TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Chapter One: Right Here, Right Now

  Chapter Two: Ready to Pounce

  Chapter Three: Serious Business

  Chapter Four: At the Park

  Chapter Five: Demo Disaster

  Chapter Six: The Storm

  Chapter Seven: Studying Sofia

  Chapter Eight: The Talk

  Chapter Nine: Quick as a Cat

  Chapter Ten: The Backyard Surprise

  Author Bio

  Illustrator Bio

  Glossary

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  More about Karate

  Explore More

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  Cover

  Title Page

  Table of Contents

  Start of Content

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  back cover

  CHAPTER ONE

  RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

  Levi did a front kick, striking an imaginary opponent with the ball of his foot. He snapped his leg back in, quick as a snake’s tongue. Then he did a side kick, driving his leg out and striking with his heel.

  “Higher,” said his sensei, Master G. “Kick at least as high as your own belt.”

  Levi checked the mirror. Was his foot as high as the blue belt tied around his gi?

  Yes, he decided. Definitely.

  He glanced over at his best friend, Revel. She was eleven, a whole year younger than him. But her leg kicked even higher than her blue belt.

  That drove Levi to kick higher too. He slowed down a little to feel all four counts of each kick. Knee up, extend knee, contract knee, foot down. Levi moved in a circle for the box drill, fighting attackers from every direction.

  Suddenly, one of those imaginary attackers had a face. Sofia. Levi gave her a strong side kick. He was so busy thinking about his stepsister that he missed Master G.’s cue to switch legs.

  Master G. tapped his temple. “Where’s your mind, Levi?” he asked. “Where should it be?”

  “Right here, right now,” Levi answered.

  “Good.” Master G.’s eyes twinkled.

  But how could Levi keep his mind off Sofia? Mom had married Sofia’s dad this summer, and they’d all moved in together. But Sofia didn’t want Levi living in her house—he could tell. His dojo was the only place that still felt like home.

  Right here, right now, Levi reminded himself as he switched to his left leg.

  Suddenly, Zeke, a student standing nearby, fell sideways.

  “Whoa,” said Levi, catching him.

  Zeke had special needs and struggled with balance. But he worked really hard and had already earned his yellow belt—even if it was sometimes tied wrong. One end of the obi pointed up and one pointed down.

  During a water break, Levi helped Zeke retie it. “Left on top of right, and right on top of left,” said Levi. “Remember?”

  “Thanks, Levi,” said Zeke, flashing a smile.

  When it was time for partner drills, Levi was paired with Revel.

  Yes! he thought. She is my favorite sparring partner.

  Master G. demonstrated wrist grabs with Nisha, a teenager with a brown belt. Levi watched as Nisha escaped Master G.’s grabs. He couldn’t wait to become a brown belt just like her.

  When it was time to practice escapes, Levi bowed toward Revel. He knew she would attack with the same-side wrist grab. She always started with that one.

  Sure enough, Revel grabbed his left wrist with her right hand. And he was ready. Levi twisted his wrist toward her thumb and popped his arm out.

  “Hey!” she said, laughing. “Not so fast!”

  When it was his turn to attack, Levi grabbed her wrist with both hands.

  Revel knew what to do. She bent her knees and tried to lower her elbow underneath Levi’s hands. But he wouldn’t let her. He lowered his body too and held on tight.

  “Gotcha!” he announced. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. Uh-oh.

  “Remember to be a good partner,” said Nisha. “Let Revel practice the escape. Partner drills are about helping each other get stronger.”

  Levi’s cheeks flushed.

  As Nisha walked away, Revel flexed her bicep. “See how strong I’m getting?” she whispered.

  Levi grinned. Revel made everything more fun.

  Why can’t Sofia be more like Rev? he wondered. He shook off the thought and faced Revel, ready to try again.

  CHAPTER TWO

  READY TO POUNCE

  On the ride home, Levi reminded his mom about the karate demonstration his dojo was doing during the Hometown Days festival next Saturday.

  “I have to practice my kata,” he said, feeling a ripple of excitement. He wanted to make Mom and Master G. proud.

  “You can practice when we get home,” said Mom. “You can master your kata while I master my barbecued chicken.” She winked at him.

  But as they pulled into the driveway, the new house sure didn’t feel like “home.” Levi’s stomach twisted.

  He hurried to the backyard. Sofia would be at basketball camp for another ten minutes, and he wanted to enjoy every second.

  While Mom prepped the grill, Levi practiced Pinan Nidan, his new favorite kata. The pattern of moves was like a dance. If he practiced them enough, he’d do them without thinking. But for now, Levi recited the moves in his head.

  Step out. He stepped into ready stance, fists toward the ground.

  Down counter. Levi drove his top arm forward and down, countering the kick of an opponent.

  Hammer fist, cat stance. He clenched his fists and sunk into cat stance, his weight on his back foot and his front foot barely touching the ground. He was ready to pounce.

