FREE EXCERPT: The Spoonmaker's Diamond (Turn of Phrase ESL)

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and go on a grand overseas adventure that will test your courage and friendships.

ONE WEEK BEFORE the International Fair in your town, the famed Topkapi Diamond vanishes from the Royal Treasury of Istanbul. And on a recent trip to Turkey, your friend Bob picked up a souvenir that may implicate him in the crime. When a stranger appears, demanding to buy the souvenir off Bob, you know something is amiss. Fate and happenstance collide and, before you know it, you are swept away on an exciting journey through one of the most culturally significant cities in the world. But with criminals and cops hot on your trail, you cant afford to take the scenic route! Can you prove Bob's innocence and recover the diamond before it's too late?

Gamebooks provide fun, immersive, and interactive learning for ELLs. Gamebooks are fictional narratives told in the second person and interspersed with decision points. Decision points present readers with a choice between several options. How readers choose determines the direction of the story. TOP ESL books use the gamebook format to test readers understanding of expressions and phrases, as well as their comprehension of situational contexts in the narrative.

Turn of Phrase ESL (TOP ESL) is an educational series that introduces English language learners to idioms, phrasal verbs, and collocations in the form of chooseable path novels. The series is designed for intermediate to advanced level young adult and adult learners.

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Praise For ~ TURN OF PHRASE ESL

!Recognizing!and!using!English!idioms!and!phrasal!verbs!is!essential!to!fluency.!My!students!love!learning!and!using!idioms,!but!we!can!only!cover!so!many!of!them!in!class.!This!series!gives!learners!a!fun,!contextual!way!to!access!and!learn!a!plethora!of!idiomatic!phrases.!Im!so!excited!to!recommend!these!books!to!my!students!!!~"Brynna"Larsen,"English"as"an"Additional"Language"Teacher,"Bonn"International"School!

!Im!pleased!with!the!userEfriendly!model!employeda!thoughtful,!wellEdesigned,!and!systematic!approach!to!teaching!second!language!learners!important!features!of!English,!including!but!not!limited!to!idiom,!figures!of!speech,!authentic!English!expression!and!collocations.!I!look!forward!to!introducing!this!series!to!my!Chinese!undergraduates!next!semester.!!~"Michael"D."Brown,"Professor,"English"as"a"Foreign"Language,"Nanjing"Agricultural"University!

!A!focus!on!vocabulary,!activation!of!prior!knowledge,!and!the!stimulation!of!higher!order!thinking!are!core!principles!identified!by!the!Center!for!Applied!Linguistics.!The!TOP!ESL!books!not!only!support!these!researchEbased!practices,!they!promote!strong!studentEtoEtext!interactions!in!a!fun!and!creative!way.!!~"Areli"Schermerhorn,"ESL,"World"Languages,"and"Bilingual"Peer"Observer,"Syracuse"City"School"District!

!TOP!ESL!is!a!great!advancement!in!the!education!of!English!language!learners.!Idioms!and!colloquial!expressions!were!always!the!most!difficult!aspects!of!language!to!teach!in!the!ESL!classroom.!With!TOP!ESL,!students!are!able!to!learn!the!meanings!behind!common!idioms!and!catchphrases!in!books!with!attentionEgrabbing!plot!lines.!This!is!the!type!of!resource!that!would!have!been!greatly!valued!when!I!was!teaching,!and!I!hope!that!future!ESL!students!take!advantage!of!what!is!now!at!their!disposal.!!~"David"Whalen,"Former"ESL"instructor"and""Addictions"Counselor,"Dave"Smith"Youth"Treatment"Centre""

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!!The Spoonmakers

Diamond!A C h o o s e a b l e P a t h N o v e l f o r L e a r n i n g E n g l i s h E x p r e s s i o n s

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Mary M. S l ech ta !!!!!!!!

TURN OF PHRASE ESL Night Owls Press!

The"Spoonmakers"Diamond"N"A"Chooseable"Path"Novel"for"

Learning"English"Expressions"(Turn"of"Phrase"ESL)!The!Spoonmakers!Diamond!Copyright!!2015!by!Mary!M.!Slechta.!Turn!of!Phrase!ESL!Copyright!!2015!by!Night!Owls!Press.!!All!rights!reserved!worldwide.!!Turn!of!Phrase!ESL!www.nightowlspress.com/turnEofEphraseEesl/!!Published!by!Night!Owls!Press!LLC,!Portland,!OR,!97203,!U.S.A.!www.nightowlspress.com!Designed!and!printed!in!the!United!States!of!America.!!!Editor:!Saga!Briggs!Production!Editor:!Andrew!Tang!Cover!and!interior!artwork!by!Rick!Kitagawa!and!Eve!Skylar!!!Practice!good!karma.!No!part!of!this!book!may!be!reproduced,!scanned,!or!distributed!in!any!printed!or!electronic!form!without!the!written!permission!of!the!publisher,!except!by!reviewers!who!may!quote!brief!excerpts!in!connection!with!a!review.!For!inquiries!and!permissions,[email protected].!!!All!characters!appearing!in!this!work!are!fictitious.!Any!resemblance!to!real!persons,!living!or!dead,!is!purely!coincidental.!Any!trademarks,!service!marks,!product!names,!or!named!features!are!assumed!to!be!the!property!of!their!respective!owners.!There!is!no!implied!endorsement!in!the!use!of!these!terms.!!!!!!Paperback!ISBNE13:!9781937645151!EEbook!ISBNE13:!9781937645144!Library!of!Congress!Control!Number:!2015910700 !

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For those brave adventurers, Martha and Rennie McLaughlin, and for Bob Huss. ! !

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[ C O N T E N T S ]

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Introduction:! ! ! ! ! !!!!i!Chapter!One:!The!BreakEIn! ! ! !!!!1!Chapter!Two:!Make!a!Break!For!It! ! !!51!Chapter!Three:!Riptides!! ! ! !117!Chapter!Four:!Stone!Faces! ! ! 199!Glossary! ! ! ! ! ! 261!Acknowledgments! ! ! ! 267!!!

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[ I N T R O D U C T I O N ]

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WITH! MORE! THAN! a! million! words,! the! English! language! is!

considered!one!of! the!most!varied!and!changeable! languages! in!the!

world;!new!words!and!phrases!are!always!being!added.!Much!of!this!

diversity!comes!in!the!form!of!idiomatic!expressions:!Ring%a%bell.%Face%

the%music.%All%decked%out.%Bad%egg.%Down%to%earth.%Train%of% thought.!

