Nina is 10 years old. She lives in Katonah, New York. Her favorite animals are cats. For fun she loves reading, writing and drawing. When she grows up she wants to be an author and a chemist.
“Coral’s wings beat hard as she dove towards a cloud and swooshed right through it. She executed perfect loops and dove through the sky. Coral swirled around a huge cloud and sped forward. Then, she smacked into a cloud and spun in midair.”
Coral’s wings beat hard as she dove towards a cloud and swooshed right through it. She executed perfect loops and dove through the sky. Coral swirled around a huge cloud and sped forward. Then, she smacked into a cloud and spun in midair.
She always messed up that part.
Coral sighed and slowly flew home with her dark hair swirling around her. If she was going to win the yearly Cloud Race, Coral would have to work harder. She did not notice the sky turning grey.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky. Thunder crashed in her ears like the sound of waves. Frightened, Coral dodged another bolt and flew as fast as she could. Coral zipped through the storm towards a big cloud, and flew inside the cloud.
Coral then landed on the kitchen floor with a light thump. Her mother was at the stove.
“Hi, Mom,” she said.
Her mom turned around, “Oh, Coral, you got caught in the storm, didn’t you?”
Coral nodded.
“I made lentils and cookies. You can have two cookies after you eat dinner.”
Coral almost jumped for joy and almost yelled, “YES!”
But she didn’t. She sat down for dinner.
***
It was the day of the Cloud Race. Coral was nervously flying around the starting line. The fastest cloud racers in the whole sky were there. Coral identified Emaline Flisch, Sunna Kalibru, Sydney Jamonje, and several unfamiliar boys and girls.
Coral was determined to win the race.
The horn blew, and the racers began.
Coral had memorized the track.
She swished through a cloud. The unfamiliar racers all hit the cloud and didn’t get through.
Coral looped and dove through the sky, but Sunna got lost somewhere around the third big cloud.
Coral turned over around a cloud and lost Emaline.
Only Sidney was left. He gave her an aggravating grin and zoomed forward. Coral zoomed forward as well.
The last cloud was ahead. Coral swallowed, and suddenly swooped downward and dodged the cloud.
Sidney crashed into the cloud, and Coral passed the finish line!
She got the gold trophy for Racer of the Year!
The smile on Coral’s face was almost to her ears.
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