Whiz Kid #2, page 1
PENGUIN WORKSHOP
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, New York
First published in the United States of America by Penguin Workshop,
an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, 2022
Text copyright © 2022 by Kelly Starling Lyons
Illustrations copyright © 2022 by Penguin Random House LLC
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 9780593383520 (paperback)
ISBN 9780593383537 (library binding)
ISBN 9780593383544 (ebook)
Design by Mary Claire Cruz, adapted for ebook by Andrew Wheatley
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Miles’s Five Facts
Acknowledgments
About the Author and Illustrator
For my cousins, my forever friends—KSL
Dedicated to my daughter, Ali, and anyone else who wants to make things; don’t give up. You’re almost there—WS
CHAPTER ONE
Second Chance
You know it’s science fair time when you see posters in the hallway showing kids with cool projects and people looking amazed. Erupting volcanoes. Soda bottle tornadoes. Bouncy eggs. As I checked out the pictures, a grin stretched across my face.
Soon I wasn’t in the hallway of Brookside Elementary anymore. I could see myself onstage saying thank you as someone handed me a golden medal. Usually, I didn’t care about winning. But this was different. This was my do-over. I had to get it right.
Last year, I created a switch that controlled the flow of electricity and turned a light bulb on and off. I couldn’t wait to set it up and let my friends try it out. Everybody said I was gonna get one of the spots to represent our school in the regional competition.
But as I walked around, I saw other projects that put mine to shame. I cheered for the winners, but walked away knowing I could have done better. I promised myself I would try harder this year. I was a future scientist—time to show it.
“What’s up, Miles?” my best friend RJ said. I almost forgot he was standing next to me. “You’re staring at that poster like it’s a puzzle you got to figure out. You coming to class?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Just thinking about the science fair. I’m going to be ready.”
We entered Miss Taylor’s sunny classroom and tucked our backpacks in our cubbies. My friend Jada was putting hers away, too. Jada and I were in science club together. I knew she would be as psyched as I was about the fair.
“You know what time it is?” I asked.
“Yep,” she said, her braids and beads bouncing as she nodded. “Science fair. I want to do something really special. I’m getting started on my project as soon as I get home.”
“I know you’ll come up with something great.”
“You will, too,” Jada replied. “Got any ideas?”
“Not yet.”
As we headed to our seats, I wondered what I might do. It had to be something interesting and creative that would wow the judges. What science question could I ask and investigate?
After the announcements, Miss Taylor hit the chime that called us to the orange-and-blue rug for our morning meeting.
Chirr.
“Who saw something different on the walls when you came into school this morning?”
Lena’s hand shot up.
“Science fair posters.”
Smiles and cheers mixed with a few frowns and groans.
“I see we have different feelings about it,” Miss Taylor said. “That’s okay. Remember there’s no perfect project. It’s all about learning something new and having fun. You all can do that, right?”
My friends gave thumbs-up and nodded. Miss Taylor always knew what to say.
“Can we do anything we want, Miss Taylor?” Simone asked as the glitter on her shirt caught the light. “I want to make something that shows my shine.”
“Sure, Simone,” she said, smiling. “As long as you follow the guidelines. I’ll put the details and schedule in everyone’s take-home folder. Your projects are going to be fantastic. This year, you can work on your own or in teams.”
Teams? I looked at Jada and saw her looking at me.
“Want to work together?” I mouthed.
She nodded.
Yes! There would be no stopping us.
As we got up, I saw Gabi talking to Jada. Then, I felt a nudge in my side.
“You know we gotta be a team,” RJ said.
I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. RJ didn’t care about science. I tried to think quickly.
“I already promised Jada I’d work with her.”
“That’s okay. She can be on the team, too. We’re going to the best.”
I sighed and hoped I was worrying for nothing. Maybe RJ would get into it and come through on the work.
Jada came up to my seat.
“Gabi wants to work with us, too,” she said. “Is that okay?”
I smiled weakly.
“Yeah.”
Gabi was cool, but having a team of four was harder to manage than a team of two. What if we wanted to do different projects? What if we didn’t get along? This team thing wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought.
CHAPTER TWO
Diving In
On the bus ride home, RJ and I sat next to each other like always.
“We should get started on our science project soon,” I said. “The first thing is coming up with the idea. What do you think we should do?”
