade, so he wasn’t a lot of trouble. But the twins, Timmy and Tyler, were tough. They were little toddlers who were just learning to walk. They were always getting into some kind of trouble. Emma was going to have her hands full with them—especially after they ate a lot of sugary candy.
    â€œWell, maybe you can take your brothers in the afternoon and then come trick-or-treating with Suzanne, Jeremy, Kevin, George, and me after dinner,” Katie suggested. “We’re going to have lots of fun. My mom is going to take us. And she always dresses up, too.”
    Emma brightened. “That sounds like a great idea!” she exclaimed.
    George taped a small plastic skeleton on his beanbag. “Do you guys know why the skeleton didn’t cross the road?” he asked.
    â€œWhy not?” Andy Epstein wondered.
    â€œBecause he didn’t have the guts!” George exclaimed.
    The kids all laughed. All except Kadeem Carter, that is. Kadeem never laughed at George’s jokes. He liked his own jokes better. “What do ghosts serve for dessert?” he asked the kids.
    â€œWhat?” Mandy Banks wondered.

    â€œIce scream!” Kadeem shouted out, laughing.
    â€œThat’s such an old joke,” George told him. “Now here’s a good one: What’s a witch’s favorite subject in school?”
    â€œSpell-ing,” Kadeem answered. “That joke is so old, the last time I heard it I fell off my dinosaur.”
    â€œGood one, Kadeem,” Kevin laughed.
    George glared at his best friend. “Traitor,” he mumbled under his breath.
    â€œWhat?” Kevin asked him. “It was funny.”
    â€œNot as funny as this joke,” George assured him. “Why do witches fly on brooms?”
    â€œWhy?” Kevin asked.
    â€œBecause vacuum-cleaner cords aren’t long enough,” George told him with a laugh.
    Kadeem opened his mouth to tell another joke, but Mr. G. spoke first. “Let’s save the scary joke-off for Friday. That’s Halloween, after all. On that day we can turn 4A into ghoul school!” He let out a silly-scary kind of laugh.
    The kids all giggled.
    â€œI wish every day could be Halloween!” Kadeem shouted out.
    Katie gasped. That was the scariest thing she’d heard all day. Kadeem had made a wish. And wishes could be really scary—especially when they came true.

Chapter 4
    Katie knew all about wishes coming true. It all started one horrible day back in third grade. On that day, Katie had lost the football game for her team. Then she’d splashed mud all over her favorite jeans. After that, George had made fun of her and called her a mud monster.
    But the worst part of the day came when Katie had let out a loud burp—right in front of the whole class. It had been so embarrassing!
    That night, Katie had made a wish to be anyone but herself. There must have been a shooting star overhead when she made the wish, because the very next day the magic wind came.
    The magic wind was a really powerful tornado that blew only around Katie. It was so strong, it could blow her right out of her body ... and into someone else’s !

    The first time the magic wind blew, it turned Katie into