Brenda Books reads a lot. Brenda is very quiet. She likes to read books while all the other kids play at recess.

The kids sometimes turn to Brenda for her great wisdom.

“Read them their rights,” Tommy once said to Brenda when he brought her to two other Elementrees members that were misbehaving. (They showed up even later than him for an Elementrees meeting. Only Tommy Tomorrow could have this privilege. Being late was his trademark.)

“Who do you think I am? Wilbur and Orville Wright?” she protested. “I can’t fly a plane, but I can read a book.”

“Book ’em, Brenda,” Tommy insisted.

“I can read you like a book,” she said. She was not going to play Tommy’s fool.

“Throw the book at ’em, Brenda!” Bobby shouted, supporting his friend, Tommy.

Brenda crossed her arms before herself and said “I don’t condone violence.”

That was it. She said no more. She allowed a moment of silence to fill the air and then she walked away with her book and returned to reading under the apricot tree in Amy’s backyard, where most all of the Elementrees meetings were held.