Read Judy Moody Around the World in 8 1/2 Days for Free Online

human flag once. . . .”
    “Wow, this must be quite a project,” said Dad.
    “It is,” said Judy. “It took Nellie Bly seventy-two days to go around the world, and she beat the record. Try going around the whole world in just eight days!”
    “So, are you and your friends all patched up now?” asked Mom.
    “It’s still a little rocky,” said Judy. “But after today —”
    “A little Rocky? Get it?” asked Stink.
    “Ha, ha,” said Judy. “Stink, can I borrow your tarantula skeleton to take to school? And your tambourine?”
    “I don’t know,” said Stink. “I’ll think about it.”
    “Stink, don’t be a bratellino. Not today. Please.”
    “Do they have a lot of tarantulas and tambourines in Italy or something?” asked Stink.
    “Or something,” said Judy.
    “No, I mean it,” said Stink.
    “Stink, for a kid who reads the encyclopedia, you sure don’t know a lot of stuff.”
    “I haven’t read the T volume yet either!” said Stink.
    “Well, you better get cracking!” said Judy. “Didn’t you know? In the country of Italy, tarantulas play the tambourine while eating tortellini!”

When Judy got to school that morning, she bumped into Amy Namey in the hall.
    “I can’t wait to hear about Italy!” said Amy. “We get to come over to your class again. I can’t wait to see your group dance that spider dance!”
    “I’m my group,” said Judy. She stepped inside Class 3T and set the Leaning Tower of Pizza Tables on the shelf by the window. She covered it with an upside-down box so nobody would see it yet.
    “Rocky, did you bring the record? And the record player?” asked Judy.
    “Frank,” said Rocky, “tell Judy I brought the record player.”
    “Yipes stripes! You’re still not talking to me?” asked Judy.
    Rocky zipped his lips.
    “Lipper Zipper,” said Judy, cracking herself up.
    “Huh?” asked Frank.
    “Never mind,” said Judy. “You had to be there. And I was. With Amy Namey. Not you guys!”
    As soon as the bell rang, it was time for Judy’s group to tell about Italy. Judy and Jessica stood up in front of Class 3T and Class 3V.
    “Judy,” asked Mr. Todd, “what about the rest of your group?”
    “C’mon, you guys,” Judy whispered.
    Rocky and Frank came and stood up front. “Um, Rocky’s having trouble with his voice or something,” said Judy. “So I’ll be talking for my group. Frank will hold up the flag of Italy.” Judy handed the flag to Frank.
    “Ciao, everybody,” said Judy. “First, Jessica Finch will pass out a Pizza Spelling Test.”
    “Test!?” everybody complained.

    “It’s just for fun,” said Jessica. “And you can do it whenever you want. It’s not like it’s H-O-M-E-W-O-R-K or anything.”
    “Now,” said Judy Moody, “first I’ll tell you a little about Italy. Then we’ll play a game, and I’ll show you a dance. So, Italy sure has some funny-sounding cities. Like Baloney, Italy. And Pizza, Italy.”
    “It’s Ba-LONE-ya,” said Mr. Todd. “And PEE-za, Italy.”
    “Bravo!” said Judy. “In the town of Pizza, there’s this tower, but it’s crooked. So it’s called the Leaning Tower of Pizza.”
    “And guess what?” said Jessica Finch. “If you mess up the letters in THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA, you get WHAT A FOREIGN STONE PILE. It’s called an anagram.”
    “Anyway,” said Judy, “I made a leaning tower to show you what it looks like.”
    “That was our idea!” said Rocky.
    “Rocky, I see you found your voice,” said Mr. Todd.
    “This was Rocky and Frank’s idea,” said Judy. “Voila!”
    “Voila is French,” said Jessica Finch. “We learned that last week.”
    “May I present,” said Judy, “the Leaning Tower of Pizza Tables.” She yanked off the box.
    Something was not right! The Leaning Tower of Pizza Tables wasn’t leaning at all. It was melted. What used to be a leaning stack of glued-together pizza tables was now just a great big globby blob of melty plastic.

    “Ahhh!” Everybody pointed