Cupcake Queen

by Marci Peschke

  Miss Clarabelle sighs. “This is the prettiest, sweetest dog I’ve ever seen,” she says.

  I think it’s love at first sight! “Her name is Tess,” I tell her. “Short for Countess. I am so worried that Mr. Jay might not be able to find a home for her.”

  “That’s true,” Mr. Jay says. “She’s the sweetest dog, but no one seems to want an older dog. Everyone just wants the puppies.”

  I can tell Miss Clarabelle is concerned. I say, “What if nobody wants her? Thinkin’ about that makes me sadder than a hen without a chick.”

  Miss Clarabelle thinks for a minute. “You know,” she says, “I get a little lonely in my big old house. If you could help me walk her sometimes, Kylie Jean, I think Tess could come and live with me.”

  I shout, “Hooray!”

  Mr. Jay smiles. “You can fill out the adoption papers right now and take her home today,” he says.

  As soon as we’re back at Miss Clarabelle’s house, we sit on the front porch and watch Tess play in the yard. Ugly Brother knows I’m back, and he wants to see what’s going on. He comes over. Right away, they start playing, and Ugly Brother licks Tess’s ear.

  I think that both Ugly Brother and Miss Clarabelle are falling in love with Tess!

  I say, “Miss Clarabelle, I am so happy you decided to be Tess’s new family. Now I can visit her all the time.” Ugly Brother is happy, too. He comes over and licks Miss Clarabelle’s hand.

  “Are you trying to say thank you?” I ask.

  Both of the doggies bark.

  Ugly Brother barks, “Ruff, ruff!”

  Tess barks, “Woof, woof!”

  Two barks means yes!

  Miss Clarabelle just pats Ugly Brother on the head. “You’re welcome,” she says.

  The doggies sit on the steps together. They are so cute! Looking at them, I decide it must be puppy love!

  On Sunday night, our whole family is sitting at the supper table. The kitchen smells good, like chicken noodle soup.

  Momma always makes soup when she is busy because it’s easy. You put all of the ingredients in the pot and it cooks by itself.

  Daddy asks, “Kylie Jean, when is your next sale going to be?”

  “I’m all out of stuff to sell, but I can ask my friends,” T.J. says.

  “Don’t worry,” I say. “Granny and Pappy offered to have a sale so I can sell cupcakes.”

  Momma asks, “Are you ready to bake all of those cupcakes again? You still have a lot of them left over.”

  I reply, “Yup! Baking is fun.”

  Then Momma asks, “Guess what’s for dessert?”

  You guessed it — leftover cupcakes! They are sitting all over the kitchen counter like sweet little red and pink polka dots. I’ve had so many cupcakes that they don’t even look good anymore. Maybe I don’t want to be in the cupcake business after all.

  Looking at all those leftover cupcakes, an idea hits me like sprinkles on a cupcake!

  “How about a going-out-of-business sale?” I say.

  Ugly Brother barks twice. That means yes!

  And then we each eat one more cupcake.

  Marci Bales Peschke was born in Indiana, grew up in Florida, and now lives in Texas with her husband, two children, and a feisty black-and-white cat named Phoebe. She loves reading and watching movies.

  When Tuesday Mourning was a little girl, she knew she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. Now, she is an illustrator who lives in South Pasadena, CA. She especially loves illustrating books for kids and teenagers. When she isn’t illustrating, Tuesday loves spending time with her husband, who is an actor, and their two sons.

  business (BIZ-niss)—a company that sells things

  donate (DOH-nate)—to give something as a present

  etiquette (ET-uh-ket)—rules of polite behavior

  ingredients (in-GREE-dee-uhnts)—items that something is made from

  invest (in-VEST)—to spend money on something in hopes that you will get more money back

  loan (LOHN)—something borrowed

  permission (pur-MISH-uhn)—if you give permission for something, you say you will allow it to happen

  profit (PROF-it)—the amount of money left after all of the costs of running a business are subtracted from earnings

  shelter (SHEL-tur)—a place where animals that are not wanted can stay until they are adopted

  1. Kylie Jean donated all of her profits to the animal shelter. What would you have done with the money?

  2. Kylie Jean’s whole family worked together to have the garage sale. What other things could they have done to raise money?

  3. What do you think happens after this story ends? Talk about it!

  1. Kylie Jean’s goal is to be a beauty queen. What’s your number-one dream?

  2. Who is your favorite character in this story? Draw a picture of that person. Then write a list of five things you know about them.

  3. Create your own perfect cupcake! What’s in it? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Draw a picture!

  From Momma’s Kitchen

  This is the perfect treat for any cupcake queen! Just make sure to ask a grown-up for help.

  Love, Kylie Jean

  PRINCESS CUPCAKES

  YOU NEED:

  1 box of your favorite cake mix (any flavor)

  1 can of your favorite flavor frosting (not white)

  sprinkles, colored sugar — whatever kinds you want!

  1 tube of decorator’s frosting, white color

  cupcake liners in your favorite color

  a muffin tin

  1. Bake cupcakes as directed on your box of cake mix. (Make sure a grown-up helps you!)

  2. Let cupcakes cool completely. Once the cupcakes cool, frost.

  3. Using the decorator’s frosting, draw a simple crown on each cupcake.

  4. Use your sprinkles and colored sugar to fill in the crown.

  Yum, yum!

  www.capstonekids.com

  Kylie Jean is published by Picture Window Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstoneyoungreaders.com

  Copyright © 2013 by Picture Window Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Peschke, M. (Marci)

  Cupcake queen / by Marci Peschke ; illustrated by Tuesday Mourning.

  p. cm. -- (Kylie Jean)

  Summary: Kylie Jean needs to find a way to make some spending money, and she decides that baking cupcakes for people--and dogs--and selling them at garage sales is the perfect solution.

  ISBN 978-1-4048-7580-7 (library binding)

  ISBN 978-1-4048-8102-0 (paper over board)

  ISBN 978-1-4795-1528-8 (ebook PDF)

  ISBN 978-1-4795-2234-7 (ebook)

  1. Money-making projects for girls--Juvenile fiction. 2. Baking--Juvenile fiction. 3. Cupcakes--Juvenile fiction. 4. Garage sales--Juvenile fiction. 5. Dogs--Juvenile fiction. [1. Moneymaking projects--Fiction. 2. Baking--Fiction. 3. Cupcakes--Fiction. 4. Garage sales--Fiction. 5. Dogs--Fiction.] I. Mourning, Tuesday, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Peschke, M. (Marci) Kylie Jean. PZ7.P441245Cup 2013

  813.6--dc23 2012028531

  Graphic Designer: Kristi Carlson

  Editor: Beth Brezenoff

  Production Specialist: Eric Manske

  Design Element Credit:

  Shutterstock/blue67design

  For Genny, the Real True Cupcake Queen —MP

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  Marci Peschke, Cupcake Queen