Earthborn

by WAUGH, SYLVIA

• ISBN13: 9780440418382
• ISBN10: 0440418380
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2004-04-01
• Publisher: Yearling

Summary

Nesta Gwynn has always known that her parents are different. She thinks it's because they're from Boston instead of the little town in England, where Nesta was born and where she's always lived. But at the age of 12, Nesta discovers that her parents aren't really from Boston. In fact, they're not from Earth at all. They're aliens from a planet named Ormingat and, even though she was born on Earth, Nesta is an alien too. To make matters worse, her parents's mission on Earth has come to an abrupt end because of a boy named Thomas Derwent. They will have one chance to return to Ormingat and it's only seven days away. Nesta quickly devises a plan so that she'll miss the deadline and not have to leave Earth. But if she stays behind, will her parents choose to stay with her or will they go back to Ormingat without her? From the Hardcover edition.

Author Biography

<b>Sylvia Waugh</b>’s books include Space Race, as well as five books about The Mennyms.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>

Table of Contents

The Bullying	p. 11
A Lesson for Ginger	p. 18
Starlight, Perhaps	p. 26
The Faraway Planet	p. 36
The Signal	p. 44
The Shock	p. 50
Let It Not Be True	p. 58
Explanations	p. 65
Stella's Visitors	p. 71
Saturday in York	p. 81
Matthew's Return	p. 88
Fresh Instructions	p. 93
Sunday	p. 99
Monday at School	p. 108
The Man from the Ministry	p. 114
I'm Not Going	p. 120
Forewarned Is Forearmed	p. 130
Nesta's Decision	p. 136
Tuesday at Home	p. 144
Amy's Garage	p. 150
Where Can She Be and What Can We Do?	p. 159
Amy on Thursday	p. 166
Thursday at the Gwynns'	p. 173
Friday in Carthorpe Road	p. 181
Friday in Linden Drive	p. 188
Snow!	p. 196
Searching for Nesta	p. 203
Traveling North	p. 209
Suspicious Circumstances	p. 214
Nesta in Casselton	p. 219
Further Inquiries	p. 227
Belthorp	p. 233
A Strange Farewell	p. 242
Stella and Nesta	p. 248
Nesta and Stella	p. 255
Where the Frog Went	p. 263
News and Intrigue	p. 272
Sunday Morning	p. 280
Detective Inspector Stirling Returns	p. 289
The Journey Home	p. 296
The Last Chapter	p. 301
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

CHAPTER 1

The Bullying

The Gwynns had lived just outside the city of York for the past fourteen years. Nesta, their only child, was born there. As far as the neighbors knew, Matthew and Alison Gwynn were a pleasant, young American couple who had settled and made their home in England. Only the faintest of accents and the odd phrase here and there made people remember that they were not British born and bred. They kept themselves to themselves, but so did everyone else in their leafy, comfortable suburb.

Never in a million years would anyone have guessed their astonishing secret. In fact, the only difficulty they had experienced so far in their time here had been the bullying their daughter had suffered in her first years at Carrick Comprehensive. But that could have happened to any ordinary child, born of purely human parents.

For a year and half, Nesta had been bullied and tormented at school. It was never clear why. She was shy and clever, never one of the crowd, but not friendless. Then one day another girl from the form above, with a long ginger ponytail and eyes like a cat, came up to Nesta in the playground and said, "Is your name really Nesta?"

"Yes," said Nesta, not quite sure what this strange girl meant. She did not know her at all. The girl gave a feline smile, eyes closing almost to slits.

"Where'd you get a name like that from?" she said.

"My mom called me that. She chose it," said Nesta. "It's Welsh for Agnes, I think."

"Mom!" said the girl, with a snigger in her voice.

"Who's this Mom? Haven't you got a mam then, like the rest of us?"

"I've always called her Mom. It's what she called herself, I suppose. My parents came from Boston two years before I was born. That's in America."

"Oh dear and la-di-dah!" said the girl, tweaking a lock of Nesta's fine hair.

Looking at the two of them, the ginger girl would definitely have been the one to stand out in the crowd. Nesta was pale but pretty with gray-blue eyes and soft, light brown hair. She was quite tall for her age but slightly built. The other girl, besides her very distinctive red hair, was large-boned and clumsy-looking. Her complexion was ruddy and she had a wide, toothy grin.

