Penny draws a class trip, p.1
Penny Draws a Class Trip, page 1
Also by Sara Shepard
Penny Draws a Best Friend
Penny Draws a School Play
Penny Draws a Secret Adventure
G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, New York
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First published in the United States of America by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024
Copyright © 2024 by Sara Shepard
Excerpt from Penny Draws a Team Sport copyright © 2025 by Sara Shepard
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Shepard, Sara, 1977– author.
Title: Penny draws a class trip / Sara Shepard.
Description: New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2024. | Series: Penny draws; book 4 | Summary: “Penny and her friends go on a class trip to meet a famous author in New York City”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023033488 (print) | LCCN 2023033489 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593616864 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780593616871 (epub)
Subjects: CYAC: School field trips—Fiction. | New York (N.Y.)—Fiction. | Anxiety—Fiction. | Diaries—Fiction. | LCGFT: Diary fiction. | Novels.
Classification: LCC PZ7.S54324 Pc 2023 (print) | LCC PZ7.S54324 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023033488
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023033489
Ebook ISBN 9780593616871
Cover art © 2024 by Sara Shepard
Cover design by Suki Boynton
Design by Marikka Tamura and Suki Boynton, adapted for ebook by Michelle Quintero
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
pid_prh_7.0_147498684_c0_r0
Contents
Dedication
The Buddy System
Worry Burps
Scaredy Snakes
On Top of Spaghetti
Traffic Jelly
Potato HQ
Friends?
The Floor Is Lava
Black-and-White Cookies
Challenge Number One
Turtle Shells
Flying Tiramisu
The New Leaders
1-800-Potato
And the Winner Is…
An Emotional Stampede
The Search
Survival Skills
That’s What Friends Are For
Epilogue
Excerpt from Penny Draws a Team Sport
Acknowledgments
About the Author
_147498684_
To Sara Shandler
The Buddy System
Dear Cosmo,
Hello, my favorite pup! I’m already missing you. That’s because some kids from my class are going on a trip to New York City next week, and dogs aren’t allowed to come.
Which is ridiculous, by the way. In every animated movie I see about dogs, they’re all walking around New York City like they own the place. In fact, I can think of quite a few reasons you’d be a perfect companion for me on the trip.
But unfortunately, the teachers still said no.
The trip is a gift from Billy J. Plumberry, the famous author from our hometown who wrote the Bob the Potato series. Mr. Plumberry said that we’ll be having a New York “Weekend of Creativity,” where we will sightsee and take part in special workshops about how to write stories, just like he does. The goal is that our school, as a group, will create a whole book—with characters and a plot and everything.
The only issue is that the trip is soon—as in this weekend. Not everyone in my class can go, unfortunately—it’s a busy weekend for sports practices and music recitals, birthday celebrations, and grandparents coming to town. The kids who can’t come are really sad, but Billy promised that he’d hold another workshop as soon as possible.
But some of us who can go—including, luckily, four of my friends—are really looking forward to it.
Kristian is a huge roller coaster fan, and apparently Coney Island has one of the oldest amusement parks in the US. But Miss Kettle said we might not be able to get to Coney Island because we have a very packed schedule doing lots of other things. In fact, today she received the trip’s official itinerary.
The other kids able to come to New York are Michael McMinnamin, Oliver Bracca, my old friend Violet Vance, Riley Miller, and Riley and Violet’s new friend, Lulu McDaniels. And as it turns out, Riley also has big plans for her time in the city.
My friends asked me what I’m excited about most. I’m not sure. Don’t get me wrong, I really want to go on the trip. But, as with most things, I also feel a little…nervous. New York City is a very worrisome place. Here are a few concerns, just off the top of my head:
I’m not kidding about the pianos. A lot of people with pianos live in small apartment buildings and can’t get them up the tight staircases when they move, so the movers have to lift the pianos by ropes up the face of the building and through the window. You have to figure those ropes snap from time to time and fall on innocent people. Pedestrians. Tourists. Kids on school trips.
Miss Kettle is in charge of the trip. Mr. Howdy, who teaches Art Club, is coming, too. Both of them told us again and again that the trip is a very, very big deal (and a huge privilege). In fact, we got out of math one day just to go over some fun facts, rules, and guidelines. (Actually, I would be okay with missing math every day, but that’s just me.)
No one had any idea what Steve was talking about. Personally, I hope not to travel on the subway at all. I heard a rumor that alligators live down there.