You!hear!these!expressions!in!everyday!conversation!or!read!them!in!

books,! newspapers,! and! magazines.! Idioms! and! other! forms! of!

expression! introduce! you! to! words! that! have! many! different!

meanings! and! teach! natural! communication! patterns,! broadening!

your! understanding! and! use! of! English.! Learning! how! to! recognize!

and! use! these! expressions! will! make! you! a! more! confident,! fluent!

English!speaker.!

Turn! of! Phrase! ESL! (TOP! ESL)! introduces! intermediate! to!

advanced! level! English! language! learners! to! idioms,! phrasal! verbs,!

and! collocations! in! the! form! of! chooseable! path! novels.! TOP! ESL!

offers!you!what!no!other!books!on!the!education!market!can:!a!rich!

source! of! idiomatic! expressions;! meaningful! contexts! of! those!

expressions!in!action;!and!a!gamebook!reading!format!that!will!have!

you!hooked!with!cliffhangers!and!plot!twists.!

As! immersive! learning! experiences,! TOP! ESLs! gamebooks! are!

effective! learning! tools.!Researchers!have! long! shown! that! learning!a!

language! in! meaningful! contexts! can! help! students! become! more!

T H E S P O O N M A K E R S D I A M O N D

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fluent! and! improve! retention.! The! gamebook! format! provides! the!

contextual! literacy! that! is! so! important! in! language! education.!With!

their! chooseable! path! structure,! the! books! arent! just! an! absorbing!

storytelling! experience! but! are! also! a! fun! storymaking! one.! As! you!

immerse!yourself!in!the!stories!and!lives!of!the!characters!in!the!books,!

you!become!fully!engaged!in!your!own!learning.!

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H o w t o R e a d T h i s B o o k

Gamebooks!are!fictional!narratives!told!in!the!second!person!and!

interspersed! with! decision! points.! Decision! points! present! readers!

with!a!choice!between!several!options.!How!

readers! choose! determines! the! direction! of!

the! story.! Following! the! typical! gamebook!

format,! TOP! ESL! books! feature! decision!

points!every! few!pages.!Decision!points!are!

either! languageEbased,! testing! your! understanding! of! particular!

idioms,!phrasal!verbs,!and!collocations,!or! situational,! testing!your!

understanding! of! the! narrative! contextstory! logic,! character!

motive! or! behavior,! and! themes.! With! more! than! sixty! decision!

points! in! each!book,!TOP!ESL!offers!many!opportunities! to!master!

new! vocabulary! and! idiomatic! expressions! and! boost! reading!

comprehension!and!literary!appreciation.!!

But! be! careful.! Sometimes! the! difference! between! the! options!

you!encounter! can!be! subtle,! and! sometimes! there! isnt! an!obvious!

right! or! wrong! answer.!A% stranger% uses% a% particular% expression,% so%

how%do%you%respond?%You%are% faced%with%a%dilemma%and%must%decide%

between%two%courses%of%action,%so%which%one%do%you%take?%The!option!

that! best! fits! the! context! of! the! story! leads! to! better! outcomes.! A!

good!decision!may!present!you!with!an!opportunity!or!a!bit!of!luck;!a!

notEsoEgood!decision!may!lead!you!down!a!dangerous!path.!Whatever!

you!decide,!your!fate!rests!on!the!choices!you!make!as!a!reader.!

How the story unfolds depends on you.

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To! enhance! your! learning! experience,! relevant! idioms,! phrasal!

verbs,!and!collocations!in!the!text!are!bolded!for!easy!identification.!

Tested!expressions!and!phrases! that!appear! in! the!decision!points!

are!defined! in! the!Glossary!at! the!back!of! the!book.!As!a!bonus! for!

teachers!and!students!alike,! suggested!activities!and! lessons! for! the!

classroom!and!selfEstudy!will!be!made!available!at!

www.nightowlspress.com/learningEguideEturnEofEphraseEesl/.!

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IN!THE%SPOONMAKERS%DIAMOND,!you!are!Patricia! Flip!Nzinga,!

an! immigrant! living! in! the! city! of!Winterville.! Years! ago,! violence!

forced!you!and!your!family!to!flee!to!refugee!camps!and!then!to!the!

U.S.! With! hard! work,! you! have! rebuilt! your! life.! You! work! at! a!

community! organization! and! attend! community! college.! One!

morning!at!work,!you!have!a!frightening!runEin!with!a!stranger.!Later,!

there! is! a! breakEin! and! a! cheap! piece! of! costume! jewelry! is! stolen.!

Meanwhile,! thousands!of!miles!away,! the!hunt! is!on! for!the! thieves!

who! have! taken! the! Topkapi! Diamondthe! Spoonmakers!

Diamonda!priceless!heirloom!dating!back!to!the!Ottoman!Empire.!

As! these! two! seemingly! unrelated! events! become! intertwined,! you!

learn!that!you!and!others!are!pawns!in!a!shadowy!criminal!operation!

that!stretches!between!Winterville!and!Istanbul.!

Along! the! way,! there! are! key! people! who! will! play! important!

roles!in!your!international!adventure:!Mr.!Paige,!the!college!librarian;!

Ms.!Galata,!a!coEworker;!Nancy,!your!best!friend;!and!Paulo,!Nancys!

admirer.!Just!like!you,!everyone!has!something!in!their!past!they!are!

running! from;! everyone! has! something! to! hide.! Even! the! diamond!

has!its!own!mysterious!history!marked!by!betrayals!and!lies.!Observe!

everything! around! you! and! make! sure! you! trust! the! right! people!

while!you!try!to!unravel!the!mystery!of!the!Topkapi!Diamond.!

And!dont!worry:!If!you!make!a!wrong!decision,!there!is!usually!a!

way! to!get!back!on! the!best!path.!Use!your!English! language! skills,!

try!your!best,!and!you!will!save!yourself!and!your!friends.!

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!!The Spoonmakers

Diamond!A C h o o s e a b l e P a t h N o v e l f o r L e a r n i n g E n g l i s h E x p r e s s i o n s

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[ C H A P T E R O N E ]

~ The Break-In

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YOU! SIT! ON! the! front! stoop! of! your! house,! watching! the!

neighborhood!come" to" life.!At! the! far!end!of! the! street,! a! familiar!

car! idles! as! a! noisy! group! of! boys! in! soccer! gear! climbs! in.! Soon,!

Paulo,!their!coach,!drives!and!pulls"up"to"the"curb!in!front!of!you.!!

