03 A Royal Pain

A Royal Pain The next week, Class 3T had a whole hour of library time each day to work on family trees. Judy drew branches on her family tree using her Famous Women Rulers ruler. She cut out sticky notes in the shape of acorns. "My family tree is going to be lift-the-flap," Judy told Rocky and Frank. "When you lift up each acorn, you find out about the person under it." "Neat-o!" said Frank. Frank was making a cardboard Christmas tree for his family tree. And Rocky was hanging family photos from a real-live tree branch. Mr. Todd came over to take a peek. "Good work," he said. "Very creative." "What happens when we're done?" asked Judy. "You'll each get a chance to tell the class

something surprising about your family history," said Mr. Todd. "Then we'll display the finished trees in the library." "Like a family-tree forest," said Judy. "Wicked!" Jessica Finch came over to Judy's table. "I made a bad goof," she said. "Does anybody have an eraser?"

Judy held out her London Bridge eraser and her Big Ben eraser. "Pick one. But don't use it all up. These are like the crown jewels of my eraser collection." "I'll take the pink one," said Jessica. Of course. "Don't forget to give it back," said Judy. Sometimes Jessica Finch was an E.E.S. Evil Eraser Stealer. "Check it out," said Rocky, holding up an old photo. "This is my great-great-grandpa. He searched for gold at the Cripple Creek gold mine." Judy squinted at the photo. "What's he doing?" "Um. He's either panning for gold or making soup."

Frank nodded. "I have a great-grandpa from the Middle Ages who sold either pears or pearls." "So your name could have been Frank Pear instead of Frank Pearl?" "I know, right?" Frank cracked up. "And I have another great-grandpa who was in a famous shipwreck on the Lusitania." "Same-same!" said Judy. "I have somebody that went down on the Titanic!"

"Mine escaped in a lifeboat," said Frank. "That's brill," Judy said. "Huh?" said Rocky and Frank at the same time. "She means brilliant," said Jessica, butting in again. "It's like wicked. It's how you say excellent or awesome in England." "Don't get your knickers in a twist," said Judy. "See, my family tree is from England. I learned funny British words from Tori, my pen pal. She lives in London." "I see London. I see France..." said Frank. "You do?" Judy flushed red. She checked to see if her underwear was showing. "Made you look!" said Frank. "Good one," said Judy. "You better go to the loo and check," said Jessica. "Just in case." "The loo?" asked Rocky. "The who?" asked Frank. "The bathroom," Judy whispered. Judy looked in the mirror, front and back. Phew! No sign of undies. She brushed eraser crumbs off of her KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON T-shirt. Wait just a Big Ben minute. How did Jessica A. Finch know so much

British stuff? Judy plopped back down at their table. She made sure Jessica could hear. "My great-great-great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa was related to a queen. Queen Elizabeth the First of England. Just think— maybe he was the queen's royal brother or something. She probably put him in charge of the crown jewels at the Tower of London. So you are looking at a queen!" Rocky hung another photo from a branch. Frank peeled dried glue from his hand. "Hey, look, I'm shedding." "Hel-lo! Don't you get it? I have royal blood. I'm related to the Queen of England. I could, like, be invited to a sleepover at the palace or something." "Cool," said Rocky. "Cool," said Frank. "You mean wicked," said Jessica, turning around. Nosy Parker. Snoopy McSnoop. "Guys," said Judy. "We're talking castles, moats, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London!" Frank's eyes bugged out. "You mean where all those people" —Rocky