Chapter 1   Hattie the Adventurer?

     Sophie Mouse was having a great Monday.
     First, her mom had made maple nut pancakes for breakfast.
     Next, at school Sophie's teacher had given the class an extra recess. "You all did so well on your math quiz! Go enjoy some time outside!" Mrs. Wise had said.
   
     Then, Sophie remembered her acorn jacks were in her pocket. She showed them to her friends Hattie Frog and Owen Snake. "Want to play?" Sophie asked.
     Hattie and Owen nodded eagerly.
     So the three friends sat down next to the hopscotch court. Owen went first. He had to bounce the ball and grab the jacks with his tail--and he was surprisingly good. He got all the way to foursies!
     Hattie went next. She got up to fivesies. Then she missed one jack.
     Sophie went last. She almost messed up on twosies. But after that, she breezed right through tensies. Sophie won! It felt like her lucky day.
   
     "Let's play again," said Hattie. She was eager for a rematch. "I'll go first this time."
     While Hattie got ready, Sophie overheard her classmates in the hopscotch line. Ellie Squirrel was talking about going camping.
   
   
     "Really?" said Zoe, a bluebird. "Like sleeping outside?"
     Malcolm Mole shook his head. "No way," he said. "I don't like the idea of sleeping on the ground."
     Sophie giggled. Didn't Malcolm sleep under the ground?
   
     Owen must have overheard the others too, because he nudged Sophie. "Have you ever been camping?" Owen asked.
     Sophie shook her head. "Nope."
     "I have!" Hattie exclaimed. "At this campground called Pine Crest. I've gone a few times with my family."
   
     Owen's eyes lit up. "What's it like?" he asked Hattie.
     Hattie thought for a second. "It's fun! And something always happens that makes for a good story." Hattie laughed. "Like last time, Lydie got our tarp stuck up in a tree. It was snagged on a branch. Lydie had to stand on my dad's shoulders to reach it. And when the tarp came loose, it fell on top of them!"
   
     Hattie giggled. She described her dad and sister stumbling around like a very tall ghost.
     The image made Sophie and Owen laugh too.
     "Hey!" Hattie said suddenly. "What if we three went camping?"
   
   
     Sophie frowned. "Just us?" she asked. "By ourselves?" She was a little surprised. Hattie was usually the cautious friend. Sometimes she got scared easily. And she wasn't always up for an adventure.
     But Hattie looked so excited. And so did Owen.
   
     "Lydie was allowed to camp out with friends when she was my age," Hattie said. "I know how to safely build a campfire. I know the best trail to the campground. I think I know how to put up a tent. But I can practice that."
     "I don't know how to do any of those things," said Owen. "But I'm ready to help. Let's do it! How about next weekend?"
     Sophie smiled. It was hard not to be excited when her friends were so excited. "Okay!" she agreed. "Let's go camping!"

---

Excerpted from The Whispering Woods by Poppy Green
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.