Nate the Great and the Monster Mess Read online

  The right place for that recipe

  was with the other papers.

  She must have put it there three days ago.

  So why wasn’t it there?”

  Sludge didn’t know.

  Neither did I, Nate the Great.

  What was important in this case?

  Was it important

  that my mother had scribbled

  something

  on a long piece of paper

  after she saw Fang?

  Was it important

  that she bought chocolate,

  strawberries, a lemon,

  and lots of fish?

  Fish could not have anything

  to do with Monster Cookies.

  Still, there was a clue

  at the fish store.

  I, Nate the Great,

  felt it in my bones.

  And up my nose.

  It had something to do

  with Rosamond’s fish paper.

  “Get up!” I said to Sludge.

  “We have the clues we need.

  Fish paper and lemon.”

  Sludge and I made our way

  back to the kitchen.

  I looked at the papers

  spread over the floor.

  I found the sheet that had

  Lemfan scribbled on it.

  The paper was stained,

  wrinkled, and crinkled.

  Just like Rosamond’s fish paper.

  Because it had already been use

  on the other side!

  To make cookies.

  I turned the paper over.

  I, Nate the Great,

  read what I knew I would read …

  Monster Cookies!

  There it was.

  How to make Strawberry Draculas,

  Chocolate Frankensteins,

  and Cinnamon Werewolves.

  “This case is solved,” I said.

  “Here is what happened.

  My mother had some recipes

  with her when she saw Annie and Fang.

  She scribbled a note

  to buy lemon

  on the back of

  the Monster Cookies recipe.

  Lemfan.

  Short for Lemon Fang Cookies.

  After she shopped and came home,

  she put the recipes back on the pile.

  But because she had scribbled

  on the back of

  the Monster Cookies recipe,

  it was turned down

  instead of up.

  The next couple of days

  my mother used other recipes

  from the pile.

  The pile became very messy.

  Today my mother was ready

  to make the cookies.

  She went to the pile.

  She was in a hurry.

  She thumbed through

  lots of recipes and scribbles.

  Like Lemfan.

  A scribble among scribbles.

  My mother passed it by.

  Just the way I did.

  If the paper had been blank

  we would have known

  it was the wrong side.

  I, Nate the Great, say that

  in this case

  nothing would have

  been better

  than something.”

  I heard the front door open.

  I clutched the Monster Cookies recipe.

  I had a big surprise

  to show my mother.

  I heard a scream.

  I was glad that I did not hear

  a thud or a bump or a thump.

  Sludge looked scared.

  I, Nate the Great,

  now knew that I

  had one more surprise

  for my mother

  than I wanted.

  Sludge and I

  were very busy

  for the rest of the day.

  Nate’s Notes: Monsters

  Nate’s Notes: Stuff About Eels

  How to Make Lemon Fang Cookies

  How to Make Lemonade

  Monster Jokes

  The Right Way to Recycle

  Taking a bite out of a Fang-shaped cookie is fun. (And it’s much better than having Fang take a bite out of you.)

  Ask an adult to help you with this recipe. It will make about three dozen Fangs.

  You need an oven to bake the cookies.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • a mixing bowl

  • an electric mixer

  • aluminum foil

  • a dog-shaped cookie cutter (the scarier, the better!)

  • stuff to decorate your cookies (see pages 20 and 21 for ideas)

  • a rolling pin

  • cookie sheets

  • ¾ cup butter (1½ sticks)

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  MAKE THE DOUGH:

  1. Let the butter sit at room temperature until it is soft. This will take about an hour.

  2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until smooth.

  3. Add the eggs and the lemon extract. Mix.

  4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

  5. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil.

  6. Chill the dough for at least one hour. (Longer is fine too. You can even leave it overnight.)

  MAKE YOUR COOKIES:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F.

