Read an Excerpt
Larryboy and the Emperor of Envy
Big Idea Books / LarryBoy
By Sean Gaffney, Cindy Kenney, Gwen Ellis ZONDERVAN
Copyright © 2002Big Idea, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-70467-6
Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
SOMETHING ROTTEN IN THE SCHOOL OF BUMBLYBURG
It was a typical day at Bumblyburg's Veggie Valley Elementary School. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't such a typical day. In fact, something just plain weird was going on. The teacher, Mr. Asparagus, was acting a bit oddly.
"Don't you think Mr. Asparagus is acting a bit oddly?" asked Lenny Carrot about his teacher.
"He sure is," said Laura Carrot. "And he looks kind of funny. Like cardboard."
"His lips don't move when he talks," Percy Pea piped in. "That's weird."
"You know," said Renee Blueberry, "he looks a bit like a scallion from the side."
"What do you think, Junior?" asked Laura.
Junior Asparagus didn't know what to think! After all, the teacher was his father. But his dad was acting oddly. And he sure did look funny. Almost as if he was wearing a cardboard mask drawn with crayon.
"Time for a math lesson," squeaked the teacher.
"See!" whispered Percy. "His lips didn't move!"
"That doesn't sound like my dad," said Junior.
The teacher put a black bag on top of his desk. "Now, children," the teacher said, "I want you all to put your milk money into this bag. Then we will play a game."
"What game?" asked Junior.
"Hide-and-Seek," replied the teacher. "You will close your eyes and count to a million while I run and hide. Won't that be fun?"
Junior thought hard. His dad sounded funny, looked as if he was wearing a cardboard mask, talked without moving his lips, and now asked the kids to hand over their milk money for a game of Hide-and-Seek.
"Hey!" shouted Junior. "You aren't my dad! You're the Milk Money Bandit!"
"But I look like your dad, don't you think?" asked the teacher.
"I think you're wearing a mask," said Junior.
"Am not," said the teacher.
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
That moment, a rather large suction cup flew through the open window and plopped onto Mr. Asparagus' face. With a loud THWOOP, the plunger was pulled back through the window, ripping off the mask. It was the Milk Money Bandit after all!
"Erk!" shrieked the Bandit.
"I knew it!" exclaimed Junior. "But where did that plunger come from?"
All the students turned and looked out the window. It was Larryboy! One of his suction-cup ears sported the Milk Money Bandit's mask, and he was trying to shake it loose.
"I am that hero!" Larryboy proclaimed.
Then Larryboy leaped through the open window, tripped on the windowsill, and fell into the classroom, landing on his face.
"I meant to do that," the hero said, popping upright. "Now, Bandit, where is the real Mr. Asparagus? Talk now, unless you want the other ear!"
Larryboy leaned threateningly toward the bandit.
"No, not the ears! I'll talk!" howled the villain. "I just wish I had more milk money!"
Larryboy scowled at the bandit.
"Mr. Asparagus is in the closet!" the bandit said, quickly.
Junior ran to the closet and opened the door.
"Dad!"
"Son!"
Junior's dad hopped out of the closet.
"It sure was dark in there," Mr. Asparagus said. "Thank you, Junior."
Mr. Asparagus came out of the closet and looked at the Milk Money Bandit quite sternly. "You should learn to be content with the money you have!" he scolded. "Thank you, Larryboy, for saving the day!"
Larryboy smiled. "My pleasure," he said. "And now to take care of the bandit!"
CHAPTER 2
I AM THAT HERO!
A short while later, Chief Croswell arrived at the classroom.
"I understand the Milk Money Bandit is ready to be taken to jail," he said.
"As soon as he is done at the blackboard," Larryboy responded.
The bandit was at the board, writing "I will not steal milk money" one thousand times.
"A fitting punishment for his crime," the Chief said.
"And now, my work here is done!" said Larryboy. He jumped out the window, tripping on the sill again, and fell onto the lawn.
"I meant to do that," the hero said as he popped back up.
Then Larryboy hopped into the Larry-Mobile and sped off toward his secret hideout.
Soon, the videophone in the Larry-Mobile began chirping.
"Hello, Archie," said Larryboy. Archibald—Larryboy's assistant, manservant, and technical wizard—appeared on the video screen.
"Well done, Larryboy!" Archibald said. "I monitored the whole thing from the Larry-Cave. You did splendidly."
"Thank you," said Larryboy.
"However, you may wish to be more careful jumping through windows."
"I think my mask throws off my depth perception."
"Well, never mind that now. I called to remind you of tonight's superhero class."
"Tonight? But tonight is a classic double-feature night at the movies!"
"Well," said Archibald, "what do you think is more important, attending movies or school?"
"But the movies are Attack of the Rotten Tomato plus Salad Wars: Frankencelery Strikes Back!" exclaimed Larryboy.
Archibald glared at Larryboy through the screen.
"I'm on my way to school! Over and out!" Our hero spun his roadster around and zoomed down the street.
CHAPTER 3
A TYPICAL NIGHT IN SUPERHERO SCHOOL
Larryboy raced down the hallway of the Bumblyburg Community College, stopping in front of a door with a big sign that read, "Superhero 101: The Basics of Being Super."
"Here it is," Larryboy mumbled to himself. "I hope I'm not late."
Our hero stuck his head inside the doorway. The classroom was filled with superheroes, all sitting and facing the front. Bok Choy, the professor, stood in the front of the class. Larryboy slipped in, hoping not to be noticed. Unfortunately, he also tripped over the Norse superhero's backpack and toppled over a chair.
"Let me interrupt class with a riddle," said Bok Choy. "What do these three things have in common: an overdue library book, a school bus that is behind schedule, and Larryboy? Would the cucumber in the back like to guess?"
"Uhm," sputtered Larryboy.
"They are all late!" pronounced his teacher.
"That's a good riddle!" Larryboy said. "What's black, white, and read all over?"
Bok Choy took a deep breath and stared at Larryboy.
"Sorry, I was trying to slip in unnoticed."
"Slip in unnoticed?" Bok Choy asked. "A large cucumber dressed in yellow, sporting a big purple cape, and bumping into chairs in the back row? It's a wonder you were noticed at all. Take your seat, and try not to be late again."
Larryboy slipped into a chair. Bok Choy resumed his lecture.
"As I was saying, envy is a dangerous thing—especially to a superhero! Let's look at this chart showing the effects of envy on the super body."
Larryboy looked at the superhero sitting next to him. He was a decorated apple, dressed in red, white, and blue. The headdress covering his head had two small wings attached. He also had a marvelous round shield that was painted blue with a big white A in the middle.
"Psst," whispered Larryboy. "Howdy. I'm Larryboy, from Bumblyburg. Who are you?"
"American Pie, defender of truth, justice, and vitamin A," American Pie whispered back. "I'm from Tiggety Town. What's the answer to your riddle?"
"Oh, that's easy! A Larryboy chapter book!"
"Huh?" American Pie asked curiously.
"Never mind," Larryboy said. "Hey! I sure like th
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Larryboy and the Emperor of Envy by Sean Gaffney, Cindy Kenney, Gwen Ellis. Copyright © 2002 by Big Idea, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
