When Freddie Ramos gets home from school one day, he discovers a mysterious package. Inside, he finds a pair of jazzy purple sneakers. An unsigned note accompanies the shoes: Zapato Power for Freddie Ramos. What could it mean?
Freddie soon learns that Zoom! Zoom! Zapato! power has its benefits. Not only can Freddie use his speedy powers to outrun a nearby train and lend a hand to a friend in need, but he soon discovers that his kind heart, positive attitude, and clever mind make his a super hero in his own right.
Freddie’s just the kind of super hero young readers will love to read about over and over and over again!
From Jacqueline Jules:
I work in an elementary school as a part-time teacher. This gives me the opportunity to hear and see many real-life things that go on in a school. One day, at a staff meeting, our assistant principal shared a story of a squirrel who followed a group of students into the school after recess. The door was propped open and the squirrel just dashed in behind the last kid. The administrator told the story to remind teachers to be careful about closing doors to the building. But as I listened, I came up with an idea to begin Zapato Power # 3.
“What a great first chapter for Freddie!” I thought. “Freddie could use his Zapato Power and run through the school after the squirrel.”
Since I only had a beginning to my story, it took me awhile to come up with a mystery involving the squirrel and a heroic rescue that tied in with the rest of the story. I did some research about squirrels on the internet and slowly but surely one idea joined with another until I had a beginning, middle, and end.
I spent my entire childhood in Petersburg, the small southern Virginia town I was born in. My mother was a dietitian from New York who loved the color pink. Most of the rooms in our house, except my sister’s and mine, were painted pink. My father was an immigrant from Switzerland, who loved to garden. Every summer, he plowed up the entire backyard to plant corn, squash, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables. I spent long hours in the dirt, helping my Dad harvest and weed his humongous garden. Another favorite summer activity was playing with caterpillars. Hordes of them would nest in a crevice of one of our old trees. I spent hours watching those furry little guys crawl around in containers. Caterpillars walk with a fascinating wiggle.
This may sound like I was a tomboy, but I really wasn’t. I also liked to sing, swim, and dress up in pretty dresses. I didn’t see any reason why someone who played with caterpillars in the morning shouldn’t like wearing white lace socks in the afternoon. My sister says we were “tomboys in skirts.”
Some people love nature or animals. Others love sports or music. I’ve never been a “one passion” kind of person, except when it comes to writing. That has been my one overriding dream. In third grade, I declared my intention to become a writer, but it took me years to publish my first poem and many more years to publish my first book. Now I spend most of my free time playing with words instead of caterpillars. But while I write this, I wonder if those days of playing with caterpillars didn’t help prepare me to be a writer. While I enjoy being around people, I don’t mind being alone with my own thoughts. I like watching an idea wiggle across the page until it becomes a sequence of words important to my story. Caterpillars become cocoons before they burst out into the sky as beautiful insects with powerful wings. To write, you have to be comfortable being by yourself sometimes, to let your ideas grow until they are ready to fly on their own.
What kind of student were you?
I was a hard worker in school. My parents always made sure I did my homework and helped me study for tests. My mom, especially, helped me correct the grammar in my written assignments and taught me a lot about proofreadin
What were your favorite things to do when you were young?
I enjoyed reading and doing jigsaw puzzles. I also liked taking long walks along the pretty tree-lined streets in my neighborhood.
What were you afraid of?
I didn’t like big dogs who barked too loud or chased after me on the sidewalk. In those days, there were no leash laws and most dogs roamed freely in the neighborhoods. Not all of them were friendly when you walked by their houses. Sometimes, I would avoid certain streets, to avoid loud, territorial dogs.
Did you have any bad or funny habits as a child?
I bit my nails and chewed on pencils. I shredded napkins at restaurants. My hands were never good at staying still. They still aren’t!
Any defining moments (good or bad) that shaped you as a child?
Since my father was from Europe, he spoke with a foreign accent and wasn’t always familiar with American customs or figures of speech. Sometimes, I watched my dad struggle to be accepted in a small southern town with people who had lived there for generations. The experience made me sensitive to the feelings of my students, years later, when I worked in a school with kids who had been born in other countries. It inspired me to write my picture books No English, which is about two girls who find a creative way to overcome a language barrier, and Duck for Turkey Day, which is about a little girl who feels uncomfortable celebrating Thanksgiving with a traditional Vietnamese dish instead of turkey.
