by Andrea Beaty
Then she wasn’t.
CHAPTER 16
“Ouch,” she cried.
“What happened?” asked Rosie.
“My arm is sore,” said June.
She reached up again.
“Ow,” she said. “Maybe I should rest.”
She tried again a few minutes later.
“Oh dear,” she said. “My arms are too weak.”
Rosie’s heart sank.
June smiled kindly at her.
“Rosie,” she said. “I want you to finish the painting.”
Rosie shook her head. If anyone but June painted, she would be out of the contest.
“Rosie,” said June softly. “I want you to paint. Truly.”
Rosie looked at June’s face and knew that she meant it.
“I’m sorry it was too heavy,” said Rosie.
“The Paintapalooza was perfect,” said June. “I will use it to paint my kitchen when my arms are stronger!”
She laughed out loud, and Rosie smiled.
Rosie tightened her headscarf. She picked up the left glove and—BOOM!
An idea hit Rosie’s brain like thunder. And what an idea! She took off the paint glove and handed it to Aunt Rose.
“Don’t let anyone touch that canvas!” said Rosie. “I’ll be back!”
And with that, Rosie ran down the street and was gone.
CHAPTER 17
Rosie ran down Milk Lane, past Wells Drive, to Rains Street, with Gizmo zooming behind her. She stopped to catch her breath, then went to Mrs. Lu’s house.
Rosie climbed the porch steps. Then, she took another deep breath. She was nervous. She knew how to help June, but she needed Mrs. Lu’s help. What if Mrs. Lu said no?
Rosie wished she was back at the library with Ada, Iggy, and the Riveters. She almost turned around to leave, but then she thought about June. She had promised to do her part.
Rosie had to be brave.
“You can do it,” Rosie said to herself.
Gizmo perched on Rosie’s shoulder and chirped.
“I know,” said Rosie, and she rang the doorbell.
Rosie waited. No answer. She rang again. No answer.
She knocked loudly.
“Hello?” she yelled. “Mrs. Lu?”
Silence.
Rosie’s heart sank. She turned away from the door.
Suddenly, Gizmo flew in front of her. She flapped her wings furiously and looped the loop, blocking Rosie’s way.
“What’s wrong?” asked Rosie.
“CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!”
“Stop it, Gizmo!” said Rosie.
“CHIRP! CHIRP!”
CRACKLE.
Rosie heard a strange noise behind her.
CRACKLE.
“Hello?” said a faint, scratchy voice.
It came from a box in the corner of the porch. Rosie looked into the box.
“Hello?” she said.
A purple metal goose looked back at her with googly eyes.
CRACKLE.
“Stay there!” said a scratchy voice.
It came from the metal goose. Rosie leaned closer.
Just then, the door opened. Mrs. Lu stepped outside. She held a strange walkie-talkie handset.
“Sorry,” she said. “My Goosey-Talkie is not working!”
She pushed a button on the back of the goose. She clicked a button on her handset. The goose’s beak snapped open.
CRACKLE.
“Hello? Hello?” Mrs. Lu spoke into her handset and her voice came out of the goose’s mouth. “That’s more like it!”
Then she tossed the handset into the box and smiled.
“Hello, Rosie!” she said. “Glad to see you!”
Rosie was shocked. Mrs. Lu was so friendly. Rosie thought about how Mrs. Lu had shut the curtains on her and how she sneaked like a shadow in the garden.
Rosie looked at her neighbor and felt more nervous than ever.
“I . . .” she said. “I . . .”
“Yes?” asked Mrs. Lu.
Rosie took another deep breath and remembered why she was there.
“I need your help,” she said.
Mrs. Lu smiled.
“I thought you’d never ask!”
CHAPTER 18
BEEP! BEEP!
The old army jeep zoomed around the corner and toward the library.
A load of pampas stalks bounced around in the back of the jeep.
BEEP! BEEP!
The jeep screeched to a halt a few feet from June’s canvas.
“Would you look at that?!” cried Boss. “It’s Agnes Lu!”
“And Rosie!” said Ada.
She and Iggy ran to the jeep.
“Rosie!” they said. “What’s going on?”
Rosie flipped open the glove box and Gizmo hopped out. She chirped happily and flew to the top of the canvas.
“June needed lighter brushes,” Rosie said. “So I asked Mrs. Lu if we could use one of the pampas stalks from her garden. She cut them ALL down!”
Mrs. Lu and Rosie jumped out of the jeep and grabbed a bunch of plumes from the back.
“Agnes Lu!” said Aunt Rose. “What have you done to your beautiful garden?”
“Doesn’t matter,” said Mrs. Lu. “When a Riveter needs something, I do my part! June needs these more than I do.”
She pulled a pair of shears from the pocket of her duster and trimmed one of the stalks.
“They’re lighter than those curtain rods,” said Mrs. Lu, “Though I would have tried curtain rods, too. It was a good design.”
Rosie looked confused.
“You design things?” she asked.
Mrs. Lu laughed.