  2. Lightly dust a smooth, clean surface with flour. (A kitchen counter works well.)

  3. Roll out the dough until it’s about ½ inch thick.

  4. Cut into dog shapes with the cookie cutter.

  5. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.

  6. Decorate the cookies. (See ideas on the following pages.)

  7. Bake the decorated cookies 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely.

  8. Eat!

  HOW TO DECORATE YOUR COOKIES

  • “Paint” your cookies with egg-yolk paint. Mix one egg yolk* with a teaspoon of milk or water. Divide into four small containers. Add red food coloring to the first cup. Stir well. Repeat to make blue, green, and yellow paint. Use a pastry brush or a clean, new paintbrush to paint the cookies. Try mixing the paints to make new colors. After baking, the paint will be shiny and brightly colored.

  • Use raisins, red hots, or mini–chocolate chips to give your Fang cookies eyes, noses, and pretend fur.

  • Sprinkle on chopped nuts or colored sugar.

  Fang cookies taste good with lemonade. You can make your own.

  Ask an adult to help you.

  Makes one glass.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • one lemon

  • a knife

  • a glass

  • ¼ cup of sugar

  • a spoon

  • ice cubes

  • cold water

  MAKE YOUR LEMONADE:

  1. Cut the lemon in half.

  2. Squeeze the lemon into the glass. Use a lemon squeezer if you have one. Or just use your hands.

  3. Pour in the sugar. Stir well.

  4. Add several ice cubes.

  5. Fill the glass with cold water.

  6. Enjoy!

  What do you get when you cross the Abominable Snowman and Dracula?

  Frostbite!

  What kind of dog does Dracula own?

  A bloodhound!

  Why doesn’t Dracula have more friends?

  Because he’s a pain in the neck!

  What is Dracula’s favorite fruit?

  Neck-tarines.

  What is Dracula’s favorite soup?

  Scream of tomato.

  What is Dracula’s favorite animal?

  The giraffe.

  What did Frankenstein do with his lunch?

  He bolted it down.

  Rosamond is not good at recycling.

  Yo
u can be. Try these steps:

  1. LEARN about the recycling program where you live. Most American cities have curbside recycling. That means you separate recyclables from the rest of your garbage and place them at the curb. Trash collectors pick them up. In some places, you may need to take your recyclables to a special center for collection.

  2. COLLECT recyclable materials. These things are easy to recycle:

  • Newspapers, magazines, and other types of paper

  • Aluminum cans (like soda cans)

  • Steel cans (like soup cans)

  • Glass jars (like peanut butter or baby food jars)

  • Plastic bottles (like water or detergent bottles)

  Paper with food on it is NOT recyclable. Do not be like Rosamond. Throw your stinky fish paper away!

  3. TAKE THE STUFF OUT. Carry your recyclables to the curb or visit the recycling center.

  4. FEEL GOOD ABOUT DOING YOUR PART!

  Nate the Great: Meet Nate, the great detective, and join him as he uses incredible sleuthing skills to solve his first big case.

  Nate the Great Goes Undercover: Who—or what—is raiding Oliver’s trash every night? Nate bravely hides out in his friend’s garbage can to catch the smelly crook.

  Nate the Great and the Lost List: Nate loves pancakes, but who ever heard of cats eating them? Is a strange recipe at the heart of this mystery?

  Nate the Great and the Phony Clue: Against ferocious cats, hostile adversaries, and a sly phony clue, Nate struggles to prove that he’s still the greatest detective.

  Nate the Great and the Sticky Case: Nate is stuck with his stickiest case yet as he hunts for his friend Claude’s valuable stegosaurus stamp.

  Nate the Great and the Missing Key: Nate isn’t afraid to look anywhere—even under the nose of his friend’s ferocious dog, Fang—to solve the case of the missing key.

  Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail: Nate has his work cut out for him when his friend Rosamond loses the birthday present she was going to give him. How can he find the present when Rosamond won’t even tell him what it is?

  Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize: The trophy for the Smartest Pet Contest has disappeared! Will Sludge, Nate’s clue-sniffing dog, help solve the case and prove he’s worthy of the prize?

  Nate the Great Stalks Stupidweed: When his friend Oliver loses his special plant, Nate searches high and low. Who knew a little weed could be so tricky?

  Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag: It’s no relaxing day at the beach for Nate and his trusty dog, Sludge, as they search through sand and surf for signs of a missing beach bag.

  Nate the Great Goes Down in the Dumps: Nate discovers that the only way to clean up this case is to visit the town dump. Detective work can sure get dirty!

  Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt: It’s Halloween, but Nate isn’t trick-or-treating for candy. Can any of the witches, pirates, and robots he meets help him find a missing cat?

  Nate the Great and the Musical Note: Nate is used to looking for clues, not listening for them! When he gets caught in the middle of a musical riddle, can he hear his way out?

  Nate the Great and the Stolen Base: It’s not easy to track down a stolen base, and Nate’s hunt leads him to some strange places before he finds himself at bat once more.

  Nate the Great and the Pillowcase: When a pillowcase goes missing, Nate must venture into the dead of night to search for clues. Everyone sleeps easier knowing Nate the Great is on the case!

  Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine: Nate hates mushy stuff. But when someone leaves a big heart taped to Sludge’s doghouse, Nate must help his favorite pooch discover his secret admirer.

  Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise: Where did the mysterious green tortoise in Nate’s yard come from? Nate needs all his patience to follow this slow … slow … clue.

  Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas: It’s Christmas, and Fang, Annie’s scary dog, is not feeling jolly. Can Nate find Fang’s crunchy Christmas mail before Fang crunches on him?

  Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden: Can Nate solve his first-ever international case without leaving his own neighborhood?

  Nate the Great and Me: The Case of the Fleeing Fang: A surprise Happy Detective Day party is great fun for Nate until his friend’s dog disappears! Help Nate track down the missing pooch, and learn all the tricks of the trade in a special fun section for aspiring detectives.

  Nate the Great and the Monster Mess: Nate loves his mother’s deliciously spooky Monster Cookies, but the recipe has vanished! This is one case Nate and his growling stomach can’t afford to lose.

  Nate the Great, San Francisco Detective: Nate visits his cousin Olivia Sharp in the big city, but it’s no vacation. Can he find a lost joke book in time to save the world?

  Nate the Great and the Big Sniff: Nate depends on his dog, Sludge, to help him solve all his cases. But Nate is on his own this time, because Sludge has disappeared! Can Nate solve the case and recover his canine buddy?

  Nate the Great on the Owl Express: Nate boards a train to guard Hoot, his cousin Olivia Sharp’s pet owl. Then Hoot vanishes! Can Nate find out whooo took the feathered creature?

  Nate the Great Talks Turkey: There’s a turkey on the loose, with Nate, his cousin Olivia Sharp, Sludge, and Claude in hot pursuit. Who will find the runaway bird first?

  Nate the Great and the Hungry Book Club: Rosamond has started a book club. Nate and his dog, Sludge, attend a meeting as undercover detectives. The case: find out what “monster” has an appetite for ripping book pages and making others go missing.

  MARJORIE WEINMAN SHARMAT has written more than 130 books for children and young adults, as well as movie and TV novelizations. Her books have been translated into nineteen languages. The award-winning Nate the Great series, hailed in Booklist as “groundbreaking,” has resulted in Nate’s real-world appearances in a New York Times crossword puzzle, sporting a milk mustache in magazines and posters, and on more than 28 million boxes of Cheerios. Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and her husband, Mitchell Sharmat, have also coauthored many books, including titles in both the Nate the Great and the Olivia Sharp series. The Sharmats live in Tucson, Arizona.

  MARTHA WESTON illustrated How Will the Easter Bunny Know? by Kay Winters (Yearling), as well as more than forty books for children, including six she also wrote.