Charlotte Morgan and the Lemonade Stand--Chapter 10--15 posters

 This is my next book. Charlotte Morgan and the Lemonade Stand.  

It is still in the work-in-progress phase. The cover I am posting here is a temp cover derived from the first book.  But I like sharing my work here first.  The book is leveled for third grade readers and up.

I am using the #steemiteducation tag because the book is about using math and earning money.   

To read what has happened earlier click the link for each individual chapter for chapter 1. Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

Summary: The crew gets together to put up posters around the neighborhood advertising the lemonade stand.
 

  Chapter 10 Fifteen Posters 

The fiftieth copy of Aaron’s label came out of the printer.  Sally gave her instructions, “Charlotte we need scissors and tape or glue.” I went into my desk and grabbed what she told me to. “So, now that we have these, let’s go and finish the posters and put the labels on each one.” 

Back at the tree house, we dove back into full creative mode. Everyone worked on their own poster, making sure that each one had the address, time, and date. Then we put the label at the top, so it would be visible. When we finished, we had fifteen large posters completed.

 “Anyone have any ideas on where to put these?” Sally asked. 

“Let’s put one on the stop sign at the corner. There’s also a telephone pole on the other of the street, where everyone put signs up for yard sales and lost dogs,” I pointed in the general direction of where I was thinking. 

“But that’s only two places. We have fifteen posters, that thirteen more posters we have to hang up,” said Aaron.

 “I say we go hang these up and if we see any other places, then we put them up there,” suggested Marcus. We left the backyard and headed toward the street. 

Dad popped his head out of the front door, “Charlotte! Use this stake and staple gun to help you.” I ran up the nineteen steps of the front porch to reach him. “Use this stake in the front yard, tape one of your posters to it. Use the staple gun to attach the posters to any telephone pole you use. Just be careful with it. Do you know how to use it?”

 I lied. “Sure!” I took the stake and the staple gun and bounded down the stairs.  

“Be careful!” Dad shouted one last time as I ran to the front yard.  

I held up the stake, “Look we can use this,” I said. 

“Are we hunting vampires this afternoon, because I normally think they come out at night, and I need to be home before dark," said Marcus.

I rolled my eyes, “Ha! Ha! Very funny. No, we attach a poster to it and place it here in the front yard.”

 “Good idea. Attach the poster first and then shove it into the ground,” instructed Sally. 

Marcus taped the poster to the stake and then handed me the sign and stake to me, “It’s your yard, you do the honors.” 

I jammed the stake into the grass and stepped back to view my handiwork. “That looks good. People will definitely know that we will be selling lemonade here.” 

“You handled that stake well, remind me to call you if I ever do need help with a vampire,” said Aaron.

 “Thanks for the compliment,” I replied.  Armed with the staple gun and a masking tape roll that seemed to weigh five pounds, we headed out to the street. Next on the agenda was taping a poster to the stop sign that was one house to the right of my house.  

Sally gave her instructions, “I hope this stays up. Marcus use the masking tape and tape it across the top and bottom.”

“Make sure it faces Willow Run. Cars will stop here,” Aaron motioned towards Willow Run and where he wanted the poster to face.
“I know that!” Marcus stared at Aaron. I held the remaining thirteen posters as they did their job. I looked up and down Rosewood Drive, the road that intersected with Willow Run. 

I pointed to a telephone pole that seemed about a hundred feet away. “I guess we could put one there. There are other posters on it.”

 Marcus finished taping the poster. He turned and looked. “Okay, but first let’s do the one at the other end of Willow Run on the pole near Gavin’s house.” 

The pole was covered in staples from previous posters. Sally and Marcus held the poster. “I’ll take the other posters. You use the staple gun, since it’s your dad’s. I don’t want to get into trouble with your parents if I mess it up.” I placed the stapler on the bottom of the poster. I squeezed as hard as I could. But the trigger didn’t budge. I squeezed until my face turned red. I used two hands and my face turned red as I struggled with the stapler. I thought I was going to pass out I was struggling so hard with it.  

“Wait!” shouted Marcus. “You have the lock on.” He stepped away from the poster, took the stapler out of my hand, slid a metal notch from one place to the next, and handed it back to me. “You looked like your head was going to explode. So, I figured I should jump in and help. My dad has one in his garage.” 

This time, still with some effort though, the staple came out.  “Umm, I can’t reach the top of the poster.” I stood on my tiptoes and pointed at the top of the poster. 

“I got this,” grinned Aaron. He got down and all fours, “Use me as a stepladder!” I stepped on his back, he seemed to wobble a little, but I was able to put a staple in the top of the poster, just above my face in the label. I jumped down off the human stepladder. 

“Let’s just keep going this way,” I pointed towards the intersection with Brown street. We put another poster on the stop sign at that intersection. We next wondered down Brown street and placed two more on telephone poles. After an hour of wondering and placing posters, we went back to my house. We had four posters left. 

“There they are!” shouted Dad as he walked out the front door. “Did you put up all your posters?” 

Sally held up the four remaining posters, “We have four left, Mr. Morgan.” 

“Good, then I can take one to school and find a place to put it,” he replied. 

“That would be helpful. It would be cool if we got some high schoolers here,” said Marcus. 

Mom came out the front door as well, “I can take one to work as well.” 

“I’ll give one to my dad and he can have one up at his garage,” Marcus took one from Sally. 

“Charlotte, take one and see if you can put it at school,” Mom suggested. 

“That’s a good idea,” said Sally.

 “Okay,” I held three of the remaining posters. 

Marcus waved, “I’m headed home. I’m tired. I’ll you all tomorrow at school.”

 “We’ll catch you later, Charlotte,” said Sally and Aaron. They headed back to their houses. I gave my parents their posters, and I placed one in my room.  I had no idea where I was going to be allowed to hang it at school.