Lety Out Loud Read online

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1: Furry Friends Summer Camp

  Chapter 2: Sorry, Not Sorry

  Chapter 3: Big Shoes to Fill

  Chapter 4: Adios, Spike

  Chapter 5: Five English Words

  Chapter 6: Fair and Square

  Chapter 7: Not His Dog Anymore

  Chapter 8: Sawyer Beckons

  Chapter 9: A Strong Cool Wind

  Chapter 10: Colossally Perfect

  Chapter 11: Two Cats Away from Victory

  Chapter 12: Bella on Hold

  Chapter 13: All That Matters

  Chapter 14: Don’t Make Eye Contact

  Chapter 15: Deep Blue Dreams

  Chapter 16: Good News, Bad News

  Chapter 17: First Draft

  Chapter 18: Barrel of Dog Food

  Chapter 19: Long Gone

  Chapter 20: Lety’s Big Idea

  Chapter 21: Reading Fur Friends

  Chapter 22: A Thousand Chances

  Chapter 23: Books and Buddies

  Chapter 24: Purrfect Success!

  Chapter 25: The Man in the Red Hat

  Chapter 26: We Go High

  Chapter 27: Wags and Whiskers

  Chapter 28: Shelter Scribe Saves the Day

  Chapter 29: Everyone Is Invited

  Gaby, Lost and Found Teaser

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Angela Cervantes

  Copyright

  If Lety Muñoz could adopt any animal in the world, it would be Spike, the sweet black-and-white terrier sitting across from her on the lawn at that very minute. Lety was outside the Furry Friends Animal Shelter along with other summer campers. All of them wore shorts and teal-blue Furry Friends T-shirts and sat quietly as the shelter’s owner and veterinarian, Dr. Villalobos, told stories about the various dogs and cats at the shelter. Lety liked how Dr. Villalobos’s voice rose high with excitement and then dropped low when a story turned serious. He had colorful tattoos on both arms and long, dark hair pulled into a braid that snaked down his back. He was like no other veterinarian Lety had ever seen. Still, it was Spike that drew her gaze. The small dog wore a blue bandanna and gnawed at a twisted piece of rope.

  “Our shelter is full of dogs and cats that were surrendered by their families,” Dr. Villalobos said. “Others were picked up as strays by our rescue team. Spike was brought to the shelter for the first time by highway patrol. He was chasing cars. Can you believe it?”

  Giggles and gasps erupted from the campers, but Lety was stuck on Dr. Villalobos’s words: “brought to the shelter for the first time.” She wanted to raise her hand and ask what he meant. Had there been a second and third time? Luckily, Dr. Villalobos began to explain.

  “Spike doesn’t have a winning record with forever families,” he said. “He knows how to high-five, shake hands, and roll over, and thanks to one of our volunteers, he’s finally mastered how to sit and stay, but every time he’s adopted, he’s brought back to the shelter. Everyone says he’s too wild.”

  Spike let out a playful bark, as if saying, “That’s right!”

  Lety shook her head in disbelief. Too wild? She’d only just met Spike, but to her Spike seemed like the perfect dog. He was super cute with his glossy black-and-white coat, pearly white teeth, and warm brown eyes. He was smart, too, and barked every time Dr. V. mentioned him. What kind of people would give him up?

  “The good news is that Spike is going home with a foster family today.”

  One of the kids started to clap and soon all the kids joined in, but Lety hesitated. In just the few minutes she’d been at the shelter, she had already fallen in love and wanted Spike for herself. She didn’t want to clap for him leaving. Lety nudged her best friend, Kennedy McHugh, who was sitting next to her.

  “What is a foster family?” Lety whispered. “Can someone still adopt Spike?”

  “Let me ask,” Kennedy said, raising her hand. Lety smiled, relieved that Kennedy was always willing to speak up for her when she wasn’t sure the correct way to ask something or didn’t want to sound stupid in front of other kids. Dr. Villalobos called on her right away.

  “Will Spike still be available for adoption?”

  “Yes, but I’m putting him on hold for now,” he answered. “Some time with a foster family is the best thing for Spike. He’s become super popular after being on the news this past weekend. And now the whole city wants to adopt him,” Dr. Villalobos continued. “Does anyone know what he did?”

