A week later, Grandfather drove his whole family over to the Shoppe in the big station wagon. Soo Lee, Joe, and Alice came too. A big sign that said OPEN HOUSE hung over the Shoppes front door. Inside, white and red balloons hung from the Shoppes cei...
Benny gulped. Henry peered through the keyhole. What he saw made him shake his head sadly. Brian was leading four skinny boys into the parlors kitchen. The boys wore T-shirts that looked much too big for them, and worn-out shoes. As Henry watched, Br...
That night at dinner, Jessie lost no time telling her family about the missing strawberry ice cream. Why didnt Mr. Brown notice it was missing? Benny wondered aloud. There was still lots of ice cream in the container, just not as much as yesterday, J...
The Aldens left for work early the next morning with Watch. Henry and I can take him for a walk after we talk to Mr. Brown, Benny explained. But wont he keep you from your detective work? Jessie asked. You know how Mrs. Saunders dislikes dogs. Oh, we...
As the Aldens walked home, they saw Mrs. Saunders ice cream truck parked two blocks away from their house. Six children were in line for ice cream. Yoooo-hoooo, Mrs. Saunders called when she saw the Aldens. How was business today? She handed a raspbe...
That night, Benny had a dream. He was working in the Ice Cream Shoppe surrounded by cartons and cartons of all different kinds of ice cream banana, chocolate, raspberry, vanilla, blueberry, and peach. In his dream, Benny wore a big white chefs hat. H...
Simone and Jessie tried their best to convince their customers to have the fresh peach or strawberry ice cream. When you have your heart set on chocolate, its hard to change your mind, a young woman grumbled. I know what you mean, echoed a police off...
That evening, the childrens cousins Joe and Alice came for dinner. They brought their seven-year-old daughter, Soo Lee, with them. Joe and Alice had adopted Soo Lee from Korea. I cant believe youll be working in the Ice Cream Shoppe, Alice said as sh...
Hey, whats going on out here? Mr. Brown called as he came hurrying out of the kitchen. Thats no way to talk to one of my waitresses, he told the man angrily. Shes new here, new to this country, and shes never worked in an ice cream parlor before. Tha...
I wonder what that lady has against the ice cream parlor? Jessie asked thoughtfully when the Aldens were further down the street. Maybe shes just mad the Shoppe is taking customers away from her business, Henry suggested. She had lots of customers, B...
One spring morning, four children stood outside their house in Greenfield washing the family station wagon. Six-year-old Benny Alden soaked his dirty rag in a pail of sudsy water. Boy, its getting hot out here, he remarked to his brother Henry. Henry...
