Freaky Snow Dudes, page 1
This EPUB edition published 2013
First published in 2006 by
MACMILLAN EDUCATION AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
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Copyright © Felice Arena and Phil Kettle 2006
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Freaky snow dude.
ISBN 978 1 4586 4733 7 (EPUB)
Series created by Felice Arena and Phil Kettle
Project management by Limelight Press Pty Ltd
Cover and text design by Lore Foye
Illustrations by Susy Boyer
Visit www.macmillan.com.au/primary to read more about all our books and to buy both print and ebooks online. You will also find subject catalogues, teacher support material and news of professional development events.
Contents
CHAPTER 1
Splat!
CHAPTER 2
On the Run
CHAPTER 3
Crocodile Run
CHAPTER 4
Freaky Snow Dude
CHAPTER 5
Melting Snowmen
EXTRA STUFF
Snow Lingo
Snow Must-dos
Snow Instant Info
Think Tank
Hi Guys! (Author Letter)
When We Were Kids
What a Laugh!
CHAPTER 1
Splat!
Best friends Tom and Joey are spending their holidays with Joey’s parents at a ski resort. Standing in line on their skis, the boys wait for a chairlift to take them to the top of the mountain.
Tom “This is the best holiday I’ve ever been on in my whole life! Did I say thanks for inviting me?”
Joey “Yeah, like a million times already.”
Tom “I’m really glad that my folks gave me enough money to hire some cool ski gear and take ski lessons with you. Now I’m like … super ski dude.”
Joey “I wouldn’t say super, but you’re a heaps better skier than you were five days ago.”
Suddenly, two giant snowballs hit the boys—Splat! Splat!
Tom “Whoa!”
Joey “Who did that?”
Tom and Joey turn to see three older boys on snowboards laughing loudly.
Tom “That sucks! It’s those guys again. They’ve been throwing snowballs at everyone all week.”
Joey “And now they got us.”
Tom “Let’s get ’em back.”
Joey “Are you nuts? Look how big they are.”
Tom and Joey ignore the boys, but within moments they are hit again. Splat! Splat!
Tom “Oh, man! That one got me right in the ear.”
Joey “Me too. Look! They’re heading straight for us.”
Tom “We’re under attack! What are we gonna do?”
Joey “Quick! Jump on!”
Tom and Joey hurriedly hop onto the chairlift only to discover that the older boys have jumped onto the chair behind them. The chase is on.
CHAPTER 2
On the Run
Sitting on the chairlift, Tom and Joey head for the top of the mountain.
Tom “Are they still there?”
Joey “Um, yeah!—where else are they gonna go? They’re on a chair, a thousand metres off the ground!”
Tom and Joey look back to see the older boys sneering at them—and still holding some snowballs.
Joey “Right. We’re nearly there. When I say go, we’ve gotta jump off and ski like, a hundred kilometres an hour. If we don’t, they’ll catch us.”
Tom “But I’m still a learner.”
Joey “What happened to you being super ski dude?”
Tom “I’m only a super ski dude when I don’t have big ski dudes chasing me.”
Joey “You’ll be alright, just follow me. Ready … go!”
Tom and Joey jump from the chairlift onto the icy slope. Within moments they are flying down the mountain.
Tom and Joey “WHOOOOAAAA!!!!!”
Joey “That’s it, Tom! Keep your knees bent and just look straight ahead.”
Tom “I am! I am!”
The boys swish past other skiers, darting in and out between them.
Tom (shouting) “There’s no way they can catch us now! I wonder if they’re behind us?”
Tom looks back.
Joey “Tom, look out!”
Tom turns to see a huge hump directly in front of him. Before he can stop, he skis up and over the hump.
Tom “WHOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!”
CHAPTER 3
Crocodile Run
Tom flies through the air and crashes back onto the soft, snowy slope with a thud. Joey swishes up beside him.
Joey “Are you okay?”
Tom “Yeah, I think so.”
Joey “You were flying! It looked really awesome! Until you landed on your butt and got your skis all tangled up. You sure you’re okay?”
Tom “Yeah, I think I can still move my legs and arms.”
Joey “Good. Doesn’t look like you’ve broken anything. Now, let’s get moving! Those snowball attackers will be here any second.”
Tom “But I have to put my skis back on.”
Joey “We don’t have time for that. Quick, follow me!”