  Step, punch!

  Down counter, hammer fist, step, punch. He repeated the moves in the other direction, dodging a fallen twig.

  Down counter, high counter step. He swung his right arm up, defending himself from another attack. Left arm. Right arm. Turn around.

  He turned quickly—and nearly ran into Sofia, who held a basketball on her hip. At thirteen, she was already tall and lanky.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Practicing karate,” he said. Wasn’t that obvious?

  Sofia turned toward Levi’s mom. “So I scored the most three-pointers today,” she bragged. “Again.”

  Mom pumped her spatula in the air. “That’s great!” she said. “Wasn’t your mom a shooting guard too?”

  Sofia nodded. “She’s really good at basketball. I get it from her.”

  Blah, blah, blah, thought Levi. Sofia was always going on about basketball or about her mom, who was in the army and stationed overseas.

  Levi started his kata again. Then Sofia started doing karate too—some combo drill of kicks and punches. Was she trying to outdo him?

  “Nice, Sofia!” called Mom.

  “I used to take karate,” Sofia reminded her. But she looked at Levi when she said it.

  I know, I know, he thought. Everybody knows. He also knew that Sofia had only earned her purple belt, a belt lower than him.

  Paul, Sofia’s dad, crossed the yard from the garage. “You could rejoin karate now that basketball camp is over,” he suggested. “Maybe at Levi’s dojo?”

  Levi froze in the middle of his cat stance, ready to pounce—or run for cover.

  “Nah,” said Sofia. “Karate isn’t really a sport. I’d rather play a team sport like basketball.”

  Levi blew out his breath.

  “That’s too bad,” said Mom. “It would be fun for me to watch both of you in karate.”

  Sofia hesitated, and then she shrugged. “Well, maybe I could check it out.”

  “That’s the spirit!” said Paul.

  But Levi felt like he was going to be sick. I already share a house with Sofia, he wanted to holler. Do I have to share my dojo too?

  CHAPTER THREE

  SERIOUS BUSINESS

  Monday night, Levi bowed and stepped onto the mat. Usually, his body relaxed when he felt the squishy mat beneath his bare feet. But how could he relax with Sofia there?

  She stood out like a sore thum b in her black gi. “We wore black at my dojo,” she explained to Revel. Sofia sniffed, as if black gis were better than the white ones that Levi and Revel wore.

  Levi tried to tune out Sofia as he knelt for mindfulness practice.

  Master G. always started class with a minute of silence. It was a time for students to take deep breaths and bring their focus to the present—right here, right now.

  But Sofia was smirking, as if she thought mindfulness was dumb. And during their warmups, she treated her push-ups like a competition.

  Is she trying to outdo me? Levi thought. He pounded out a few extra, just in case.

  When it was time for the box drill, Sofia bounced on her toes as if she were about to spar. But when everyone started doing front and side kicks in a slow circle, she stopped kicking.

  “That’s not how we did it at my dojo,” she said loudly.

  “Different schools practice different drills,” Master G. explained. “Don’t worry. Nisha will teach you this one.”

  When Nisha led Sofia away from the group, Levi blew out a breath of relief.

  But Sofia was right back when it was time for kata.

  “Do you know how to do Pinan Nidan?” Nisha asked her.

  Sofia chewed her lip. Levi could tell she didn’t know the kata, but she said, “Yeah, I think so.” She stepped up beside Zeke.

  Levi shot a look at Revel, but Master G. caught it. “Focus,” he reminded Levi. “What is kata?”

  “Serious business,” everyone responded. Everyone except Sofia.

  Together, the students bowed and took a ready stance. But when Zeke stepped right, Sofia stepped left. She landed on his foot.

  “Ouch!” he cried.

  “You’re supposed to step left,” she snapped.

  “You’re wrong!” said Levi, his voice rising. How could she be so mean to Zeke?

  “No one is wrong,” said Master G. “Many katas start by stepping left. Pinan Nidan is different that way.”

  A look of satisfaction crossed Sofia’s face.

  But when Master G. asked if she wanted to demonstrate her own kata, Sofia shook her head. “I’ll just watch,” she said.

  She sat out the kata. And when it was time to break boards, she sat that out too.

  “My wrist is sore from basketball,” she told Master G.

  But Levi overheard Sofia bragging to Nisha. “I was good at breaking boards at my old dojo,” she said.

  Prove it, he thought.

  Zeke was first in line to break the board.

  “Can you do it?” Master G. asked.

  “I can do it!” Zeke shouted. He struck the white practice board with a loud “He-ya!” Master G. called that shout a kiai, and Zeke had the loudest of all. The board snapped in half.

  When it was Levi’s turn, he flattened his palm into a knife hand. He imagined punching through the board, straight down to the mat. He took one practice strike, tapping the middle of the board.

  They would break boards at the demo this Saturday. They would do Pinan Nidan too.

