A hundred kids, thirty pizzas - will Dawn survive her biggest baby-sitting job ever?

"I have an idea," Mallory said. "If we really want to get these kids excited about the fund raiser for their pen pals, we should have prizes or awards -"

"Or maybe a big party for everyone who participates," said Mary Anne. "That way it's not so competitive."

Mallory nodded. "You mean, like a school picnic."

"I heard of a school that had a whole day where the kids became teachers," Kristy said. "That might be fun."

Then I had a great idea. "How about a big sleep over?" I said. "We could use the gym, and perhaps some of the school staff could participate."

"I like that," Claudia said. "Can you imagine, all those little kids in pajamas?"

The whole night was taking shape in my mind. "We can serve pizza for dinner," I said, "then afterwards maybe organize some games - you know, a basketball shooting contest, a sing along - "

"Red Rover," Mal added.

"I Spy," Claudia said.

"Right," I said. "If we wanted to do awards, like Mallory said, we could have a ceremony. We'll ask them to bring sleeping bags, and maybe we can use rubber mats as mattresses. In the morning we'll make them pancakes or something - it'll be so much fun!"

"Yeah," Kristy said, nodding. "And also not too expensive, aside from the food."

"Maybe we can ask a pizza place to donate pies for the cause," I said.

"We could try," Kristy replied. "All right, all in favor of the sleep over?"

Again everyone raised hands. Mal raised two.

"Okay, that's that," Kristy said.

Dawn and the Big Sleepover
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 0590435736