Praise for

  PAULA DANZIGER & ANN M. MARTIN’S

  Snail Mail No More

  ★ “This book speaks just as authentically to middle graders as the author’s previous title did. The two characters approach life differently enough that there will likely be a response or suggestion that resonates with every reader, and both heroines share one important trait: They are all heart.”

  — Publishers Weekly, starred review

  “Seasoned pros Danziger and Martin couldn’t write a dull book if they tried…. A funny, thought-provoking page-turner that will delight readers and leave them ready for more messages.”

  — Booklist

  “The e-mails … lend immediacy to the story…. an enjoyable sequel.”

  — School Library Journal

  To the three wonderful editors who guided

  Tara★Starr, Elizabeth, and us:

  Craig Walker, Liz Szabla, and Brenda Bowen.

  — P. D. & A.M.M.

  Contents

  Praise Page

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Elizabeth

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  Tara

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  Barb

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  Instant Message

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  About the Authors

  Copyright

  June 25

  Dear Tara★Starr,

  I just got your letter! I didn’t wait a single second to answer it. It’s lying here on my desk. I read it for the first time a minute or so ago, then I read it about twenty more times, and now I’m writing back to you. Oh, I can’t wait for Mom to come home from work so I can ask her when I can visit you. Just think, Tara, a whole week together. I figure it’s been 44 weeks since we saw each other. Do you think we can make up for that in one week? I do. (Maybe.)

  Oh, I am so excited. About our visit, of course, PLUS … school’s out!

  Also, I have to admit that I’m thrilled to say good-bye to seventh grade. It’s been a year of so many changes, most of them difficult. You moved away, Dad started drinking, Dad lost his job, we lost our house, Dad left us, we moved here to the apartment at DEER RUN. Actually, some good things have happened too. Even though I don’t like the apartment itself, I like living in DEER RUN. Remember how I made fun of that name at first? I still think it’s a dumb name, but I like the complex. And I like living near Howie and Susie. I’m so glad we’ve become good friends.

  Speaking of Howie and Susie, guess what we’re going to be able to do this summer. Send e-mail. Can you believe it? Mom’s bringing an old computer home from her office (I think she’s bringing it today), and Susie’s going to set it up so that I can have e-mail. I’ve already chosen my e-mail name. It’s Eliz812 – part of my name, and my birthday. What do you think?

  Oh, boy. I’m just stalling for time until Mom comes home. I really can’t wait to ask her about our visit, but there’s no point in calling her at work because she won’t be able to concentrate on a nonwork matter. Also, she won’t have the right calendar with her.

  You know what, Tara? I think I’m going to go ahead and mail this letter, because walking it to the mailbox will be a little activity. Then I’ll write you another letter tonight after Mom and I have talked.

  More soon.

  I love you.

  And I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Love,

  June 25

  9:13 PM

  Dear Tara★Starr,

  Mom and I just got finished talking, and guess what. Mom thinks early July would be a good time for me to visit you. Isn’t that great? It’s almost July NOW!!! We could be together in just one week! Mom is going to look into a couple of things at her office, and I’m going to talk to Susie to find out if early July would be okay for her to take over my job of watching Emma while Mom’s at work. Then Mom is going to call you guys tomorrow night. So by the time you get this letter (and the one I wrote this afternoon), we’ll probably have the trip pretty much worked out. (Which makes this letter kind of silly, doesn’t it? Oh, well.)

  I’m too excited to end this letter here. I have diarrhea of the pen. I really wish you had a computer so we could send each other e-mail too. Then we could practically TALK to each other with the computers, instead of having to wait three or four days for our letters to be delivered via snail mail. With e-mail we could write to each other several times a day. We could tell each other everything that happens, practically AS it happens. For instance, right now I could tell you what I just made for supper. With e-mail that would be interesting because you could read about it this very evening. With snail mail you won’t read about it until three days after the meal, so who cares?

  Speaking of supper, after supper tomorrow night Howie and Susie and I are going to ride our bikes to the Dair-E Freez and treat ourselves to sundaes. I’ll get rainbow sprinkles in your honor.

  Love,

  June 29

  Dear Elizabeth,

  I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited.

  Please, oh please, oh please … get here as soon as you can.

  It’ll be so great to see you.

  It’s weird … ten whole months without seeing you. I know a lot about your life from your letters. (The ones you sent and the ones you DIDN’T send…. Remember our fight?????!!!!!!!) I know about your feelings. Well, a lot about your feelings. I know you keep a lot to yourself too. What I don’t know is what you look like. Did you get taller? (I did … four inches.) Did your bust get any bigger? (My bra size has gone from an A to a B…. I’m glad we’re talking lingerie, not grades!) Is your hair long or short? Is it the same color? (Mine is back to normal except for a violet streak in the front.) I know you’ll be here soon and I can see for myself … but I am soooooooooo impatient.