Did you ever do something brave when you were young?
I wish I had, but I can’t recall anything special. That’s been one of the best things about writing the Zapato Power series. I get the chance to imagine being a hero as I create adventures for Freddie Ramos and his magic purple sneakers.
Did you ever get into trouble at home or school?
I wasn’t always as nice to my sister as I should have been. In kindergarten, I went through an unexplained phase of knocking lunch boxes off of desks.
What books were favorites as a child?
I loved The Jungle Book, The Secret Garden, and The Borrowers. I also enjoyed mysteries.
Did you play an instrument? Which one(s)?
I took piano lessons as a child but never really learned to play. The instrument I used the most came from my own vocal chords. I loved to sing and still do. In high school and college, I took professional voice lessons. When I worked as a school librarian, I would always begin and end story time with songs. I enjoy making up songs and in author visits, I usually sing a song that goes along with one of my books. On my website, I have audio files with some of my songs, including “The Ballad of Freddie Ramos,” the song I wrote about my hero from Zapato Power.http://www.jacquelinejules.com/sneakerswithpower.htm
If you weren’t a writer, what would you like to be?
Luckily, I am also a teacher and a former school librarian. I love working in an elementary school. My students are always giving me ideas for stories and characters.
What advice do you have for aspiring young readers and writers?
Take the time to examine your stories. Did you make everything clear for the reader? Did you put in enough details so the reader can see what you see in your mind? Did you put your sentences in the best order—grouping thoughts and ideas— or did you mention something in paragraph one and wait until paragraph three to explain it?
I teach writing in an elementary school and hold individual conferences with students about their stories. We often talk about the importance of remembering the reader. A writer’s responsibility is to give the reader the best story he or she can.
Where do you get your ideas?
I get ideas when I read, when I listen to my students talk at school, when I remember my past, and when I hear teachers ask for books on certain topics. Ideas are never the problem. It’s sitting down and turning those ideas into a story with a compelling beginning, middle, and end.
Do you write everyday? If so, for how long?
On the days I don’t teach or do a speaking engagement, I usually start around 8:30 a.m. and write until the afternoon, when I take an exercise break. After dinner, I usually work again until bedtime.
Do you listen to music while you write, or do you like silence?
I prefer silence. I like to hear the melodies of the words I am writing in my head.
What’s the hardest part about writing a book?
The first draft is the hardest for me. I love revising my stories once I know the plot. I revise my stories so many times I usually lose count. And sometimes, I work on stories for years before I get them right.
Guinea Pig by Miguel Benitez
Have you ever thrown a manuscript away?
I’ve had to put many manuscripts aside that weren’t working. Last summer, I picked up an idea I started almost twenty years ago and finally turned it into the story I always thought it could be. It will be my 23rd book!
Do you have any children or pets and have you ever used them in a book?
My youngest son and I had guinea pigs for several years. That’s why Freddie in the Zapato Power books has a guinea pig. His name, Claude, the Second, comes from a childhood friend who named her dog, Mickey The Second, after the first Mickey died.
Quick Picks:
Favorite stationary item? My stationary exercise bike.
Soup or salad?Salad
P & J or Mac and Cheese? Don’t really like either. I’m always on a diet.
Dog, Cat, Bird, or Fish? I’m a bird person.
Favorite or least favorite vegetable? I’m not a strict vegetarian, but I usually choose vegetarian options when I eat out. Years of eating my father’s homegrown vegetables, turned me into a vegetable lover.
Favorite or most hated subject? I don’t really like math.
Sourdough, whole wheat, white or rye? Whole wheat
Love revision or hate it? Love it.
Longhand or computer? Poems, longhand. Computer for longer pieces.
Early Bird Writer or Night Owl? I write in the mornings and the evenings. Whenever I can find the time.
I am very excited to hear that you are reading the adventures of Freddie Ramos in the Zapato Power series.
The character of Freddie was inspired by the students I taught when I was a school librarian. So many of my students asked for a book on superheroes that I got the itch to write one. But I didn’t just want to write about any superhero. I wanted to write a book that imagined one of my students learning to how to handle a super power. Freddie’s first name comes from one of my students and his last name comes from another.