  “I think I saw it on the news,” one of the campers shouted. Lety hadn’t seen anything on the news. At home, her parents watched only a Spanish news station, and it covered everything going on in Mexico and Central America, but nothing about Kansas City.

  “If you saw it on TV, then you know that Spike is a star now,” Dr. Villalobos continued. Lety leaned forward as Dr. V. explained that last Friday one of the shelter volunteers took Spike for a walk to improve Spike’s leash walking.

  “Taking a leisurely stroll on a leash is a serious accomplishment for Spike,” Dr. Villalobos said. “Spike has only two speeds: roadrunner and rocket blaster.”

  All of the kids chuckled, except Lety. Again, she nudged Kennedy.

  “What is a ‘rocket blaster’?”

  “He means a spaceship sort of thing,” Kennedy answered.

  “Rocket blaster.” Lety repeated the words to herself. She imagined Spike in a space suit blasting off into the sky over the clouds, wagging his tail as he zoomed into space. She laughed.

  “Spike was strolling along on his leash when, without warning, he pulled free from the volunteer,” Dr. V. said. “With the leash dangling behind him like an extra tail, he darted off toward a parking lot. When the volunteer finally caught up to him, she found Spike scratching and whining at a car. This was strange behavior, even for him. So the volunteer looked inside the car and quickly saw why Spike was upset.”

  Dr. V. paused. All the kids wriggled with anticipation. Lety bit down on her lower lip, wondering what was inside the car: A fresh pile of dog bones? A long-lost dog sibling whose scent Spike had never forgotten?

  “In the backseat, with all the windows closed, was a crying baby girl. This was Friday afternoon. Do you remember how hot it was on Friday?”

  Lety gasped. Since school had let out two weeks ago, she and Kennedy had spent almost every day at Kennedy’s neighborhood pool. It was so hot last Friday that Lety’s watermelon Popsicle melted into a pink sticky puddle before she had a chance to have a taste. While they swam, the radio DJ kept warning everyone that they were under an “orange ozone alert” and to drink lots of water.

  “I’d like to leave her parents in a hot car,” grumbled Hunter Farmer from under a baseball cap.

  Lety knew Hunter from school. He had also been a fifth grader last year at El Camino Charter Elementary, but he was in Mrs. Morgan’s class and not Mrs. Camacho’s. Mrs. Camacho had all the English Language Learners like Lety as well as other students like Kennedy. She called the English Language Learners her “ELLs,” which made Lety think of slimy sea creatures. She didn’t want to be an ELL, she wanted to be just another El Camino student who could say things like “my bad” and “cool” and have a smart dog like Spike.

  “Was the baby okay?” Kennedy asked.

  “The volunteer called 911 and the child was saved,” said Dr. Villalobos. “Now everyone wants to adopt the hero dog that saved a child.” Dr. V. leaned down and gave Spike a big smooch on his head. The terrier turned away from his rope long enough to swipe Dr. V. with two wild licks. Dr. V. wiped his face with the sleeve of his Star Wars T-shirt. What a dog, Lety thought.

  “Spike will be going home to a close family friend of mine today where he can r
un around, chase squirrels, growl at his own shadow, and all the other crazy things he does. And the moral of this story is what? Anyone want to take a stab at what you learned from this amazing dog?”

  All of the kids raised their hands, but Lety hesitated. She had to collect the words just right in her head before she spoke them. As Dr. V. began calling on the other campers, she hoped no one took her answer before she could put the words together.

  “Do not forget your babies in the car,” said Brisa Quispe with a snap of her fingers that made all the kids laugh and add their own snaps. Lety looked over at Brisa and flashed her a thumbs-up for the sassy answer. Never boring, Brisa responded with a formal salute that made Lety giggle.

  Besides Kennedy, Brisa was also one of Lety’s best friends. She’d been her best friend since they met in fourth grade when Brisa arrived from La Paz, Bolivia. Lety, who had arrived in the United States from Mexico the year before, was assigned to be Brisa’s desk buddy. As her desk buddy, she helped Brisa understand assignments and how things worked in the classroom. Together, Lety and Brisa charged through English spelling words, verbs, and contractions. In no time at all, Brisa and Lety weren’t just desk buddies. They were lunchroom buddies, recess buddies, sleepover buddies, and summer pool-time buddies.

