The dark cloak of midnight has
blocked out the sun,
But those silly fairies think bedtime is FUN!
They keep me awake and ruin my bad dreams
With laughter as bright as the sun’s awful beams.
Sleepover Fairy, your magic I’ll steal
And hide it in places I’ll never reveal.
Your plans will be ruined because I’m so clever,
And sleepover fun will be banished forever!
Find the hidden letters in the teddy bears throughout this book. Unscramble all 8 letters to spell a special sleepover word!
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Map
Poem
The Magic Sleeping Bag
School Trip
Fairy Sparkles
A Goblin Sleepover
A Smelly Spell
All Aboard!
The Enchanted Game Bag
A Vanishing Act
The Purple Group
Treasure Hunt Trouble
Finders Keepers
A Lesson in Manners
The Sleepover Snack Box
Into the Crypt!
Selena Appears
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Midnight Mayhem
Scary Shadows
Teaser
Also Available
Copyright
School Trip
Fairy Sparkles
A Goblin Sleepover
A Smelly Spell
All Aboard!
“I feel like it’s my birthday and Christmas all at the same time!” said Rachel Walker, bouncing up and down on her seat. “I can’t believe we’re actually going to a sleepover at the National Museum!”
“It makes it twice as exciting that you’re here,” her best friend, Kirsty Tate, agreed, settling down beside her. “It was so nice of the principal to let you come along.”
Kirsty’s school had won a place in a giant charity sleepover, which was being held in the National Museum. Thirty children from the school were going to the city to participate. Rachel was staying with Kirsty for the weekend, so she had been allowed to join in, too.
The bus driver took his seat and the engine rumbled into life. As the bus pulled out of the school parking lot, the girls waved good-bye to Kirsty’s mom, who had come to see them off.
“I hope it’s not spooky there at night,” said a girl named Hannah, who was sitting in the seat behind Rachel. “I’m a little scared of the dark.”
“Don’t worry,” said Kirsty with a comforting smile. “I’ve been there before and it’s really cool. There are lots of amazing things to do.”
“I want to see the Dinosaur Gallery!” said Rachel, opening a bag of candy and passing it around.
“Oh, yes. And the diamond exhibition with all the sparkling jewels,” Kirsty added, taking a pink candy and popping it into her mouth.
“The marine fossils!” said Arthur.
“The wildlife garden!” said Allie.
“The world lab!” said Dan.
Suddenly there was a loud bang from beneath their feet.
“What was that?” Hannah squealed. “Did a wheel come off?”
“I don’t think so,” said Rachel, frowning. “It sounded like it was inside the bus.”
Their teacher, Mr. Ferguson, stood up at the front of the bus.
“Don’t worry, everyone,” he said. “It’s just our bags slipping and sliding around in the luggage area. I hope you don’t have any eggs in your backpacks!”
There was a little ripple of laughter, and Hannah looked less nervous.
“Come on,” Kirsty said to take Hannah’s mind off her fears. “Let’s play a game.”
Soon Rachel, Kirsty, and their friends were playing a fun and noisy game of Go Fish. They hardly heard the occasional bangs and thumps from the luggage area and they didn’t notice when the bus pulled off the highway. When it started to slow down, they looked around in surprise.
“Are we there already?” asked Kirsty.
“Not yet,” said Mr. Ferguson with a smile. “We’re going to stop for a break. We’ll be heading out in twenty minutes, so keep an eye on your watches. Everyone must be back here by quarter after seven.”
Everyone filed off the bus. Kirsty and Rachel were the last to step off. As they hurried after the others, Kirsty noticed that her shoelace was undone. She bent down to tie it, and Rachel waited for her.
“It’s nicer here than most rest stops,” she said. “I like all the greenery.”
The rest stop was hidden from the highway by a line of leafy trees. As Rachel looked at them, something sparkled among the leaves. Rachel gasped.
“Kirsty, look up there!”
Kirsty stood up and clutched Rachel’s hand in excitement.
“That looks like fairy dust!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Rachel, do you think we’re about to have another adventure?”
“Let’s find out!” Rachel said.
The girls hurried toward the trees. They were friends with the fairies who lived in Fairyland, and often helped out when Jack Frost caused trouble. Maybe the fairies needed their help again!
As soon as the girls walked under the trees, the sparkles became brighter and whooshed toward them like miniature shooting stars. The blur of lights whirled around Rachel and Kirsty in hoops of purple and pink. When the blur slowed down, the girls saw a fairy hovering in front of them, her long, braided black hair gleaming in the evening sun. She was wearing a pretty white romper trimmed in pink, and there were fluffy pink slippers on her feet. Under her arm was a little teddy bear.
“Hello,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m Selena the Sleepover Fairy!”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” said Rachel with a smile. “We’re on our way to a giant sleepover!”
“Yes, I know,” said Selena, looking worried. “That’s why I’m here. Your sleepover could be in trouble. Jack Frost has done something horrible!”