“What’s the rush?” RJ said. “We have time. I got a new racing video game. Want to play later?”
I sighed. He was losing focus already. Was this how it was going to be?
“Not today,” I said as the bus neared my stop. “All about science tonight.”
I hopped off and walked down the block to my house. Nana gave me a big hug when I came inside. She smelled like oregano, basil, and wildflowers. Her long silver locs were pulled up so they didn’t get in her face. I could tell she had been in her garden.
“What’s good, grandson?” she asked.
I remembered how my heart pounded when I saw the posters in the hallway this morning. It was a thrill like biking downhill with the wind in my face. I wished I felt that way now.
“It’s time for the science fair,” I said with dread, like I was talking about a test that was on the way.
“Miles DuBois, that doesn’t sound like you. Why did you say it like that? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just really want to make the regional competition this year. I should get started. I’ll be down to set the table for dinner, okay, Nana?”
“Okay, Miles,” she said, with one eyebrow raised. She studied me like she knew something else was up. “You know you can always talk to me.”
Upstairs in my room, I dropped my Minecraft backpack on the floor and sank into my desk chair. My man, Black Panther, stared at me from the wall. Wakanda-level skills—that’s what I needed right now. Then this fair would be in the bag.
Everybody thinks I’m a whiz at science. But right now, I didn’t feel so smart. I wondered if working with the team was the way to go, or if I should have gone solo again. Oh well. I knew Jada would come through. I bet Gabi would, too. Now, RJ . . . I tried to think positive. He played around sometimes, but he could be serious when he wanted.
I flipped open my computer and started surfing through options. What should our project focus on? We had to do something good. Biology, physics, chemistry? So many possibilities. I made a list to share with the rest of the team.
Before I knew it, the tangy smell of tomatoes reached my room. My stomach grumbled like it was saying What are you waiting for? How long had I been upstairs? I rushed down the steps and zoomed right into the kitchen.
“You’ve been working hard,” Nana said. “Feeling better?”
I nodded.
“Come here,” she said, scooping some meat sauce onto a spoon. “Try this for me.”
Mmm-hmm. I could taste the spices and herbs from her garden. Just right.
“It’s delicious, Nana,” I said. “Doesn’t need anything.”
Momma and Daddy came in as I was setting the table.
“I see you, son,” Daddy said, winking.
“Yes, sir,” Momma agreed. “I like how you’re helping.”
I gave them hugs and finished up. They headed for the kitchen to see if Nana needed anything. When the food was ready, we said grace and dug in.
“I have a surprise for you,” Momma said to me.
She let the suspense build for a few moments to make it extra dramatic.
“Come on, Momma,” I said when I couldn’t stand it any longer. She laughed.
“You know how you’ve been asking for a sleepover? Your cousin, Cam, is coming this weekend.”
“Yes!”
Cam was an only child like me, so we claimed each other as brothers. We had lots of the same interests—bikes, video games, basketball, chess, science.
He would get how much the fair meant to me. Cam made it into the regional science competition last year. He didn’t win, but I was proud of him for getting that far. Yeah, things were looking up with Cam on the way. Maybe he could tell me the key to success.
CHAPTER THREE
Family Affair
At school the next day, we had time to do research or talk in our groups. Some kids were still trying to figure out if they were going to do a project on their own or with friends. Others, like Jada’s besties, Lena and Simone, who teamed up with Carson, jumped right in.
Jada, Gabi, RJ, and I headed for the reading nook decked out with rainbow pillows and beanbag chairs. We settled in and got to work.
“I did some research yesterday,” I said. “I looked at a lot of projects. I really liked one that showed how wind and solar power could be good sources of energy.”
“That’s cool, Miles,” Jada said. “A project I liked was making a maze to see if a plant could find its way to a light.”
Gabi’s eyes lit up.
“Creating a maze sounds fun,” she said. “But I was thinking that we could do an experiment with markers, paint, or crayons—mixing art and science.”
RJ frowned.
“Those sound all right,” he said. “But don’t we want something that will grab everyone’s attention, something really exciting?”
“You have an idea?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “But we need a project that will be a winner.”
I rolled my eyes. RJ wanted to criticize, but didn’t have anything to offer. I hoped he’d do some research by our next meeting.