Nesta made no reply and no protest. She felt nonplussed at such uncalled-for attention. She just walked away as quickly as she could.

From such a small beginning, the bullying grew, pushing and shoving, mocking and calling names. The girl, who was known to everyone as Ginger, got a group round her for the wonderful break-time game of tormenting the first-former who never fought back.

Nesta tried hard to stay out of their way, but she told no one, not even her parents. She had felt so ashamed of being singled out. She wept into her pillow at night and wondered, Why me? She couldn't understand what was so special about her. It couldn't just be the name. There were plenty of strange names in the school--a girl called Ethena in 1B, a spotty little boy called Godwin in her own class. No one picked on them.

Her staunch friend in all her troubles was Amy Brown, a short, stocky girl, but very brave despite her lack of height. In the playground, Amy tried to defend Nesta from the bullies. But one against many, no matter how brave, is not always effectual.

"Leave her alone, you lot," Amy said. "She's not doing you any harm."

"Who's gonna make us? You?" said Ginger, putting her tongue out at Amy. "You're a shrimp! If you're not careful, we'll add you to the hit list, Goggles!"

"Don't speak to them, Amy," said Nesta anxiously. "It will only make things worse."

Amy tossed her head at the bullies and said, "Touch me and I'll yell so loud I'll be heard from here to the minster." She might be short and bespectacled, but she bristled in a way that made sure no bully ever ventured too far with her. Nesta, however, was a different proposition altogether. . . .

Even after the summer holidays, the bullying continued. Her second year in the school looked like being no better than the first. The very first day back, Ginger pulled her hair just in passing and said, "See you later, Skinny-pins. Let you know how much we've missed you!"

Nesta looked down at her legs, which were really not especially skinny at all, and wished she were fatter. Would that have made a difference?

"Are my legs really skinny?" she asked Amy.

"They're thinner than mine," said Amy, looking down at her own sturdy legs, "but that doesn't mean anything. I always think my legs are too fat. My brother says I have hockey-player's knees. I'm quite used to insults. It's best to ignore them."

The day that Ginger's friend Lesley punched Nesta in the face and made her nose bleed was the day the bullying reached its peak.

"Do you never fight back, Spike?" said Lesley, a heavy-jowled girl of less than average intelligence. She had caught Nesta in a corner between the wall and the school gate. It was too good a chance to miss.

"No," said Nesta, fearful but firm. "I never fight at all. Fighting is stupid."

Then, quite suddenly, Lesley lifted her fist and leveled it at Nesta's nose. It was a harder blow than she meant to deliver and even she was startled when there was a spurt of blood. Nesta could hardly believe it had happened. She hurried to the cloakroom to bathe the blood away. Amy followed her.

"I'm going to tell," she said firmly. She stood with one hand on the washbasin, gripping the rim tightly. "That Ginger and her mates can't get away with this. I won't let them."

Nesta stopped with the paper towel in midair and gave her friend a look of horror. The thought of everyone knowing--teachers, parents, and even any other children who were not yet aware of the situation--was unbearable.

"You can't tell," said Nesta. "Please don't tell. They'll stop sometime. They'll have to. I never do anything to them."

"I'm telling," said Amy grimly, "and nothing you can say will stop me."

She ran out of the cloakroom, up the stairs, and straight to the staffroom door, where she knocked loudly. Mr. Winters opened it.

"Yes?" he said, looking down at Amy over his mug of coffee.

"Please, sir, Ginger Watkins and her gang are bullying Nesta Gwynn. And it's got to stop," said Amy, her chin jutting out determinedly.

Harold Winters smiled down at her in amusement, but he took notice all the same. It was the first the staff had known of the problem. The information was acted upon immediately. Mrs. Powell, the head teacher, rang Mrs. Gwynn. Fortunately, Alison was at home. Arrangements were made for Matthew and Alison to come to the school and discuss the problem. It was agreed between them that Nesta should know nothing about their visit. It is important not to punish the victim.

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Excerpted from Earthborn by Sylvia Waugh
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.