You! need! a! ride,! Flip?! he! asks! with! a! silly! grin! on! his! face.!

There!are!already!too!many!passengers!and!no!room!in!the!car,!but!

the!boys!snicker!and!encourage!you!to!join!them!anyway.!!

No,! thanks,!you!reply.!You!know!why!Paulo! is! really!here.!He!

wants!you!to!pass"on!a!message!to!your!friend!Nancy.!It!is!the!same!

stupid!message!every!week.!!

Tell!her!I!want!to!take"her"out,!he!says,!on"cue,!clutching!his!

chest!dramatically.!You!roll"your"eyes!as!the!boys!roar!with!laughter.!

Paulo!beeps!the!horn!and!then!speeds"off.!!

You!dont!need!a!ride!anywherenot!yet!anyway.!Your!partEtime!

job! at! the! Tubman! Refugee! Center! normally! starts! at! nine! on!

Saturdays,! but! because! you! worked! late! yesterday,! Bob,! your! boss!

and!friend,!gave!you!the"morning"off.!You!wanted!to!catch"up"on"

sleep,!but!you!got" stuck!doing!chores!instead.!You!kick!one!of!the!

wheels!on!the!laundry!cart!at!your!feet,!making!it!squeak.!!


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Working!at!the!Center,!on" top" of!a!full" class" load,! leaves!you!

exhausted,! and! now! you! are! looking" at! an! even! busier! week!

preparing!for!the!International!Fair,!an!annual!event!that!the!Center!

sponsors.!Bob!organized!the!popular!Fair!three!years!ago!after!a!rash"

of! fights! broke" out! in! the! neighborhood! between! the! longEtime!

residents! and! newcomers.! Fortunately,! it! turns" out! most! people!

prefer! dressing" up! in! their! best! clothes! and! sharing! food! over!

fighting.!!

The!spring!air!today!fills!you!with!a!sense!of!jittery!anticipation.!

In!general,!you!dont"mind! the! long!hours!of!work.!Plus,!hanging"

out!with!Bob! is! a! highlight.! But! today! is! different.!An! encounter! a!

few!days!ago!has!you!dreading!going!to!work.!!

While!you!were!working!on!a!display!case!for!the!Fair,!a!strange!

man!with! a! short! red!beard!came" up! to! you.!You!didnt! recognize!

him! from! the! neighborhood.! The! stranger! pointed! at! a! necklace!

around!one!of!the!mannequins!necks.!When!he!asked!how!much!it!

cost,!you!told!him!it!wasnt!for!sale!and!handed!him!a!flyer!instead.!

When! he! demanded! a! second! time! to! see! it,! you! insisted! that! it!

wasnt!yours!to!sell.!Then!he!turned"on"his"heels!and!stormed"out.!!

Later!today,!after!you!put!the!finishing" touches!on!the!display!

case,! you! plan! to! tell! Bob! about! the! encounter.! But! will! he! care?!

With! everything" on" his" plate! these! days,! you! are! reluctant! to!

bother! him.! Even!Ms.!Galat,! the!Centers! receptionist,! has! noticed.!

Bob!hasnt"been"himself!lately,!she!said.!Since!his!trip!abroad!two!

weeks!ago,!Bob!has!been!more!distracted!than!usual.!The!last" thing!

Bob!needs!to!worry!about!is!some!rude!stranger.!

And!then!there!is!the!issue!of!your!feelings.!Last!week,!when!you!

invited!Bob! to! your! upcoming! swim!meet,! he! didnt! even! look" up!

from! his! computer.! You!were!heartNbroken.! Since! then,! you! have!

been! confused!by! your! sentiments.!You!have!known!Bob! since! you!

came!to!the!U.S.!and!attended!his!afterEschool!program!at!the!Center.!

You!have!always!looked"up"to!Bob!and!enjoyed"his"company.!Is!it!

weird!that!you!have!developed!deeper!feelings!for!him?!!

T h e B r e a k - I n

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Good!morning,! Flip,! greets!Mrs.! Saturday! from! the! sidewalk,!

her!quiet!husband!and!three!daughters!in"tow.!!

Good!morning,!you!say,!waving!back.!

The!Saturday!Family!is!on!its!way!to!clean!the!Buddhist!temple!

around! the! corner.!Eyeing! the! laundry! cart! next! to! you,! the! eldest!

daughter,! a! classmate! from!back! in!high!school,!gives!you!a! sleepy,!

sympathetic!nod.!!

You! stretch" your" legs,! feeling" sore! from! yesterdays! swim!

session.!Along! the!walkway! to! your!house,! yellow! and!blue! flowers!

break" through!the!matted!leaves!where!your!mother!planted!bulbs!

back!in!the!fall.!You!recall!the!way!she!gently!patted!the!earth!above!

the!buried!bulbs!after!your!father!attacked!the!hard,!gray!soil!with!a!

shovel.! Hidden! treasure,! she! called! them.! You! survey! the! other!

yards!in!the!neighborhood,!bare!with!no!gardens,!and!smile!a!little!in!

spite!of!yourself.!

Like" clockwork,! your! best! friend!Nancy!Ndeze! strolls!up" the"

sidewalk!and!waves!at!you.!Nancy!comes!home!every!weekend!from!

her!college!dorm!to!help!her!mom!clean!the!house!and!pay!bills.!Mrs.!

Ndeze,!whom!you!call!Auntie,!washes!and!braids!Nancys!thick!hair!

and!makes!her!eat!extra!servings!of!food!to!put"meat"on"her"bones.!

On!Sunday!afternoons,!you!and!Nancy!hang"out"together.!She!drags!

you! around! the! city,! taking" pictures! to! post! online.!As! usual,! her!

expensive!camera!is!swinging!from!her!neck.!!

Hey,!Flip,!she!says,!sitting!next!to!you!on!the!stoop.!A!penny"

for"your"thoughts.!!

You!jingle!the!quarters!for!the!laundromat!in!your!pocket.!!!

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If you think that Nancy has noticed your

distracted mood, go to page 4.

If you think that Nancy is asking for money, go to

page 7.


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Nancy! has! noticed! your! distracted! mood.! She! points! down! at!

your! lap.! Youve! started! chewing! your! nails! again.! Tell! me! whats!

worrying!you.!!

You! stare! at! your! ruined! nails! and! wonder! if! Nancy! really! can!

read"minds.!It!has!been!a!long,!hard!winter!of!work!and!school,!and!

now! the! stress! from!preparing! for! the! Fair! has! taken" its" toll.! You!

sigh!and!smile!weakly.!