Jada, Gabi, and I had such different ideas. And RJ still had to add his. How were we going to choose? Right when I was about to suggest keeping a running list and then voting, Miss Taylor said it was time to wrap up. We wouldn’t have school again until Monday. I wished we could meet sooner. Then, I remembered Cam.
“Hey, why don’t I ask my mom and dad if we can get together at my house this weekend?” I said. “My cousin is coming over. He made the regional competition last year. Maybe he could give us some tips.”
Everyone was down for that. Now, I just had to check with my parents.
* * *
★
When Momma and Daddy got home that evening, I asked about having my friends over.
“Sure,” Momma said. “I’ll reach out to their folks and find out if they can drop by tomorrow afternoon.”
I took the stairs two at a time, quickly reaching the top. Cam was coming. My team was going to meet at my house. Picking our project early would give us an edge. It was all working out.
I looked around my room and took out some of the things Cam and I loved to do together: my chess board and mini old-school video games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. I couldn’t wait until he got here.
Nana knocked on my open door. “How are things going? Think of a project?”
“Getting there.”
“I’m glad,” she said. “I don’t like my boy being all stressed out. I get to spend time with both of my brilliant grandsons tonight.”
I saw lights through my blinds and raced to the window. It was Uncle Curt, Cam’s dad, parking his blue Chevy in the driveway. I didn’t want to be rude and leave my room with Nana still standing there. I eyed her as I shifted from foot to foot.
“Go on, Miles,” she said, laughing. “I’m excited he’s here, too.”
When I got downstairs, Cam was already inside.
“Hey, Cuzzo,” he said, and held out his hand for our special shake. We gripped one way and then the other, pulled and snapped, and then brought it in for a hug.
“Good to see you, Miles,” Uncle Curt said, smiling as he watched us. “Cam, your mom will pick you up Sunday. Have a great time.”
Ever since his parents separated, Cam spent a week at a time with each of them. He was still getting used to going back and forth.
I grabbed Cam’s bag and carried it upstairs to my room.
“Looks like you got some new LEGO models,” he said, looking at my displays. “This one for the Avengers is tight.”
“Thanks,” I said. “There’s one we can work on together, too, if you want.”
“This is going to be the best,” Cam said.
“Boys, pizza’s here,” my dad yelled. “Come and get it.”
He didn’t have to tell us twice. The stairs rumbled as we rushed downstairs.
“Whoa,” Daddy said. “You sure there are just two of you? Sounded like a stampede.”
We laughed and plopped into our seats. My eyes popped as I checked out the spread. Three pizzas—bacon, ground beef, and veggie—and buffalo wings. Now, this was a party.
“Cam, what’s new with you?” my mom said, serving herself a piece of what we call hamburger pizza, because of the ground beef. “It’s good to have you over. It has been too long.”
“My basketball team is going to the playoffs, and I’m working on a science fair project like Miles.”
“You made it to regionals last year, didn’t you?” Daddy said.
Cam nodded and finished chewing.
“It was amazing! Kids from all over were there. I’ve never seen so many cool projects. We did our best, but we didn’t win.”
“They better watch out this time,” Daddy said. “Here comes Cameron Lewis, super scientist.”
“I know that’s right,” Nana said, beaming at Cam.
It shouldn’t have bothered me that he was getting some praise. But I had to look down so no one would see me frowning. I was entering the fair, too. Cam and I were both good at science. Why couldn’t they say something nice about me?
“Miles is having his team over tomorrow to nail down their project,” Momma said. “Maybe you could help them out.”
“Sure, Aunt Trina,” Cam said.
That was my plan all along, but now the idea of Cam giving us tips bugged me. He was getting all the shine. Did I want him in the spotlight with my friends, too?
When Cam smiled at me, I felt lower than a slug. Here I was hating on Cam in my mind, and we were supposed to be brothers. What was wrong with me? The sleepover was sinking fast.
CHAPTER FOUR
Cool Cam
After dinner, Cam and I headed back to my room.
“Okay, what do we get into first, Cuz?” Cam asked.
“You pick.”
He walked over to the handheld video games, kept Donkey Kong, and handed Pac-Man to me.
“How about we play on each and then we switch? High score gets to choose what we do next.”
“You’re on,” I said.
“You know you can’t hang with me,” he teased.
