Lucy dragged her yellow surfboard into the bathroom and put it in the tub. Her big sister Frankie was getting ready to go out. She was looking in the mirror, putting brown sludge on her face.

Lucy knew it was makeup, and that it was supposed to make Frankie look better, but Lucy secretly thought Frankie was much prettier without it.

"Hey, Lucy Lou," said Frankie. "I can’t see any waves in that bathtub."

Lucy grinned. It was kind of silly to take the board everywhere she went, but she couldn’t help it.

Lucy had left hints all around the house before Christmas. She’d put a picture of the surfboard she wanted on the fridge under a magnet. She had even put a picture under her mom’s pillow, so she could sleep on the idea. And the hints had worked! Lucy still couldn’t believe she had her very own surfboard.

"Actually, I do know there aren’t any waves in the bathtub," Lucy said. "It’s just that I’m so excited about going on a surfingtrip with Bonnie."

She lifted the board out of the tub and swung it around. It almost hit Frankie’s head.

"Do you know Bonnie has a board, too?" Lucy asked, stroking the board.

"Hers is red. We’re going to be surfer girls together. We’ll paddle through the water and ride the big waves. I can’t wait!"

"Well, you don’t have to wait long," Frankie said. "Bonnie’s parents will be here soon."

Lucy’s heart fluttered, as though she was high on a swing. It was so cool to be going away on a beach vacation with her best friend. Lucy and Bonnie had been talking about it for ages. And Bonnie’s parents, Ross and Helen, had already booked surfing lessons for them. They would have five whole days to learn how to become surfer girls.

But Lucy knew that five days and fivenights was a long time to be away from her mom, dad, and Frankie.

Her longest school trip had only been for two days and one night. That had been all right, except when Mr. Halliday had tried to get her to eat broccoli.

Lucy hated broccoli. When she put it in her mouth, she felt like she was going to throw up. Lucy didn’t just feel sick, she felt sad. It was as though the broccoli hit a little button in her throat, and started an attack of homesickness. Luckily, Mr. Halliday didn’t make her take a second bite.

What if Ross and Helen served broccoli for every meal? Broccoli cereal, broccoli pudding, broccoli cake . . .

Bonnie had twin brothers, Shane and Tom. What if broccoli was their favorite food?

"Earth to Lucy. Earth to Lucy. Come in, Lucy," Frankie snapped her fingers in Lucy’s face. "Are you OK?" she asked.

"Yep, I’m fine," Lucy replied, though she wasn’t quite so sure now.

Frankie started walking down the hallway. Lucy followed, dragging the surfboard behind her. It made a squeaking sound on the floorboards.

"Is that the cat?" Lucy’s mom called from the kitchen.

"No, Mom. It’s just Lucy and the you-know-what," Frankie called back.

Lucy stared at the stickers on Frankie’s bedroom door.

The message was pretty clear.

"Well, see you in five days," Lucy said. She let out a little sigh.

Frankie rolled her eyes.

"OK, Lou, you can come in just this once," Frankie said, pushing open her bedroom door. "But the board stays out there."

It was pretty weird to be invited intoFrankie’s room. Lucy sometimes snuck in there when Frankie was out, but this was different. Frankie sat in front of her dressing table. Lucy sat on the bed. She could see Frankie in the mirror.

"So, what’s the problem?" Frankie asked, as she looked at a pimple on her chin. Frankie tried to cover it up with more sludge.

"I don’t really have a problem," Lucy said. "I’m just going to miss you guys."

Frankie nodded. She reached into her dresser drawer and pulled out a small black book with a lock and key.

She threw it to Lucy.

"What’s this?" Lucy asked.

"It’s a diary, you dummy," Frankie said.

"For me?"

"Yeah. I’ve already got one. You can take this one away with you.You can write about whatever happens on your vacation. Then you won’t be lonely."

"Do you think I’ll have anything interesting enough to write about in a diary?" Lucy asked.

Frankie rolled her eyes again. She really seemed to like doing that.

"Listen, Lou. You can write about anything you want in a diary. It doesn’t have to be all about stuff that happens— you can write about your feelings, too. I write about lots of different things in my

Excerpted from Surf's Up! by Chrissie Perry.
Copyright 2005 by Chrissie Perry.
Published in June 2008 by Feiwel and Friends.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.