She!puts!her!hand!on!your! forehead!and! tells! you!how!gloomy!

you! look.! You!work! too!hard.!Maybe!you!picked" up! a!travel" bug!

from!somewhere.!

But!Im!not!sick.!

Not! a! disease,! silly,! she! explains,! snapping" a" photo! of! your!

face,!which!you!havent!even!bothered!to!wash!today.!A"travel"bug.!

A!thirst"for"excitement!and!adventure.!A"ticket"out"of"town.!You!

need!to!get"out"more.!

Thats!it,!you!say!sarcastically.!I!want!to!see!the!world.!!

Or!maybe! its! the! love" bug"making! you! glum,! she! says,! her!

eyes!flashing.!A!bug!that!only!Bob!can!cure.!

Immediately,! you! regret! that! you! ever! told! Nancy! about! your!

feelings! for! Bob.! Since! Nancy! found! out,! she! hasnt! missed! an!

opportunity!yet!to!tease!you!about!him.!

Is! Bob! giving! you! a! ride! to! the! laundromat?! your! mother!

interrupts,!craning!her!neck!out!of!the!kitchen!window.!!

You!feel!a!twinge!of!irritation,!but!the!feeling!quickly!fades.!You!

wonder! if! she! is! still! angry!with!you! that!you!corrected!her!English!

the! other! night.! Still,! she! shouldnt! be! eavesdropping! on! you.!

Fortunately,! she! has! misunderstood! Nancys! meaning.! You! quickly!

shake"your"head.!Your!mother!frowns,!reEties!the!blue!scarf!around!

her!hair,!and!pops"back!inside!without!another!word.!

That%was%close.!Nancy%and%her%big$mouth.!

Nancy!almost!got!you! in! trouble,!but!all! she!does! is! laugh.!She!

has!never!been!great!at!keeping!secrets;!she!likes!impressing!people!

too!much.!In!fact,!even!when!it!seems!like!she!is!being!nice,!treating!


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you!when!you!go!out!shopping!together,!you!suspect!that!she!is!just!

showing" off.!No!surprise!there;!Nancys!father!is!rich!and!showers"

her!with! gifts! and!pays! all! her! college! expenses.!Nancy!boasts! that!

she! plans! to! travel! the! world! someday.! With! her! fathers! deep"

pockets,!she!probably!will.!!

The% only% journey% Ill% be% taking% is% two% blocks% west% to% the%

laundromat%before%meeting%Bob%at%noon.%!

The!weird!thing!is!that!Nancy!hasnt!seen!her!dad!in!yearsnot!

since!she!was!a!kid.!At!their!house,!there!are!no!pictures!of!him,!no!

family!mementos,! no! trace! that! he! even! exists.! Except! for! a! check!

that! arrives! in! the! mail! every! few! months,! Nancy! has! very! little!

contact!with!her!father.%%

You!remember!when!Nancy!told!you!about!her!dad!for!the!first!

time.!On!her! sixteenth! birthday,! a! check! arrived!out" of" the" blue.!

Just! a! check! in! a! simple! envelope,!without! a! letter! or! a! note.! That!

afternoon,!Mrs.!Ndeze!came!to!your!parents!in!tears.!It!was!then!that!

you! realized! that! something! about! Nancys! father! terrified! her!

mother.!

Perhaps! hes! making! up! for! what! he! didsome! kind! of!

restitution,! you! overheard! your! father! tell! Nancys! mother.! Use!

the!money!he!sends!for!her!education.!Put"it"to"good"use.!

Later! that! evening,! you! asked! your! father! about! it.! What! did!

you!mean!by! restitution,!Dad?!He!was! chopping! vegetables! in! the!

kitchen,!and!you!recall!the!way!his!knife!trembled!above!the!cutting!

board.!!

Payment!for!a!bad!action,!he!answered.!

Should!we!be!worried!about!Nancy?!

Your! father! stopped!and!stared!out! the!window.!The! sounds!of!

children!playing! in! the! street! filled! the! silence.! No,!of! course!not,!

he!said!sharply.!Nancy!is!fine.!

You!werent!convinced!back!then,!and!even!now!you!still!arent!

convinced! that! her! fathers! intentions! and! involvement! in! Nancys!

life!are!innocent.!But!if!you!ever!told!Nancy!about!your!concern!for!


6

her! safety! and!about! the!possible! threat!her! father!might!pose,! she!

would! accuse! you! of! being! jealouswhich! you! are!most! definitely!

not.!!

By!the!way,! I! saw!Paulo!earlier,!you!announce,!changing" the"

subject.!

Ugh,!Nancy!groans,!looking!at!her!nails.!That!guy!is!seriously!

obsessed!with!me.!

Her!cocky!attitude!makes!you!want!to!get"even"with!her.!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

If you decide to respond with, Maybe you should

go out with himyoud be perfect for each other,

go to page 8.

If you decide to respond with, Youre just so easy

to like, go to page 9.


!

7

Nancy! is! asking! for! money,! so! you! hand" her! a! few! quarters.!

Here,!take!some!of!my!change,!you!offer.!

Im!not!talking!about!your!money,!she!says,!pushing!away!the!

pile!of!coins!in!your!hand.!She!glances!at!the!laundry!cart.!Anyhow,!

you!need!it!more!than!I!do.!

You!bite" your" tongue.! If! she! doesnt! want!money,! what! does!

she!want?!You!are!too!embarrassed!to!ask.!Nancy!thinks"fast"on"her"

feet!and!sometimes!likes!to!show"off!how!much!smarter!she!is.!She!

doesnt!always!realize!how!much!words"can"hurt.!!

Last! night,! your! father! said! the! same! thingabout! you.! Your!

mother!had! just! finished!making!dinner.! Its! time! to! sit! the! table,!

she! said.! Knowing! full! well! she!meant! set" the" table! by!putting"

out!plates!and!silverware,!you!laughed.!Are!you!sure!thats!what!you!

want!me!to!do?!Then,!instead!of!ending!the!joke!right!there,!you!did!

exactly!what!she!seemed!to!be!asking:!You!sat"on!the!table.!

Flip,!get!down.!

You!turned!to!meet!your!fathers!disapproving!glare.!He!had!just!

arrived!home!from!work!and!had!heard!everything.!!

Words! can! hurt,! he! said! later.! For! someone! about! to! turn!

twentyEone,!you!should"know"better.!

