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Registered Offices: Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England
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First published in the United States of America by G. P. Putnamâs Sons,
a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2006
Published by Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2007
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Copyright © Tomie dePaola, 2006
All rights reserved
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THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGED THE G. P. PUTNAMâS SONS EDITION AS FOLLOWS:
DePaola, Tomie.
Iâm still scared / written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola.
p. cm. - (A 26 Fairmount Avenue book)
eISBN : 978-1-101-00707-5
[1. DePaola, Tomie-Childhood and youth-Juvenile literature.
2. DePaola, Tomie-Homes and haunts-Connecticut-Meriden-Juvenile literature.
3. Authors, American-20th century-Biography-Juvenile literature.
4. Connecticut-Social life and customs-Juvenile literature.
5. World War, 1939-1945-Connecticut-Juvenile literature.
6. Meriden (Conn.)-Biography-Juvenile literature.] I. Title: Iâm still scared. II. Title.
PS3554.E11474Z.54-dc22 2005013500
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http://us.penguingroup.com
For all those who also remember
the terrifying weeks right after
December 7, 1941.
On Sunday, December 7, 1941,
the Japanese attacked and destroyed
the United States Pacific Fleet at
Pearl Harbor, on the island of
Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands.
It was a surprise attack.
Chapter One
âTomie, Buddy,â Mom called. âGet up and get dressed. We have to go to church. Hurry now. â
Buddy, my older brother, and I got out of bed, washed up, and got dressed. It was Monday, but we had to go to church. It was a Holy Day. That means that if youâre Catholic, like we are, you have to go to church just like on Sunday.
âCome on, boys,â Dad said. âWe have to drop off your baby sister Maureen at the Purcellsâ before going to St. Josephâs.â
The Purcells lived up at the end of Fairmount Avenue. They had a little boy named Jimmy who was just about the same age as Maureen.
The Purcells werenât Catholics, so Mrs. Purcell would watch Maureen while we were at church.
Almost more people were in church than there had been on Sunday. Father OâConnell came down to the altar rail. He was the youngest priest at St. Josephâs in Meriden, Connecticut, where we live. âWe will start off this morning by saying the Prayer for Peace,â he said. âYou will find a copy of the prayer in your pews.â
Usually the mass is full of music and candles and smells and bells and quiet. This morning, I heard lots of sniffling, like ladies crying and men clearing their throats. I never heard that before!
The Sisters of Mercy who taught at St. Josephâs School were sitting at the front with all the schoolchildren. Buddy and I went to King Street Public School, so we sat with Mom and Dad.
I saw one of the Sisters pull a white handkerchief out of her sleeve and put it to her eyes. It was like a big flash of lightning
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