“I’m just thinking about how much better my Thanksgiving has been than my Halloween,” I say.
Grandma is quiet like she’s waiting for me to explain—so I do.
“On Halloween, I went to a party at Mary Ann’s house, and then I tried to go trick-or-treating with Pamela and my other friends who didn’t want to go to the party.”
I eat a bite of turkey, and then I keep talking. “The only thing I was thinking about was what my friends were doing and what I was going to do. I didn’t want to miss out on anything.” I shrug. “It seems dumb now that I spent so much time worrying about it.”
Mom passes around a basket of rolls.
“I think you’re looking at it wrong,” she says. “You saw that you didn’t like how Halloween turned out, and you handled things differently for Thanksgiving.”
That’s true. I did. And I’m glad, even though there were some bumps along the way.
“You showed you’re aware that the world is a big place—and that other people’s lives and feelings matter as much as yours,” says Grandma.
She opens her mouth like she’s about to launch into a long speech, but Max stops her. He points to the pumpkin pie and the pecan pie on the counter. “Is it time for dessert yet?” he asks.
Grandma smiles at Max. “Almost,” she says. “I just want to say one last thing while we’re on the topic of making the world a better place.”
Max looks at the pies on the counter. I can tell he hopes whatever Grandma has to say is quick.
“I won’t be long-winded,” Grandma says as she winks at Max. “In the holiday spirit, I just want to say that it is always better to give than it is to receive.”
“I agree,” I say.
Grandma smiles at me like she approves. “Now we’re ready for pie,” she says.
“Not so fast,” says Max. “I have a question for Mallory.”
Everyone looks at my brother as he looks at me. I think they’re just as curious to hear Max’s question as I am.
“You know Christmas is coming up soon,” he says.
I nod. Everyone knows that.
Max grins. “So here’s my question. On Christmas, would you rather give or receive?”
It doesn’t take me long to think of my answer.
“Both!” I say.
A How-To Guide
Being part of a community service project is a lot of fun, and it feels great to do something that helps other people. With a little bit of planning, a project can turn out even better than you imagined. I learned a lot when I organized the food drive.
Here’s my ten-step guide to picking and putting together a great project.
Mallory McDonald’s Ten-Step Guide to Planning a Great Community Service Project
STEP #1:
DETERMINE NEED. The first question to ask when planning a community service project is who or what do you want to help? There are so many groups that could use help—such as sick children, the elderly, homeless people, and abused animals.
STEP #2:
COME UP WITH A PLAN. Once you know what group you want to help, it’s time to start planning. Talk to your parents, teachers, and community leaders to get ideas. Brainstorm, make lists, and decide on a project!
STEP #3:
GET OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED. It’s a lot more fun (and it works better too!) if you get other people involved in your project. Get your friends to volunteer. Ask your principal if you can post sign-up sheets or make an announcement at school.
STEP #4:
WORK AS A TEAM. When you’re doing a project, you can’t do everything yourself. Make sure everyone on your team has a job. If you all work together, you will get the job done.
STEP #5:
MAKE A SCHEDULE. It’s important to make a schedule and stick to it, especially if there is a deadline to your project, like a holiday.
STEP #6:
SPREAD THE WORD. It’s always a good idea to let other people know what you are doing. Talk to friends, family, businesses, and the news media. Pass out flyers. You never know who might want to volunteer or donate to your cause.
STEP #7:
LIGHTS, CAMERA, and ACTION! When it’s time to put your plan into place, make sure you’re ready. Check your to-do lists. Line up the supplies you need. Don’t forget to bring a camera. You’ll want pictures. Then it’s time to get to work!
STEP #8:
CLEAN UP. Be sure to clean up when your event or project is done.
STEP #9:
SAY THANK YOU. Make a list of everyone who volunteered or donated and be sure to thank every person. You can write letters or e-mails, or you can call people on the phone. People always like knowing they are appreciated.
STEP #10:
RELAX AND REFLECT. When your project is done, sit back and take the time to feel good knowing you’ve made a difference in your community. But also think about anything you could have done to make your project more successful. That way, you’ll know what to do next time!
And if things go wrong, don’t worry! There’s a solution for every problem. I promise!
Good luck! I hope my tips help you plan an awesome community service project.
A Scrapbook
I just counted, and I have twenty-three scrapbooks on my bookshelf. That sounds like a lot, and it is. Mary Ann and I made fourteen of them together, and I made the rest by myself.