Shaking! your! fathers! anger! from! your! head,! you! realize! that!

Nancy! is! staring! at! you! curiously! now.! She! is! still! waiting! to!hear"

your"thoughts.!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

Go to page 4.


8

Maybe!you!should! go!out!with!himyoud!be!perfect! for! each!

other,!you!tease.!!

Expecting! Nancy! to! laugh,! you! are! surprised! to! see! her! pretty!

eyes!darken.!You!feel!a!pang!of!guilt.!You!two!have!been!best!friends!

since!middle"school.!Yes,!Nancy!brags!about!all!the!boys!who!chase"

her" around,! but!deep" down! she! doesnt! really! care! about! getting!

attention.!In!fact,!even!though!she!has!never!admitted!it,!you!know!

she!would!trade!all!that!attention!in"a"heartbeat!for!a!chance!to!see!

her!father!again!and!fix!her!broken"family.!!

Im!sorry!for!the!dumb!joke.!You!didnt!really!mean!it%.%.%.%or!did!

you?!!

You!joke" around!too!much,!your!father!is!always!telling!you.!

You! have! a!mean" streak.! One! time! when! you! laughed! at! your!

mother!for!her!misuse!of!English!words,!your!dad!scolded!you.!That!

night,!as!your!mother!sat!quietly!in!the!bedroom,!you!felt!guilty.!You!

barely!tasted!dinner,!and!what!you!did!eat!sat"in"your"stomach!like!

a!heavy!rock.!

I!was!just!kidding,!you!later!tried!to!explain!to!your!dad.!!

It!doesnt!matter,!he!said.!You!hurt"her" feelings.!You!could!

feel!his!stern!eyes!on!you!as!you!marched!into!your!parents!bedroom!

to!apologize!to!your!mother.!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

Go to page 9.


!

9

Youre! just! so!easy! to! like,!you!tell!Nancy.!You!put!a!hand!on!

her!shoulder.!She!is!as!stiff!as!a!mannequin.!

How!would!you!know?!she!says,!hurt.!Ive!hardly!seen!you!the!

past!few!weeks.!

You! stare! miserably! at! the! stained! laundry! sack! in! the! cart!

bursting!with!dirty!clothes.!Sorry,!Nancy.!I!guess!Ive!also!had!a!lot!

on"my"mind.!

Nancys!shoulders!relax.!She!looks!down!at!the!dirt!between!her!

sandals!and!sighs.!Actually,!me!too.!!

Oh?!Whats!up?!

She! leans" in! close! to!you!and! lowers!her!voice.! Look,! Ive!got!

something! to! tell! you.! Im! not! supposed! to! tell! anybody! about! it,!

though.!Can!you!keep!a!secret?!

You!nod.!Of!course.!

II!got!a!note!last!night!from!himmy!father.!!

What?!You!shudderand!it!isnt!because!of!the!brisk!spring!air.!

We!were! supposed! to!meet! at! the!mall.! I!waited! and!waited,!

she! explains.! But! that! stupid! Paulo! showed! up! and! ruined!

everything.!She! looks!at!you!miserably.! My! father!must!have!seen!

him!with!me.!I!was!supposed!to!be!alone.!He!probably!got"spooked.!

You!are!relieved!the!meeting!didnt!go" through,!but!you!keep"

these"thoughts!to!yourself.!What!are!you!going!to!do?!

I! dont! have! his! number,! she! says.! I! guess! Ill! just!wait" and"

see.!

You!take" a" deep" breath.!You!dont!share!her!enthusiasm,!and!

Nancy!notices.!Whats!wrong?!she!asks.!

Well,!you!havent!seen!him!since!you!were!little.!Hes!practically!

a!complete!stranger.!And!then,!suddenly,!he!just!shows"up?!

And?!

Justjust!be!careful.!

Yeah,! yeah,! I! know,! she! says! quickly,! her! eyes" hardening.!

Look,! I!have!to!go.!Well!meet" up! later,!okay?!We!have!to!discuss!

the!fashion!show!for!the!Fair.!


10

You!want! to! say! something! to!make!her! stay,!but! she!walks!off!

with!a!wave!before!you!can!think!of!the!right!words.!

Suddenly,!you!remember!the!time.%All!this!talking!has!made!you!

forget!laundry!duty.!You!sigh.!If!you!dont!get!your!chores!out"of"the"

way!in!time,!you!will!be!late!for!work.!!

!

!

INSIDE!THE!LAUNDROMAT,!you!start!loading!your!fathers!stained!

work! shirts! and! your! mothers! cotton! dresses! in! the! washing!

machine!and!quickly! forget!about!your!exhaustion.!You!should! feel!

proud.! Your! mother! has! a! fullEtime! factory! job.! The! work! at! the!

Center! gives! you! more! than! enough! pocket" money.! Your! father!

recently!lost!his!job,!but!he!has!been!lucky!to!find!and!do!odd" jobs"

around! town.! It! saddens! you! that! your! dad,! a! former! school!

headmaster,! is! now! struggling! to! find! steady!work.! But! he! believes!

that!hard!work!is!nothing!to!be!ashamed!of!and!is!proud!that!he!can!

help!your!family!save!money!and!make"ends"meet.!!

The! other! day! he! surprised! you! with! an! envelope! of! cash! to!

deposit.!There!was!$500!inside.!Every!dollar!you!save!is!another"step"

closer! toward!helping!your!sister!and!her! family!emigrate! from!the!

refugee!camp!and!settle!in!the!U.S.!!

And%to%think%I%almost%gave%the%money%awayto%Bob%of%all%people.%

It!was! right! after! your! encounter!with! the! stranger.!Guilt" was"

eating"away"at"you!so!you!went!to!Bobs!office!intending!to!tell!him!

about!it.!Bob!was!on!the!phone,!frantic.!His!face!was!flushed,!and!his!

forehead!was!slick!with!sweat.!

Anything!wrong?!you!asked!after!he!ended!the!call.!!

Forgot!to!pay!a!bill,!he!said!vaguely.!And!I!forgot!my!wallet!at!

home.!No"big"deal.!

You!could!tell!by!Bobs!nervous!behavior!that!it!was!a"big"deal.!

You! thought! instantly! of! the! envelope! in! your! pocket,! but! before!

you!could!say!anything,!Bob!picked!up!the!phone!to!make"another"

call.!


!

