02:46 PM EST on Monday, December 20, 2004

A breakfast serials story | Written by Avi | Illustrated by Joan Sandin

The story so far: It's 1972. Jamie, having joined a state trooper, races to Mansfield to search for Gillian. But it is growing dark, and they have yet to find her.

Reading the Sky - Chapter 13

Reading the Sky - Chapter 12

Reading the Sky - Chapter 11

Reading the Sky - Chapter 10

Reading the Sky - Chapter 9

Reading the Sky - Chapter 8

Reading the Sky - Chapter 7

Reading the Sky - Chapter 6

Reading the Sky - Chapter 5

Reading the Sky - Chapter 4

Reading the Sky - Chapter 3

Reading the Sky - Chapter 2

Reading the Sky - Chapter 1

Avi shapes his good ideas with words of understanding

13-part story begins today

It was dark and getting late, and still they hadn't found Gillian. Despite all his effort to keep his eyes open, Jamie could feel them beginning to close. At one point he did doze, but when he felt his head drop forward he jerked back. The trooper, noticing, flipped on a blower. A cool breeze blew into Jamie's face and revived him.

Mansfield, Jamie kept telling himself. I'm sure she meant Mansfield. Even so, he began to doubt himself.

His head felt heavy, and he was no longer sure if he was awake or dreaming. He thought he saw Gillian again, and by her side was the man. Must be imagining it, he told himself. Then he snapped his head up.

"There!" he shouted, pointing down the road. The trooper slammed on his brakes, throwing Jamie forward against his seatbelt.

Sure enough, along the sidewalk, walking side by side and coming toward them, were Gillian and a man who was limping. With one hand he carried a bundle. The other hand was on Gillian's shoulder. A stick was under his arm.

The squeal of the trooper's car coming to a halt caused the man to look up and stop short, eyes big. His hand lifted from Gillian's shoulder. In that instant she sprang away. The man made a grab at her, but she had moved too quickly and was running toward the lights.

With a yank, Jamie pulled back the door handle and jumped out. "Gillian!" he shouted. "Here!"

The trooper sprang out from his side just as quickly, pistol drawn. He aimed it at Goddard. "Don't move!" he cried. "Police orders!"

Surrounded by the light, Goddard stood motionless. The money bag was clutched to his chest.

The trooper edged forward. Goddard remained motionless, peering into the headlights. Standing, staring at him, mere shadows in the brightness, were the trooper, Gillian, and a boy. Goddard recognized Jamie. He's the one who saw me, he told himself.

With a grunt, he pulled open the satchel and flipped it over. The money poured out and lay at his feet. He was still staring at the heap of bills when the trooper gripped his arm.

Jamie gazed at Goddard. He looked sad. As if he were lost. Defeated. Jamie almost felt sorry for him. Then he remembered how he had stood over Gillian, threatening her with that stick.

Jamie was still staring and taking everything in when he felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Gillian.

"Thanks," she said, "for being such a good reader."

IT WAS TWO DAYS LATER. The clouds were piling up overhead. Jamie, head thrown back, arms extended, began to see what he was looking for. "Okay, now pretend you're flying!"

Standing right next to Jamie, Gillian mimicked his gestures and stared up at the clouds.

"The good knight is rushing forward," cried Jamie. "His lance is down. The evil knight is holding his ground. Don't you see them?"

"Nope. I see something -- something different," she shouted back.

"What?"

"Letters. Look, there's a fantastic M . . . two O's and an N."

"Where?"

"Right there, sky reader. In those clouds."

"What do they spell?"

"Moon."

"Is there an arrow pointing to it?"

"You bet."

"Let's go for it!" cried Jamie.

"You mean, go to Cloudcuckooland?"

"Where's that?"

"Straight up!"

Laughing, Jamie held out his hand. Laughing with him, Gillian took it.

Text copyright 2004 -- By Avi

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Breakfast Serial - Reading The Sky Weekly Activity for Chapter Thirteen

Every novel has a beginning, a middle and an end. Chapter 13 is the end of Reading the Sky.

Newspaper stories are written a little differently, although they also have a beginning, a middle and an end. News stories often are written like an upside down or inverted pyramid with most of the facts at the top of the story. Features stories can be written in a variety of styles.

Book, theater, movie and restaurant reviews are examples of features where the reporter gives their opinion of what they read or saw or ate. Find an example of a review in today's Providence Journal.

Write your own review of Reading the Sky. What did you like most? What did you dislike most? Did you enjoy reading a chapter a week and putting together your own book?

Tell us at The Providence Journal what you thought. Email us at nie [at] projo.com. We want to hear from you!