The Stinky Sneakers Mystery

Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers

P
ICTURE
B
OOKS
In Jesse's Shoes • Just Like Mama
What Is God Like? • What Is Heaven Like?

T
HE
C
UL-DE-SAC
K
IDS
The Double Dabble Surprise
The Chicken Pox Panic
The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
No Grown-ups Allowed
Frog Power
The Mystery of Case D. Luc
The Stinky Sneakers Mystery
Pickle Pizza
Mailbox Mania
The Mudhole Mystery
Fiddlesticks
The Crabby Cat Caper
Tarantula Toes
Green Gravy
Backyard Bandit Mystery
Tree House Trouble
The Creepy Sleep-Over
The Great TV Turn-Off
Piggy Party
The Granny Game
Mystery Mutt
Big Bad Beans
The Upside-Down Day
The Midnight Mystery
Katie and Jake and the Haircut Mistake
www.BeverlyLewis.com

The Stinky Sneakers Mystery
Copyright © 1996
Beverly Lewis

Cover illustration by Paul Turnbaugh
Story illustrations by Janet Huntington

All rights reserved. No part of this publication 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 the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2012

eISBN 978-1-4412-6071-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

To
Darrel Barnes

(Surprise!)

ONE

Jason Birchall wanted first place in the science fair. So did
all
the kids in Miss Hershey's class.

But Jason was the only one bragging about his project.

He bragged to his friends Eric, Shawn, and Dunkum. He bragged during math, at lunch, and all during recess.

Jason was still talking about his project on the walk home from school. “I'm getting first place this year,” he said. “Can you guess why?”

Eric Hagel and Shawn Hunter shook their heads. “Nope,” said Eric.

“Nope,” repeated Shawn. “I not.” He was still learning English. Shawn and his brother, Jimmy, had come from Korea.

“Hurry up, Jason. Spit it out,” Dunkum Mifflin said. “What's so great about your project?”

Jason spotted Abby Hunter and her best friend, Stacy Henry. “Hey, girls,” he called to them. “Wanna hear about my science project?”

Abby and Stacy didn't even turn around. They whispered to each other instead.

They're really dying to know
, thought Jason.

In the middle of the cul-de-sac, Jason stopped. He put his hands up to his mouth and shouted, “I have the best scienee project in the world!”

Abby glanced over her shoulder.
“You're going to make yourself disappear, right?”

Stacy Henry giggled.

Eric and Shawn tried not to.

“Very funny,” said Jason.

“Come on,” Dunkum said. “Give it to us straight. What's your project?”

“Yes, give us
good
hint,” Shawn said.

Jason folded his arms across his chest. He looked at his cul-de-sac friends.

And . . .
whoosh!

The words shot past his lips. Out into the air they flew. “Super sprouts,” he said. “I'm growing super sprouts.”

Eric laughed. “Anyone can do that.”

“Not the way
I'm
growing them,” Jason said.

“What's so special about it?” asked Dunkum.

Jason's voice got louder. “My sprouts are growing in a piece of carpet.”

Shawn looked puzzled. “Magic sprouts?”

Eric's eyes got wide. But he was silent.

Shawn grinned at Jason. “You get first place!”

“You're right!” Jason shouted. “And next week we'll find out!”

“We sure will,” Eric said. There was a sly grin on his face. A very sly grin.

Now Jason was worried. He watched Eric run up the steps to his house.

What was
Eric's
project? And why was he acting so strange?

TWO

Jason was counting. Three more days until the science fair.

He sat on the beanbag in his room. He was trying to do math. Ten problems for tomorrow.

Jason groaned. He was only half finished.

He couldn't keep his mind on math. He gazed at the windowsill. The super sprouts were growing there in a piece of green carpet.

Jason stared at them. He stared hard.

He imagined a giant trophy floating over the sprouts.

Jason could hear Miss Hershey's voice. She was telling the class about his project. Miss Hershey was bragging about him.

“Now for the best student in the class,” she said. “Will Jason Birchall please come forward?”

The kids were green with envy.

Abby and Stacy were pointing.

Eric and Dunkum were leaning forward in their seats.

Everyone was whispering.
Jason . . . Jason
. . . His name flew around the classroom.

Jason stood up and went to Miss Hershey's desk. All eyes were on him.

The teacher held up a shiny, gold trophy. First place!

“Wow,” said the kids.

Jason held up his green carpet square and the super sprouts. He held them high.

“Jason! Yippe-e-e!” The whole class cheered. Wild, happy cheering.

Z-z-z. Jason was asleep in his beanbag.

The phone rang. Jason jumped.

His mother called to him, “It's your friend Eric.”

Jason rubbed his eyes. He pulled himself out of the beanbag. “I'm coming,” he mumbled.

He shuffled down the hallway. His mother held out the phone.

“Hello?” Jason said.

“Hi,” Eric said. “You know that sprout project of yours?”

Jason yawned. “Uh-huh.”

“Well, don't plan on winning first place.” Eric sounded too sure of himself.