“Well, of course I do!” she said. “I’m an engineer, too. And we engineers have to help each other. That’s why I left the bucket of tubes and tape for you!”
Rosie thought those had come from Ada and Iggy or the recyclers, Bee and Beau. She had so many questions but no time to ask them. Aunt Rose and the Riveters crowded in to give Mrs. Lu hugs. They all knew her!
“Your poor garden!” said June. “What were you thinking?”
Mrs. Lu raised her hand.
“Not another word!” she said. “It’s time to paint!”
Mrs. Lu handed Rosie a stalk, and Rosie got busy.
Within moments, June was painting again. She swished the brushes this way and that. It was beautiful.
Then—SNAP!—the red stem broke.
“Uh-oh!” said Rosie.
“That’s why we brought extras!” said Mrs. Lu.
CHAPTER 19
Rosie swapped in a new stalk, and June kept painting. After a few minutes, the blue stem snapped, but Rosie was ready with a replacement. As other stems broke, Rosie swapped them, too.
Meanwhile, Rosie, Ada, and Iggy learned more about the mysterious Mrs. Lu. Boss explained that Mrs. Lu was a Riveter in the jeep factory on the other side of the river from the airplane factory.
“I made this very jeep!” said Mrs. Lu. “I learned a lot about machines during the war. It made me want to invent some, so I did! Haven’t stopped since.”
Rosie was amazed. All this time, she had lived next door to another engineer and didn’t know it!
Mrs. Lu seemed to read her mind.
“You didn’t know because I rarely get out of the house except at night,” she said. “I have a skin condition that makes me allergic to sunlight. It’s why I wear this crazy garb. Can’t let the sun hit me.”
“Is that why you keep your curtains shut?” asked Rosie.
“Yes,” said Mrs. Lu. “But your Aunt Rose lets me know when you’ve got a project, and I donate what I can to help. I’m glad you like the crates I leave at your house.”
“You do that?” asked Rosie.
“Of course!” said Mrs. Lu. “Did you think it was the Tooth Fairy?”
“More like the Tool Fairy!” said Aunt Rose. “Oh, that’s a good one!”
Aunt Rose slapped her knee and laughed out loud. She laug
hed until she wheezed and her eyes filled with tears. Soon, the whole group was laughing. No one laughed harder than Mrs. Lu.
Rosie realized that she had been very wrong about Mrs. Lu. She thought Mrs. Lu was mean and mysterious and did not like her. She should have given Mrs. Lu a chance.
Mrs. Lu smiled at Rosie.
“You know, Rosie,” she said. “I could use your help with a doohickey I made to scrub the dishes. It’s simply smashing.”
“It sounds amazing,” said Rosie.
“No!” said Mrs. Lu. “It is simply smashing all my plates! And now I’m almost out of bowls!”
She laughed again. Rosie laughed, too.
“I’d love to help,” said Rosie.
“It’s good to have an engineer for a neighbor,” said Mrs. Lu.
Rosie smiled back. It is indeed.
CHAPTER 20
The parking lot was full of artists and their families. The McCallister sisters and Marian borrowed the librarian’s microphone and sang to the crowd while the artists painted. There was dancing and laughing. Everyone was having a great time.
Especially June.
She grinned as she swished her arms left and right and up and down over the canvas. The Paintapalooza was working like a charm.
Then, June reached up and—
“Ouch! Ouch!” she cried. “Double ouch!”
Her face wrinkled up in pain.
“What’s wrong?” asked Iggy.
“I have to stop,” said June. “My wrists hurt.”
Rosie helped June take off the gloves. She looked at them sadly. The Paintapalooza had worked, but it still didn’t help June. The whole adventure was a flop.
Rosie frowned.
But June grinned. Then, June chuckled. Then, she laughed out loud.
Rosie was shocked.
“What’s funny?” she asked. “You have to quit painting!”
“Who’s quitting?” asked June. “Maybe I can’t paint, but you all can!”
“But if we paint, then you can’t win the contest,” Rosie said.
“Oh, Rosie,” June said softly. “Don’t you see? I’ve already won. This is the most fun I’ve had in years!”
Rosie smiled. Iggy and Ada cheered. The Riveters cheered, too.
“C’mon everyone, let’s finish the painting together!” June cried.
They all grabbed paintbrushes and pampas stalks and got painting. When they were done, they stood back and admired the canvas.
“Home sweet home,” said June. “It’s perfect.”
CHAPTER 21
Suddenly, Boss slapped her hand on the arm of her wheelchair, and the Riveters grew silent. Boss motioned for Mrs. Lu and the Riveters to gather around her.
Rosie, Ada, and Iggy stood by the canvas.
“What’s going on?” Ada asked.
“I don’t know,” said Rosie. “But I think it’s serious.”
The Riveters huddled. They whispered to one another and took turns glancing at the kids.
Finally, the huddle broke apart and Boss wheeled to the canvas. The Riveters stood silently behind her.
Boss spoke in a clear, strong voice.
“I speak for us all. Including our dear Agnes,” she said.