I have scrapbooks from my trips to New York, the Grand Canyon, and Washington, DC. I have scrapbooks from holidays and birthdays. I even have one I made when we first moved to Wish Pond Road.
I love having them because when I look back at the special times in my life, the scrapbooks help me remember all the specific details. It’s a pretty cool way to keep track of all of those important events.
Of course, I made a scrapbook for this Thanksgiving too. How could I not? It was such a special holiday, and a lot of things happened that I feel so grateful for. My Thanksgiving scrapbook is packed full of pictures, but here are a few of my favorites.
Here’s a picture of Joey and me organizing (or at least trying to!) the cans from the food drive. It was a lot of work, and of course, there were a few problems. But in the end, everything worked out great.
Here’s a picture from the assembly when Mr. Lee gave the class reps our certificates.
I like it because you can see how surprised and excited everyone is.
Here’s my certificate. I put it in my scrapbook so I’ll always know where it is.
Here’s a picture of me with my family on Thanksgiving Day. Don’t Champ and Cheeseburger look cute?
And last but not least, here’s a picture of me.
When Mom took this one of me on Thanksgiving, she said she liked it because I look very mature. She even got kind of teary-eyed and said she can’t believe how old I’m getting and, even more importantly, how nicely I’m growing up.
“Do you mean how big and tall I’m getting?” I asked Mom.
Mom laughed and said that wasn’t exactly what she meant.
“Are you talking about the kind of person I’m becoming?” I asked.
Mom nodded and gave me a hug. “Mallory, I’m so proud of you,” she said. “You have exhibited real signs of maturity lately.”
I didn’t ask her what those signs were, but I kind of had an idea what she was talking about, and I have to admit, it made me proud of myself.
I had a great Thanksgiving, and not just because I was part of a project that helped so many people. I have an amazing family, great friends, an awesome cat, and everything I need—like a house, clothes, and food. I think what made Thanksgiving so special is that I realized how grateful I am for so many things in my life.
Is that a sign of maturity?
I, Mallory McDonald, think it just might be.
A Word from the Author
When I wrote the first Mallory book, I never dreamed that one day it would be a series with twenty-eight titles. But now it is, and there are so many people I would like to thank.
First and f
oremost, my kids, Adam and Becca Friedman. Growing up, you did so many things that provided inspiration for the books. Best of all, you were always great sports about having some of your most private moments revealed in print!
I’d also like to thank my mother, Annette Baim. Bless you for saving all those journals I kept when I was Mallory’s age. It was the window I needed into my 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th- grade self.
My special and most sincere thanks to a group of people who have had a huge role in the development of this series. To my agent, Susan Cohen of PearlCo Literary, who has been by my side every step of the way. To all of the talented artists who have made Mallory look so good, especially Jennifer Kalis, who has drawn Mallory more times, more ways than I can count. And to the whole team at Lerner who has supported and worked on these books for years. Mallory would not exist without all of you.
And last but not least, my deepest thanks to my incredible editor, Amy Fitzgerald, who is an excellent character mama, and did a great job making sure Mallory grew up right.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you all.
L.B.F.
Text copyright © 2017 by Laurie B. Friedman
Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.
Darby Creek
A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA
For reading levels and more information, look up this title at www.lernerbooks.com.
Cover background images: © iStockphoto.com/pshonka (turkey); © iStockphoto.com/Lesya_Gnatiuk (cranberries); © iStockphoto.com/johnnylemonseed (pies).
Main body text set in LuMarcLL 14/20. Typeface provided by Linotype.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Friedman, Laurie, 1964- author. | Kalis, Jennifer, illustrator.
Title: Mallory makes a difference / Laurie Friedman.
Description: Minneapolis : Darby Creek, [2017] | Series: Mallory ; #28 | Summary: After having an awful Halloween, Mallory organizes a Thanksgiving food drive at her school, but it is harder than she expects and she has to consider whether she is doing it for the right reasons.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016023279 | ISBN 9781467750325 (lb : alk. paper)
Subjects: | CYAC: Food banks—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction. | Family life—Fiction. | Halloween—Fiction. | Thanksgiving Day—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.F89773 Mahe 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016023279
Manufactured in the United States of America
1-36608-17190-2/6/2017
#28 Mallory Makes a Difference Page 5
