I sneak a final peek at my jewelry box. Hansel and Gretel are by the pond with their dad, sitting on one of the blankets I gave them and having a picnic. Ms. Duck is floating on the pond. Hansel is taking a bite out of a cookie.

They look happy.

In the morning, my alarm goes off, and I bounce out of bed.

Jonah comes out of his room with his usual messy bedhead, and we go downstairs.

My mom is still in her bathrobe. “Smoothie?” she asks.

Jonah and I give each other horrified looks.

I swallow. Hard. “Sure,” I say. “Thanks, Mom.”

“My pleasure!” she says.

Jonah whispers to me, “Do we have to drink them?”

Yes! I mouth back. Be grateful for the smoothie! Be grateful for Mom! “You know what?” I say to Mom. “I can make them.”

“Yeah?” she asks, surprised. “You know how? When did you learn?”

“Oh … by watching you!” I say, which is basically true. “You can get ready for work. I’ll call you when they’re done.”

“Sure,” she says, stepping back. “Thanks!”

“I’ll take care of the bagels,” Jonah says just as my dad is about to pop the bagels in the toaster oven.

“Sounds good to me,” my dad says. “I’ll pour the coffee. For me and your mom. Not for you.”

“Obviously,” I say. Anyway, coffee is disgusting. But not as disgusting as black licorice.

“Thanks, kids,” my mom says. “We appreciate the help.”

“We appreciate you,” I say.

I pop a banana, some blueberries, milk, yogurt, and some ice in the blender. I see leftovers of last night’s spinach in a Ziploc container. I throw in a piece for good luck.

I press BLEND and hope for the best.

Abby is going on a WONDER-ful adventure …

Look for:

SUPER SPECIAL:

ABBY IN WONDERLAND

Thank you to all the publishing people who turn my ingredients into a book:

Aimee Friedman, Laura Dail, Tamar Rydzinski, Lauren Walters, Deb Shapiro, Jennifer Abbots, Olivia Valcarce, Abby McAden, David Levithan, Tracy van Straaten, Caitlin Friedman, Rachel Feld, Antonio Gonzalez, Sue Flynn and everyone in Sales, Rachael Hicks, Emily Rader, Elizabeth Parisi, Lizette Serrano, Emily Heddleson, and Robin Bailey Hoffman, and everyone in the school channels!

Thank you, family, friends, writers, and others: Elissa Ambrose, Aviva Mlynowski, Larry Mlynowski, Louisa Weiss, Robert Ambrose, the Dalven-Swidlers, the DAttilios, the Goldmiths, the Heckers, the Finkelstein-Mitchells, the Steins, the Wolfes, the Mittlemans, the Bilermans, the Greens, Courtney Sheinmel, Anne Heltzel, Lauren Myracle, Emily Bender, Targia Alphonse, Jess Braun, Lauren Kisilevsky, Bonnie Altro, Carolyn Mackler, Caroline Gertler, Stuart Gibbs, Jen E. Smith, Robin Wasserman, Adele Griffin, Leslie Margolis, Maryrose Wood, Tara Altebrando, Sara Zarr, Ally Carter, Jennifer Barnes, Alan Gratz, Penny Fransblow, Avery Carmichael, Maggie Marr, Jeremy Cammy, and Farrin Jacobs. Also, my special readers, Priya DAttilio, Sofie Dewan, and, of course, Chloe Swidler.