  “Good answer. Anyone else take away a lesson?” Dr. V. asked.

  “Listen to your dog,” Kennedy said.

  “Good. Next?”

  “People are stupid and dogs are smart,” Hunter said.

  “A little harsh.” Dr. Villalobos winked at Hunter. “But in this case, you’re mostly right. Anyone else?”

  Lety raised her hand and Dr. V. called on her.

  “Sometimes people or pets that are unwanted can still become heroes if we just give them a chance,” Lety offered.

  Dr. Villalobos nodded and slapped his hands together.

  “Best answer of the day.” He beamed. “Brilliant!”

  Lety tried to suppress a smile, but holding back a smile was like trying to keep Spike from being a rocket blaster. She let the smile pour over her entire face, proud that she had taken her time to find the correct words. It was something she had been working on for the past year with Mrs. Camacho’s encouragement. Then, as if Spike also understood how important speaking up was to her, he dropped the rope he’d been chewing, trotted over, and gave her a few licks on her cheek. She buried her face in his fur and gave the hero dog a hug while Kennedy and Brisa nuzzled in to give Spike a few loving pets, too. Above all the coos and baby talk from Kennedy and Brisa, Lety heard Hunter’s voice.

  “More like dumbest answer of the day.”

  Lety was still thinking about what Hunter had said as she followed shelter volunteer Alma Gomez and the rest of the campers on a tour. Lety wasn’t sure what she’d done or said to make him act so rude toward her.

  As Alma led the campers into a large room stacked with bags of dry pet food, Lety glanced at Hunter. He dragged behind everyone with his hands dug deep into his jean pockets and grimaced under his baseball cap at the pungent fishy-beefy pet food smell that filled the room. Some of the kids pinched their noses to seal out the heavy stench, but Lety didn’t think it was so bad. She’d smelled worse back home when she lived in Tlaquepaque, Mexico. On the street where she lived, the sewers backed up after every heavy rain, filling her street with a stink that was a mix of rotten meat and dirty-soggy rags. This smell is nothing! Lety thought to herself.

  As if Alma had read Lety’s mind, she noticed the campers’ reactions and rolled her eyes.

  “Forget the smells. Focus on the feels,” Alma said.

  “Focus on the feels!” Brisa sang. “I like this chica, don’t you?”

  Lety nodded. She did like Alma. Alma had just finished sixth grade at St. Ann’s. She had long, dark curly hair pulled back from her face by a purple headband that matched her purple volunteer T-shirt. She told the campers that she had started volunteering at Furry Friends Animal Shelter with her sixth-grade class this past school year. She loved it so much that she wanted to continue through the summer. Because of that, Alma knew all the staff and animals at the shelter. Lety liked how Alma talked about all the pets as if they were family and how throughout the tour, whenever staff saw her coming, they called her name with a smile. “Let’s stop here and I’ll introduce you to our pantry supervisor and another volunteer,” Alma said. She waved at two men hauling large bags of dog food. The two men smiled wide when they saw Alma and quickly put the bags down. When they approached, they each gave Alma a fist bump.

  “These are our summer heroes for the next four weeks,” Alma explained to the men. “They represent four different schools, including my school, St. Ann’s.” Alma put an arm around a girl named Lily, who Lety had met when she arrived that morning. The girl flashed a peace sign at them.

  “They’ll be here for two hours, four days a week, learning about animals, doing crafts, and helping us with some special projects that Dr. Villalobos put together.”

  “Special projects?” one of the men said. He arched his eyebrows. “Any of them involve helping us here in the pantry? We could use extra help with the pet food bags.”

  “We may have a few brave ones who won’t be offended by the lovely aroma of beef kibble,” Alma said. “I’ll send them your way!”

  The last stop of the tour was to the Bow Wow Zone, where Alma explained they kept the large dogs. All of the kids clapped and howled in excitement to see the dogs, but Lety noticed that Hunter’s face remained soured.

  “What’s Hunter’s problem? He doesn’t like dogs?” Lety whispered to Brisa and Kennedy, gesturing toward Hunter.

  “I think that’s just his face,” Kennedy said. “It always looks like that.”

