becool

Oh,wow,Irememberthis

8-12CoolClive

WrittenbyMichaelaMorganandillustratedbyDeeShulman

Chapter1

Lookattheotherkidsinmyclass.

Theyhavetherighthaircuts.

Theyhavetherightclothes-thejeans,thet-shirts,thecapsandthetrainers.

Thearemyfriends.

TheymaythinkI'mnotallthatbig.

TheymaythinkI'owI'ubleismyclothesarejustnotcoolatall.

"'tcare,"Isaytomylf-butIdocare.

"Youcanwearmycapfortoday,"saysmybestfriend-butit'snotthesame.

Mymumsays,

owshe'n'ldn'tmattertome.

Iwanttobelikemyfriends.

ndIcaneexactlywhatIcouldlooklike.

AndIsay,Butshealwayssays,

SoIsay,"CanIhavesomet-shirtsliketho?"

Butshesays,"You'vegotplentyofyourcousins'oldshirtsthatyouhaven'tgrownintoyet."

AndwhenIsay,"Lookatthotrainers,'tsuppo..."

Shesays,"I'msorry,can'taffordthem."

ItemsthatalmosteverythingIhavebelongedtosomeoneelbeforeme.

Andthefashionshavechangedabitsincemycousinswerekids.

mine:

Myfriendsays,It'sagoodrap.

Butit'snotsuchagoodfeeling.

Don'thavetherightsortoftrainers

Don'thavetherightsortofhair

Don'thavetherightsortoflabels

PretendthatIdon'tcare.

BUTOhWOW!Lookatthemnow!Allthestyle,Alltheknow-how-Puma,Hi-techandReebok,CoolasCool,They'vegotthe

lot!

AndOhWOW!I'mfeelinggreen,They'vethecoolestkidsI''vecoolinschoolandcoolinthestreet,Cool

ascoolfromheadtofeet.

JustbeyourlfWhatyouweardoesn'tmatter.

Mum,CanIhavejeans

liketho?

Icangetyouapairfromthe

marketforhalftheprice.

Ooh!Iudtolovethisshirt

Sheisrightyouknow

Chapter2

IknowexactlywhatIwant.I'vetheminashopwindow.

AndIknowexactlywhatmymumwillsay:

Idreamaboutthotrainers.

MaybeIcouldfindsomelonglosttreasureandbuythem.

MaybeIcouldearnarewardandbuythem.

MaybeIcouldgetajoband...

That'swhatI'lldo!

I''snoteasyfindingajob,especiallywhenyou'remyage.

FirstIlookedatnewspaper.

uldIdo?

Icouldlookatthecardsinthewindowofthecornershop.

Therewereplentyofcards:

That'stheoneforme!

I'llgetajob,savethemoney,and

I'llbeCoolClive

TheCoolestKidAlive.

ButwhenIasked,themansaid,

You'renotbigenough...notoldenough...notstrongenough...Comebackwhenyou'reolder.

Moneydoesn''thavemoneytoburn!

MaybeforChristmas...

SITUATIONSVACANT

WANTEDhairdresr’sassistantsuitschool-leaverphone:FAY16841

Secretarymatureladypreferredtel42136……一大堆招聘信息

This￡100chequeisasmalltokenofourgratitude

Ithought……andthought

and……Ihadanidea

ForSale

Tabletennistablebyfamilymovinghouwithslightlywobblylegs

Tel33451

¥5eachPhone42213aliu6

offersrefud.

Phone23%79＄

NewspaperDelivery

BOYSANDGIRLSWANTED

APPLYWITHIN

OutsidetheshopImetRickHamleyfromMrJacob'raggingthebagbehind

him,andhewaslookinghotandtried.

"I'hework,sharethemoney,ok?

TellyourMumI'omorrow6.30

6.30?6.30!

Surelyhedidn'tmean6.30inthemorning

Hedid!

ThatnightIwassoexcitedIcouldhardlysleep.I'daskedmymumifIcouldhelpRickwithhispaperroundand,aftera

bit,shehadagreed.

Shehelpedmetthealarmclockforhalfpastfiveandshemademegotobedextraearly.

It'shardtogotosleepwhenit'deasortofsongwhich

wentroundandroundandround...

I'lldeliverthenewsI'llearnmoneyI'llbuyshoesI'llbuytrainerscoolandsnazzyBigandboldand

brightandjazzyImaginemewhenIgettoschoolLookingsogreatLookingsocoolListentotheothersHear

themsayLookatCliveLookatCliveHe'sthecoo了stkidalive!

IntheendIfellasleep,andthen

BRRING!!

ItwastimetogetupandgetstartedonmyfirstweekdeliveringthepaperswithRick.

MONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAY

nwetter.

ButIcarriedon...

FRIDAY...SATURDAY...OnSUNDAYthenewspapersareverythickandheavy.

dthatbag.

Inearlygaveup,!

ButthenextdayImetRick...

I'mgoingtoworkwithGazfromnowon...

..You'retoolittle......tooslow......AndyoumakemistakesL0OK

ExcumeIdidn'torderthis!!Iwantmycomic!!.

Seeyouaround!

Chapter3

Iwenthomeandcountedmymoney.

ImadeaspecialsavingsbookandthenIhadarest.

IwaswornoutandfedupandIstillneededloadsmoremoney.

'tgoin,incatherewereanymoreunhappycustomerswaitingforme,butI

readthecardsoutside.

Therewereafewnewones.

Oy!Where'smyBIKERSWORLD?

