Girl Wonder's Winter Adventures by Malorie Blackman

Blackberry Gravy, Blackberry Soup!
    Hooray! Today we’re going blackberry picking. Mum says that “winter is just beginning, when blackberries need picking”.
    “Now then, Maxine and Anthony and Edward, I want you three on your best behaviour,” Mum said as we set off in the car.
    As if we’re ever on anything else!
    We drove to some woods near to where we live. The woods were filled with blackberry bushes with heaps and Loads and TONS of blackberries on them.There were lots of other people there as well. We got out of our car and looked around. Then I had a brilliant idea.
    I turned to my brothers and said, “Anthony and Edward, we’re going to pick more blackberries than anyone else here. In fact we’re going to pick more blackberries than everyone else put together.”
    “How are we going to do that?” Anthony asked.
    “Yeah, how?” Edward said.

    So I replied, “I think this is a job for Girl Wonder . . .”
    “And the Terrific Twins. Yippee!” the twins shouted.
    And we spun around until we were gleefully giddy.
    “OK, Terrific Twins,” I said. “We’re going to pick blackberries and not stop until we’ve got tons and tons.”
    Mum gave each of us a big wicker basket. We all walked over to one of the mega-tall blackberry bushes and found a space. Then we picked blackberries off the bush and put them into our baskets. We picked and plucked and pulled and we didn’t stop. In fact, the twins and I carried on after everyone else had stopped for a rest.
    “Come on, you three. You needn’t work so hard. Let’s stop for lunch,” Mum said.
    “We can’t stop. We’re going to pick more blackberries than anyone else,” I replied.
    “But I’m hungry,” Anthony moaned.
    “But I’m starving,” Edward groaned.
    “Come on, Terrific Twins,” I whispered so Mum wouldn’t hear. “We’re superheroes. We have to pick more blackberries than anyone else.”
    “Oh, all right then,” grumbled Anthony.
    “Ah, OK then,” mumbled Edward.
    Sometimes being a superhero is hard work!
    So we carried on plucking and pulling and picking the blackberries whilst Mum ate some lunch. After her lunch Mum came back and started working again, but we hadn’t stopped. It was getting quite late when the twins started to complain.
    “My arms ache,” muttered Anthony.
    “My . . . my hands hurt,” spluttered Edward.
    My whole body was hurting by now.
    “OK, Terrific Twins. I think that’s enough for today. Our baskets are tip-top full,” I said.

    Including Mum’s basket we had four baskets overflowing with blackberries.
    It was wonderful.
    Mum looked a bit worried though.
    “I didn’t expect you to pick quite so many blackberries. What am I going to do with them all?” Mum said.
    When we got home, we carried the baskets of blackberries into the kitchen.
    “We did a great job, Terrific Twins,” I said.
    “A mega-wonderful job,” agreed Anthony.
    “An extra super-duper, mega-wonderful, brilliant job,” said Edward.
    We had chicken and rice for dinner, followed by blackberries and ice cream, and they were mega-delicious, and we still had whole basketfuls left.
    The next morning when we went down for breakfast, I was starving. I knew why too. My brothers and I had had no lunch the previous day. I decided to eat huge amounts to make up for it.
    “What’s for breakfast, Mum?” I asked.
    “Toast and some blackberry jam I made last night from the blackberries you picked,” Mum replied.
    The blackberry jam was scrumptious. And Mum had mashed and crushed some blackberries and added milk to them to make a lovely milkshake drink.
    The twins and I played in the garden until lunch time.
    “What’s for lunch, Mum?” we asked when we got hungry.
    “Sausages, mashed potatoes and blackberry gravy followed by an apple and blackberry pie and a milk and blackberry drink,” Mum replied.
    Blackberry gravy?
    “Anthony, what do you think of the blackberry gravy?” I asked as we started to eat.

    “It’s not too