Track Star #4

Informationen zum Autor Kelly Starling Lyons; Illustrated by Wayne Spencer Klappentext From the award-winning author of the Jada Jones chapter books comes an illustrated spinoff series perfect for STEM fans! The annual Fun Run is coming up at Brookside Elementary! The students will all run laps around the carpool lane, and Miles Lewis wants to be one of the top five runners. Even though he zooms through sprints, he runs out of gas for long distance, so he creates a nutrition and exercise regimen to boost his endurance. But on the big day, he witnesses one kid struggling to keep going. Should Miles keep pressing for his personal best, or should he lend support to help a friend? In the end, Miles must decide what winning really means to him. Leseprobe Chapter One On Your Mark When our bus pulled up at Brookside Elementary, I saw teachers waving and grooving between bright signs: Go the Distance. Ready, Set, Race. Even with the windows closed, I could hear party music blaring from speakers. They were pumping us up for the Brookside Fun Run that was happening in two weeks. Every year, we run laps around the carpool loop. Ten equals a mile. Kyla, Gabi, and RJ ran the most laps in our class last time. My score was somewhere in the middle. This time, I wanted to make the top five. Fast as a cheetah. Swift as a sailfish. Quick as lightning. That's what I tell myself when I'm in a race. Arms pumping, legs flying, I see myself crossing the finish line like a track star. Usually that gets me going, and I'm proud of how I do. But when I have to run for a long time, it's like my legs do the opposite. First, they're zooming, and then they're slow as a car about to run out of gas. Yes! my best friend RJ said as he jammed to the music. I'm definitely getting the most laps this year. Kyla, who was sitting in front of us, turned and smirked. We'll see about that, she said. RJ and I laughed. This was supposed to be all about fun, but for some kids, it was all about bragging rights. People sponsor us, and we raise money for the school. Classes with the most laps win pizza parties. Kids who bring in the most money can earn passes to cool activities like mini golf and movies. Everyone slurps on Popsicles when they finish running. As we got off the bus, my heart pounded at the excitement. But why did I have butterflies, too? It's not like it's a big track meet, but I wanted to do better than I did last time. Trying to achieve your best is a big deal in my family. I didn't want to let them and myself down. In Miss Taylor's room, I tucked my backpack in my cubby and headed to my seat. She passed out flyers for the Fun Run. We slipped them into our take-­home folders. This year's theme is Laps for Laptops, Miss Taylor said. The more we raise, the more new laptops we get for the school. And we sure needed them. I was in the technology club­the computers we had looked like they were from my parents' day. Some friends chattered and smiled as they talked about the run, but I saw Carson frowning as he looked the flyer over. He can double Dutch almost as good as Simone, but running is not his thing. The last time we had the Fun Run, he got the least laps in. Miss Taylor hit the chime to signal the morning meeting. Chirr! Chirr! it sang, and the talking ended like someone pulled the plug on a TV. Okay, class, it's time to get started, she said. We joined her on the orange-­and-­blue rug. The Fun Run is just in time for our science unit on vitamins, minerals, and exercise. We're going to talk about what we're putting into our bodies, how food gives us energy, and how to live healthier lifestyles. Think about it. What could you do better? Eat less junk food, Jada said. Walk m...

Auteur
Kelly Starling Lyons (she/her) is the award-winning author of the Jada Jones and Ty's Travels series and picture books including Sing a Song: How "Lift Every Voice & Sing" Inspired Generations and Hope's Gift. She lives in North Carolina. Find out more at www.kellystarlinglyons.com

Wayne C. Spencer (he/him) is a cartoonist, illustrator, and dinosaur enthusiast. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he nurtured an abiding compulsion to draw characters and tell stories about them. Originally from North Carolina, he currently lives in Florida with two powerful daughters and a mighty wife.

Texte du rabat

Determined to be a top runner at annual Fun Run, Miles creates a health regime to boost his endurance, but on the big day, he notices Carson struggling to keep going, forcing Miles to decide what winning really means to him.

Échantillon de lecture
Chapter One

On Your Mark

When our bus pulled up at Brookside Elementary, I saw teachers waving and grooving between bright signs: “Go the Distance.” “Ready, Set, Race.” Even with the windows closed, I could hear party music blaring from speakers. They were pumping us up for the Brookside Fun Run that was happening in two weeks.
 
Every year, we run laps around the carpool loop. Ten equals a mile. Kyla, Gabi, and RJ ran the most laps in our class last time. My score was somewhere in the middle. This time, I wanted to make the top five.
 
Fast as a cheetah. Swift as a sailfish. Quick as lightning. That’s what I tell myself when I’m in a race. Arms pumping, legs flying, I see myself crossing the finish line like a track star. Usually that gets me going, and I’m proud of how I do.
 
But when I have to run for a long time, it’s like my legs do the opposite. First, they’re zooming, and then they’re slow as a car about to run out of gas.
 
“Yes!” my best friend RJ said as he jammed to the music. “I’m definitely getting the most laps this year.”
 
Kyla, who was sitting in front of us, turned and smirked.
 
“We’ll see about that,” she said.
 
RJ and I laughed. This was supposed to be all about fun, but for some kids, it was all about bragging rights. People sponsor us, and we raise money for the school. Classes with the most laps win pizza parties. Kids who bring in the most money can earn passes to cool activities like mini golf and movies. Everyone slurps on Popsicles when they finish running.
 
As we got off the bus, my heart pounded at the excitement. But why did I have butterflies, too? It’s not like it’s a big track meet, but I wanted to do better than I did last time. Trying to achieve your best is a big deal in my family. I didn’t want to let them and myself down.
 
In Miss Taylor’s room, I tucked my backpack in my cubby and headed to my seat. She passed out flyers for the Fun Run. We slipped them into our take-­home folders.
 
“This year’s theme is Laps for Laptops,” Miss Taylor said. “The more we raise, the more new laptops we get for the school.”
 
And we sure needed them. I was in the technology club—­the computers we had looked like they were from my parents’ day.
 
Some friends chattered and smiled as they talked about the run, but I saw Carson frowning as he looked the flyer over. He can double Dutch almost as good as Simone, but running is not his thing. The last time we had the Fun Run, he got the least laps in.
 
Miss Taylor hit the chime to signal the morning meeting.
 
Chirr! Chirr! it sang, and the talking ended like someone pulled the plug on a TV.
 
“Okay, class, it’s time to get started,” she said. We joined her on the orange-­and-­blue rug.
 
“The Fun Run is just in time for our science unit on vitamins, minerals, and exercise. We’re going to talk about what we’re putting into our bodies, how food gives us energy, and how …