The teachers also emailed our parents, looking for volunteers to chaperone the trip. I really wish my parents could come. Mom’s been to New York City a few times, but my dad has only been once. But they’re both too busy taking care of Finn and Fern, our new baby twins, as well as my younger brother Juice Box.
Juice Box felt really left out, by the way.
My grandma Mimi said she’d chaperone—which would be great!
As it turned out, more parents wanted to come than we actually needed, so Mr. Howdy held a lottery. Grandma Mimi’s name wasn’t picked, but this happened.
All this week, Miss Kettle also talked to us about being safe in New York—it’s a huge city, after all. And now it’s Thursday, two days before we leave. Once again, Miss Kettle gathered the kids who were going to talk about more details—and once again, she started talking about safety. Then she said she’d come up with this really great safety thing to make sure that none of us got lost or wandered into danger. Miss Kettle seemed really, really excited about this idea, almost like it was some kind of new invention. I moved to the edge of my seat, trying to imagine what that could be.
But then Miss Kettle said this.
That was her big idea? We already used the buddy system for everything!
People giggled. Riley clearly was talking about Michael McMinnamin.
Miss Kettle said that actually, the buddies had already been chosen for us.
I hate when the teachers pair us up. They always get it wrong. And this was a class trip over multiple days. I didn’t want to spend that much time with someone I didn’t know, or wasn’t friends with, or who made me uncomfortable!
I glanced at my friends, crossing my fingers I’d be paired with one of them.
But then this happened.
Worry Burps
Dear Cosmo,
In the dog world, it seems like dogs have friends, frenemies, and enemies—just like people do. I’ve definitely seen that happen at the dog park.
But I’m pretty sure there’s one relationship that doesn’t exist in the dog world: the dog who used to be your best friend…but now you aren’t really friends with her at all. You think. Actually, you’re not sure what your friendship status with this dog is these days, because although that dog did apologize about the mean stuff she did at the beginning of the year, and it seems like everything is okay, it isn’t like the two of you have talked about it since. In fact, you and this dog have sort of been avoiding each other.
Ugh. I can’t believe Miss Kettle paired up Violet and me. What is she thinking? Is this some kind of test? Why did she just spring it on us, two days before we leave?
And what does Violet think about it? When Miss Kettle announced that we’d be buddies, Violet glanced in my direction…but then the bell rang, and she left quickly. We had an early dismissal from school because of some teacher meetings, and maybe Violet had something important scheduled.
Unless…it wasn’t why. Maybe she ran out because she was upset. What if she thought the trip was now ruined? She probably wanted to be paired with Riley. Riley got their other friend, Lulu, as her buddy—Violet probably thinks life is really unfair that she’s stuck with me.
It hurts my brain to think about. If it were last year at this time, Violet and I would be pumped about being buddies. We’d make matching T-shirts with iron-on letters that spell buddy. We’d plan all the drawings we could make on the bus ride, including portraits of each other. It wasn’t even that long ago. It’s weird that now I have no idea how she feels.
I worried about it as I walked home from school. Then, as soon as I walked through the door, my mom was waiting.
I was surprised—I thought Dad was going to take me. Mom has been spending 24-7 with the twins, since they both really need her. But I was excited we’d have some time together, even if it was just going to Target. The teachers gave us a list of some things we should bring on the trip, and I definitely needed to get all of it before the big day.
Juice Box wanted to come along, too, and I didn’t mind. Mom even said we could go to the pet store so that Juice Box could pick out a goldfish. I think it’s a good idea—you’re sort of my dog, Cosmo, and Mom and Dad have been so busy with the babies, so it will be nice for Juice Box to have a pet of his own to take care of.
But then, while we were at Target, Mom asked the question I’ve been dreading.
Mom went very still. You know, that way moms sometimes do? Like they’re trying as hard as they can to pretend something isn’t important when it actually is? I never really talked to my mom about Violet and me no longer being friends in the first place, but I’m sure she’s aware. Violet and I used to spend every weekend together. Now I’m with Chloe, Maria, Kristian, Rocco, and Petra.
I tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but Mom didn’t seem to get the hint.
They weren’t even cool hats, by the way. Just woolly ones that looked like they were extremely itchy. But I was desperate for any sort of distraction.
Mom watched me really closely as we picked out my new pajama pants, a travel journal, and a toothbrush. She kept squeezing my shoulder as we paid for my stuff and walked to the pet store. I didn’t want to tell her that I was worried about Violet. I knew she’d overreact and call the school—or worse, call Violet’s mom so they could discuss.
