Free On Thin Ice by Nancy Krulik Page A

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    “Now all we’re going to hear about is this stupid skating show,” Suzanne groaned. “I wish Emma S. had just kept her mouth shut.”
    “No you don’t!” Katie shouted loudly at her. “You don’t wish that at all!”
    Suzanne stared at Katie with surprise. “I didn’t say anything so bad,” she said.
    Katie could see that Suzanne thought she was nuts for getting so upset. But Suzanne had said something bad— really bad.
    And only Katie knew why.

Chapter 2
    It all started one horrible day back in third grade. Katie had lost the football game for her team. Then she’d splashed mud all over her favorite jeans. But the worst part of the day came when Katie let out a loud burp—right in front of the whole class. Talk about embarrassing!
    That night, Katie wished to be anyone but herself. There must have been a shooting star overhead when she made the wish, because the very next day the magic wind came.
    The magic wind was like a really powerful tornado that blew only around Katie. It was so strong, it could blow her right out of her body . . . and into someone else’s !
    The first time the magic wind appeared, it turned Katie into Speedy, the hamster in her third-grade class. Katie spent the whole morning going round and round on a hamster wheel and chewing on Speedy’s wooden chew sticks. And that wasn’t even the worst part. Things got really bad when she escaped from Speedy’s cage and ran into the boys’ locker room. That was when Katie landed inside George Brennan’s stinky sneaker! Pee-yew! Katie sure was glad when the magic wind came back and switcherooed her into herself again!
    After that, the magic wind came back again and again. Sometimes it changed Katie into other kids. One time it turned her into Suzanne. Another time it turned her into Suzanne’s baby sister!
    And when the magic wind switcherooed her into their school principal, Mr. Kane, there was chaos at the school. By the end of the day, kids were running wild in the halls, and all the electricity had gone out in the building.
    The magic wind followed Katie everywhere—even to Europe! In Spain, the magic wind turned Katie into a flamenco dancer in a Spanish restaurant. Katie was not a very good dancer. She’d fallen off the stage, landed in some man’s lap, and sent rice and lobster claws flying all over the place! Ay, caramba !
    The magic wind was the reason Katie hated wishes so much. They only brought trouble. But she couldn’t explain that to Suzanne. She wouldn’t believe her, anyway. Katie wouldn’t have believed it, either, if it didn’t keep happening to her.
    “I know you didn’t say anything so bad,” Katie told Suzanne finally. “It’s just that when you say things like that, you sound kind of jealous. And I know that’s not true,” she added quickly.
    “I’m never jealous,” Suzanne said. “Other people are jealous of me .”
    “Of course they are,” Katie said, trying really hard not to laugh. Suzanne never changed. Suzanne was always Suzanne.
    Except, of course, for that time when Katie had been Suzanne.

Chapter 3
    Today was Katie’s favorite school day. That was because Wednesday was class 4A’s library day. Each week the kids got to pick out a new library book to take home.
    “Do you have any more books by Nellie Farrow?” Katie asked Ms. Folio, the school librarian.
    “I knew you were going to ask me that, Katie,” Ms. Folio said. “The new one just came in. I put it away for you.”
    Katie grinned. It was amazing. There were so many kids at Cherrydale Elementary School, and Ms. Folio was able to remember what every kid loved to read.
    “Emma W., here’s a book about a big sister with a little brother who is a real trouble-maker,” Ms. Folio said, handing her a fat chapter book.
    Emma W. smiled. “I can relate to that,” she said.
    Katie knew exactly what Emma W. meant. Emma W. had three little brothers— and an older sister!
    “This book is full of really funny library jokes,” Ms.