I am excited to announce that
Freddie Ramos Rules New York was
released in October 2016. This book is the sixth in the Zapato Power series
about Freddie Ramos, the boy with super-powered purple sneakers.
In Freddie’s
newest adventure, he outgrows his special sneakers and must adjust to a larger
pair. But will his new shoes work as well as his old ones? Freddie contemplates the possibilities during a bus
ride to New York.
Uh-oh! Did my new
zapatos give me super hearing? What about super speed? And super bounce? Could
they do all three? I had two buttons on my wristband. What if two powers was
all I got? Which ones did I want the most?
Super
hearing would be good when I wanted to hear what grown-ups were saying. Would I
like it as much as running fast?
I had
to get off the bus and find out what my new shoes could do! But I was stuck in
the window seat, watching more brown fields and buildings go by. How much
longer till New York?
The inspiration for the Zapato Power series came from students
when I worked as an elementary school librarian. My students never tired of
discussing their favorite superpower and the requests for books on superheroes
never stopped. The interest was especially intense when I shared Margaret Mahy’s
The Seven Chinese Brothers in story time.
This traditional tale is about seven identical brothers who each have a special
skill. One brother has super strength. Another brother has super sight and so
forth. My students and I had many lively conversations over which brother had
the best super skill.
The process of choosing one
superpower over another can develop critical thinking skills. Ask your students
to write pros and cons for a list of selected superpowers. This can lead to a persuasive
writing exercise in which students explain why the superpower of their choice
is the most useful and effective for their particular needs. A high interest
topic like this can motivate even the most reluctant of writers.
In the Zapato Power books, Freddie Ramos has trouble navigating the
ordinary world with his superpowers. Ask your students to write about how they
think their lives might change if they had super speed or super hearing. What
kind of challenges might they face? Would it be difficult to keep your
superpower a secret? Would you be tempted to eavesdrop on your friends or use
super speed to an unfair advantage in athletic events? Ask your students to
really examine how they would use their superpower and when.
There are many questions to
consider. Would you try to stop bullies and make the world a better place?
Would you enjoy doing good deeds if no one knew you were responsible? A list of
writing prompts are available on this page of the Zapato Power Activity Guide. Enjoy!