11

As! you! slide! the! quarters! into! the! washing! machine,! your! cell!

phone! rings.! Startled,! you! drop! your! coins.! On! the! screen! Bobs!

name!pops" up.!You! fumble! to!answer! the!callHello,!Bob?but!

lose"the"connection.!For!a!moment,!you!imagine!Bob!clutching!his!

chest!like!Paulo!and!wondering!where!you!are.!As!you!crouch!down!

to!pick"up!your!coins,!you!call!him!back.!The!phone!rings!and!rings,!

but!Bob!doesnt!answer.!!

Hey,!you!missed!a!couple,!the!laundry!owner,!Mrs.!Tram,!says,!

handing!you!two!more!quarters.!!

You!will!just!have!to!wait"and"see!what!Bob!wants!once!you!get!

to!the!Center.!!

As!the!machine!fills!with!soapy!water!and!goes!through!the!wash!

cycle,!your!thoughts!return!to!the!envelope!of!money.!You!remember!

how!Bobs!brown!eyes!brightened!at!the!sight!of!it!when,!after!he!had!

hung"up!the!phone,!you!placed!it!on!a!wobbly!table!of!flyers.!!

Whats!that?!he!asked.!

My! father! asked!me! to! deposit! it,! you! admitted,! pushing! the!

envelope! toward! him.! But! dont! worry.! Im! sure! he! wont!mind! if!

you!borrow!it!for!your!emergency.!!

Bob!shut!his!eyes!and!shook!his!head,! looking!pale.!He!pushed!

the! envelope! back! so! quickly! that! the! unbalanced! table! pitched!

forward,!sending!the!flyers!fluttering!to!the!ground.!You!were!on!the!

floor!in!an!instant,!trying!to!ease!his!embarrassment.!!

I!cant!touch" your" dads" hardNearned"money,!Flip,!he!said,!

leaning" down! to! help! you.! That! close! to! him,! you! caught" a"

dizzying"whiff!of!sandalwoodor!was!it!vanilla?!Plus,!Im!worried!

about!him!working"under"the"table.!

!

If you think that Bob was talking about your

father fixing the table, go to page 12.

If you think that Bob was talking about something

illegal, go to page 13.


12

Bob! was! talking! about! your! father! fixing! the! table.! My! father!

loves!the!Center,!you!said.!He!wouldnt!charge!you!a!penny.!

What?!!

You!rocked!the!unsteady!table!to!show!him!how!badly!the!table!

needed!repair.!This!should!be!easy!for!him!to!fix.!

No,! no.! Working" under" the" table! doesnt! mean! fixing!

furniture.!It!means!doing" odd" jobs! for!cashstuff!that!doesnt!get!

reported.!!

You!shook!your!head! in!confusion.!Your! father!always! told!you!

to!obey!the!law,!so!why!was!he!doing!something!illegal?!

Because%we%cant%survive%without%the%extra%income%.%.%.!

You! tried! to! stay! calm! as! you! watched! Bob! fold! a! flyer! into! a!

small,!thick!square!and!place!it!under!the!wobbly!table!leg.!If!only!it!

were!that!easy!to!fix!the!situation!with!your!father.!!

Hes! a! good!man,!Bob! said,!placing! a!hand!on!your! shoulder.!

Sometimes!good!men!are!forced!to!do!the!wrong!thing!for!the!right!

reason.!

You! nodded,! a! little! calmer,! though! something! in! Bobs! voice!

made! you!wonder! if! he! was! talking!more! about! his! own! problems!

than!your!fathers.!!

While!Bob!went!off! to!discuss!something!with!Ms.!Galat! in! the!

front! office,! you! finished! dressing! the!mannequins! for! the! display.!

You! examined! the! gem! on! the! necklace,! the! one! the! man! had!

demanded!to!buy.!Some!of!the!red!paint!was!starting!to!flake!off.!!

If% only% it% were%more% than% just% glass% with% a% cheap% paint% job,! you!

remember!thinking.!

In! that! instance,! you! thought! about! your! sister! and!her! family.!

You! thought! about! your! mother! working! those! long! hours! at! the!

factory.!You! thought!about!your! father!doing!odd" jobs!under" the"

table.!More!money!could!solve!a!lot!of!problems.!

!

!

Go to page 13.


!

13

Bob! was! talking! about! something! illegal.! You! knew! Bob! was!

right! about! your! father!working" under" the" tablebut! the! extra!

cash!really!made"a"difference.!

You!push" thoughts!of!your!father!to" the" back" of" your"mind"

and!try!to!relax!by!reading!a!sports!magazine.!Afterward,!you!hurry!

home!as!best!as!you!can,!the!laundry!cart!wobbling!behind!you!on!its!

crooked!wheel.!!

Hey!!Watch!out!!A!car!screeches!as!it!drives!by!you.!!

You!scold!yourself.!You!need!to!pay"attention!and!stop!thinking!

about! Nancy,! Bob,! and! your! father.! But! it! is! impossiblethree!

people!you!care!about!are!in"trouble.!Knowing!that!you!will!have"to"

face! Bob! in! a! short! while,! you! try! to!make" sense! of! things.! You!

think!back!to!the!strange!encounter!with!the!bearded!man.!

You! were! working! on! the! display! case.! The!mannequin! in! her!

soft,! silk! sari!was! just! about! perfect.! You! started! to!head" down! to!

the!basement!to!get!another!box!of!scarves!for!the!display!when!you!

noticed!that!the!dim!lights!were!already!switched!on!downstairs.!In!

the! far! corner! of! the! room,! Bob!was!whispering! nervously! into! his!

phone.!!

I!need!more! time,!he! said!as!he!paced! the!basement.! I!dont!

know.!But!Ill!get!the!money,!okay?!!

As!you!moved!in!closer,!your!arm!knocked!over!a!stack!of!empty!

paint!cans.!!

Hold" on,! he! whispered! into! the! phone.! Whos! there?! he!

called!out.!

You! ran! back! up! the! stairs! before! he! could! see! you.!Ms.! Galat!

looked!concerned!to!see!you!out"of"breath!in!front!of!her!desk.!Bob!

forgot!his!wallet!and!needs!money,!you!explained.!I!think!he!might!

be!in!trouble.!

Bob?!Needing!money?!Ms.!Galat!seemed!surprised!but!slightly!

amused.! Dont!worry! about! that!man,!dear.!Bob!was!born" with" a"

silver"spoon"in"his"mouth.!

You!frowned,!wondering!what!she!meant.!


14

Rich!family,!she!explained.!But!you"didnt"hear" it" from"me.!

