"Babysitters Club 057 Dawn Saves The Planet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Babysitters Club)

"I am," I said, sitting cross-legged on Claud's bed. "Ever since I started researching this project for Mrs. Gonzalez's class, my eyes have really been opened."
"So have mine," Mary Anne said as she entered the room. "Did you know that the Rodowskys' dog, can sing 'Home on the Range'?"
"Music and words?" Kristy cracked.
Mary Anne nudged Kristy with her elbow. "Of course not the words, but if you sing the melody, he'll join in. I found that out when I was baby-sitting this afternoon."
"That's amazing," Claud exclaimed. "The Rodowskys should have entered Bo when you and Dawn held that pet show."
Stacey, Mal, and Jessi hurried into Claud's room just as the numbers on the digital clock flipped over to 5:30. Mal and Jessi took their usual places on the floor and Stacey hopped up beside me on the bed as Kristy called the meeting to order.
While we waited for the phone to ring,
Kristy asked, "Does anyone have any announcements to make?"
Mallory cleared her throat. "I just thought everyone should know that the Ohdner kids have come down with the measles."
"Oh, no," everyone moaned.
"But!" Mal raised one hand. "I was the last to sit for them, and I've already had the measles, so I think it's okay."
Next Jessi spoke up. "Mary Anne, would you write in the schedule book that I can't sit for anyone on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week? Frederick Duvall from the New York City Ballet is teaching a special technique class on those days."
"You're kidding!" Stacey gasped. "Frederick Duvall? I've seen him dance." When Stacey lived with her parents in New York City, they used to go to the ballet all the time. "He's wonderful."
Jessi nodded excitedly. "I know. I'm already nervous about taking his class."
Mal patted her on the knee. "Don't worry. You'll be terrific. As usual."
I started to say something about recycling, but the phone rang. It was Mrs. Prezzioso, looking for a sitter for Friday night.
I guess my friends must have discussed who could take the job but I wasn't listening. I was too busy thinking about Stoneybrook's
recycling problem and how I was going to fix it. Then I guess someone asked me a question because the next thing I knew, Stacey was waving her hand in front of my face.
"Earth to Dawn!" she said. "Are you in there?"
"What?" I blinked several times.
"I can take the job," Kristy said, "but if you want it, that's okay with me."
"What job?" I asked.
Claud, who was busy passing her bag of candy around the room, announced, "Dawn's got her mind on other things. Like permanent garbage."
"Sorry, Kristy," I said as everyone laughed at Claud's joke. "I wasn't paying attention. You take the job."
The phone rang two more times and Mal and Mary Anne each agreed to take an afternoon job. Then the room became quiet. I thought if I didn't speak up then, I'd never get to explain my idea.
"I have a very important announcement, everyone. I made a few calls today and discovered that Stoneybrook doesn't have a recycling program. They have that one bin by the courthouse, where people can bring their cans and bottles, but that's it. So I've decided to do something about it."
Kristy turned to Stacey. "Is this part of your science project?"
Stacey shrugged. "I don't think so. We're teaching that class."
"This is completely separate from our class assignment," I explained. "This is my own project. I want SMS to become a true recycling collection spot."
"For what?" Jessi asked.
"Everything!" I could feel my voice growing louder with excitement as I said, "Do you realize how many items can be recycled? Newspapers, computer papers, plastic bottles, glass bottles, jars, aluminum foil." I pointed to Claud's wastebasket, where an empty Coke can lay. "That can. You could redeem it and get a nickel."
"Oops!" Claud giggled. "I guess I was just being lazy."
"Do you realize we use over 65 billion aluminum cans a year?" I said. "And if everyone threw theirs away, like Claudia, that would be a monstrous amount of unnecessary garbage."
"Boy," Kristy said to Stacey under her breath. "Dawn's really serious."
"You're right," I said, folding my arms across my chest. "This is very important to me, and it should be to all of you."
"It is," Mary Anne said gently. "I guess
we're just not as upset about it as you are."
"Well, you should be." I pointed to Mary Anne's record book. "Look at the amount of paper you waste by writing on just one side of each sheet. Did you know that each of us uses five hundred and eighty pounds of paper a year? And it takes fifteen years for a tree to grow big enough to be made into paper. We're wasting a lot of time and trees."
Mary Anne stared down at the club record book, her cheeks a deep red. "Next time I promise to write on both sides of the paper, Dawn."
I realized I had embarrassed her and I felt bad about it. "Thanks, Mary Anne," I said, with an encouraging smile. "It means a lot to me. And next time we have to buy more paper for the club, I'd like to propose that we make sure it's recycled paper."
Kristy shrugged. "That's all right with me." She looked around the room at the rest of the club. "Any objections?"
Everyone shook their heads.
The next fifteen minutes were filled with phone calls, so we couldn't talk about my project anymore. Just before the meeting ended, Claud announced, "I want everyone to come into the kitchen and see the new jewelry I've made. There's something for each of you. And," she raised one finger, "Dawn will be
glad to hear that my jewelry is completely biodegradable."
Everyone giggled but me. I knew that I was starting to sound like a grumpy old teacher, lecturing everyone, but I couldn't help it. If I couldn't convince the BSC of the importance of protecting our planet, how was I going to convince the town of Stoneybrook?
Chapter 7.
It was Saturday morning and Jessi and Mal had been asked to sit for the Pike kids. Vanessa and Nicky are the only ones in my Save the Planet class but I guess they were so excited about ecology that they made everyone else in their family excited about it, too. I wish I could have been there to see them in action. I know I would have been very proud.
Anyway, Jessi arrived at the Pikes' house at ten o'clock on the nose and rang the bell. After several minutes, she heard a thundering of footsteps on the stairs. The door flew open and Mallory shouted, "Vanessa and Nicky are in the dining room. Watch them, will you?"
Then she disappeared from sight.
"Mal?" Jessi called, stepping into the foyer. "Where are you?"