  “He has the face of a llama right before it is about to spit,” Brisa said. “Be careful.”

  Kennedy laughed out loud like it was the funniest thing she’d heard, but Lety couldn’t stop worrying about what she’d ever done to Hunter to deserve his mean comment. The whole time she’d been at El Camino Charter, they’d never even talked. They didn’t hang out with the same group of friends. Lety’s friends mostly consisted of other English Language Learners like Aziza from Uzbekistan, Gazi from Albania, Myra from Puerto Rico, Santiago from El Salvador, and Brisa. The kids hardly ever mixed with the other students. It was something that secretly bothered Lety. No matter how much they improved in English, their other classmates still treated them like they were from another planet. They were never invited to birthday parties. They didn’t share their lunch table. When they had to play team sports, the ELLs got selected last unless it was soccer. If it was soccer, Santiago, Brisa, and Gazi were always selected in the top five.

  That’s why one day when Irish-American Dance Club president Kennedy McHugh stopped Lety in the hallway and asked her about cascarones, Lety stood shocked and didn’t answer right away.

  “Do you know how to make cascarones?” Kennedy asked again. Lety gave her a blank stare. Kennedy took Lety’s silence as a sign that she wasn’t pronouncing the word correctly. “Hold on. Give me one sec … it’s in this book.” Kennedy opened up a paperback book and flipped through a few pages. “The girl in this book makes cascarones for Easter. It sounds really fun. They bust them on people’s heads.” She giggled and stopped on a page. “See, this word here.” She pointed out the italicized word cascarones to Lety.

  “I know how to make them,” Lety said.

  “Can you teach me? I want to bust them on people’s heads.”

  “What people?” Lety asked.

  “Mostly boys. Especially my big brothers.”

  From that point on, Kennedy and Lety were bona fide best friends. It was Kennedy who had convinced both Lety and Brisa to sign up for the animal shelter summer camp. It was open only to students who had completed fifth grade. This summer, she said, would be their only chance. Lety had spent every summer since arriving in the United States in summer school improving her English, but Kennedy had begged her to try something differe
nt. Lety, eager to break away from being called an ELL, jumped at the chance. Brisa was unconvinced that walking dogs and feeding kittens would improve her English, but she wanted to be wherever Lety went, so she signed up, too.

  Inside the Bow Wow Zone, Alma led the campers past several cages filled with a mix of German shepherds, Labradors, American pit bulls, and hounds, as well as other mixed breeds that Lety didn’t recognize. Alma stopped in front of the cage where a brown-and-black Labrador/shepherd named Finn rested. As they gathered around Finn’s cage, the dog shot up from his bed and started barking.

  “Who’s wearing a hat?” Alma asked, scanning the group of campers. Everyone looked around, confused. What was the big deal with wearing a hat? Lety pointed at Hunter.

  “Hey, you in the hat. Come up front,” Alma said. Hunter moved up to where Alma stood. “What’s your name?”

  “Hunter Farmer,” he answered. A few of the kids chuckled.

  Alma’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “So which is it? Are you a hunter or farmer?”

  More kids laughed. Hunter shifted uncomfortably. Lety couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and Hunter gave her a quick side glare. Brisa nudged her.

  “Cuidado, the llama is going to spit,” she whispered.

  “Neither,” Hunter answered, shrugging. Alma winked at him.

  “I’m dying to know your middle name,” she said.

  “It’s Aaron.”

  “Okay, Hunter Aaron Farmer,” said Alma with a satisfied grin. “Do you want Finn to stop barking?”

  “I guess.” Hunter shrugged again.

  “Then do me a favor — please take off your hat,” Alma said. Hunter stepped back, unsure. “Trust me. You’ll see what happens.”

  Hunter reached for his baseball cap and pulled it off. As soon as the hat was off his head of brownish-blond hair, Finn stopped barking and trudged back to his bed. All the kids gasped. Hunter gave Alma an are-you-for-real look.

  “Okay, put your hat back on,” Alma instructed.

  Hunter did as she asked. Finn immediately jumped up and started barking again.

  “He really hates hats!” Brisa squealed over Finn’s barking. All the kids laughed and excitedly yelled at Hunter to take it off again. Hunter did, and then kept it folded in his hand.