CHAPTER 1

Sofia rushed around the house looking for her red shoe.

“Please hurry, Abuelo! I can’t be late today!” she said.

Abuelo calmly looked up from the lunch he was packing.

“Sofia. Do I ever make you late to school?” he asked, raising his left eyebrow just so.

It was Abuelo’s why don’t you think about that for a moment look. Abuelo had a look for every situation, and Sofia knew them all by heart. They were always kind, but they got their message through. Abuelo didn’t have to say a lot to say a lot.

“I know,” said Sofia. “But I really can’t be late today. Miss Greer has a surprise for us!”

Abuelo smiled at his granddaughter. “Here’s a surprise,” he said. “Your shoe is under the couch.”

“I should have known,” said Sofia, looking at Pup.

Pup barked and wagged his tail. He fetched his leash and ran to the door. He was ready to go. A few minutes later, they were on their way.

Sofia, Abuelo, and Pup walked to Blue River Creek Elementary School together every day. Today, Sofia couldn’t stop wondering about the surprise her teacher, Miss Lila Greer, had in store for her second-grade class.

“Maybe it’s a field trip!” said Sofia. “The last one was so exciting. The bridge collapsed and Miss Greer got stuck on an island. Then, Iggy showed us how to make a new bridge with shoelaces and Fruit Roll-Ups. It was cool. Miss Greer said that was a Learning Experience.”

“That’s for sure,” said Abuelo.

“Maybe it’s an experiment!” said Sofia. “Last time, Ada taught us about chemistry and how to make rainbow geysers. I don’t think Miss Greer liked the mess, but she said it was a Learning Experience, too.”

“That would be one,” Abuelo said with a chuckle.

Sofia thought a moment.

“We sure have a lot of Learning Experiences in second grade,” she said.

“You surely do,” said Abuelo.

They reached the school, and Sofia scratched Pup’s ear.

Abuelo handed her the lunch bag. “Extra cookies today,” he said. “For sharing.”

Abuelo always packed extra cookies for sharing. It was one of the things Sofia loved about him. It was one of the things her friends loved, too. Abuelo was the best baker in Blue River Creek. For years, his bakery, La Panaderia de la Magnolia, was the most popular place in town for people to gather for coffee and cookies and Mexican sweet breads. He was famous for his pan dulce. Abuelo was retired now, but he still baked for Sofia and her friends and anyone else who might need a treat. He was kind like that.

“Te amo,” Sofia said.

“Mi vida,” said Abuelo, hugging her tight.

Sofia hugged him back, then she ran through the open school door, ready for the big surprise.