Moon Mission

By Ellie Oberth

Zeolinda (Zee) Darling is an imaginative 11 year old living in small town USA. The fifth grade science teacher plans a field trip to the moon rock exhibit at the local library. Afterwards, Zee imagines herself as an astronaut and soon her friends are joining in the fun. The Darlings host an overnight campout in their backyard. And when the moon rocks are reported missing, Zee’s on the case.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ellie Oberth
• Release date: Nov 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215687642

Ellie Oberth

A Chicago resident, Ellie Oberth’s love of mysteries began at an early age with an introduction to the works of Agatha Christie.She’s a life-long member of Sisters-In-Crime National and also a member of the Chicagoland Chapter where she served as Secretary in 2009 and served as Treasurer from 2010-2011 and 2017-2019..These days, when she’s not busy writing, she’s travelling. Ellie pops up in the most unusual places. She’s been known to scour the beach at midnight with a flashlight, looking for a place to bury the body or tramping through the deserted woods with the same goal in mind or...For more current activities, visit her blog at www.ellieoberth.blogspot.com

Book preview

Chapter 1

Zeolinda Darling was eleven years old.

The Darling family lived in a two-story house in a little town called Bridge Creek. Daddy had been born in this very house and lived there until he married and moved to a big city.

When Zee was three years old, Daddy and Mommy decided to leave the big city and move in with Gramma and Grampa Darling to embrace small-town living. Daddy loved it because it was his old house in his old hometown. Mommy loved it because she said houses were too close together in the city and here there was room to breathe.

Last year, Grampa had retired, so Gramma and Grampa were currently traveling around the country in an RV.

Since then, there had been two new additions to the family, little baby Giselle…

…and Zee’s orange tabby, Cheddar.

Zee had so many ideas of what she wanted to be when she grew up and her favorite pastime was to imagine herself in various jobs. Last month around Halloween, a bunch of cats went missing in Bridge Creek. One of the cats had been Jacko, Ivy’s pet. Ivy was Zee’s best friend. Zee had successfully solved the case by imagining herself as a detective. Dr. Morton, Ivy’s dad, was a veterinarian and he’d told her a bunch of cats was called a clowder of cats. (Zee always liked learning new things!)

Now that the missing-cat mystery was resolved, Zee pondered her next adventure.

Mommy interrupted her thoughts. Stop daydreaming, Zeolinda. The school bus is almost here.

With a sigh, Zee gathered her jacket and backpack. Though the weather was unseasonably warm for November, there was a slight nip in the air.

Ivy Morton was already on the bus since she lived down the lane.

Zee’s new next-door neighbor, Patrick Johnson, rushed over to board. The Johnson family had moved in just before the school year started and the three kids had bonded during the disappearing-cats escapade.

Hi, Trick, Zee greeted him. Daddy had bestowed the nickname on her new friend and it had stuck. Much to Mommy’s dismay and the whole town’s amusement, Daddy’s nicknames always stuck.

Trick lowered himself onto the stiff plastic seat behind them next to Donny Quinn. Donny was also a new student at Creek Elementary, but he was finding it hard to fit in. The boy seemed to always be in trouble with his teachers. He didn’t finish homework assignments, he talked in class and sometimes he made rude sounds when a teacher’s back was turned.

Chapter 2

Since it was Thursday, the fifth graders had science class in the afternoon. Their science teacher, Mr. Thorne, was always pushing his wavy brown hair out of his eyes and his tie never matched the color of his shirt. You might pass him on the street without noticing him, but his enthusiasm about all things science made him a beloved teacher.

Sit down, children. Mr. Thorne rubbed his hands together in glee. I have a treat in store for you. The library is hosting a moon rock exhibition and I’ve arranged a field trip during our class next Thursday. We’ll get to see actual rocks that were plucked from the moon’s surface. His hands waved wildly in his obvious excitement.

Yippee, muttered a soft voice directly behind Zee.

Without turning around, she knew who’d said it—Donny Quinn.

I’ve already gotten permission for our outing from Principal Driscoll and Mr. O’Neill who is one of the librarians. We’ll leave after your morning classes are done. You can all eat lunch on the bus and then we’ll visit the exhibit. He grabbed papers from his desk and distributed permission slips to the class. "You must have a parent sign this slip and bring it back or you’ll miss this