CHAPTER 1

MYSTERY PROJECT

I threw open the front door, tossed my backpack to the ground, and scooped up Sassafras.

“I missed you so much!” I kissed his head.

Sassafras licked my nose, then sniffed my ear.

“Yep, it’s still better. No more ear infection!” I spun him once, then set him down. I popped my head in the kitchen. “Mooooommm? I’m home!”

No Mom. But there was a bunch of stuff set out on the kitchen counter.

“Mrrowww?” Sassafras asked from the floor.

“Here you go, Sassafras!” I picked him up to give him a better view. Mom had set out a carton of whole milk, a little container of plain yogurt, a bunch of jars, a pot, a big spoon, and a food thermometer. “What could it be for?”

Sassafras touched the milk carton with a paw. “Mrrowww?”

“I didn’t hear you come in!” Mom walked into the kitchen. “I thought we could make something new today.” Mom came up behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. “Have you figured out what we’re making yet?”

“I know it’s something with a lot of milk. Wait, is it cheese?”

“Not cheese, but good guess.” Mom tapped the little container of yogurt. “We’re going to make homemade yogurt!”

Sassafras purred.

“Yum! But wait, we have a container of yogurt there. I don’t get it. Are we making yogurt with … yogurt?”

“Sort of. Did you know that you only need two ingredients to make homemade yogurt?”

“Really? Just milk and … yogurt?”

“In a way, yes! Technically you only need milk and live bacteria. You could order live bacteria online, but it’s much easier to get it from store-bought yogurt.”

Sassafras growled.

“LIVE bacteria? As in, it’s still alive?” I took a step back. “But I just got rid of the bacteria that gave me an ear infection.”

Mom laughed and ruffled Sassafras’s fur. “There are all kinds of bacteria in and on your body right now.”

In and on my body? Yeesh. Sassafras puffed up and I set him down to scratch my arms.

Mom laughed harder. “Oh, you two! Only some bacteria are harmful. In fact, most are helpful. Bacteria in your body help you digest food when you eat, they keep your insides safe from dangerous bacteria and viruses, and of course”—Mom made a dramatic wave with her arm—“we even use some kinds of bacteria to make delicious food.”

Mom pulled a chair over for Sassafras and nudged the pot, carton of milk, and recipe toward me.

Sassafras watched from the chair, and Mom helped me with the steps involving the stove. When we got to the part where I stirred some of the store-bought yogurt into some of the warm milk, Sassafras scowled and ran under the kitchen table.

“What’s wrong, buddy? Remember, this is good bacteria! And you love yogurt!”

Sassafras looked around, but he wouldn’t budge.

I shrugged and kept working. As I finished pouring the mixture of milk and yogurt into the bigger pot of cooling milk, the pot slid a little. Huh. That was weird. It felt like the house had moved.

Mom peered into the pot of cooling milk. “This looks great. I’ll just pour this into those last few empty jars and—”

The jars on the kitchen counter rattled.

Mom looked around. “Did you feel that?”

I slowly nodded. Then the kitchen table and chairs shook.

“Earthquake!” Mom shouted.

Mom and I dove under the table. I covered Sassafras with my body and held one arm over the back of my neck and grabbed a table leg. Mom did the same.

The shaking got worse. And then stopped.

Mom and I looked up at each other when the barn doorbell rang.