A New Neighbor Sometimes Nora wished that everyone she knew lived in her apartment building It would be fun if all her school friends and Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Suzanne and the cousins all lived in the same apartment building She would spend all her time going up and down in the elevator visiting them 9
Since they didn’t Nora had made friends with most of the 200 people who did live in her building If only there were more children she thought Except for Nora who was seven and her little brother Teddy who was five the only other child in the whole building was Russell He lived on the second floor and was four years old Despite their different ages the three children were good friends Living in the same building meant that even when the weather was bad or Mommy and Daddy were too busy to take them outside they could play together One day Nora noticed that Russell’s mother Mrs Michaels was getting very fat She saw a button pop off Mrs Michaels blouse when she and Teddy were 10
having lunch in Russell’s apartment She had been taught that it was not polite to comment on such things so she didn’t say anything at the time But later when she was back in her own apartment she said to her mother Mrs Michaels is getting awfully fat You’re right said Mommy But she isn’t really fat She is growing a baby inside her Soon Russell will have a new brother or sister I hope it’s a sister said Nora delighted No no said Teddy I hope it’s a by the revelation brother It will be a sister because I said it first claimed Nora And besides we already have two boys in our building and only one girl If Russell gets a sister there will 11
