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First published in Great Britain by
HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2007
HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollinschildrensbooks.co.uk
Text copyright © Stacy Gregg 2007
Cover design copyright © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2020 Cover photography © Shutterstock.com CBBC logo © British Broadcasting Corporation 2016
The author and illustrator assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of the work.
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Ebook Edition © 2009 ISBN: 9780007340675
Version: 2020-08-18
For Michael
Contents
The lights had gone out. In the gloom of the circus tent Issie looked around frantically for Stella and Kate. She edged forward in the blackness, feeling her way. “Ow! Watch where you’re going!” a man snapped.
“Excuse me!” Issie winced—she had just stood on his foot.
What a nightmare! Trying to find your seat while keeping three ice-cream cones balanced in one hand was hard enough, and now it was too dark to see.
“Issie! Over here! Hurry up, the show is about to start!”
Issie looked ahead of her. Thank goodness! There they were. She could just make out Stella’s bright red curly hair. Stella and Kate were both waving excitedly at her. Issie waved back with her free hand then wriggled past another row, trying not to stand on any more toes.
“Excuse me! Excuse me!” She threw herself down into the empty seat next to Stella, Kate and her mum. Her friends quickly made a grab for their ice-cream cones before they fell out of Issie’s hands.
“Oh, this is going to be great!” Stella whispered loudly. “Thanks for bringing us, Mrs Brown.” She took a big lick of her ice cream and peered into the darkness, trying to see if anything was happening in the arena down below them.
“Mmmm, yup, thanks, Mrs Brown,” said Kate, who was concentrating on eating and not getting her ice cream stuck in her long blonde hair.
“Yeah, Mum! This is the best birthday ever!” Issie beamed.
“Good grief! I’ve never seen you girls so worked up.” Mrs Brown laughed. “I knew this would be a good surprise.”
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