However, the questions in my head were really spiraling.
Maybe I should tell Mom? Maybe I’d feel better? Mrs. Hines, my Feelings Teacher, always says my worries are better let out than held in. Kind of like burps.
But just as I opened my mouth…
Saved by the turtle.
Maybe.
Scaredy Snakes
Dear Cosmo,
When we got home from shopping, I spent the rest of the afternoon packing. Well, that and getting to know Juice Box’s new pet, who he decided to name Telly.
We’ve never had a reptile before, but the guy at Pets Express gave us some pointers.
Telly was a great excuse to invite my friends over. Not only could they meet him, but I could also talk about the Violet problem. I figured it would be way easier to rely on my friends than confess my worries to Mom.
Luckily, they got why I’m stressing out. Everyone had lots of advice.
Maria and Petra got paired up as buddies (lucky!), and Rocco’s rooming with his dad. But Kristian’s kind of in the same boat as me.
Oliver Bracca is nice and everything, but he’s one of those kids who does his best thinking while humming. Loudly. Kristian was worried he might not get any sleep.
Then we went upstairs to meet Telly the Turtle—I mean Tortoise. Chloe also came over from across the street. She had big news.
Never mind that Kristian often tells us his favorite number is three. It has to do with a roller coaster he loves or something.
When we started talking about the trip to New York, Chloe grew quiet. She didn’t even cheer up when we looked at Telly. Although maybe that’s because all Telly did was stand there, looking kind of confused.
We were sad Chloe couldn’t come to New York, too. It wouldn’t be the same without her. But the trip was only for kids from our school, and Chloe goes to a private school across town.
We weren’t sure what to say to Chloe to make her feel better, though, and after a while, Chloe trudged across the street, still seeming sad. But once she left, Kristian had an idea.
Apparently, Kristian had been putting together a list of interesting things to do while in the city. It was mostly stuff off the beaten path that most tourists didn’t know about.
I told Kristian that most of his list sounded great for Chloe’s scrapbook, but that he should stay far, far away from roaches. Rumor has it those things could survive a nuclear blast, so there’s got to be a reason.
On Friday, the day before our trip, I kept trying to meet Violet’s eye to see how she was feeling about the whole situation, but the day was so busy, I couldn’t really get her alone. First we had an assembly, then we had a science test, then it was lunch, and then we had a fire drill and it was total chaos. I worried about what she was thinking, though. Good thing I had a session with Mrs. Hines that afternoon.
First, I went through some of my biggest New York worst-case scenarios with her.
Mrs. Hines didn’t seem to know that book. I was amazed. I’ve read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler six times! And, okay, the characters in that book mean to hide in the museum—and we were going to the Natural History Museum, not the Metropolitan Museum of Art—but how did museum security not notice that two kids were sleeping there for multiple days? Did they have any surveillance at all? What if none of the museums have security?
Then it was time to talk about my biggest worry—Violet.
I think I knew what Mrs. Hines was doing. She always talks about putting myself in other people’s shoes and says that even though it doesn’t seem like it, everyone is insecure about stuff—even people we don’t expect. And often, we’re all worrying about the same things.
Mrs. Hines insisted that it was true. And that maybe I should think about that for a minute when it came to this Violet buddy situation.
So I tried. Could Violet be worried that I’m mad? Is she stressed, just like I am, that we’ll have nothing to talk about, or that it will be awkward in the hotel room, or that I’m going to mope around the whole time, wishing I was with my new friends and not her? Maybe that’s why she’s avoiding me…and not the other way around?
I really, really tried to picture it, I promise.
Sorry, Mrs. Hines. Think you’re wrong about this one.
On Top of Spaghetti
Dear Cosmo,
I barely slept the night before our trip. After breakfast, I went through the long process of saying goodbye to everyone in the family. It was the first time I’d ever spent a whole weekend away from home besides going to Grandma Mimi’s or Grandma Anne’s. This time, I was going to a city. Hours away! I felt like I was going to the moon.
After I said goodbye to Mom, Dad drove me to school. When we got there, there was a huge bus that blocked the whole parking lot. It was awfully big for just ten kids and five adults, but apparently Billy J. Plumberry wanted only the best for us.
Dad helped me wheel my suitcase to a storage nook built into the side of the bus, where Mrs. Wink, our crossing guard, was standing with some other kids.