  Elizabeth, I just reread the paragraph before this one and realize how many times I said, “I know.” Does that make me a know-it-all? DON’T ANSWER THAT!!!!!!

  Anyway, I just can’t wait until you get here.

  Barb and Luke and I will meet you at the airport and then we’ll take you back to the apartment, where you can rest for the evening. The next day, the festivities begin. Some of my friends will come over and we can all shop. That night, we’ll have a PARTY and invite over a bunch of my friends. It’ll be a party in your honor. (When I told Barb about this, she said I should check it out with you … that all that attention might not be something you’d love. But I can’t believe you wouldn’t want to do this. I mean, I know you are shy, but you can do this…. Just think of how much fun it’s going to be.)

  And don’t worry about where you are going to sleep. Luke and Barb went to a house sale last weekend and bought a trundle bed for my room. It was really cheap. And it means I have room for a friend to stay over whenever I want. The couple was selling a lot of stuff because they’re retiring.

  It was weird. Even though the people who were selling all the stuff are old, they got along really well with my parents, who, as you know, are not even thirty yet. And as Luke said, not very retiring folks. Ho-ho. Ha-ha. The Coopers thought it was “cute” that I was an almost-thirteen-year-old only child who was soon not going to be an only child. So they also sold us things that their grandchildren no longer need, like a crib, a high chair, and a car seat!!!!! I really don’t want to talk about t
hat right now … and when you come here, even though I am getting better about it, I don’t want to deal with the B-word. (As in B-aby.) Anyway, I have the trundle bed so that’s good.

  Please, oh please let me know exactly when you are going to be here.

  P.S. About the name for your e-mail address. It’s so YOU!!!

  July 2

  Dear Tara★Starr

  I’m answering your letter even though my mom and your mom are going to talk again tonight to finalize our plans. I know this is going to happen because Mom just called me from her office and said that Barb had called her to talk about our visit, and they arranged that Mom would phone Barb tonight when both of them will really be able to talk.

  You asked what I look like. I don’t think I look any different than when you left last fall, but I guess I must have changed. Wait – maybe I’ll go measure myself.

  Okay, I’m back. And I’m five feet, two inches tall now, but I just realized I don’t know how tall I was at the beginning of the school year. I must have grown, though. I had to get almost all new summer clothes last month because I couldn’t fit into any of last year’s. (Mom saved the old ones for Emma. Poor thing. They won’t fit her for about seven years. What a dork she’ll look like then.) Even though I grew, I’m the same weight I was last summer. I know that for sure. Mom says I look wispy. Susie says I’m a beanpole. My hair is about the same length and it’s the exact same color. I have bangs now, though, so that’s a little difference.

  Tara, I want to say one thing about the party. I love the idea of having a party to meet your friends, but can it just be a plain old party? Not one in my honor? Barb’s right – I don’t want all that attention. But I’d like to meet your friends. And a party sounds like fun. (It isn’t going to be a kissing party, though, is it? I don’t think I’m ready for that. I haven’t been to one of those, and the first time I do go to one, I’d like to be with kids I already know. Well, actually, I’d particularly like to be with Howie.)

  I think it’s great that you and Barb and Luke got all that stuff at a house sale. We’ve seen a lot of sales around here so far this summer, and Mom got Emma a little tiny bicycle with training wheels at one. It’s in really good shape and only cost $15. The ones we were looking at in Toys ‘Я’ Us cost WAY more than that. Mom also got me a new bedspread, since mine had been ripped in the move. I think house sales are the only way to go when you’re on a budget.

  The Fourth of July is in two days and guess what. Howie and Susie and I are going to go to the fireworks display at the park. We’re going to go by ourselves and get dinner there and everything. Remember when we went last year? And you could buy food from those trucks? Well, I’ve been saving the $$ Mom has been paying me to take care of Emma this summer, and I know exactly what I’m going to buy for dinner: a hot dog with everything, French fries, and a vanilla ice-cream cone with sprinkles (although I wonder if an ice-cream cone is too messy to eat in front of Howie).

  I could go on and on, Tara, but I’m going to stop for two reasons: 1. I have to go get dinner ready. 2. I’m sure I’m going to be talking to you in a couple of hours.

  And I KNOW I’m going to see you VERY SOON!!!

  Lots of Love,

  P.S. Bust? What bust?

  July 6

  Dear Elizabeth,

  I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  It’s finally happening. After our letters, our phone calls, our mothers’ phone calls … we’re finally going to see each other. Only one more week to go. I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!!!