Kirsty gasped. “What do you mean?”
“What happened?” asked Rachel.
Selena fluttered over to a low branch and perched on a nodding leaf.
“The Night Fairies and I organized a midsummer fairy sleepover last night,” she explained. “It was so much fun! All the fairies were there, and there were games, songs, stories, and snacks.”
“It sounds great,” said Kirsty.
“Jack Frost didn’t think so,” said Selena, frowning. “He got angry because we were having so much fun. While we were playing games in the starlight, he snuck into the meadow where we were planning to sleep.”
Rachel’s hand flew to her mouth. “What did he do?” she asked.
Selena bit her lip. “He stole my most precious possessions!” she said. “He knows that my three magic objects help sleepovers to go smoothly. Without them, last night was ruined. And now your big sleepover at the museum might be, too!”
“What are your magic objects?” Rachel asked.
Selena smiled as she thought about them.
“The magic sleeping bag ensures that everyone gets a good night’s sleep,” she said. “The enchanted game bag makes all games fun and fair, and the sleepover snack box guarantees that everyone will enjoy lots of delicious food.”
“Oh, no,” said Kirsty.
“Without games and food, sleepovers won’t be the same!”
“Couldn’t you ask Jack Frost to give them back?” Rachel suggested.
“I did,” said Selena sadly. “I went to the Ice Castle and begged him to return my speci
al things. I even told him about your charity sleepover. But he just said that if human sleepovers were ruined, too, that would make him even happier!”
Kirsty and Rachel had been to Jack Frost’s Ice Castle during other fairy adventures. It was a very scary place! Selena had been very brave to visit it all by herself. Kirsty squeezed Rachel’s hand and gave Selena a reassuring smile.
“Please try not to worry,” she said. “We’ll help you find your magic objects. We’ll do everything we can to get them back.”
“Thank you!” said Selena, grinning. “The Night Fairies told me how nice you are. They suggested that I come and find you.”
“The hardest part is knowing where to start looking,” said Kirsty thoughtfully. “Maybe we should visit the Ice Castle ourselves and search for clues.”
“I don’t think we need to do that,” said Rachel, sounding excited. “Look over there!”
Selena and Kirsty turned to look where Rachel was pointing, and their mouths fell open. Six goblins were climbing out of the luggage area of their bus, carrying armfuls of backpacks and sleeping bags!
“Those awful goblins!” exclaimed Kirsty. “Why do they want our things?”
As the girls watched, the green mischief-makers scampered into the rest stop, arms piled with luggage for the sleepover.
“People will see them!” exclaimed Rachel. She and Kirsty knew that if any other humans spotted the goblins, Fairyland could be in terrible danger. They couldn’t let that happen!
Kirsty turned to Rachel, looking determined. “Come on, we have to follow them!”
Kirsty, Rachel, and Selena hurried into the rest stop after the goblins. It was crowded with people, and Selena tucked herself out of sight under Kirsty’s hair. On their left was a self-service cafe, where their friends were buying drinks and snacks. On their right was a gift shop, and a sign pointed to the restrooms straight ahead.
“Where did they go?” whispered Selena in Kirsty’s ear.
The rest stop was so busy that it was hard to see through the crowd. Kirsty and Rachel looked all around, and then Rachel gave a cry. Among the people, she had spotted a green sleeping bag bobbing in the air. A goblin was carrying it on his head!
“That way — look!”
The girls pushed their way through the crowd, dodging elbows, bags, and legs. They kept catching glimpses of the goblins ahead of them, and they could hear snatches of squabbling goblin voices.
“Get off my sleeping bag!”
“That pink backpack’s mine.”
“Give it back!”
The goblins were pushing and shoving one another. One of them staggered sideways into a magazine stand and knocked it over. The store manager gave an angry shout. Kirsty was so busy trying to see what was happening, she forgot to watch where she was going. Suddenly she ran into a very large man!
“Ooof!” he said in surprise, as Kirsty stumbled backward into Rachel.
“Ooof!” said Rachel.
“Oh, sorry!” Kirsty exclaimed. “Are you OK?”
“No harm done,” said the man with a kind smile.
But when the girls looked around again, the goblins had completely disappeared!
“Oh, no.” Rachel groaned. “How are we going to find them now?”
“I have an idea,” said Selena.
She gave her wand a tiny flick, and it began to glow.
“This spell will make the wand glow brighter as we get closer to the goblins,” she whispered in Kirsty’s ear. “Just keep walking and I’ll tell you which way to go.”
Guided by the glowing wand, they hurried toward the back of the rest stop until they reached an escalator. They could see only shadows beyond the escalator. Even the lights weren’t working.
“There’s nothing here,” said Rachel, looking around. “No shops, no cafes — it’s just dark and spooky.”
Just then, the girls heard a giggle. Raising a finger to her lips, Kirsty tiptoed around the back of the escalator. The tip of Selena’s wand was glowing very brightly! Rachel followed, and together they poked their heads around the corner.
