Freddie has shoes that give him super speed. It's hard to be a superhero and a regular kid at the same time, especially when your shoes give you even more power! Freddie needs an on/off switch for his super speed, so Mr. Vaslov, who created the shoes, decides to invent a remote control, but he gets more than he planned. When his young neighbor's ball goes missing, Freddie uses his new powers to find it...and Mr. Vaslov! "There's plenty of action as Freddie twice rescues his neighbor’s ball, makes excuses to avoid running so his shoes won’t smoke and gets stuck in a tree before performing a heroic rescue. Freddie’s Hispanic heritage shows in descriptions of food and references to his deceased abuela, both worked in naturally…Boys who are able early readers will particularly appreciate this series."― Kirkus Reviews "Engaging and fast-paced, this title will bait many young imaginations, particularly among the Flat Stanley crowd."― School Library Journal Freddie's shoes give him super speed, which make it hard to be a superhero and a regular kid at the same time. Jacqueline Jules is the author of fifty books, including Freddie Ramos Takes Off, a Cybils Award winner, and Never Say a Mean Word Again, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. She lives on Long Island, New York. A former school librarian, she loves to interact with young readers and teachers. Miguel Benítez likes to describe himself as a "part-time daydreamer and a full-time doodler." He lives with his wife and two cats in Surrey, United Kingdom. Zapato Power Freddie Ramos Springs Into Action By Jacqueline Jules Albert Whitman & Company Copyright © 2010 Jacqueline Jules All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8075-9483-4 Contents 1. A Thump in the Morning, 2. A Softer Ball, 3. An On-Off Switch, 4. Inventions Take Time, 5. The Purple Wristband, 6. Are You Stuck?, 7. A Superhero with a Mom, 8. An Extra Button, CHAPTER 1 A Thump in the Morning THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP! I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP! Who was making noise so early on a Sunday morning? And right outside my window? CRaSH! WaaaaaaaGH! It sounded like broken glass. And somebody crying! I grabbed my purple sneakers. There was no time to get dressed. Somebody at Starwood Park needed help — maybe even a hero's help. And with my purple sneakers, I had Zapato Power! That's super speed, the kind superheroes have. I ran outside in my red and blue pajamas. My purple sneakers were smoking. I was ready to help. " WaaaaaGH! " " Ruff! Ruff! " Gio, my next-door neighbor, cried while his little dog, Puppy, barked at a big hole in Mrs. Tran's window. "Did you break that window?" I asked Gio. "My ball broke it when I bounced it on the wall." Puppy agreed. "Ruff! Ruff!" Gio is five. He only goes to kindergarten in the morning. He hasn't had time to learn a lot of things — like how neighbors don't like basketballs crashing into their apartments. "Watch out!" I shouted. Mrs. Tran hollered something in a language we didn't understand and threw Gio's basketball out of the hole in her window. The ball bounced on the sidewalk and rolled down the hill to the street. "My ball!" Gio cried. He chased after it, but the basketball was way too fast for him. And a red car was coming around the corner. If Gio wasn't smart enough not to bounce a basketball off a window, he might not be smart enough to stay out of the street. It was time to use my super speed to save the day. In one blink, I was at the curb, scooping up the ball, just as the red car sped by. "You saved my ball!" Gio said, as he rushed up to me. "You're fast!" I sure was. With my purple zapatos, I could save a ball from going into the street. I could save a puppy from a speeding car. I could even outrun a train. But I couldn't save Gio from Mrs. Tran, his mother, and his sister, Maria. "What were you thinking?" Gio's mom came down the hill with Puppy at her heels. "Why were you throwing a ball against the building?" "Who's going to fix my window?" Mrs. Tran asked. "You're in trouble now," Maria said. "I'm sorry!" Gio cried. "Lo siento." "Ruff! Ruff!" Puppy said. Everybody was barking, crying, or asking questions. I used my Zapato Power to get out of there, fast. In half a blink, I was at Mr. Vaslov's toolshed. He takes care of Starwood Park. If something's broken, Mr. Vaslov is the guy to fix it. I knocked on the door. "Freddie!" Mr. Vaslov said, when he saw me. "What are you doing in your pajamas?" I looked down at my blue and red striped pajama pants. "Superheroes don't always have time to get dressed," I said. Mr. Vaslov smiled and waved me inside his toolshed with a screwdriver. I looked around at all the tools and cut-up computers. Mr. Vaslov does more than take care of Starwood Park. He invents things like special shoes that go ninety miles an hour. I have Zapato Power because of Mr. Vaslov. "So what's the problem?" Mr. Vaslov asked. I told him about Gio and Mrs. Tran's win