ForSale10

SetofDiningbabyrabbits￡3each,forquicksale.

ChairsbyfamilymovinghouwithsolidwoodenbottomsPhone42213

TEL33451after6

DOGWALKERWANTED

Givemydogonegoodwalkaday,andearnextrapocketmoney.

34ParkNack,Barkwood

YES!That'sthejobforme!

Iwrotedowntheaddress,askedmymum,andwentaroundtoethelady.

"You'renotveryold,"shesaid."You'renotverybig...butyouaretheonlyonewho'saskedforthejob...soI'llgiveyouatry."

Here'shisleadandhere's...TOODLES

"NowjusttakeToodlesoncearoundthepark,''tgethim

er:onceroundtheparkandthenstraightbackhome..."

he'dtoldthedog.

Noodleshadamindofhisown.

Wewentonceroundthepark.

Noproblem.

ButthenNoodlesdecidedtogoroundagainandagain...andagain.

NONODDLESSPLASH!

slikedthewater.

slikedthemudandthemanure.

Oh,GetTHATDOGOUTOFHERE!

slikedtherubbish.

ThenNoodlesdecidedtogohome-theshortway.

Theladywasnotplead.

Notpleadatall.

Shegavemethemoneyforonedaybut,Thisisnotthejobforyou。Don'tcomebacktomorrow!

ThisisNOTthejobforforyouDon’tcomebacktomorrow

Iwenthome,countedmymoney,filledinmybook,Thenhadabathandarest.

mestherewerenewnotice:

FORSALE25RbbbitsFREE

rcall

Baby’scotbyfamilymovinghouwithascrewlooANYTIMEATALL422113

Tel3345147HutchWalk

DUCKLINASANDCHICKSGOINGCHEAP

Tel89136

Buttherewasonlyonejob:

WANTED

CIRCUSPERFORMERCanyouwalkthehighwire?

Canyouswallowfire?Canyoujugglewithknives?

idedtostartedmyownbusiness.

Imadeposters:andleaflets:

CARCLEANINGIfyourcarissplashedwithmudandrain

AndoddJobscallforclive64120Ifthereareloadsofleaveslyinginyourdrain

Don’tjustsotthereandcomplain

CALLFORCLIVE!Clivecleanstillitgleamsphone64120

IfthebirdskeepmessingonyourwindscreenYourcarwasflashybutnowit’ssplashy,whatdoyoudo?

Don’’tgetmeanCALLFORCLIVE

JustCALLforCLIVE!64120CLIVE’SCARCLEANINGANDODDJOBS

Phone64120

Iborrowedsomeequipment-abucket,aspongeandacloth-andoffIwent.

Iwasdoingverywell,verywellindeed,when...

...Ihad......Abitofon...

''tfallinthepond,but...

"I'mverysorry...Itwasanaccident...I'llpayforthedamage."

Ihadleftwasmysoggysponge,mycloth,andmybucketwithaholeinit.

CanyouimaginehowIleft?

IwastrudginghomebytheparkwhenIheard:

Toodles!comeback!Then:ow!keepthatdogundercontrol!Andthen:Splosh!

ohavealookandgottherejustintimetoeamancrawling

'tlookhappyatall.

:Sorry...We'rejustlookingafterthisdog...Areyouokay?

NoI'mNot!Lookatme!

Andlookatmybag...

GazandRickweretryingtopullNoodlesawayandapologizetothemanatthesametime.

Chapter4

obbingaboutslowlyanddriftingaroundincircles.

"It'sfullofveryimportantpapers,"saidtheman."Ohno!It'sgoingtosink!Getafishingnetquick!"heyelled.

Afishingnet...Hasanybodygotafishingnet?

wassinkingandnoonehadafishingnet.

ButIdidhaveanidea.

Iudmycloth,mybucketwithaholein,andalongstick,and..."OU!"said

theman."You'liketorewardyou."

Heputhishandintohissoggybagand......Iheldmybreathandwished.

Money?Moneytobuymytrainers?

Thenhepulledout...alittlesoggycardwithanaddressonit.

"Popinandeme,"hesaid.

Andthenhewentleavingnothingbehindbutapatchofdampgrassandsomeduckweed.

Iwenthomeandtoldmymumallaboutit.

Well,youhadyourwitsaboutyou!Butyou'renotgoingcallingonstrangerswithoutmysay-so.

me:,ifyouwanttogo,I'mgoingwithyou.

SoIhadtowaittillSaturdaywhenshehadthedayoffwork.

InawayIwasgladshe'bigwarehouinasidestreet,hugeanddustyandfull

ofboxes.

Abitspooky.

man:Hello,there!I'vebeenwaitingforyoutoturnup.

wasn'staringatahugeheapofboxes.

It’sthotrainersyou’remadabout!Pilesofthem!

Themanwasbusytellingmeallabouthisjob,"Ibringinallthethings-somefromothercountries-andIllthemtoshops."

"I'veensomeinshopwindows,"Isaid.

man:Wouldyoulikesomeofthe?Doyouthinkthey'renice?

me:NICE?They'rebrilliant...They'refantastic...They'recool

"Helpyourlftoafewthingsthen,"saidtheman.

"Ohwecouldn't..."saidmymum.

YESWECOULD!YESWECOULD!

"Yes,youcould,"agreedtheman,"orewardhim!"

SoIgotacapandsomejeans,!!

wshoesIfelttaller.

IlookedthewayI'dalwaysfeltIwas-CoolClive,thecoolestkidalive!!

me:Thisismymum.