1 BUG HOUSES

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PROLOGUE These days my cat Sassafras and I are always desperately hoping we'll hear our barn doorbell. I know most people are excited to hear their doorbell ring. It might mean a present or package delivery, or a friend showing up to play. But our doorbell is even more exciting than that. Because it's a magic doorbell. When it rings, it means there's a magical animal waiting outside our barn. A magical animal who needs our help. My mom's been helping them basically her whole life. And now I get to help, too…

CHAPTER 1 BUG HOUSES A gentle breeze ruffled the tree branches in the forest as I knelt next to my cat. "Now remember, Sassafras—no eating the bugs that come stay in the bug houses we build! They are guests, not food." "Mrrrowww," grumbled Sassafras. "Ooh, look, Sass!" I touched a bud on a nearby bush. "The forest roses are getting ready to bloom! Somehow we missed them last year, remember? They sure don't last long." Sassafras blinked in agreement and came closer to the rose bud. He closed his eyes as he

took a big sniff. I leaned my head in next to him and did the same thing. "Even though we can barely smell them right now, they still smell like the BEST thing in the whole world, don't they? I can't wait until they bloom and the whole forest smells like this!" I leaned back and set my hand on a fuzzy patch of moss. "Oooh! This will make a perfect carpet for one of our bug houses!" I peeled it up and continued our walk through the forest, keeping an eye out for sticks, leaves, and lichen—anything that would be good as a part of a bug house. Once my hands were full, I plopped down and got to work building. "Sass, can you bring me that twig?" When he brought it over, I gave him a pet and added the twig to cover a gap on one side of the house. "What kind of bugs do you think will move in? I'm thinking definitely roly-polies with the moss floor. I hope worms move into that pile of dead leaves, and that chunk of wood might get some beetle friends, don't you think?" Sassafras sniffed a group of leaves nearby, and one wiggled. He bopped it with his paw, and

it flipped over. "Whoa! A little millipede!" He was all curled up so I knew he was scared. I gently set my finger next to him and waited for him to uncurl. He crawled along my finger as I held down a giggle. "He tickles!" I whispered to Sassafras. I set my finger in the bug house and watched the millipede walk inside. "Make yourself at home, Mr. Millipede!" Sassafras leaned dangerously close to the millipede but then stopped and shook his head. I scratched Sassafras under his chin. "Thank you for being such a good kitty and not trying to snack on our bug friends. I think you've earned some tuna when we get home!"

He purred at the mention of tuna, but then his head snapped to the left and his ears flicked around. "What is it, Sassafras?" I looked over to where he was staring. "Is it the roses?" Sassafras chattered, tail puffed up. I heard a sound like rain, but when I looked up the sky was blue. And when I put my hand out it was dry. "Is it just me or is that sound getting louder?" Sassafras took a few steps backward, but kept his eyes over by the roses.