Tom and Joey quickly scramble across the slope into the nearby forest just as the older boys swish by.
Joey “Phew! That was close.”
Tom “D’ya think they saw us?”
Joey “No. We got behind these trees just in time.”
Tom “Now what?”
Joey “Well, when they get down to the bottom, they’ll see that we’re not there and they’ll probably wait for us to come down.”
Tom “Then they’ll bomb us with their snowballs.”
Joey “Not if I can help it. I’ve got a plan.”
Joey pulls out a folded map from his pocket.
Tom “What’s that?”
Joey “It’s a map of all the slopes on the mountain. We’re on Crocodile Run at the moment.”
Tom “Crocodile Run? What a weird name for a ski slope. I’d like to see a crocodile skiing. Maybe it would bite off the arms of the skiers as it went along. That’d be so cool!”
Joey “Um, you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fell?”
Tom “Never felt better. Now, what’s the deal with the map?”
Joey “There’s another slope not too far from here. We can get there if we walk through the forest. Then we can ski down it and miss those big dudes completely.”
Tom “Cool. Talk about outsmarting ’em. Let’s go!”
CHAPTER 4
Freaky Snow Dude
Deep in the forest, Joey and Tom slowly march through the snow.
Tom “I think we should go back. We’ve been walking for ages. I read back at the resort that skiers shouldn’t leave the slopes—ever! It’s dangerous.”
Joey “Now you tell me!”
Tom “Well, I didn’t know you were gonna get us lost, did I?”
Joey “We’re not lost.”
Tom “No? Then where are we?”
Joey looks around, then back at his map.
Joey “Um, I thought we’d see that other slope by now … um … okay … maybe we’re a little bit lost.”
Tom “Are you serious? Oh, man, we’re gonna die out here. We’re gonna freeze to death or get eaten by a pack of wolves.”
Joey “There aren’t any wolves around here. And we can always build an igloo to keep us warm.”
Tom “But what about the abomni … abomni …”
Joey “The abominable snowman?”
Tom “Yeah, that freaky snow dude.”
Joey “That’s just make believe. It’s a made-up story.”
Tom “No, it’s true. I saw it on TV once. It’s like this huge half-man, half-ape creature that lives in the forest. And if it finds us, it’ll probably pick us up by the feet and have us for dinner.”
Suddenly, the sound of a branch snapping echoes from the forest.
Tom “What was that? It’s him! The abomni … aboba … aboba … the freaky snow dude!”
Joey “Stop it will ya! Now you’re freaking me out!”
Tom “Look!”
A dark figure appears from the trees.
Tom and Joey “ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!”
CHAPTER 5
Melting Snowmen
As the dark figure draws closer, Tom and Joey soon realise that it isn’t an abominable snowman, but a ranger. The boys sigh, relieved to see him.
Joey “You should’ve seen your face. You really thought it was an abominable snowman.”
Tom “No, I didn’t.”
Joey “Yes, you did. You almost peed your pants.”
Tom “Yeah, like you didn’t.”
The ranger tells the boys that they shouldn’t have moved off the slopes. He says that Joey’s parents were wondering where they were. Luckily, the ranger had been able to follow Tom and Joey’s footprints.
Tom “Told you it was a bad idea.”
Joey “No, you didn’t.”
Joey “Well, we’re saved anyway … but what would you have done if it really was an abominable snowman? And don’t say, run away or scream like a girl.”
Tom “Yeah, as if! No, I would’ve got my mum’s battery-operated hair dryers out.”
Tom grins at Joey.
Joey “Hair dryers?”
Tom “Yeah—one in each hand—and I’d put the settings on really high heat, and blow and melt the freaky snow dude away, until he was just a puddle.”
Joey “Yep, I really do think you hit your head when you fell.”
The boys make it safely back to the resort and Joey’s parents. Their holiday in the snow has come to an end. Joey’s parents have packed the car and are ready to leave.
Tom “Hey, look, over there … it’s those guys who threw snowballs at us!”
Joey “Yeah, and they haven’t seen us. You thinking what I’m thinking?”
Tom and Joey quickly roll up some snowballs and throw them at the older boys. Splat! Splat! Splat! The three boys turn to chase Tom and Joey but it’s too late. They’ve already jumped into the car and are driving off.
Tom “Hey, Joey, have I told you that this is the best holiday I’ve ever been on in my whole life?”