Now,!make" yourself!some!tea.!Ill!go!see!if!I!cant!get!him!to!hang"

up!that!phone!so!we!can!get"some"work"done!around!here.!

Instead! of! having! tea,! you! sat! glumly! at! a! table! and! looked!

around!her!bright!office.!You!realized!how!things!have!improved!so!

much! under!Ms.!Galats! care.! She! is! responsible! for! the! dayEtoEday!

stuff,!and!the!office!has!never!run" smoother.!Each!week!she!sorts"

out!problems!for!the!school!children!and!their!parents!and!handles!

medical!emergencies!in!more"languages!than"you"can"count.!

When! she! came! back! up,! her! eyes! were! wet.! She! ran! a! hand!

through!her! red!hair!and! threw!her!pocketbook!down!on!her!desk.!

Bob!told!me!to!mind"my"own"business.!She!sat!down!and!sniffled.!!

You! had! never! seen! Bob!make!Ms.! Galat! cryor! anybody,! for"

that" matter.! You! wondered! if! Bob! was! mad! at! you! for! talking"

behind"his"back.!When!you!heard!his!office!door!slam,!you!decided!

to!check"in!with!him.!!

You!were!surprised!to!find!him!talking!to!Jim,!the!owner!of!the!

Deep! Water! Scuba! Shop! across! town.! He! was! waving! his! arms!

excitedly!in!the!air.!You!had!never!seen!Jim!at!the!Center!before.!Ms.!

Galat!had!introduced!you!to!Jim!once!when!you!had!first!expressed!

your! interest! in! learning!to!dive.!You!recalled!the! familiar!way!they!

had! greeted! each! other,! exchanging! kisses! on! the! cheek.! Then! you!

noticed! a! picture! of!Ms.! Galat! on! his! Wall! of! Fame! at! the! shop.!

These!were!pictures!of!divers!in!exotic!places!around!the!world.!!

Nice! boat,! you! said,! pointing! to! a! younger! Ms.! Galat! posing!

beside!a!man!in!a!blue!jacket!and!white!pants.!

She!and!Jim!laughed!at!the!same!time.!The!captain!prefers!that!

people!call!it!a!yacht.!

Whats!Elmas?!You!pointed!at!a!word!on!the!side!of!the!yacht.!!

You!mean!who,! Jim!said.!People!often!use!womens!names!to!

name!their!.!.!.!boats.!!

As! Jim!gave!you!a! tour!of! the!building!and!pool,!Ms.!Galat!had!

remained!strangely!silent.!!


!

15

Anyway,!it!was!only!natural!that!Ms.!Galat!would!introduce!Jim!

to!Bob!at" some" point.! But! the! timing!of! Jims! visit! that!day,! right!

after! you! heard! Bob! on! the! phone! revealing! his! money! problems,!

bothered! you.! As! the! two!men! talked,! Bobs! face! turned! gray!with!

fear.!Not!wanting!to!be!seen!eavesdropping,!you!left!for!your!cup!of!

tea.!You!sipped!your!tea!and!tried!to!calm!down!by!reading!the!many!

inspirational!posters!behind!Ms.!Galats!desk.!Your!favorite!one!is!of!

a!full!moon!hanging!over!a!glistening!ocean!with!the!words,!Reach!

for!the!moon!and!land!among!the!stars,!printed!above.!!

Ms.! Galat! turned! to! you.! How! is! he?! she! asked,! glancing! at!

Bobs!desk!across!the!hall.!!

Talking!to!Jim!from!the!scuba!shop,!you!said!and!left!it!at!that.!!

Except! you! remember! seeing! her! nails! dig! into! the! side! of! her!

desk!as!she!shot" to"her" feet.!She!strode!quickly!to!the!window!and!

stared!down!at!the!parking!lot.!After!what!seemed!like!a!long!while,!

she!turned"around!and!set!her!hands!on!your!shoulders.!From!now!

on,!she!said,!keep"your"eyes"peeled"around!Jim.!

Now,!anxious!to!pick"up"that"conversation!again,!you!pull!the!

laundry!cart! faster!over!the!bumpy!sidewalk.!You!yank!so!hard!that!

the!wobbly!wheel!nearly!breaks!off.!As!you!lean!down!to!inspect!the!

cart!and!tighten!the!screws!on!the!faulty!wheel,!you!spot!Jim.!!

You! freeze,! unsure! whether! you! should! get" his" attention! or!

keep!walking.!He!is!across!the!street,!looking!around!nervously.!

Keep"your"eyes"peeled,!Ms.!Galat!had!said.%%

What%did%she%mean?!

!

!

!

If you think that Ms. Galat wanted you to stay

away from Jim, go to page 16.

If you think that Ms. Galat wanted you to pay

more attention to Jim, go to page 29.


16

Ms.!Galat!wanted!you!to!stay!away!from!Jim.!Remembering!her!

words!of!warning,!you!walk!hurriedly!home.!Luckily,!Jim!doesnt!see!

you.!

By! noon,! you! have!dropped" off! the! laundry! and! are!on" your"

way! to! the!Center.!Walking!more!quickly!without! the!cart!helps! to!

clear"your"head.!Along!the!way,!you!see!flyers!for!the!International!

Fair! in! every! shop!window.! One!more!week!! the! baker! shouts! as!

you! pass! him.! He! has! volunteered! to! supply! bread! and! platters! of!

Italian!cookies.!

By! the! time!you!are!a! few!blocks!away,!you! feel!convinced!that!

everything! is! going! to! be! fine.!When! the! familiar! brick! building! of!

the! Tubman! Refugee! Center! comes! into! view,! you! smile.! You!

imagine! a! busy,! productive! day.!Whatever! is! happening! with! your!

friends,!you!will! always!be" there" for" them.!But! it! is!crunch" time!

now,!and!you!need!to!focus.!Bob!has!given!you!the!responsibility!of!

advertising!and!setting"up!the!display!case,!and!you!are!also!helping!

Nancy!with! the! fashion! show.!With! just! a!week!until! the!Fair,! it! is!

coming"down"to"the"wire.!!

Get%your%head$in$the$game,!you!tell!yourself.!!

You! start! jogging! the! rest" of" the" way! to! the! building!when! a!

police!siren!stops"you"in"your"tracks.!A!line!of!black!and!white!cars!

is!parked!near!the!front!entrance.!Yellow!tape!like!streamers!blocks!

the!walkway! in! the! front!of! the!building.!Through! the!doors!of! the!

Center,!you!can!see!that!the!lobby!is!thick!with!uniformed!cops.!