The goblins were all there, sitting on the ground! They had rolled out their stolen sleeping bags and were searching through the backpacks for pajamas.
“Jack Frost will never guess where we are!” One of the goblins giggled.
He put on a pink feathered eye mask and settled back with a contented sigh.
“I’m not ready to go to sleep yet,” said another goblin, who was wearing checked pajamas. “When do the games start?”
“Where is everyone?” asked a third goblin, looking around expectantly. “Maybe they’re playing hide-and-seek.”
He paced around, peering into the shadows. The girls drew back a little, confused. Why would the goblins think there were going to be games in a rest stop?
“It was lucky we heard that fairy telling Jack Frost about the humans’ giant sleepover,” said another goblin, pulling on fuzzy orange socks. “I’ve always wanted to go to one.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Rachel with a flash of understanding. “They must have decided to crash our sleepover, and they think this is it!”
“In the middle of a rest stop?” said Kirsty. “Oh, those silly goblins!”
The goblins were already arguing.
“Shut up and go to sleep!” snapped the eye-mask goblin.
“But I’m not sleepy,” squeaked the goblin in the checked pajamas.
“This is no fun,” said a skinny goblin who was wearing an old-fashioned nightcap. “Sleepovers are boring!”
“You’re boring!” snapped the goblin with the fuzzy socks.
A teddy bear flew through the air and hit the skinny goblin on the nose.
“OUCH!” he squawked. “You’ll be sorry you did that!”
Selena darted out from under Kirsty’s hair with a cry of excitement.
“Look at his sleeping bag!” she said, pointing at the skinny goblin.
Rachel and Kirsty peered through the darkness. The sleeping bag didn’t suit the goblin at all. It was pink and decorated with hearts and lollipops, and it was glowing with a soft, warm light.
“Rachel, Kirsty, that’s my magic sleeping bag!” Selena told them, her eyes shining. “We found it!”
Rachel and Kirsty gasped as they stared at the magic sleeping bag. The skinny goblin was snuggling down into it.
“We can’t get it back while he’s in it,” Rachel whispered.
Kirsty checked her watch.
“We only have eight minutes left before we need to be back on the bus!” she said. “How are we going to get the magic sleeping bag back in time?”
“Maybe if we asked them nicely they would give it back,” said Selena.
Rachel shook her head.
“They’ll never agree to that,” she said. “Goblins never do anything unless there’s something in it for them.”
“I have an idea,” said Kirsty in a low voice. “Selena, could you do a spell to make the sleeping bag really uncomfortable for the goblin?”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful plan!” said Rachel. “If he’s not comfy in the sleeping bag, he’ll get out, and we’ll be able to grab it.”
“I know just the spell!” said Selena with a smile.
Peeking around the corner, she waved her wand.
“Rosy posy, soft and cozy,” she whispered.
A ribbon of shimmering fairy dust coiled toward the magic sleeping bag. The girls watched and held their breath.
Suddenly the skinny goblin started to squirm and wriggle.
“My sleeping bag smells funny,” he complained. “Yuck! It smells like strawberries!”
“Ugh, gross!” said the goblin next to him, holding his nose. “I can smell roses!”
Rachel and Kirsty had to cover their
mouths to keep their giggles from being heard.
“There are flower petals in here!” cried the skinny goblin. “This awful fairy sleeping bag is full of horrible fairy sweetness. Get me out of here!”
He crawled out of the sleeping bag, his nose wrinkled in disgust.
“Now’s our chance!” said Rachel.
She and Kirsty ran toward the empty sleeping bag with Selena fluttering by their side.
“It’s those pesky girls again!” squeaked the goblin with the orange socks. “Don’t let them take the sleeping bag!”
All of the goblins leaped toward the magic sleeping bag except for the one wearing the eye mask, who stumbled in the opposite direction. The skinny goblin grabbed his arm and dragged him along, too. Before the girls could reach it, all six goblins were scrambling into the magic sleeping bag.
“Ha! You’re not taking our sleeping bag!” they called out.
Selena fluttered to the ground in front of them.
“It’s not your sleeping bag,” she said firmly. “You shouldn’t try to keep what doesn’t belong to you.”
“Can’t hear you!” jeered the skinny goblin, sticking his fingers in his ears.
“That sleeping bag belongs to Selena!” exclaimed Rachel, her hands on her hips. “Give it back!”
The goblins zipped up the sleeping bag until all that could be seen of them was six green heads poking out at the top. They were all sticking out their tongues at the girls and making faces.
“All right,” said Selena with a sly smile. “If you want to stay in the magic sleeping bag, I’ll help you.”
She made a sweeping, rainbow-shaped motion over the bag, then winked at Rachel and Kirsty.
“This sleeping bag is horribly soft and feathery!” complained the eye-mask goblin. “I want to get out!”
Selena the Sleepover Fairy Page 1
