Keeping Secrets

By P. J. Denton and Julia Denos

Jo is so excited! Her parents have agreed to let her host the Sleepover Squad to celebrate her win in the spelling bee! Jo loves to be organized, so she's busy making plenty of lists -- like what kind of food she'll serve her friends and what games they'll play. She's even picked a special theme! But when the Squad starts acting strangely, Jo gets worried. It seems like her friends are keeping secrets from her.

Jo tries not to let their behavior hurt her feelings -- after all, it's probably nothing. But she can't help but wonder: What if the girls don't want to come to her sleepover anymore? Or worse, what if they don't want to be friends with her at all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aladdin
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781442456921

P. J. Denton

P. J. Denton is a pseudonym for Catherine Hapka. She has written for dozens of series, including Sleepover Squad, The A Circuit, Nancy Drew, The Saddle Club, Sweet Valley Jr. High, Sweet Valley Twins, Magic Attic Club, Wild at Heart, Ghosts of Fear Street, Making Friends, Wonder Girls, Dinotopia, and Avalon. Cathy lives in Pennsylvania.

Book preview

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Can you spell

S-E-C-R-E-T?

JO IS SO EXCITED! HER PARENTS HAVE agreed to let her host the Sleepover Squad to celebrate her win in the spelling bee! Jo loves to be organized, so she’s busy making plenty of lists — like what kind of food she’ll serve her friends and what games they’ll play. She’s even picked a special theme!

But when the Squad starts acting strangely, Jo gets worried. It seems like her friends are keeping secrets from her. Jo tries not to let their behavior hurt her feelings — after all, it’s probably nothing. But she can’t help but wonder: What if the girls don’t want to come to her sleepover anymore? Or worse, what if they don’t want to be friends with her at all?

You’re invited to another Sleepover Squad Party!

Meet the author, watch videos, and get extras at

KIDS.SimonandSchuster.com

CATCH UP WITH THE SLEEPOVER SQUAD AT THEIR FIRST THREE PARTIES!

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It’s their first sleepover party!

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What is Taylor afraid of?

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Will Kara’s brothers ruin the fun?

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Grab your pillow and join the

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#1 Sleeping Over

#2 Camping Out

#3 The Trouble with Brothers

#4 Keeping Secrets

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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ALADDIN PAPERBACKS

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Text copyright © 2008 by Catherine Hapka

Illustrations copyright © 2008 by Julia Denos

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

ALADDIN PAPERBACKS and related logo are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Designed by Karin Paprocki

The text of this book was set in Cochin.

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Aladdin Paperbacks edition February 2008

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Library of Congress Control Number 2007937306

ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-2801-0

ISBN-10: 1-4169-2801-4

ISBN-13: 978-1-4424-5692-1 (eBook)

Contents

Chapter 1: The Spring Spelling Bee

Chapter 2: A Surprising Prize

Chapter 3: Making Plans

Chapter 4: Strange Behavior

Chapter 5: Keeping Secrets

Chapter 6: A Dramatic Moment

Chapter 7: A New Plan

Chapter 8: Phone Frustration

Chapter 9: Spelling Things Out

Slumber Party Project: Fun and Games

Sleepover Squad

Jo Sanchez took a deep breath. Her palms felt damp and warm, so she wiped them on her pants. She wondered if the other kids on the stage of the Oak Tree Elementary School auditorium were getting nervous too.

Min Choi, you’re next, Ms. Paolini, the fifth-grade English teacher, called out.

Ms. Paolini was running the Spring Spelling Bee. She was standing at one end of the stage, reading out the words for the students to spell.

Jo watched fourth grader Min Choi step to the microphone. Ms. Paolini smiled at Min.

Min, your word is ‘satellite,’ the teacher said.

Min slowly spelled