Free You Lucky Dog by Matt Christopher, Stephanie Peters, Daniel Vasconcellos

Chapter 1

    I t was a beautiful sunny day, just perfect for soccer. Lou Barnes couldn’t wait to get to the field. The Soccer ’Cats were
     taking on the Panthers today. The Panthers were always a tough team, but Lou had a feeling that the ’Cats were going to come
     out on top.
    He rummaged around in his room, looking for his lucky soccer ball. He’d scored his first goal with that ball. Coach Bradley
     had let him keep it after the game, and now Lou brought it with him whenever the ’Cats played. He finally found it buried
     in his closet. He tucked the ball under his arm and headed downstairs.

    Lou knew that some people looked strangely at the arm holding the ball. True, that arm wasn’t quite the same as his other
     arm. It was a little shorter, and couldn’t move the same way his other arm moved because it was partly paralyzed.
    He’d been born that way, so he never knew what it was like to have two arms that were the same. Things that most people used
     two arms and hands for —like playing a game of catch or using a fork and knife—he’d had to learn to do with one. His parents
     had hired a woman to help him learn, and over time he’d figured out his own way of doing things.
    Sometimes, though, he caught someone he didn’t know staring at him. At a country fair one time, a few older kids made fun
     of him. Lou had been so upset he’d almost started to cry. But for the most part, people treated him like any other kid — which
     was just fine withLou. That’s how he thought of himself, after all.
    All that was far from Lou’s mind this morning, though. Now all he could think about was getting to the field and facing the
     Panthers! He waved good-bye to his mother, who was out back working in the garden, then jogged off to the game.
    The field was crowded with Panthers and ’Cats. They did some warm-up drills, then got into position for the game. The ’Cats
     had won the coin toss. The referee placed the ball in the center circle, then backed away. Stookie, the ’Cats’ center striker,
     stood next to the ball, waiting for the whistle. When it came, he toed the ball to Jerry Dinh on his left.
    Jerry controlled it and took off. He dribbled past one defender. Then two Panthers double-teamed him. Coach Bradley had taught
     his team that when two defenders were guarding you, it meant that one of your teammates was wide open. Lou could see Jerry
     looking franticallyfor that open player. Finally, he saw Dewey London waving. He kicked the ball as hard as he could to him.
    Dewey ran to meet the ball. He reached it just before the Panthers’ center got to it. Dewey dribbled on an angle toward Lou’s
     side of the field.
    Lou knew that if he could get open, Dewey would pass it to him. He tried to break free of the Panther near him, but she stuck
     to Lou like glue. Dewey ended up passing the ball to Stookie.

Chapter 2

    R ats!” grumbled Lou as he watched Stookie race downfield. Lou ran parallel to him, hoping to help out. His defender matched
     him step for step. There was no way Stookie would pass to him when she was so close, Lou thought.
    He was right. When the Panther defense rushed Stookie, Stookie glanced at Lou, frowned, then passed the ball to Jerry. Jerry
     stopped it, dribbled a few paces closer to the goal, then shot the ball back to Stookie. Stookie wound up and took a mighty
     shot ongoal. It all happened so fast that the Panthers’ goalie didn’t have a chance. The ball bounced into the net for the ’Cats’
     first score of the game.
    The ’Cats cheered and jumped for joy, then hurried back to their starting positions. Lou was happy they were ahead. He hoped
     he’d have a chance to give the ’Cats an even bigger lead.
    But he didn’t. The whole first half, the Panther covered him like a blanket. He tried dodging around her, stopping short then
     speeding up, and weaving from side to side. Nothing worked.
    Finally, a few minutes before the end of the half, he decided to try