The Clue in the Recycling Bin Read Online Free Page B

frowned. “Well,” she said, “there’s no more sorting to do this afternoon.” She glanced at the newspaper she had spread across the bench. “I’m very happy with the work you did,” she told the children. “Ethan didn’t come in this morning, so I really needed the four of you.”
    â€œWe saw Ethan today,” said Benny. “He was running.”
    â€œYes,” said Kayla with a smile. “Ethan runs track and jumps hurdles. He goes to college on a track scholarship. He’s always training.”
    Suddenly Kayla clapped her hands. “You know what?” she asked the Aldens. “If you want, I can show you how I make jewelry from scrap. It’s my own little way of recycling.”
    â€œYes, please,” said Violet. “I would love to see.”
    Her brothers and sister were also interested in seeing how Kayla made jewelry from scrap.
    â€œAs you can see, my work space is very small,” said Kayla. “But I’m very organized.” She pointed to one end of her workbench. “That’s where I keep tin cans. I make pins and earrings from them. I also make mobiles, like that one.” She pointed to a mobile of five colorful airplanes. “Each of those planes is made from a tin can.”
    â€œWow!” said Benny. “I like it!”
    Kayla smiled. “This pile contains small pieces of brass, copper, silver, and gold. You’d be surprised how much metal is thrown away. I use the small pieces to make rings or bracelets or key rings.”
    â€œThese are beautiful,” said Violet, looking at some rings.
    â€œWhere do you sell your jewelry?” asked Henry as he looked at a key ring. “You don’t have any signs outside that tell people you sell jewelry. How will they know about it?”
    Kayla frowned. “I wanted Jonah’s Jewelry Store to sell my rings and bracelets and pins,” she said, “but Mr. Jonah called them junk. All he cares about are diamonds.”
    Then Kayla looked at Henry. “You’ve given me an idea,” she said. “I should put a sign on the outside of this shed. Maybe it should say ‘Recycled Jewelry,’ or something like that.” Kayla seemed lost in thought.
    Benny saw the sparkly thing under the edge of the newspaper that Kayla had put on the bench. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing. “Is it a diamond?”
    Kayla pulled the piece from underneath the newspaper.
    Jessie noticed that Kayla pressed the newspaper down around whatever else it was covering.
    â€œThis is a key ring,” said Kayla, handing it to Benny. “The sparkling thing is just a piece of glass I found and polished.”
    â€œIt looks just like a diamond!” said Benny.
    Kayla laughed. “Yes, it does,” she said.
    Henry asked if he could see the key ring, and Benny gave it to him. “This is cool,” said Henry. “May I buy it?”
    â€œOh, I don’t know,” Kayla mumbled.
    â€œI really like it,” said Henry. He held the square of metal in his hand. He liked the way the piece of glass was set in the center. He saw that Kayla had drilled a hole into one end of the metal and put a key ring through the hole.
    Finally, Kayla told Henry how much she wanted for the key ring.
    Henry paid her. Then he put his keys on the new key ring and put the key ring on his belt.
    â€œWell,” said Kayla, “Jessie has notebooks,Benny has a piñata, and Henry has a key ring. Every Alden except Violet has something from the recycling center.”
    Kayla looked at Violet. “Have you seen anything you would like?” she asked.
    Violet smiled shyly. “I’m still looking for something purple,” she said.

CHAPTER 4
    Tamales and Tea
    T hat evening Grandfather and the children went out to Tío’s Tacos for dinner.
    Grandfather parked the car, and the five of them walked two blocks to the