Here are Jane and her babydoll' Jane wants to read the baby a story' Will you help Jane and the baby

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Here are Jane and her babydoll.Jane wants to
read the baby a story.Will you help Jane and the
baby read the story?
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Dont worry, Janes friends will help you along
and theyve already picked the book. The book is
called My Babydoll by Serena Simpson. Its a book
all about a babydoll.
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My BabydollBy Serena Simpson
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I kept my babydoll in my room away from Him.

• Id had her since I was three years old when she
  equaled my height. She was my best friend and
  constant companion. I envied her bright hazel
  eyes and long plastic lashes that blinked at me
  slowly when I nodded her adjustable head of
  silken curls.

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She began suffering from a condition I termed
Reefer Lip after an accident.
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• It all started when I woke up in the middle of
  the night with my throat dry and scratching I
  had to weigh my options. I could lay there and
  suffer until my mother came upstairs and checked
  on us on her way to bed, I could get a drink from
  the bathroom, or I could go downstairs to the
  kitchen.

Zz zzz zzzzz Cough zzz, Cough, Cough, Cough
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• I ruled out waiting for my mother because I
  could still hear the radio and guessed it would
  be a while before she was ready for bed, so I
  tiptoed to the bathroom.

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We were out of the tiny Dixie cups that we got at
the dentist, so I positioned my head three or
four different ways under the faucet, but
couldnt figure out how to drink and not get my
hair wet. My mother had spent the better part of
the day shampooing, conditioning, combing,
brushing, parting, braiding, oiling, beading, and
barretting her four daughters hair. Wetting my
hair under the bathroom faucet would not have
gone over well, so I went back to option one. 
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I got back in bed and lay there determined to
wait for my mother. I laid there so long that the
scratching in my throat brought tears to my eyes.
I was forced to try option three.
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Hed come home from work early, in what seemed
like a good mood. My mother had made me give Him
a hug and a kiss goodnight. He use to sweat all
the time. I hated to feel his clammy touch
against my skin, and I couldnt stand to inhale
his sour mustiness.
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Earlier that night Id held my breath and smiled
as He put his arm around me and held me close.

• Night night he said.
• Night I whispered softly into the collar of my
  night shirt.                        
• See you in the morning.
• OK I answered while praying silently that I
  would never see him again.
• I was praying that his good mood had lasted as I
  dried my tears on my sheet and reached for my
  babydoll to keep me company and I ventured toward
  the stairs. I heard laughter, so I figured that
  everything was alright. I clutched both arms
  around my babydolls waist and squeezed her body
  tight against mine, holding her in front of me
  like a shield.

The stiff lace trim on her dress was scratching
my arm and her long eyelashes tickling my cheek
as we crept down the stairs and tried to inch
past the haze of smoke in the living room
unnoticed.
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• Hey, where you goin? Come here. Come over
  here.
• I bowed my head in defeat, and walked slowly
  toward the smoke, stopping just short of where I
  thought He could reach me from the couch.
• Where you goin? He asked again.
• I looked to my mother for help, but she just sat
  there, arms and legs sprawled, wearing a dazed
  smile on her face, she offered up a wispy Hey
  baby, whats the matter?

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• My throat hurt.
• What? What you say? He placed one hand to his
  ear and leaned toward me.
• My throat hurt. I had started to cry by now
  because all the smoke made my throat hurt even
  more and my eyes had begun to burn. I took tiny
  steps backward toward the stairs regretting that
  wed come down.

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Before I knew what was happening, hed gotten up
from the couch, scooped us up with one hand, and
carried us across the living room, putting us
down directly in front of the couch.
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After hed resumed his seat and retrieved his
joint from my mother, he sat back and inhaled a
long slow drag. The smoke curled from his lips
like snakes slithering from a dark hole.
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I shifted my babydoll sideways to my hip and
held her the way I did my little sisters. My
throat hurt. I repeated as I placed my hand on
my neck and rubbed. She got a sore throat too?
He jabbed a finger toward my babydoll. I
instinctively tightened my grip around her and
nodded yes. Can I go get us some water? Can
you go get yall some water? Please, my throat
hurt. Nookie, go get yo daughter some water,
her throat hurt. My mother eased up and headed
toward the kitchen. She stretched a hand out
behind her for me. I reached for it, but He
pulled me back.
Why you cryin? Whats wrong with you?
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• Where you goin? She gone bring it. Just wait.
  I started to cry silent tears again.
• Whats wrong with you? Why you cryin? I
  told you she gone bring you some water.
• I dont feel good was all I could choke out,
  as I wrapped both arms around my babydoll and
  slid her across my hip back in front of me,
  placing her between me and his bloodshot eyes. I
  closed my eyes and rested my forehead against
  hers while I wondered what was taking my mother
  so long to come back from the kitchen.

