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My eyes popped out at that thing.

“Grandma! Hey, Grandma! You’re wearing your fishing hat! And so that must mean you’re going to the lake today!”

I quick ran to the front door.

“Is Grampa Miller going to the lake with you? Is he out there in the truck?”

I looked outside.

“HEY! HE IS, GRANDMA! HE IS OUT THERE IN THE TRUCK!”

I opened the door.

“GRAMPA MILLER! HEY, GRAMPA FRANK MILLER! GOOD NEWS! I CAN COME TO THE LAKE WITH YOU, I BELIEVE! ’CAUSE THERE’S LOTS OF RACCOONS TO CATCH UP THERE! EVEN MORE THAN AT YOUR HOUSE, PROBABLY!”

I zoomed back to the kitchen.

“Here, Grandma! Hold my raccoon net! I will put on my clothes and be back in a jiffy.”

Jiffy is the nickname for speedy quick.

Grandma Miller grabbed me by my p.j.’s.

“No, honey. Wait,” she said. “I’m afraid you can’t come with us today. We’re meeting some friends, and we’re already late. We just stopped by to borrow your daddy’s ice chest.”

Just then, I felt very crumbling inside.

“Yeah, only I have to come, Grandma. I have to,” I said. “Or else how will I catch a raccoon today?”

Grandma Miller bended down next to me.

“Yes, well, you see…that’s another thing, sweetie,” she said. “About the raccoon…I was just kidding when I said that, Junie B. I never dreamed you would take me seriously.”

Just then, my nose started to sniffle.

“Yeah, well, you dreamed wrong, Helen,” I said.

Grandma Miller hugged me real tight.

“Oh, come on now. Don’t cry,” she said. “There are lots of other animals you can catch for Pet Day. Animals that are much nicer than raccoons.”

I shook my head real fast.

“No, there are not, either, Grandma Miller. You are just saying that to trick me,” I said.

Then I stood there and stood there a real long time.

’Cause what if she wasn’t tricking? What if there really was lots of other animals?

Finally, I did a big breath. “Okay. Tell me the other animals. But this better be good.”

Grandma Miller did a smile.

“Wait right here,” she said.

Then she ran out to her truck and back again.

She was hiding something behind her back.

“Junie B., I’ve got someone who would love to meet you,” she said. “Close your eyes. And I’ll put him in your hand.”

My tummy got butterflies in it.

“What is it, Grandma? Will it tickle me? Will I like it? It won’t bite me, will it, Grandma Miller? Huh? It won’t, right?”

Then I closed my eyes real tight.

And my grandma opened up my fingers.

And she put the surprise right in my hand.

4/Ooey Gooey

“EEEW! YUCK! IT’S A WORM! IT’S A WORM! GET IT OFF ME, GRANDMA! GET IT OFF RIGHT NOW!” I yelled.

Grandma Miller quick took back the worm.

“For heaven’s sake, Junie B. What in the world is the matter with you? It’s just a baby earthworm. Look how teeny he is. This little fellow would make a wonderful pet.”

I did a huffy breath at her.

“Yeah, only worms cannot be pets, Grandma. ’Cause pets have fur so you can pet them. And worms just have ooey gooey skin.”

Grandma Miller looked surprised at me.

“Don’t be silly,” she said. “Not all pets have fur. My bird Twitter doesn’t have fur, and he’s a pet. And goldfish don’t have fur. And hermit crabs don’t have fur. And lizards don’t have fur. And—”

I covered my ears with my hands.

“Okay, okay. Enough with the fur,” I said. “But worms don’t have eyes or ears, either. And they don’t have legs or tails or feet or necks. And they don’t chirp or bark or cluck or meow. And so what kind of stupid pet do you call that?”

Grandma Miller thought and thought.

Then she smiled real big.

“I’d call that the kind of pet that won’t wake up the neighbors or sniff the company or scratch himself silly,” she said back.

After that, she stood up. And she gave the baby earthworm to Mother.

“I’ll leave this little guy with your mother for now,” she said. “You can think it over and see if you want to keep him. I’ll check back with you later.”

Then she kissed me on my head.

And she grabbed the ice chest.

And she hurried out the door.

Mother looked at the baby worm in her hand. “My goodness. You are a little one, aren’t you?” she said.