Based on her own childhood experience, Kimberly Willis Holt's Piper Reed, Navy Brat portrays the life of a Navy family with warmth and humor. It's not easy being the middle child, especially when your dad is a Navy Chief. Meet Piper Reed, a spunky nine-year-old who has moved more times than she can count on one hand. From Texas to Guam, wherever Piper goes, adventure follows, inspired by her active imagination, free-wheeling spirit, and a bit of sister magic. Unlike her older sister, Piper loves being part of a Navy family, and unlike her little sister, Piper is no prodigy genius. Piper is Piper―fearless and full of life. “Filled with warm, realistic family situations mixed with humor, this chapter book deserves a special flyover by the Blue Angels.” ― The Horn Book Magazine “This entertaining read will appeal to fans of Judy Moody and Ramona Quimby.” ― School Library Journal “...award-winning author Holt tells a lively family story that draws on her experiences of growing up a Navy brat.” ― Booklist “Crisp writing from a National Book Award winner...” ― Publishers Weekly “Piper's lively imagination, wholesomeness and moments of ‘sister magic' are likable and believable. This easy chapter book, based on Holt's own experiences, is spot on with the details of roving family life. Davenier's fluid black-and-white drawings fit the mood and characters . . . Launching a new series, Piper's foray sets sail with verve, fun and spunk.” ― Kirkus Reviews Twenty three years ago Kimberly Willis Holt stopped talking about wanting to be a writer and started to pursue her dream. Because of her family's Louisiana roots she considers herself a southerner, but her father's military career took her to places beyond the South, including Paris and Guam. She's the author of more than fifteen books for a wide range of ages, many of which have won awards and honors. Her third novel, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She writes and gardens in Texas. As a young girl growing up in Tours, France, Christine Davenier loved listening to her older sister read fairy tales aloud. But she frequently found herself wondering, What does the princess’s beautiful dress look like? or How exquisite are her jewels? Christine was left to her own imagination, for the books had few illustrations. So it comes as little surprise that today, Christine embraces her career as an illustrator. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to create the illustrations I dreamed about seeing as a child,” she says. When Christine was fourteen, she received her first box of watercolor paints, a gift from her grandmother. That was the beginning of many afternoons spent painting together in her grandmother’s garden. “My grandmother was an extraordinary woman,” Christine says. “Even though she worked in an office all her life, she was an artist through and through. She shared everything she knew about color―in painting and in life. Her wisdom and talent still inspire me today.” She has illustrated many picture books, including Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen by Cari Best. She lives in Paris, France. Piper Reed, Navy Brat By Kimberly Willis Holt Square Fish Copyright © 2011 Kimberly Willis Holt All right reserved. ISBN: 9780312625481 Piper Reed, Navy Brat 1 PEPSI-COLA, FLORIDA I t was pizza night. Every Friday night, Chief picked up two large pepperoni pizzas on his way home from the base. I had just pulled the cheese off my slice and was about to put the pepperoni back on when Chief tapped a spoon against his glass of sweet tea. Ting, ting, ting. "Girls, I have an announcement to make.""Are we going to get a dog?" I asked.Chief grinned, and then shook his head."We've been assigned to Pensacola, Florida."Chief always said "we" when he talked about being assigned somewhere even though he was really the only person in the family being assigned to a new base. He would say, "When a man joins the Navy, his family joins the Navy."That's because every year or two we had to pick up and move. I've lived everywhere. Well, almost everywhere. Before we moved to San Diego, we lived in Texas, Guam, Mississippi, and New Hampshire.Everyone in my fourth-grade class called me Piper Reed, Navy Brat. I didn't mind, but my big sister, Tori, who was in the seventh grade, did. In fact, she didn't want Chief to be in the Navy. She wouldn't even call him Chief. She called him Dad."Pensacola?" Tori looked like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets."When?" I asked."Two weeks from today," Chief said."Two weeks!" cried Tori. "It's only October. We've never moved during the school year!"We always moved in the summer. That gave us a chance to make some friends before school started. Suddenly I felt like a fish was swimming around in my belly.Tori pushed her plate away. "The Navy is ruining my life!""Tori," Mom said, "stop being dramatic. Everything will be fine.""Where's Pepsi-Cola?" as