You! rush" in! looking! for! Bob! but! a! blond! police! officer! blocks!

you.!Miss,!this!building!is!offNlimits.!

I!work!here!!you!protest.!

Bob! steps" into" view.! Its! okay,! Officer.! This! is! my! assistant,!

Patricia!Nzinga,!he!explains,!escorting!you!inside.!!

You! gasp! when! you! walk! around! the! lobby.! Shattered! glass! is!

strewn!everywhere,!and!the!beautiful!items!from!the!display!case!you!

have!been!working!on!are!smashed!up!and!ripped!apart.!!

Whatwhat!happened?!


!

17

Bob! looks!sadly!at! the!broken!glass.! With! this!mess,!we!might!

have!to!cancel!the!Fair.!He!looks!at!the!police!officer.!Then!he!turns!

to! you.! Think,!Flip,!he! says.! Do!you!know!anyone!who!might!be!

mixed"up"with!this?!

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!

!

!

!

!

If you decide to respond with, No, I have no clue,

go to page 18.

If you decide to respond with, Yes, I was going to

tell you. A man came by the Center yesterday, go

to page 20.


18

No,!I!have!no!clue,!you!answer,!though!you!know!that!this!isnt!

the!complete!truth.!!

But%its%just%a%white$lie%.%.%.!

Staring!down!at!the!mess!on!the!floor,!you!almost!have!a!change"

of" heart.! By! not! telling! Bob! about! the! bearded! stranger! sooner,! it!

looks! like! you! have! brought! trouble! to! the! Center.! You!worry! that!

you!might!make!Bob!look!guilty!because!of!your!inaction.!You!want!

to!tell!Bob!now,!but!the!police!officer!is!glaring!at!you!as!if!she!sees"

into"your"mind.!!

Bob! turns! to! the! police! officer.! Officer! Howell,! FlipI!mean,!

Patriciahas!been!working!on!the!display!case.!!

Did! you! notice! anyone! suspicious! coming! in! or! out! of! the!

building?!Officer!Howell!asks!you.!

You! glance! at! Bob! for! help,! but! he! has! stepped! away! to! take! a!

phone!call!and!isnt!paying"attention.!!

Any!bad"blood!between!the!Center!and!others!we!should!know!

about?!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

If you think that Officer Howell thinks you might

have seen blood, go to page 19.

If you think that Officer Howell is asking why

someone would break in, go to page 20.


!

19

Officer! Howell! thinks! you! might! have! seen! blood.! You! shake!

your!head.!Your! stomach! flutters!with! fear.! Is! someone!hurt?! you!

ask.!

Um,! no,! Officer! Howell! says,! scowling.! She! turns! to! Bob.! Is!

there!anyone!else! I! can! talk! to?!Someone!who!can!answer!a! simple!

question?!

She%thinks%Im%an%idiot%.%.%.!

Bob!sighs.!Flip,!maybe!you!should!just!go!home" for" the" day,!

he!tells!you.!Ill!finish"up!here!and!call!you!later.!!

Are!you!sure?!Bob!is!a!good!friend.!You!dont!feel!right!leaving!

him!with!this!mess!but!the!offer!is!tempting.!Now!you!wish!that!you!

had!stayed!in!bed!this!morning.!!

Ridiculous,!Officer!Howell!mutters,!turning!away.!

Whats% this%womans%problem?% It!seems!like!she!dislikes!you"no"

matter"what!you!say.!

Im!just!trying!to!figure"out!a!possible!motive!for!the!breakNin,!

she!explains.!

Suddenly,!it!dawns"on"you.!Officer!Howell!wasnt!talking!about!

blood!at!all;! she!was!talking!about!bad" blood!between!people.!She!

wants!to!know!if!you!know!anyone!who!might!have! ill" will! toward!

the!Center!or!one!of!its!workers.!

Wait,!you!say.!I!think!I!do!remember!something.!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

Go to page 20.

!

!

!

!

!

[ A B O U T T H E A U T H O R ]

!

!

!

MARY!M.!SLECHTA!holds!degrees!

from!the!University!of!

Connecticut!and!Syracuse!

University.!Her!junior!year!abroad!

at!the!University!of!Rouen!sparked!

a!lifelong!interest!in!travel!and!led!

to!a!career!as!an!English!language!

teacher.!She!taught!ESOL!for!

about!25!years!at!the!elementary!

through!university!level!in!Syracuse,!New!York,!a!refugee!

resettlement!city!continuously!renewed!by!the!hard!work!and!

passion!of!its!newest!members.!The!daughter!of!an!immigrant!herself,!

she!is!the!author!of!the!poetry!collection!Wreckage%on%a%Watery%

Moon!(FootHills!Publishing).!Often!concerned!with!themes!of!

identity!and!place,!her!poetry!and!fiction!appear!in!many!journals!

and!anthologies,!including!New%to%North%America:%Writing%by%

Immigrants,!Their%Children%and%Grandchildren!(Burning!Bush!

Publications),!and!Identity%Lesson:%Contemporary%Writing%About%

Learning%to%Be%an%American!(Penguin!Books).!

!

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!

!

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[ A B O U T T H E P U B L I S H E R ]

!

!

!

NIGHT!OWLS!PRESS!(nightowlspress.com)!is!a!small,!independent!

press!that!publishes!nonfiction!books!that!challenge!and!reEimagine!

prevailing!conventions!about!business,!work,!and!life.!Covering!

topics!on!entrepreneurship,!education,!innovation,!and!social!

responsibility,!its!focus!is!to!turn!big!ideas!into!great!books!that!

inform!and!inspire.!!

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Find!out!more!about!Night!Owls!Press!books!at!

www.nightowlspress.com/eEbookEstore/.!For!special!orders!and!bulk!

purchases,[email protected].!

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[ A B O U T T H E S E R I E S ]

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TURN!OF!PHRASE!ESL!(TOP!ESL)!is!the!firstEever!educational!series!

that!introduces!English!language!learners!to!idioms,!phrasal!verbs,!

and!collocations!in!the!form!of!chooseable!path!novels.!TOP!ESL!is!

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Find!out!more!about!the!series!at!www.nightowlspress.com/turnEofE

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Available!titles:!

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An Artful Heist by Jacob Jun

Blackout by G.K. Gilbert

Cleaning House by Rebecca M. Karli

The Spoonmakers Diamond by Mary M. Slechta

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FREE EXCERPT: The Spoonmaker's Diamond (Turn of Phrase ESL)