CHAPTER ONE
Roger
Roger was a toy chick that lived with his mother, Olive, on a shelf in Farmer Bickford's barn. Olive the hen liked the quiet of the barn. She was happy on the shelf watching the real pigs, chickens, and cows. "Just cozy up to me, my little chick," Olive would say to Roger. "The shelf is a safe home. And safe is best."
   Roger thought safe was boring. He wanted to do fun things. He wanted to go to new places.
Roger wanted to see the world, but he could only peek out from under Olive's wing. He had a bit of scratchy Velcro on his back. There was a matching soft bit under Olive's wing. Olive loved to have her wing wrapped around Roger, holding him tight.
  Too tight, Roger thought.
   All week long, Roger looked forward to Saturday. That was the day that Farmer Bickford brought Olive and Roger to the farmers' market to help her sell eggs. Olive and Roger made people smile. They made Farmer Bickford's table look friendly and fun.
   Roger loved the farmers' market. It was an exciting, busy place. There were many tables with people selling vegetables, fruits, cheese, jam, bread, and pies. Dogs barked. People laughed and talked. Sometimes kids even played with Olive and Roger while their parents bought eggs. Roger tried to see, hear, and smell everything at the farmers' market so he could remember it all week long.
   But one Saturday, Roger heard terrible news.
   As Farmer Bickford was packing up to go home, a woman came to the table to buy eggs. "You're just in time," Farmer Bickford said. "Today is the last farmers' market of the year, and you are my last customer."
  Last farmers' market of the year? Roger couldn't believe it! Without the farmers' market, there wouldn't be anything exciting to look forward to. Every day would be the same. Saturday would be just another boring day on the shelf.
   "I'm glad I came in time!" The woman opened her purse to get some money. "I'd like a dozen eggs, please."
  I have to do something! Roger thought. He wiggled to see better, and a little bit of his Velcro came loose. Then he wiggled again. A little more came loose. One more wiggle and he was unstuck! For the first time, he was on his own! Here's my chance! he thought. I will see the world!
   He rolled down the table and off the edge. Cannonball!
   Roger landed on some soft green lettuce in the woman's shopping bag.
   Farmer Bickford laughed. "I guess Roger wants to go home with you."
   The woman smiled as she lifted Roger out of her bag. "He's so cute! He'd be perfect for the Book Buddies program at my library!"
   "Book buddies?" Farmer Bickford asked.
   The woman nodded. "I'm Anne, the children's librarian. The Book Buddies are toys at the library. Children can play with them and read to them. The toys can even be borrowed and taken home. Each Book Buddy has a journal for the children to write down the toy's adventures."
   Other toys had adventures? That sounded so wonderful that Roger felt sad. If only I could be a Book Buddy and have adventures, too, he thought.
   "Wow, that program sounds fun. When I was a child, I loved to read," Farmer Bickford said. "In fact, I still do!"
   "Me too!" Anne smiled as she put Roger back on the table. "Please stop in the library sometime. I'd love to hear what books you're reading."
   "I will!" Farmer Bickford said, handing her a dozen eggs. Anne paid for the eggs, but then as she turned to leave, Farmer Bickford called out, "Wait!"
   Farmer Bickford looked at Roger and Olive. Then she smiled at Anne. "Since this is the last farmers' market for the year and you are the last customer, you get a prize!"
   Roger wondered what the prize could be.
   "Two prizes, in fact!" Farmer Bickford said. "When I was a child, I would have loved your Book Buddies program. So I want to give Olive and Roger to you for the library. They have
been a big help to me, but now I'd like them to be played with and loved."
   "Thank you! The children will be so happy to meet them," Anne said. "I'll make sure they're always borrowed together. Two for one!"
   Farmer Bickford showed Anne how to stick Roger to Olive using their patches of Velcro. "They usually stay together. I don't know what happened today. Maybe their Velcro is getting old?"
   She grinned. "Or maybe Roger has learned to unstick himself! I always did think he looked like a little daredevil."
   Anne smiled at the soft chick peeking out from under Olive's wing. He looked like a cute yellow puffball. He did not look like a daredevil--not even a little one.
   Looks can be wrong, though.

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Excerpted from Book Buddies: Roger Takes a Chance by Cynthia Lord
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.