9 MONSTERS BEFORE BED

CHAPTER 9 MONSTERS BEFORE BED Alexander watched his classmates head off in different directions. The hoodie girl was nowhere to be seen. Could she have slipped me that note? he wondered. On his walk home, Alexander saw one balloon goon an orange cactus. A group of older kids walked right past it. The balloon danced around, but they didn't seem to notice. Was I really attacked by balloons this morning? thought Alexander. Maybe the monsters in that weird notebook are getting to me.

Alexander couldn't wait to look more at the notebook. He hurried the rest of the way to his new home: a small yellow house on the edge of town, near Gobbler's Woods. "I'm home!" called Alexander. He kicked off his mismatched shoes. His dad was unpacking dishes. "How'd it go?" he asked. "Um, okay," Alexander said. Alexander ate dinner and got ready for bed. It felt good to wash up and change into clean pajamas. He climbed onto his air mattress and, at last, brought out the notebook. What could S.S.M.P. stand for? he wondered And these monsters... are they just some kid's doodles? Or could they mean something? He read another entry.

FORKUPINE A small metal rodent with a coat of tiny, sharp forks. HABITAT Most forkupines prefer dry climates. But the stainless-steel forkupine can be found near rivers, lakes, or in the back of dishwashers.

CLANG! Magnets will not work on forkupines. DIET Mostly pickles and olives. They'll eat steak, but only if it's cut up into small bites. BEHAVIOR The forkupine stays sharp by rubbing against a brick wall. WARNING! Never pet a forkupine! instead, lure it to a plate of spaghetti. (Forkupines LOVE rolling around in noodles. This will give you time to sneak away. FUN FACT The forkupine is a distant cousin to the sporkupine. But the sporkupine's scoop attack is no match for the forkupine's jab.

"Okay, kiddo, lights out!" Alexander's dad peeked in the door. "Big day tomorrow! I can't wait to see who comes to your party!" "Uh... me neither," said Alexander. He faked a yawn and let his blanket fall onto his backpack, still full of invitations.