Tom and Joey laugh. All the older boys can do is stand and watch the car drive away. Tom and Joey wave at them from the back seat.
abominable snowman A large, hairy creature that lives in the snow. Some people think it’s a made-up story and others believe it’s real. What do you think?
chairlift A whole lot of chairs hanging from a cable. You sit on one, and it takes you to the top of the mountain.
freaky snow dude An easier way to say abominable snowman—well, at least for Tom it is.
poles The two sticks skiers use to help them keep their balance.
ski run What skiers ski down—sometimes known as a ski slope.
If you want to ski, make sure you have lessons. You especially need to learn how to stop!
When you’re out on the ski slopes, watch out for trees. They have a habit of catching you!
Even if you’re not a very good skier, you should wear some cool gear and try to look the part.
If you’re skiing down a steep hill and you lose your nerve, just sit on your skis and slide down.
If you don’t have skis, go sledding or tobogganing instead—it’s just as much fun!
If there’s plenty of soft snow around, make some snowballs and have a snowball fight with your friends.
If you’re going to throw snowballs at older boys, just be sure you can make a quick getaway.
To get into a “snowy mood”, watch some snow-themed movies like “Snow Day” or “Snow Dogs”, and drink some hot chocolate too!
Some of the best ski resorts in the world are in the Alps in Europe, Lake Tahoe in America and also in New Zealand. In Australia, the best places for skiing are in the Snowy Mountains in NSW and the Victorian Alps.
Skis used to be made of wood, but today, most skis are made out of plastic and polyurethane foam.
One of Australia’s most famous ski champions is Winter Olympic gold medallist, Alisa Camplin. She also won a bronze medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Snowboarding developed from skateboarding. Snowboarding became an Olympic sport in 1998.
The tallest snowman recorded in the Guinness Book of Records was made in Maine, America. The snowman was 34.63 metres tall!
Everyone knows that some of the Inuits live in igloos made of ice, but did you know that in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, there’s a hotel made out of ice? It’s called the Ice Hotel.
Snow is crystals of frozen water.
1 What’s the one thing you need for a good snowball fight?
2 What’s the best way to climb a mountain?
3 What’s hot and sweet and best to have after a day of skiing?
4 Do you need ski poles to go snowboarding?
5 Name an Australian ski champion who has the initials “AC”.
6 How cold does it have to be for it to snow?
7 What’s another name for the abominable snowman?
8 Where’s the best place to fall?
How did you score?
If you got all 8 answers correct, then go and find yourself a mountain. You were born to have fun in the snow.
If you got 6 answers correct, then you don’t mind a good snowball fight. In fact if it were snowing right now, you wouldn’t be reading this—you’d be outside throwing snowballs.
If you got fewer than 4 answers correct, then you’re more of a beach person than a snow dude.
Hi Guys!
We have heaps of fun reading and want you to, too. We both believe that being a good reader is really important and so cool.
Try out our suggestions to help you have fun as you read.
At school, why don’t you use “Freaky Snow Dude” as a play and you and your friends can be the actors. Set the scene for your play. Bring some ski goggles and ski gloves, or perhaps even skis and poles, to school to use as props. Make some fake snowballs out of rolled-up paper.
So … have you decided who is going to be Tom and who is going to be Joey? Now, with your friends, read and act out our story in front of the class.
We have a lot of fun when we go to schools and read our stories. After we finish the kids all clap really loudly. When you’ve finished your play your classmates will do the same. Just remember to look out the window—there might be a talent scout from a television station watching you!
Reading at home is really important and a lot of fun as well.
Take our books home and get someone in your family to read them with you. Maybe they can take on a part in the story.
Remember, reading is a whole lot of fun.
So, as the frog in the local pond would say, Read-it!
And remember, Boyz Rule!
Phil “Do you like snow?”
Felice “I love it. When I was a kid I built this really cool-looking snowman.”
Phil “It would be cool … it was made out of snow.”
Felice “Ha, ha, very funny. But then this kid came along and kicked it over.”
Phil “That’s a rotten thing to do. Although, I confess I did that once.”
Felice “You did?”
Phil “Yeah, I felt really bad for doing it. It was a really cool-looking snowman with a scarf and a red top hat…”
Felice “… with blue stripes?”
Phil “Yeah … but how did you …? Oops! Sorry.”
Felice Arena, Freaky Snow Dudes
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