After I came up with a name, I had to decide what super power to give Freddie. Once again, my students helped me, as I remembered many great class discussions after reading the folktale The Seven Chinese Brothers. It’s a story about seven brothers who each have one special power. I often asked my students which brother they would choose to be. The brother with super strength? Or super hearing? Super eyesight? These conversations helped me consider what superpowers Freddie Ramos needed for his story.
I chose super speed because I wanted Freddie’s power to come from special sneakers. As I continued the story, I gave Freddie a few additional powers, like telescopic eyesight, invisibility, and super bounce. These powers help Freddie solve mysteries and help others in the Zapato Power series.
As you read Freddie’s adventures, I hope you will imagine what you would do if one day you came home from school to find a box with super-powered purple sneakers. How would you use super speed? And how would it complicate your life? Could you use your super speed on the playground or at gym? Could you tell your friends you had magic sneakers? These are all questions I had to consider while writing the Zapato Power series. I had a lot of fun thinking about these things and I hope you have fun reading the answers I came up with.
There are few feelings more satisfying – to both young and old readers, alike – than meeting characters you come to regard as friends and can follow on their adventures in book after book after book.For younger readers, there’s the additional comfort of familiar language and plot that makes reading a series not only satisfying, but beneficial: kids who get hooked on a series boost confidence in their ability to tackle new stories and develop reading fluency.
From the popular BabyMouse series by Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm to Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, there are series to suit every taste, for every kind of reader in K-5.
This month, ReaderKidZ is pleased to welcome the author of the ZAPATO POWER series, Jacqueline Jules , and later in the month, Tony Abbott, author of the wildly popular THE SECRETS OF DROON series …
Throughout the month, we’ll be talking about series of all kinds, for all ages. We hope you’ll share some of your favorites, too!
Congrats to Author-In-Residence, JACQUELINE JULES, for her 2011 Cybils win in the Short Chapter Book category for FREDDIE RAMOS TAKES OFF. Read more about Jacqueline HERE.
Read about this month’s special guest, Tony Abbott, HERE.
We’re pleased to finish off January’s list of books with a wonderful new title by first-time author Sandra Neil Wallace. LITTLE JOE is a beautifully written story of a young boy who comes of age as he learns the challenges and looming heartbreak of raising his first calf.
Eli’d seen calves being born before, but standing beside Grandpa and watching Fancy give birth to a fine bull calf – his own, Little Joe – was something Eli would never forget.
It hadn’t started out well but, with Grandpa’s help, Eli gave Little Joe his first breaths and when the danger had passed, he’d also given Little Joe a piece of his heart. Over the months he raises Little Joe, Eli encounters many challenges, not the least of which is his father’s sometimes harsh ways. But by story’s end, both Eli and his father have learned to view one another with new understanding and admiration.
Full of fascinating details about cattle-raising and life on a farm in rural Pennsylvania, readers of LITTLE JOE will find themselves swept away by the richness of the language, the beauty of the setting.
This heart-warming story deserves a place on every middle grade classroom and young reader’s bookshelf.
Effa’s gravestone reads: SHE LOVED BASEBALL. And did she ever!
In 1935, Effa and her husband, Abe, started the Brooklyn Eagles in the new Negro National League. A year later, when the team moved to Rupert Field, Effa took on the job of managing most of the Newark Eagles’ business.
She worked tirelessly, not only against the injustices her players faced, but other inequalities she witnessed in the black community.
Effa organized the Citizens’ League for Fair Play, to urge the largest department store in Harlem to hire black salesclerks. When Negro League players began to move over to the major leagues, once again, Effa was instrumental in changing the practice of signing players with no compensation for the Negro League team they came from.
Times changed and the Negro Leagues soon found themselves obsolete. Effa took up the cause and began a letter-writing campaign to persuade the National Baseball Hall of Fame to recognize Negro League Stars.
Twenty-five years after her death, Effa Manley was the first woman inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame!
It’s Sports and Good Nutrition Day and, once again, Cam’s amazing photographic memory comes to the rescue! In three short chapter books rolled-into-one, the pictures Cam stores in her head enable her and her classmates to solve the three mysteries (The Backward Race Mystery, The Soccer Game Mystery, The Baseball Glove Mystery) that surface at Franklin Park over the course of the fifth grade’s Sports Day.