Lucy dragged her yellow surfboard into the bathroom and put it in the tub. Her big sister Frankie was getting ready to go out. She was looking in the mirror, putting brown sludge on her face.

Lucy knew it was makeup, and that it was supposed to make Frankie look better, but Lucy secretly thought Frankie was much prettier without it.

"Hey, Lucy Lou," said Frankie. "I can’t see any waves in that bathtub."

Lucy grinned. It was kind of silly to take the board everywhere she went, but she couldn’t help it.

Lucy had left hints all around the house before Christmas. She’d put a picture of the surfboard she wanted on the fridge under a magnet. She had even put a picture under her mom’s pillow, so she could sleep on the idea. And the hints had worked! Lucy still couldn’t believe she had her very own surfboard.

"Actually, I do know there aren’t any waves in the bathtub," Lucy said. "It’s just that I’m so excited about going on a surfingtrip with Bonnie."

She lifted the board out of the tub and swung it around. It almost hit Frankie’s head.

"Do you know Bonnie has a board, too?" Lucy asked, stroking the board.

"Hers is red. We’re going to be surfer girls together. We’ll paddle through the water and ride the big waves. I can’t wait!"

"Well, you don’t have to wait long," Frankie said. "Bonnie’s parents will be here soon."

Lucy’s heart fluttered, as though she was high on a swing. It was so cool to be going away on a beach vacation with her best friend. Lucy and Bonnie had been talking about it for ages. And Bonnie’s parents, Ross and Helen, had already booked surfing lessons for them. They would have five whole days to learn how to become surfer girls.

But Lucy knew that five days and fivenights was a long time to be away from her mom, dad, and Frankie.

Her longest school trip had only been for two days and one night. That had been all right, except when Mr. Halliday had tried to get her to eat broccoli.

Lucy hated broccoli. When she put it in her mouth, she felt like she was going to throw up. Lucy didn’t just feel sick, she felt sad. It was as though the broccoli hit a little button in her throat, and started an attack of homesickness. Luckily, Mr. Halliday didn’t make her take a second bite.

What if Ross and Helen served broccoli for every meal? Broccoli cereal, broccoli pudding, broccoli cake . . .

Bonnie had twin brothers, Shane and Tom. What if broccoli was their favorite food?

"Earth to Lucy. Earth to Lucy. Come in, Lucy," Frankie snapped her fingers in Lucy’s face. "Are you OK?" she asked.

"Yep, I’m fine," Lucy replied, though she wasn’t quite so sure now.

Frankie started walking down the hallway. Lucy followed, dragging the surfboard behind her. It made a squeaking sound on the floorboards.

"Is that the cat?" Lucy’s mom called from the kitchen.

"No, Mom. It’s just Lucy and the you-know-what," Frankie called back.

Lucy stared at the stickers on Frankie’s bedroom door.

The message was pretty clear.

"Well, see you in five days," Lucy said. She let out a little sigh.

Frankie rolled her eyes.

"OK, Lou, you can come in just this once," Frankie said, pushing open her bedroom door. "But the board stays out there."

It was pretty weird to be invited intoFrankie’s room. Lucy sometimes snuck in there when Frankie was out, but this was different. Frankie sat in front of her dressing table. Lucy sat on the bed. She could see Frankie in the mirror.

"So, what’s the problem?" Frankie asked, as she looked at a pimple on her chin. Frankie tried to cover it up with more sludge.

"I don’t really have a problem," Lucy said. "I’m just going to miss you guys."

Frankie nodded. She reached into her dresser drawer and pulled out a small black book with a lock and key.

She threw it to Lucy.

"What’s this?" Lucy asked.

"It’s a diary, you dummy," Frankie said.

"For me?"

"Yeah. I’ve already got one. You can take this one away with you.You can write about whatever happens on your vacation. Then you won’t be lonely."

"Do you think I’ll have anything interesting enough to write about in a diary?" Lucy asked.

Frankie rolled her eyes again. She really seemed to like doing that.

"Listen, Lou. You can write about anything you want in a diary. It doesn’t have to be all about stuff that happens— you can write about your feelings, too. I write about lots of different things in my

Excerpted from Surf's Up! by Chrissie Perry.
Copyright 2005 by Chrissie Perry.
Published in June 2008 by Feiwel and Friends.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.