TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1: BEING CAREFUL

  CHAPTER 2: HALF TRUTHS

  CHAPTER 3: BROTHER BOTHER

  CHAPTER 4: A TEMPTING OFFER

  CHAPTER 5: THE EGGPLANT

  CHAPTER 6: CAUGHT!

  CHAPTER 7: GRANDMA’S GIFT

  CHAPTER 8: THE SKATE-OFF

  CHAPTER 9: SURPRISE SPECTATORS

  CHAPTER 10: TAKING THE RISK

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Glossary

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Skateboarding

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  CHAPTER 1

  BEING CAREFUL

  Evan Narita looked nervously over his shoulder as he walked into the skate park. All around the park, the usual groups of skateboarders were on the halfpipes and grinding on the rails.

  He waved at his friend Ryan Thompson, who was waiting for him near the edge of the park.

  “You made it,” Ryan said. “Are you sure nobody followed you here?”

  “Very funny,” Evan replied. “If my parents catch me, I’m toast. But no, smart guy, no one followed me.”

  Even so, Evan couldn’t help glancing at the sidewalks around the park. He didn’t see anyone from his family, but he could never be too careful.

  Two months ago, Evan’s older brother, Chris, had broken his leg while skateboarding. Chris had been trying a risky lip trick on a halfpipe when he fell. He hadn’t been wearing pads.

  Evan’s parents had decided that skateboarding was too dangerous. And ever since then, no one in the Narita family was allowed to do it. The problem was that all of Evan’s friends were boarders. They all hung out at the skate park.

  Evan loved skateboarding. He couldn’t just quit. He kept skating. But the park was only four blocks from his house, and he was worried he’d get caught.

  Ryan kicked his board up, caught it, and handed it to Evan. “Here you go,” Ryan said. “You might as well get in some deck time before they catch you.”

  “Very funny,” Evan muttered. He felt dumb. He didn’t even have his own skateboard anymore. After Chris’s accident, their parents had gotten rid of both boys’ boards. Now Evan had to borrow Ryan’s board.

  “Did you bring the gear?” Evan asked, pointing to the backpack near Ryan’s feet.

  “Yep,” Ryan said. He tossed it over. “Here it is.”

  Inside Ryan’s backpack were elbow pads, kneepads, and a helmet. Everything was covered in skateboard logo stickers. After Chris’s accident, Evan wasn’t taking any chances.

  The other skaters who didn’t wear as much gear probably thought Evan was too careful, but he didn’t care. Broken bones kept skaters off skateboards. Sometimes for good.

  Evan opened the bag and started pulling on the pads. Within minutes, he was geared up.

  “Thanks for bringing all this stuff,” Evan said. He stepped onto the skateboard. “If I went home hurt, my parents would definitely know something is up. They’d probably ground me forever.”

  Evan pushed away from Ryan. The board rolled along the ground and made the click-clack sound he liked. He did a manual, followed by a kickflip. He landed smoothly back on the deck both times.

  Evan made his way to the top of a ramp, pausing for a second before dropping in. He balanced the back edge of the board on the edge with the wheels dangling over. The nose of the board faced up. Evan kept one foot on the back of the board to hold it in place. Then he placed his other foot at the front of the board and dropped in to the ramp.

  Evan was pretty good at skateboarding, but he knew he still had room for improvement. If I could practice on the driveway and on my way to school, I’d be way better, he thought.

  Evan glanced at the sidewalk once more before rolling into the skate park. Ryan jogged behind him.

  “Ten minutes and then we switch,” Ryan said. “I’m timing you, pal.”

  “Got it,” Evan said. He gave Ryan a thumbs-up.

  I’ve got to make every minute count, Evan thought. I really need my own board.

  CHAPTER 2

  HALF TRUTHS

  When it started to get dark, Evan was forced to cut his last turn short. He reluctantly hopped off of Ryan’s skateboard and handed it back.