  That means Sofia won’t be part of the demo, Levi suddenly realized. She didn’t know the drills or the kata! So it would be only Levi and his friends, like things used to be.

  We’ll make it the best demo ever, he decided.

  “He-ya!” Levi brought his hand down and snapped the board in two.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  AT THE PARK

  “Are you ready for the demo?” Mom asked Wednesday night at dinner.

  “Yes!” said Levi. He was surprised when Sofia answered “yes” too.

  “You’re doing the demo?” he asked.

  Sofia narrowed her eyes. “Why wouldn’t I?” she said. “Master G. said I could. I know some of the drills now. It’s easy stuff.”

  Easy stuff. Levi fumed at her words. Karate wasn’t easy stuff.

  He took a bite of meatloaf, but it stuck in his throat. “May I be excused?” he asked his mom.

  Levi brought his plate to the sink and then hurried out back. He would practice drills and his kata all night. He would practice every night between now and Saturday.

  The demo wasn’t just a way to show his skills.

  It was also Levi’s chance to put Sofia in her place.

  On Saturday morning, Levi was up at the crack of dawn. Sofia was not. She didn’t even come down for breakfast. Her dad finally had to wake her up.

  When Sofia strode into the kitchen wearing her new white gi, Levi stared into his cereal bowl. She might look like a part of his dojo now, but she sure didn’t act like it.

  All the way to the park, Sofia slumped in her seat.

  Isn’t she even a little bit excited? wondered Levi.

  The park was packed with people for Hometown Days. Booths and food stands were already set up. But Levi headed straight for the karate mats, where he saw his best friend stretching.

  Revel jumped to her feet, setting loose a springy curl from her ponytail. “Look at all the people!” she said, her eyes flashing. “Isn’t this amazing?”

  Levi scanned the crowd again and saw his mom and Paul standing near the mats. Where was Sofia?

  There she was, heading toward the mats with a sour look on her face. Levi nudged Revel. “She looks like a dark cloud rolling in on a sunny day.”

  “Huh,” said Revel. “I wonder why.”

  Master G. called the students together while audience members circled around the mats. Then he spoke to the crowd, his voice ringing out across the park.

  “Welcome to Riverside Karate Center’s second annual Demo in the Park. We’re excited to see so many faces today!”

  As the crowd applauded, Levi snuck another look at Sofia. Her jaw was set. Was she mad about something?

  When Nisha started warmups, Sofia perked up. Instead of jogging in place, she looked like she was sprinting toward a finish line. She kept glancing at Mom and Paul as if to say, “Look at me! Look how fast I am!”

  Revel caught Levi looking at Sofia, and she waved a hand in his face. “Focus,” Revel said in a deep voice, imitating Master G. “Right here, right now.”

  Levi laughed. “Right,” he said.

  But his eyes drifted back to Sofia during drills. She was punching too hard and fast, as if she wanted to hurt somebody. That storm cloud was about to burst.

  When it was time for partner drills, Levi stood next to Revel. Maybe if Master G. saw them side by side, he’d pair them up. Levi held his breath.

  “Revel and Zeke,” announced Master G.

  Bummer.

  Revel hurried across the mat toward Zeke.

  “Levi and…”

  Please be Nisha, Levi thought. Please be Nisha.

  “…Sofia.”

  Levi’s stomach sank.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  DEMO DISASTER

  As Sofia stepped toward Levi, she scowled. She clearly wasn’t very happy about her partner either.

  When Master G. asked them to demonstrate blocks and counter strikes, Sofia raised her hand to be the attacker.

  Big surprise, thought Levi.

  He bowed toward Sofia, but her bow to him was more of a head nod.

  Sofia threw four low punches in a row. Right, left, right, left. Then four high punches, straight toward Levi’s nose. She was punching too fast!

  Levi struggled to keep up. He countered each punch, catching it with the side of his arm and sending it away.

  When it was his turn to attack, Levi punched just as hard and fast. Revel gave him a questioning look over Sofia’s shoulder, but he ignored it. If Sofia could fight dirty, so could he.

  During the escape drill, Levi grabbed Sofia’s wrist with both hands. She tugged back, as if she didn’t know what to do. Then she remembered.

  She squatted low and got her elbow underneath Levi’s hands. She shot up and broke free of his thumbs. But her elbow caught the bottom of his chin.

  A sharp pain ran along Levi’s jaw. Hot tears welled in his eyes, but he wouldn’t let Sofia know she had hurt him. He quickly blinked the tears away. When the drill ended, he took off across the mat.

  Revel caught up to him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  Levi shrugged her off with a grunt.

  He was relieved when it was time for kata. Sofia would sit this one out. But as he stepped into ready stance, he saw that Sofia wasn’t even watching. She sat on the mat picking at a fingernail.

  Levi gave the kata everything he had. Down counter, hammer fist, step, punch! But Sofia’s smug face distracted him. He lost his balance during cat stance—twice.

  “What’s up with you?” Revel asked afterward.

 

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