#14
Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall
by Ann M. Martin

Is it safe to shop at Washington Mall anymore?

Back at Toy town, April was busy at the cash register, and there was a line of people waiting to be helped. "What can I do?" I asked.

She nodded toward the back of the store, where a boy was playing noisily near the train set. "Try to encourage him to use the display toys," she said. "I try to leave enough out, but the kids always go for the new stuff."

I walked back and discovered that the boy, who looked about eight, was tearing into a new package of Legos. "How about leaving those on the shelf?" I said.

He just stared at me.

I looked around for his mother. "Where's your mom?" I asked. "Or are you here with your dad? Or baby-sitter?"

"My mom's shopping," the boy answered. "She said she'd be back soon"

I couldn't believe it. This boy's mother had left him here, all by himself! I spent a few minutes getting him to help me clean up the Legos, and by the time we finished, his mother had turned up. "Have a good time, Jason?" she asked. She turned to me. "I always leave him here while I shop. He's happier, and I can be a lot more productive."

I watched he leave, shaking my head. April saw me, and smiled. "I know, it's awful," she said. "But it happens all the time, and what can I do? It's not like there's any better place to leave a kid while you shop." She shrugged. I was amazed she took it so well. The whole thing seemed crazy to me.

On the way home that afternoon, my friends and I talked about our first day on the job. I told my friends about Jason's mom leaving him at the store, and they were shocked - but not surprised. Mal had heard about the same thing happening at the bookstore,and Logan had even seen kids left at the food court.

I've always liked Washington Mall, and I loved my new job, but I was really beginning to wonder about a few things. Shoplifting, kids left alone. Working in the real world was an eye-opener.

Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 0590470523