The Trouble with Brothers

By Julia Denos and P. J. Denton

It's Kara's turn to host the Sleepover Squad's latest party, and she couldn't be more excited! Until her annoying brothers get wind of the event, and promise they're going to play all kinds of practical jokes on the Squad. That is, unless Kara agrees to be their slave. Oh no! Poor Kara is running herself ragged trying to keep up with her rotten brothers' demands, without letting her friends find out. She's worried her pals won't want to come to her house--or, worse, that they'll want to disband the Squad!

But when the rest of the Squad finds out what's going on, they tell Kara to quit being the boys' slave and relax. After all, no matter what those creeps can do to them, these girls know something the boys don't: getting mad isn't the same thing as getting even....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aladdin
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781442456914

Julia Denos

Julia Denos is the author-illustrator of Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color and the illustrator of several children’s books, including Just Being Audrey by Margaret Cardillo, I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn, Dotty by Erica S. Perl, Grandma’s Gloves by Cecil Castellucci, and Letters to Leo by Amy Hest. Julia currently lives in Boston. You can visit her online at www.juliadenos.com.

Book preview

Getting even...

Fair and square!

IT’S KARA’S TURN TO HOST THE SLEEPOVER Squad’s latest party, and she couldn’t be more excited! Then her annoying brothers get wind of the event and promise to ruin the party unless Kara agrees to be their slave. Oh, no! Poor Kara is running herself ragged trying to keep up with her rotten brothers’ demands without letting her pals find out.

But when Kara’s friends discover what’s going on, they tell her to relax. After all, no matter what those creeps do to them, these girls know something the boys don’t: Sometimes getting even is better than getting mad!

You’re invited to another Sleepover Squad Party!

Meet the author, watch videos, and get extras at

KIDS.SimonandSchuster.com

Grab your pillow and join the

#1 Sleeping Over

#2 Camping Out

#3 The Trouble with Brothers

COMING SOON:

#4 Whisper down the Lane

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.

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 © 2007 by Catherine Hapka

Illustrations copyright © 2007 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 September 2007

2   4   6   8   10   9   7   5   3   1

Library of Congress Control Number 2006930151

ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-2800-3

ISBN-10: 1-4169-2800-6

ISBN-13: 978-1-4424-5691-4 (eBook)

Contents

Chapter 1: Kara’s Turn

Chapter 2: A Bad Deal

Chapter 3: Twin Trouble

Chapter 4: Enough Is Enough!

Chapter 5: Breaking the Deal

Chapter 6: Waiting and Wondering

Chapter 7: Gotcha!

Chapter 8: Get Mad or Get Even?

Chapter 9: The Last Laugh

Slumber Party Project: Joking Around

"I love ice cream!" Kara Wyatt said with a happy sigh. She gazed at the double-chocolate cone in her hand, trying to decide which side to lick first.

Kara was sitting on a bench outside the ice-cream parlor. Two of her best friends, Emily McDougal and Jo Sanchez, were sitting beside her. Their other best friend, Taylor Kent, was hopping back and forth over a crack in the sidewalk. Taylor wasn’t very good at sitting still.

We heard you the first nine times you said that, Kara, Taylor teased. She hopped over the sidewalk crack again. Then she took a big bite from her maple-walnut cone.

Emily licked strawberry ice cream off her lips. That’s okay, she said. I agreed with her all nine times. And I agree again.

That means you agreed with her ten times, Jo said. Jo liked to be