CHAPTER 1

Camp Hero

It was just another day in the city of Winkopolis. Swimmers swam. Hikers hiked. Crafters crafted. Everyone was doing the same old ordinary things. Everyone, mind you, but the girl who lived at 8 Louise Lane.

That girl was Ellie Ultra. She was flipping through her camper’s guide, quicker than a dolphin with a turbo-charged tail. It was extraordinary.

At the kitchen table, Ellie scanned the pages excitedly. There were pictures of kids climbing, splashing, and swinging. All of them wore superhero capes.

“Camp Hero starts tomorrow!” Ellie told her best friend, Hannah. “I’m going for a whole week. Isn’t that awesome?”

“You’re so lucky,” Hannah said. “I had a great time when I went last spring break. Did you see the activity schedule?” She pointed to a sheet of paper sticking out of the guide.

Ellie pulled out the schedule and started reading. Her forehead crinkled. None of the activities involved saving the world. It seemed strange for a place called Camp Hero. After all, as a superhero, coming to the rescue was what Ellie did best.

“Um, Hannah? Isn’t the camp for heroes?” Ellie asked. “There’s nothing about fighting villains on here. Will I get to crush a doomsday device, at least?”

Hannah giggled. “Not exactly,” she replied. “But you’ll still do super stuff. There’s Mega Splash Hour and High-Flying Trampoline Dodgeball. And check out the Boom! Pow! Obstacle Course. . . .” She pointed to a picture at the bottom of the paper.

Looking closely, Ellie saw campers jumping into foam blocks. It’s probably nicer than jumping into toxic ooze, she thought. She’d been forced to do that while chasing a mad scientist. Getting the ooze off her shoes had taken forever.

“There’s also the Super Friend Campfire,” Hannah continued. “It’s at the end of the week. You eat marshmallows and play games. And you do the official Camp Hero cheer.”

“How does the cheer go?”

Ellie asked. Hannah cleared her throat. Then she sang:

Let’s hear it for the camp
where the action never ends!
Camp Hero, Camp Hero,
the place for super friends!

Ellie’s excitement faded a little. Her super friend wouldn’t be at camp. Hannah had to stay home this year so she could watch her kid sister, Cece, while their mom worked from home.

“I wish you could come to camp with me,” Ellie said.

“Me too,” Hannah replied. “But you’ll do a lot with your cabinmates. You’ll learn about them at the first activity.” She pointed to the top of the schedule. “It’s called Meet the Hero. Don’t forget to bring something with you to share. It should be special.”

What should I share? Ellie wondered. It couldn’t be just anything. This would be her chance to make a good first impression.

Suddenly—Ka-Zap!—an idea electrified her brainpower.

“I know! I can share my Princess Power ring,” Ellie said. “It came with the first-ever Princess Power comic book. It changes color with your mood. It turns blue for calm, yellow for happy, and pink for powerful.” She flew out of her seat. “Let me show you.”

Just then Ellie’s best dog friend, Super Fluffy, bounded over, tail wagging. He held the ring in his mouth. It was yellow.

With a sigh, Ellie crossed her arms. Her dog had a bad habit of swiping her stuff. Sometimes, he was worse than the worst thief in Winkopolis.

“Oh, Fluffster! Give that back.”

Super Fluffy crouched low, ready to play, as Ellie reached for the ring. He took off across the floor, but his fast feet were no match for his owner’s quick thinking. Turning invisible, she roared ahead of her pup and circled into his path. Super Fluffy ran straight into her arms.

That trick works every time, Ellie thought, reappearing with a smile.

Super Fluffy let out a whimper, his mouth now empty.

“Where did my ring go?” Blinking on her X-ray vision, Ellie scanned the floor with her eye beams. But she only saw crumbs from breakfast.

Ellie got a sinking feeling. I’d better check one more place, she thought.

Her beams traveled over Super Fluffy’s belly. Sure enough, the ring was inside. It sat between a crayon and a half-chewed eraser.

“I guess I’ll have to share something else for Meet the Hero,” Ellie said. She lifted a scolding eyebrow at her pup, and his ears flattened. “I’ll take care of you later. Until then, paws off my things, OK?”

With a whine, Super Fluffy disappeared up the stairs. Ellie shook her head, then closed her guide.

“I should finish packing,” she told Hannah. “I still need to fit my rain boots, sunblock, swimsuit, and Ice Boy comic books into my bag. When I’m done, my suitcase will be heavier than a robo-bear!”

“I’ll miss you,” Hannah said as they walked to the door. “Hey! Why don’t you write me? I’ll write you back.”

Ellie smiled. “I’ll do that.”

Before skipping out, Hannah paused. “I almost forgot! You need to know the hero handshake. It’s the camp greeting.”

Hannah did the movements, and Ellie followed along. First they bumped fists. Then they punched the sky. Finally they stuck their hands on their hips, threw their shoulders back, and flashed winning grins.

Ellie grinned extra wide. She struck the same pose whenever she stopped a super-villain. “Camp Hero, here I come!”