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• She dont feel good either? He asked as he
  snatched her from my arms.
• I reached out to save her, but it was too late.
  He sat her on his knee and smile at me. He rubbed
  her hair and kissed her cheek.
• Awww, poor baby. You want me to give her some
  medicine?

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• I shook my head no, still reaching out my arms
  for her safe return.
• Its okay, Im a make her feel better. See
  this? He held the joint up for me.
• Im a make her feel real good. Okay?
• Nooooo, she dont want it.
• He was too high to hold the paper end up to her
  mouth, so he burned her face instead.
• Her once softly puckered pink lips were melted
  flat and trailed a pink smear into her chin. A
  singed black hole with roughly raised edges
  formed at the corner of her mouth and erased the
  joy from her once perfect smile. 
• He laughed out loud to see her so changed. I
  dropped to the floor and cried.

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• My mother finally emerged from the kitchen with a
  plastic cup of water. She picked both me and my
  babydoll up from the floor where he had left us
  and carried us upstairs to my room.

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I never brought my babydoll out of my room again.
I hid her there to keep her safe, and made all my
other ventures alone.
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Still images Slide 1 Image of art
of Joan Blackwood African American Girl from
collectible dolls site www.dollery.com as of
12/04/07 Slide 5 Image of K's Kids plush dolls
African American baby doll Barbara doll found
at www.kaboodle.com as of 1204/07
Story, and all text written by Serena
Simpson Audible Reading is the voice of
Angelique Culver All animation used is found
at www.animationfactory.com as of 12/04/07
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• Slide 3 (Images will be listed in three rows from
  left to right)
• (Row 1)
• Image of art of Virginia turner Poppi found at
  http//www.dollery.com/html/artists/turner/turner-
  mm.htm as of 12/04/07
• Image of Debra found at http//www.blackdollsco
  llector.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?ScreenCTGYSto
  re_Code1402Category_CodeAllDolls as of
  12/04/07
• Image of Ginny Dress me doll found at
  www.dollcloset.com/Ginny as of 12/04/07
• Image of Summer Sweatheart found at
  http//www.blackdollscollector.com/Merchant2/merch
  ant.mvc?ScreenCTGYStore_Code1402Category_Code
  AllDolls as of 12/04/07

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• (Row 2)
• 6. Image of art of Madame Alexander Happy
  Birthday African American Doll found at
  http//shopping.msn.com/prices/shp/?itemId1653176
  26 as of 12/04/07
• Image of Pink Fantasy found at
  http//www.blackdollscollector.com/Merchant2/merch
  ant.mvc? As of 12/04/07
• 8. Image of Robin, Dark Skin tone found at
  http//www.dollery.com/html/artists/turner/turner-
  mm.htm as of 12/04/07
• 9. Image of Daisy Dimples found at
  http//www.blackdollscollector.com/Merchant2/merch
  ant.mvc? As of 12/04/07

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• (Row 3)
• 10. Image of Ginny dress me doll found at
  www.dollsville.com/index.php?CategoryID22... As
  of12/04/07
• 11. Image Tra-La-la-luvly found at
  http//www.blackdollscollector.com/Merchant2/merch
  ant.mvc?ScreenCTGYStore_Code1402Category_Code
  AllDolls as of 12/04/07
• 12. Image of Image of Daisy Dolly African
  American found at http//www.babydollbemine.com/f
  avorites.htm as of 12/04/07
• 13.Image of Pia found at http//www.epinions.co
  m/Corolle_17_Inches_Pia_Toddler_Doll_African_Ameri
  can_Toys as of 12/04/07