Freddie Ramos Makes a Splash (7 page)

Just as I raised my arm to throw, Erika came speeding by on her green bike. She swiped Puppy’s bone right out of my hand and rode off.

“NO!” Gio cried. “Not fair!”

Erika didn’t steal my backpack, but she was still a bully. I had my Zapato Power back—and my courage. I could fix this.

Erika turned the corner to Building H, right past a wad of purple bubble gum.

I jumped over the gum and the bike, landing a few feet in front of her with my arms crossed. Erika stopped her bike with a screech.

“Give back Puppy’s bone,” I said.

Erika opened her mouth so wide her bubble gum fell out. I don’t think she was used to people telling her what to do. She handed me Puppy’s bone.

came a little boy’s voice.

I heard Gio and Puppy back at 29G and turned around. Mr. Vaslov was walking toward us with his pooper-scooper.

“Puppy and Gio need you, Freddie,” he said in his deep voice. “I’ll take over from here.”

He handed his pooper-scooper to Erika. “Clean up your bubble gum!”

Without saying a word, Erika took the pooper-scooper and got busy. Starwood Park’s bully was under control—at least for the moment. I squeezed Puppy’s toy and took off.

Turn the page to begin reading from Jacqueline Jules’s
Freddie Ramos Stomps the Snow

Art by Miguel Benítez

Chicago, Illinois

To my friends in the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C.

—JJ

Sparkly white flakes swirled down from the clouds.

“It’s sticking!” Geraldo hollered.

Even though it was March, this was the first time we’d seen snow all year. Geraldo, Maria, Jason, and all the kids at recess were jumping for joy. I was too.

“HOORAY!” Jason screamed.

Usually I saved my super-powered sneakers for hero stuff. But I was too excited about the snow. I pressed the button on my Zapato Power wristband. Smoke whooshed out of my shoes, covering me in a cloud.

“Where’d Freddie go?” Maria asked.

Maria couldn’t see me bouncing higher than the basketball hoop and sailing over the swing set.

“Freddie!” Maria called for me.

“Mrs. Blake says recess is over.”

I landed at Maria’s feet and turned off my Zapato Power. It was time to turn back into a regular kid, even if it was snowing.