Agnes Lu smiled and put a hand on Boss’s shoulder.
“We are the Riveters,” said Boss. “We do our part. We always have and we always will. It’s who we are.”
The women smiled proudly.
“That means taking care of one another,” said Boss. “That’s what makes us a family.”
June stepped forward.
“Rosie, Ada, and Iggy,” she said. “You did something important when you made that contraption. You helped someone you didn’t even know. You did your part.”
“You did indeed,” said Boss. “And today, we declare that you are honorary Riveters!”
Betty, Lettie, and Heddy McCallister stepped forward.
“We further declare that our home is now officially your home, too,” they said. “That includes all the singing and dancing you can handle!”
“We can handle a lot of dancing!” said Iggy.
“Zowie!” said Ada.
“Thank you,” said Rosie.
“Three cheers for Iggy and Ada! Three cheers for Rosie Revere! Three cheers for the Questioneers!”
CHAPTER 22
That night, Rosie packed her engineer’s stash under the bed as she did every night. She climbed under the covers and looked around her room. She loved her house, but what made it her home were Gizmo and her aunts and uncles, her friends, and her neighbors. And now, the Riveters. They were all her family.
She thought about the Raucous Riveters and Mrs. Lu. They lived in many houses, but their home was really anywhere they were together. They were amazing women, and Rosie was proud to know them and even prouder to be an honorary Riveter.
Rosie made a final note in her engineer’s journal.
She wished Gizmo good night. Tired but very happy, Rosie Revere drifted to sleep and dreamed the bold dreams of a great engineer.
ODE TO A VALVE
What is a valve?
What does it do?
It’s simply a gate
that lets fluids go through
a tube or a hose
or a pipe or a vein,
and keeps them from flowing
backward again.
There are valves in your toilet.
Valves in your heart.
Valves in your tires,
and that’s just a start.
So pooh-pooh to those who say,
“No need to gush!”
Instead say “Hooray!”
the next time that you flush.
ABOUT VALVES
If you blow up a balloon and then let go, the air inside the balloon will come out. If you blow up a beach ball and then let go, the air inside will not come out. Why not? A tiny flap of plastic inside the beach ball blocks the hole and keeps the air contained. This mechanism is a very simple valve.
There are many kinds of valves, but they all do the same thing: They control the flow of liquid or gas through a tube or pipe. When you turn on the faucet, a valve opens and lets water flow through. Your stove and grill have valves that control the release of gas to the burners. Even your toilet has valves that let water fill the tank so you can flush when you need to. That is important!
Are there valves in your bike? Car? A trumpet? What about in your body?
The answer is yes! Your body has over fifty valves that keep fluids flowing in the right direction! Some valves in your body are rings of muscles that contract. Others are flaps of tissue that block blood from flowing backward into your heart. Be glad you have valves!
ABOUT THE RIVETERS
During World War II, millions of women in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other allied nations worked to provide the food and equipment needed for the war effort. Some worked on farms. Others worked in businesses and factories. In the United States, these factory-working women were represented by Rosie the Riveter, the scarf-wearing character whose slogan was “We can do it!”
Riveters used metal rods to connect sheets of metal. Riveters and other workers built ships, airplanes, tanks, and jeeps. They also made guns and bullets. American factories were open every day and every night, and the workers made more than three hundred thousand aircraft, eighty-six thousand tanks, and two million army trucks during World War II!
Women began working in the war production factories after many men left to fight in Europe, Africa, and Asia. The jobs paid well. Eighteen million women worked in the U.S. war effort. Most of these women were poor and held low-paying jobs before the war. About six million of these women were housewives who had not worked outside the home before. Having so many women at work in industry and production was a big change for America.
Factory work was difficult and dangerous. Women were paid less than the men who had worked the same jobs, and women of color were paid even
less than white women. They also faced racism on the job and were often given more dangerous tasks.
The hard work of the Riveters helped the Allies win World War II. When the war ended, many factories closed. Others gave the women’s jobs back to men after the men came home from the war. Even so, America now knew that women could do all kinds of jobs.
Rosie the Riveter and her real-life counterparts made a big difference during the war and helped to shape the civil rights movement and the continuing fight for equal rights for women that followed.
THINK ABOUT THIS
Think of all the things you have done in your life. Now can you imagine all you will do by the time you are as old as Great-Great-Aunt Rose, Bernice, or Boss? You will have so many interesting stories to tell.
Think about the older people in your life and in your town. Take time to ask them about their stories. Who knows—maybe one of them was a Rosie the Riveter or knew someone who was!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ANDREA BEATY is the bestselling author of Rosie Revere, Engineer; Ada Twist, Scientist; and Iggy Peck, Architect; as well as the novels Dorko the Magnificent and Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies. She has a degree in biology and computer science and spent many years in the computer industry. She now writes children’s books in her home outside Chicago.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
DAVID ROBERTS has illustrated many books, including Rosie Revere, Engineer; Ada Twist, Scientist; Iggy Peck, Architect; and Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau. He lives in London, where, when not drawing, he likes to make hats.
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