Calkhoven Laurie - Roosevelt Banks, Good-Kid-in-Training

One Elm Books is an imprint of Red Chair Press LLC
Red Chair Press LLC PO Box 333 South Egremont, MA 01258-0333
www.redchairpress.com

Publishers Cataloging-In-Publication Data

Names: Calkhoven, Laurie, author. | Palen, Debbie, illustrator.
Title: Roosevelt Banks : Good-Kid-In-Training / Laurie Calkhoven ; with illustrations by Debbie Palen.

Description: [South Egremont, Massachusetts] : One Elm Books, an imprint of Red Chair Press LLC, [2020] | Summary: When ten-year-old Roosevelt Banks discovers that his two best friends are planning a bike & camping trip, he wants more than anything to go along. Theres just one problem--he doesnt have a bike. Roosevelts parents agree to buy him a new bike IF he can manage to be good for two whole weeks. How can Roosevelt be good and be the same fun guy his friends want on the camping trip?--Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781947159181 (library hardcover) | ISBN 9781947159198 (paperback) |ISBN 9781947159204 (ebook PDF)

Subjects: LCSH: Boys--Conduct of life--Juvenile fiction. | Friendship--Juvenile fiction. | Bicycles--Juvenile fiction. | Camping--Juvenile fiction. | CYAC: Conduct of life--Fiction. | Friendship--Fiction. | Bicycles--Fiction. | Camping--Fiction.

Classification: LCC PZ7.C12878 Ro 2020 (print) | LCC PZ7.C12878 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019934117

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 authors imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Main body text set in 17/24 Baskerville

Text copyright 2020 by Laurie Calkhoven

Copyright 2020 Red Chair Press LLC

RED CHAIR PRESS, ONE ELM Books logo, and green leaf colophon are registered trademarks of Red Chair Press LLC.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in an information or retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical including photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission from the Publisher. For permissions, contact info@redchairpress.com

Printed in Canada

619 1P S20FN

For the good kids in my life
Logan, Bennett, and Madison

So far it was a regular Monday.

Tommy and I burped during silent reading time and made the whole class laugh.

At recess I squatted down really fast while Josh ripped a piece of paper and made everyone think I had split my pants. Fake out!

All three of us smeared ketchup on our mouths after lunch and lurched around after the girls like zombies. Emily Park screamed!

Now it was time for some real fun. I jumped off the school bus and zoomed down the hill to the creek. I teetered on the edge for a second and then popped onto a rock in the middle of the water. Safe! Tommy and Josh were right behind me.

Want to meet back here and hunt frogs? I asked.

The three of us hung out almost every day after school. We were the only three best friends in fourth grade. All the other best friends came in pairs.

Josh and Tommy didnt answer.

Frogs? I asked again.

Joshs eyes slid sideways toward Tommy.

Tommys eyes slid sideways toward Josh.

I came up with a new idea. If Mrs. Crabapple isnt home we can slither through her yard and spy on Tommys brothers. Maybe theyll start talking about what girls they like againgross!

Crabby old Mrs. Crawford doesnt like kids in her yard for any reason. Not for slithering. Not for running after balls. And especially not for petting the rabbits she keeps in a hutch in her backyard.

Now Joshs eyes blinked at Tommy.

Tommys eyes stared at his sneakers.

Neither one of them said a word. That was definitely weird.

What do you want to do? I asked.

Cant hang out today, Roosevelt, Josh mumbled. I have to ride my bike.

Me, too, Tommy said. He scuffed the toe of his sneaker in the mud on the creek bank. I have to ride my bike.

Have to? What do you mean have to? Nobody has to ride a bike. I didnt have a bike. Not anymore. And they both knew it.

Now Josh and Tommys eyes started acting even weirder. Their eyeballs darted up, down, and sideways. They blinked like crazy.

Whats going on? I asked. Why dont you want to do something we can do together?

Finally Joshs eyeballs looked right into mine. Listen, Roosevelt, he said.

Sentences that start with Listen, Roosevelt never end with something good. But usually its Mom or Dad or a teacher saying, Listen, Roosevelt, not one of my two best friends.

My dads taking me and two of my friends on a bicycle trip. Were going to bike all the way to the state park on the old railroad trail. And camp. Its for the three-day weekend next month, Josh said, all in a rush. He told me last night. He said you and Tommy could come, but you dont have a bike.

Josh called me on my cell phone last night, Tommy said, still staring at his sneakers.

Cell phone. Another thing they had that I didnt.

My parents already said I could go, Tommy added.

I started to feel like the rock I was standing on was sinking into the creek bed and I was sinking along with it.

He said you could bring two friends. Whos taking my place? I asked.

Joshs ears turned red. I dont know yet.

I thought of reasons why they couldnt go. How are you going to get camping stuff there on your bikes? I asked.

My dad has a trailer thing that attaches to the back of his bike, Josh said. He can bring everything. The tent. The food. The sleeping bags. The fishing poles.

Tommys eyes flashed. Were going fishing? Awesome.

Josh raised his hand for a high five. Slap!

Well tell ghost stories around the campfire, he said. Slap.

And roast marshmallows, Tommy added. Slap.

And swim in the lake. Slap.

And not take showers or wash our hair for three days. Slap.

And pee in the woods. Slap.

Each high five made me feel worse and worse. I wanted to pee in the woods, too.

Maybe well see a bear. Slap.

Tommy cracked up. But not while were peeing! Slap.

My dads gonna love it! Josh said. I bet he even moves closer to me so we can go all the time.

Oh, great, I thought, so they can go on even more fun trips without me.

Why cant you tell your dad to plan a trip without bikes? Just plain camping? I asked.

A flicker of surprise crossed Joshs face, like he never even thought about how he could include me. My dad just got a new bike, he said. It was his idea.