Chapter 1:
The Championship

CRASH!

Jack felt his body jolt backward and then forward. He’d been hit from behind.

“I’m going to get you for that!” he yelled to his friend Richard. Richard had just slammed into Jack with his go-kart, sending him into an inflatable barrier.

“Not if you can’t catch me!” Richard yelled as he leaned forward onto his steering wheel and cruised past Jack.

Jack and Richard were in their friend Charlie Abbott’s back garden celebrating his tenth birthday. Because it was a Saturday, Charlie’s parents had hired three go-karts for an hour of fun-filled racing. Richard, Jack and Charlie were competing against each other to see who would win the Abbott Family Go-Kart Grand Prix.

Jack put his foot on the accelerator, but the front end of his go-kart was stuck. The marshal jumped over and pushed Jack’s go-kart back on course. Turning his wheel gently to the right, he aimed for the corner ahead.

BANG!

Jack side-swiped Charlie, who was trying to get by on the inside.

“Sorry!” Jack smiled slyly as he sped away in hot pursuit of Richard. “You dog!” yelled Charlie, trying to catch up.

As Jack rounded the corner, he could see Richard ahead. Richard was looking over his shoulder at Jack, and he didn’t see another barrier in front of his kart.

BOING!

Richard’s kart bounced into the soft barrier. In the time it took for the marshal to help Richard out, Jack had come up alongside him. Now the two boys were neck-and-neck.

Jack put his foot down and willed his go-kart to cross the line first. When it did, it was by a hair. Jack was the winner of the Abbott Family Grand Prix! The entire party cheered and whistled.

At the “official” award ceremony, Jack, Charlie and Richard stood on the podium that Charlie’s dad had made and accepted their medals.

“Lucky break,” said Richard, looking up at Jack from the block just below.

As Jack accepted his gold medal, he looked down at the foil-wrapped medallion. He knew there was a delicious disc of milk chocolate inside.

Climbing down, the boys found a spot on the grass and opened their treats. As Jack sat there with Richard and Charlie, he thought about how much fun he was having and how much he liked hanging out with his friends.

“Time to get going,” said a voice from across the garden. Jack looked up. It was his dad walking toward him.

Jack licked the chocolate off his fingers. “OK,” he said as he stood up and turned to his friends. “See you at school on Monday, guys.”

“See ya,” said Richard.

“Later,” said Charlie, lifting his hand.

“Happy birthday!” said Jack. He slapped his hand into Charlie’s before walking over to join his dad.

Jack and his father thanked Mr. and Mrs. Abbott for the fun afternoon. Climbing into the back seat, Jack was still glowing with delight as his dad started the engine and the two of them drove away.