  “I need to get home for dinner,” Evan said to Ryan. “My parents are going to wonder where I am.” He glanced down at his watch. 6:15! It was much later than he’d thought. He pulled off the helmet and pads and tossed them to Ryan.

  “You’ve got helmet hair, dude,” Ryan said. He pointed to Evan’s dark hair. “Mess it up or something.”

  Evan ran a hand through his hair. It felt sweaty. Running home would make him even sweatier. He glanced around the skate park again, but he knew no one from his family would be outside. Everyone was home, sitting at the table, waiting for him.

  “I’ve got to fly, Ryan,” Evan said. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Sure thing,” Ryan said. He waved Evan away. “Now get home before you’re grounded!”

  * * *

  Evan burst through the back door, scaring his grandmother. She jumped and muttered something in Japanese.

  “Sorry, obaasan,” Evan said. He didn’t speak much Japanese, but he’d picked up a couple of words. Ever since his grandmother had moved in, Japanese was spoken more often around the house.

  Grandma Narita, unfortunately, didn’t speak any English.

  “Evan?” his father called from the dining room. “Come and sit with us at once. We’ve been waiting for you long enough!”

  Evan hurried to the dinner table. His parents, along with Chris, were seated with plates of food in front of them.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Evan said. He quickly sat down.

  “Where were you?” his mother asked. She passed him a bowl of salad.

  “I was at the park with Ryan,” Evan said. He hoped his parents wouldn’t ask which park. “I lost track of time.”

  Evan glanced at Chris, who shook his head. Only Chris knew his secret. But Evan knew that his brother wouldn’t say anything.

  “You need to pay more attention to the time,” his father said. “We eat at six o’clock every night, no exceptions.”

  “Maybe next time we should have a picnic dinner at the park,” Chris joked. “Then Evan would be on time.”

  Evan’s family laughed. Even his grandmother, who didn’t know what Chris had said.

  “You’re all sweaty,” Evan’s mother said. “Were you running a marathon?”

  As Evan ate his dinner, he felt his parents watching him. Do they know I’m secretly skateboarding? he thought.

  Evan took a gulp of water, then shook his head. “Oh, no,” he said, trying to sound casual. “I just ran home.”

  “Too bad you didn’t have something to ride back here,” Chris said. He pointed a breadstick at his younger brother. “It’s easier to get home when you’ve got a set of wheels.”

  Very funny, Evan thought.

  “I’ll remember that next time,” he said, giving his brother a dirty look.

  CHAPTER 3

  BROTHER BOTHER

  After helping his parents clear the table, Evan excused himself. He headed to his room to finish his homework. Chris followed him up the stairs. It was hard for him to keep up with Evan since his leg was still in a cast.

  “What would Mom and Dad do if they saw you at the skate park?” Chris asked. He flopped onto Evan’s bed and looked up at the ceiling.

  “We’ll never know, because they’ll never know,” Evan said. He sat down at his desk and opened his textbook to start reading.

  “But still,” Chris said. “After my accident, they said no one in this house could skate.”

  “Stop talking about it,” Evan interrupted. He turned around at his desk. “If they hear you talking about it, they’ll figure it out.”

  “You mean skateboarding?” Chris said loudly. Evan jumped up and closed his bedroom door.

  “It’s not my fault you broke your leg,” Evan whispered. “You’re the reason no one else in this family can skate.”

  Chris smiled. “I’m just joking around,” he said. “Relax.”

  “You haven’t told them, have you?” Evan asked. He glanced at the door, sure his mom or dad would open it any second.

  “No way,” Chris said, shaking his head. “If you get caught, it’ll be your own fault.”

  That doesn’t make me feel any better, Evan thought.

  “I won’t get caught,” Evan said. “Besides, I’m always careful.”

  “So was I,” Chris said. He used his crutches to struggle to his feet and turned to leave. But before he opened the door, he turned to Evan and added, “Then I ended up with a broken leg.”

  CHAPTER 4

  A TEMPTING OFFER

  An hour later, Evan finished his biology reading. He answered his chapter questions and packed his books for school. Then he carefully slid a magazine out of his desk drawer.

