The Mystery of Case D. Luc

by Beverly Lewis

  “We all helped,” Eric spoke up. “I wrote the Morse Code on Dee Dee’s blue construction paper.”

  “Mr. Tressler hid the yellow pictogram in his flowerpot,” Abby said.

  “And I marked the X on his gate,” Jason said. “After it stopped raining.” He jumped up and down holding the chalk.

  Abby laughed. “I found the pictogram code in my library book.”

  At last, everything made sense.

  Shawn smiled. “Stacy and I write jumble code.”

  Dunkum twirled the basketball on his pointer finger. He laughed with his friends. “I learned a good lesson. Thanks to Case D. Luc!”

  The Cul-de-sac Kids cheered.

  Stacy disappeared behind a bush. She came back carrying a tray. “Anybody hungry?”

  “Everyone gets a menu first.” Abby gave an orange-colored menu to each kid. Jason passed around a box of pencils.

  APRIL FOOL’S DAY MENU

  (Draw a line to match the funny food with the answer.)

  Ants on a Log

  Silly Dillies

  Jitter Blocks

  Garden Pops

  Sweet Hearts strawberry Jell-O

  gelatin cubes

  heart-shaped mints

  carrots

  dill pickles

  celery with peanut

  butter, topped with raisins

  “Hey, this is fun!” Dunkum said. He drew a line from Garden Pops to carrots. Then he chomped on one.

  Abby pretended her raisins were ants—falling off the celery log and into her mouth.

  Dee Dee squealed, “Oh, yuk!”

  After the snacks were eaten, Abby made a suggestion. “Let’s play basketball at the school.”

  Everyone agreed. The kids bounced their basketballs down the middle of the street. Dunkum led the way.

  At the end of the cul-de-sac, Dunkum glanced over his shoulder. There was a message written on Abby’s T-shirt. It said: CUL-DE-SAC KIDS STICK TOGETHER!

  Dunkum dribbled his ball hard and fast. Case D. Luc, you’re terrific! he thought.

  Then the Cul-de-sac Kids crossed the street to Blossom Hill School.

  Together!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Beverly Lewis wrote lots of secret codes in Pennsylvania, where she grew up. She liked to hide them, too—sometimes in very strange places. Now Beverly writes notes to her husband and kids in pictograms. The notes are often found in drawers, on the piano, or stuck to a mirror.

  Beverly enjoys getting letters from her readers. Watch out, she might send you a letter in code!

  Look for other chapter books by Beverly Lewis: The Six-Hour Mystery and Mystery at Midnight.

  THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES

  Don’t miss #7!

  THE STINKY

  SNEAKERS MYSTERY

  Jason’s back—and bragging about his cool science fair project. Can alfalfa sprouts really grow in a carpet square?

  On the day of the fair, Jason’s “super sprouts” disappear. Will Miss Hershey give him a big, fat zero? Jason scrambles to do a last-minute project with wacky results.

  Then, during P.E., globs of rotten-smelling cheese show up in the Cul-de-sac Kids’ sneakers. Who would do such a thing? And why?

  From Bethany House Publishers

  Fiction for Young Readers

  (ages 7-10)

  ASTROKIDS

  by Robert Elmer

  Space scooters? Floating robots? Jupiter ice cream? Blast into the future for out-of-this-world, zero-gravity fun with the AstroKids on space station CLEO-7.

  THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS

  by Beverly Lewis

  Each story in this lighthearted series features the hilarious antics and predicaments of nine endearing boys and girls who live on Blossom Hill Lane.

  JANETTE OKE’S ANIMAL FRIENDS

  by Janette Oke

  Endearing creatures from the farm, forest, and zoo discover their place in God’s world through various struggles, mishaps, and adventures.