  We’re going to have the most wonderful time.

  AND I HAVE THE MOST WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!

  GUESS WHAT???????????????????????????????

  Darn … it’s so hard to play “guess what” in letters. It will be so much easier in person. I’ll just have to tell you WHAT!!!!!!!!!!

  The Lane Family … Luke and Barb and TARA … are getting a computer. A COMPUTER … and what’s more, WE ARE GETTING E-MAIL! That’s right, Elizabeth…. SNAIL MAIL NO MORE!

  I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy. We will be able to send each other e-mail ALL THE TIME. And this really cute guy even explained to me that we’ll be able to send each other instant messages (I don’t know how that works, but he said that he would teach me how to do IMs. Is that anything like BMs???? I know … I’m being gross. Sorry.) Anyway, I’ll be able to e-mail you, Eliz812. I wonder what my e-mail address will be?????? Tara★ … or TARA★LANE … or maybe just★ … We’ll have to discuss that when you get here.

  I bet you’re surprised that we’re getting a computer!!!!! Remember the Cooper family???? They decided to get a new computer and sell their old one to us. Well, not even sell it to us. Luke and Barb and I are going to “work” for it … help them pack up for the move. We would have done that for them anyway. (They are soooooo nice.)

  So now we can talk on e-mail. I was jealous that you and what’s-their-faces (OK … I know their names are Howie and Susie) could e-mail each other, even if you do live in the same town, in fact in the same apartment complex, and are always going for ice cream together!

  I know … I am glad that you are friends with them … but I am just a little worried. I hope that you don’t like them more than you like me. And speaking of that, there is something that I have to tell you. I am afraid that you are going to like my new friends more than you like me … and that they are going to like you more than they like me. So I was thinking of telling everyone that it was OK for everyone to like each other, just not more than me.

  Well, I guess that’s it for now.

  Elizabeth, think about it! There’s just enough time for you to get this letter … and then the next time we are in contact … it will actually be FACE-TO-FACE.

  I can’t wait.

  Love,

  Date: July 14 10:49:58 AM

  From: TSTARR

  Subj: Snail Mail No More

  To: Eliz812

  DEAR ELIZABETH,

  GUESS WHAT … TARA★STARR LANE HAS E-MAIL!! AND THIS IS MY FIRST E-MAIL THAT I HAVE EVER SENT…. And I am sending it to you, my friend Elizabeth, who is actually sitting right here next to me, teaching me how to do this.

  We have worked it out so that we can each get and send our own e-mail from my computer while you are here … and what’s more, it’s PRIVATE, with our own secret passwords and everything.

  I AM SO EXCITED…. THIS IS SO WONDERFUL…. BUT WHAT IS EVEN MORE WONDERFUL THAN DOING THIS IS THE FACT THAT YOU, ELIZABETH, ARE FINALLY ACTUALLY HERE WITH ME AND WE’RE HAVING THE BEST BEST BEST TIME … AND IT’S ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

  Please e-mail me back right now so that we know this actually works, and then we can go have ice-cream cones with sprinkles ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

  Love,

  Tara★Starr

  Date: July 14 10:54:09 AM

  From: Eliz812

  Subj: Ice Cream

  To: TSTARR

  Dear Tara,

  It worked! I got into my account and found your letter (as you know). Now go away. Don’t sit here beside me while I write to you.

  Thank you. (Won’t you have more fun reading your mail if you haven’t watched me write your letter?)

  Tara, being here with you is so cool!!! I love it. I love seeing Barb and Luke and Barb’s stomach – my first introduction to the baby. (Do you mind my saying that?)

  The real purpose of this letter is to find out about the ice cream. Are we going to have ice cream for lunch? Where is your ice-cream place? Does it have rainbow sprinkles? A flavor of the month?

  Okay, enough of this letter writing. Let’s go!

  Love,

  Elizabeth

  Date: July 15 9:22:31 AM

  From: TSTARR

  Subj: YOU ARE HERE

  To: Eliz812

  DEAR ELIZABETH,

  I KNOW. I KNOW. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS MEAN I’M SHOUTING. BUT I JUST CAN’T HELP MYSELF. YOU ARE HERE…. YOU ARE ACTUALLY HERE IN OHIO.

  ALL RIGHT. I’ll calm down. You are here…. You are actually here.

  I am sooooooooooo happy.

  I have a lot of new friends here, but none of them knows me the way you do … knows what it used to be like before my parents decided to act (be) more grown-up, more responsible … how hard it was when they didn’t have regular steady jobs. None of them knows that sometimes I’m not as sure of myself as I pretend to be.

  And there is no one here I know as well as I know you.