Beginning chapter book readers who are familiar with other of the Cam Jansen mysteries, will enjoy reading this newer collection in the series.
Times were hard in 1932. It was the Great Depression and millions were out of work. THE BABE AND I tells the fictional story of one such family.
Selling papers near Yankee Stadium and calling out headlines heralding Babe Ruth’s successes on the field, the young narrator ties his success to Babe’s and manages to earn extra change for the family money jar by working as a newsie.
When he discovers that the “office” his dad carries his briefcase to each day is really a corner on Webster Avenue where he’s forced to sell apples in order to earn small change for the jar, the young narrator learns to appreciate the sacrifice his own father makes in order to care for his family.
Gordon Korman is a favorite among middle grade readers and SWINDLE, the first in a series of three books about Griffin Bing, “The Man With a Plan,” comes highly recommended. It’s a read-aloud pick that makes its way each year into the repertoire of one of the teachers at my school, and while I wasn’t sure how I’d feel when I first began the book, I have to say that the story grew on me and I can see why kids love Korman’s books as much as they do.
Griffin Bing and his cohort of school pals seem to get mixed up in one crazy situation after another. This time, Griffin’s stumbled upon a valuable Babe Ruth baseball card, purportedly worth millions. But before Griffin has a chance to cash in, he’s swindled out the money by the shady S. Wendell Palomino of Palomino’s Collectibles.
While the plot sometimes veers into implausible territory, the story moves quickly and Griffin and his band of friends manage to come out on top.
For those who enjoy this book, Zoobreak and Framed follow the same cast of zany characters in more fast-packed action.
I admit to knowing very little about sports. None of us – my sisters, mom, not even my father – watched or played sports. As such, I have no particular team loyalties and all I know is what I’ve gleaned over years of watching my sons’ games and listening in on bits and pieces of conversations they’ve had with my husband.
Fact: there is almost no sports trivia that can stump my husband. He knows more than his lifetime’s worth of information.
So it was a particular pleasure to read BABE RUTH AND THE BASEBALL CURSE. I, of course, knew nothing of the curse, and this Stepping Stones Chapter Book was just ticket! Not only did I learn a few (many, actually) new things about Babe’s career, but I also learned a small bit of trivia that even my husband didn’t know. The whole book was quite fascinating. From this non-sports reader, that’s got the be the ultimate compliment!
The cover of YOU NEVER HEARD OF SANDY KOUFAX?! is stunning and made quite a name for itself when the book was first published. (For those who are interested, there’s a description on the copyright page of how this “lenticular” cover was made.) But it’s Winter’s words and Carrilho’s striking illustrations that carry this story of the power pitcher who emerged in the early 60’s – “For six years, Koufax stood on the pitcher’s mound like a prince, and when you looked at that serious mug of his, you could tell he was gonna beat you.”
The book – words and illustrations – are a supreme example of what the best picture books aspire to. And the reader is left with the essence of Koufax – a very private, yet determined, man who had the fortitude and character to do what he needed to do, on the field and off.
I’ve included THE LUCKY BASEBALL BAT by Matt Christopher (one of the first names that comes to mind when thinking about sports novels), not so much because it gets high marks for well-crafted fiction, but because a second grade teacher I know passed it along as the first real chapter book to win the heart of one of her students. He could manage the short chapters and enjoyed the success of having tackled what felt like his first “real book.” First published in 1954, THE LUCKY BASEBALL BAT was also one of the first such books my husband read, oh-so-long-ago. Which just goes to show, it’s not always easy to predict which book will win the heart of a reader.
Find more great books about baseball HERE and HERE.
WE ARE THE SHIP by Kadir Nelson;BASEBALL SAVED US by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee; A DIFFERENT GAME by Sylvia Olsen; CATCHING THE MOON: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream by Crystal Hubbard, illustrated by Randy DuBurke.
Mission Statement
To provide teachers, librarians, and parents with the resources and inspiration to foster a love of reading in kids, K-5.
incipal shared a story of a squirrel who followed a group of students into the school after recess. The door was propped open and the squirrel just dashed in behind the last kid. The administrator told the story to remind teachers to be careful about closing doors to the building. But as I listened, I came up with an idea to begin Zapato Power # 3.