  It was Skate Stunts, a skateboard tricks magazine Ryan got in the mail. Whenever Ryan finished reading an issue, he let Evan borrow it. It was the only chance Evan had to read up on new tricks.

  It made him nervous to keep anything skateboard-related in the house, so he hid the magazines well. He made sure his door was closed, then flopped down on his bed and looked through the magazine.

  There were some amazing tricks in this issue. The skateboard pros always made the tricks look easy. Evan read about a trick called “The Eggplant.” It was a hand-plant trick. As a boarder approached the lip of a ramp, he had to plant his hand on the spine. His back hand stayed on the board, between his legs. Then he extended as far as possible before landing and riding away.

  Evan pictured himself trying the trick in front of his friends. Then his bedroom door burst open.

  “What are you reading, Evan?” a stern voice boomed from the doorway.

  His heart pounding, Evan sat up. He stuffed the magazine underneath his pillow.

  “You should see the look on your face,” Chris said. He pointed at Evan and laughed. “I think you jumped about five feet in the air.”

  “You’re not even a little bit funny,” Evan said. It took him a moment to settle down. He’d been so sure he was busted. Chris came into his room. He was holding a bright orange piece of paper.

  “Did you see this?” Chris asked. He showed the paper to Evan.

  Evan was still mad, but the flier caught his eye. It showed a cartoon skateboarder high in the air. The paper read, “1st Annual Skate-Off: Shaffer Skate Park.”

  “Let me see that,” Evan said. He stood up and snatched the paper from Chris’s hand. The flier said there was no entry fee and all ages were welcome. The competition was on a Saturday next month.

  “Where did you get this?” Evan demanded. “Mom and Dad will freak if they find this in the house.”

  “Relax,” Chris said. “I found it in the mail and grabbed it before anyone saw it. Are you thinking of signing up?”

  “No way,” Evan said, tossing the flier aside. “It’s too risky. Besides, I don’t even have a skateboard anymore.” But the truth was, it did sound like fun. He wondered if Ryan and the other guys knew about the competition.

  Chris shrugged. “I guess you’re right,” he said. “I just thought you’d want to know about it.” Then, he turned and limped back out of the room.

  After Chris left, Evan picked up the flier. He looked at it once more before crumpling the paper. He tossed it perfectly into the garbage can.

  Maybe I should take up basketball, Evan thought.

  CHAPTER 5

  THE EGGPLANT

  After school the next day, Evan found Ryan sitting on the front steps of their school, waiting for him.

  “Hey,” Ryan said as Evan walked up. “Did you see this?” He pulled out an orange piece of paper. It was a flier for the Skate-Off.

  “Yes,” Evan said, groaning. “Don’t remind me. Chris showed it to me last night at home.”

  “You should enter,” Ryan said. “You’re one of the best skaters around.”

  “Yeah right,” Evan said. “I’m okay, but I’m nowhere near as good as some of the other guys. Besides, I don’t have a board.”

  “You could use my board,” Ryan offered. “If the judges let us share.”

  Evan thought about it for a minute. Then he shook his head. “I can’t,” he said. “It’s bad enough that I skate in secret. Entering a contest is just asking to get caught.”

  Ryan pointed to the flier. “It’s at Shaffer Park,” he said. “That’s all the way on the other side of town. How would your parents ever find out?”

  Evan was quiet. “I don’t know,” he said finally. “I’ll think about it.”

  The two boys walked to the bike rack. They hopped on their bikes and headed to the skate park. As they biked, Evan thought about the Skate-Off. Competing was sounding better and better.

  Maybe I should enter, Evan thought. It’s just one competition. What’s the worst that could happen?

  * * *

  After half an hour at the skate park, Evan realized he wasn’t the only one thinking about competing. It seemed like every boarder there was planning to enter. Even though it made him nervous, Evan decided to enter, too.

  “I hope they let us share skateboards,” Evan said. “If I need my own, I’m out.”

  “I’m sure they’ll let us share,” Ryan said.

  “I might have an old one you can borrow,” another skateboarder offered. Everyone knew about the ban Evan’s parents had put on skateboarding.

  “Thanks,” Evan said. “Now let’s get to work. If I’m entering this thing, I need the practice.”

  Evan and Ryan went back and forth, trading the skateboard and working on the basics. They tried to grind the rails over and over again. Halfway through one grind, Evan lost his balance and had to bail.

  “Easy on the deck,” Ryan shouted from the top of the halfpipe. “Neither of us will be able to compete if you break it!”

  When his turn was over, Evan watched the other guys. All the boarders were trying their most difficult moves.

  Then Evan remembered the trick he’d seen in the magazine. The eggplant. It had looked tricky, but Evan wondered if he could do it.

  There was only one way to find out.

  It’ll be easy, Evan thought. But he was a little nervous. The pros always made tricks look easy. But they rarely were.

  Evan rolled up the halfpipe and reverted to roll back down. Gaining speed, he aimed for the spine of the ramp. He crouched low and put out his front hand.

  When he was close, he reached for the spine. Evan’s hand touched the metal along the top, and he slipped.

  The board rolled one way, and Evan went down, face first, onto the ramp. A total wipeout!

  “Nice!” one of the guys shouted.

  Evan rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. “Looks like it’s not going to be as easy as I thought,” he muttered. The eggplant would take practice. He sat up and saw Ryan snatch up his escaping skateboard.

  “What were you trying to do?” Ryan asked. He checked his board for damage. “That looked like a face plant.”

  “Close,” Evan said. He got to his feet. “It was supposed to be an eggplant, but . . .”

  Evan didn’t finish his sentence. Something near the skate-park entrance caught his eye.

  An older woman stood there, watching him. Evan squinted. Then he realized he knew her. It was his grandmother!

  CHAPTER 6

  CAUGHT!

  “Oh, man. I’m in trouble,” Evan mumbled. He stripped off his elbow pads and looked again.

  There was no mistake. It was his grandmother, standing in her red plaid coat and pushing her small grocery cart. She waved at her grandson. Evan slowly waved back.

  “Oh, wow,” Ryan said. “That’s your grandma, isn’t it? This isn’t good.”

  “No kidding,” Evan said. “And the worst part? I don’t even know how to tell her not to tell my parents. She doesn’t speak English.”

  Evan quickly removed the rest of the pads. Then he jogged over to his grandmother.

  “Good luck!” Ryan called from behind. Evan barely heard him. He was too busy thinking about was how much trouble he was in.

  “Hello, Grandma,” Evan said. Then remembered how to say it in Japanese. “Kon’nichiwa, obaasan.”

  Grandma Narita smiled. She murmured something in Japanese that Evan couldn’t understand. He nodded and walked along the sidewalk with her.

  “I’m not sure how to explain this, Grandma,” Evan said. He took the cart’s handle to help push her groceries home. “But please don’t tell my parents I was skateboarding.”

  Grandma Narita replied again in Japanese. She didn’t seem confused by what he said. She put a finger up, nodded, and smiled again.

  This isn’t working, Evan thought. She probably thinks I’m asking about dinner or something. She has no idea what I’m saying.

  Evan stopped walking and let go of the cart. Grandma stopped too, frowning.

  With his hand held out flat, Evan used his other hand to show a person. He made the finger-person walk by wiggling his pointer and middle fingers.

  Grandma nodded and gave Evan an unsure smile.

  Evan tried to show the finger-person skateboarding on his hand. He cupped his other hand to make it look like a halfpipe.

  “Please,” Evan said. He shook his head and pointed to his mouth. “Don’t talk about skateboarding.”

  Grandma replied in Japanese and nodded. Evan still wasn’t sure that she understood what he was saying.

  “My parents,” Evan said and pointed down the street toward their house. “They can’t know I skateboard.”

 

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