Heidi Heckelbeck Makes a Wish

by Wanda Coven

  “Are you okay?” Heidi asked.

  Melanie shook her head. “I’m stuck in my pedals,” she said, sniffling.

  Heidi lay down her scooter. Then she untangled the bike from Melanie’s feet. Melanie got up. She had a scrape on her knee.

  “Does it sting?” Heidi asked.

  Melanie nodded.

  “Hey, don’t worry,” said Heidi. “It’ll be okay.”

  Melanie wiped her tears away with her hands.

  “Would you like me to ride home with you?” asked Heidi. Melanie lived on the same street as Heidi.

  Melanie shook her head and started to cry again.

  “Oh no. What’s the matter now?” Heidi asked.

  Melanie sniffed. “Just go away!” she said.

  Instead, Heidi folded her arms and tapped her foot. “Why can’t you just let me help?” she said.

  Melanie rubbed her eyes. “Okay, FINE!” she said. “The truth is, I don’t know how to ride my new bike and I wish I did!”

  Heidi stopped tapping her foot. “You WISH you did?” she repeated as she felt a smile spread over her face. “I can grant you your wish!”

  Melanie threw Heidi a funny look. “What are you, some sort of magic genie in a bottle?” she questioned.

  “Me? Of course not,” squeaked Heidi nervously. “But I CAN show you how to ride a bike.”

  Heidi leaned over and picked up the pink bike.

  “Here’s what you do,” said Heidi. She rolled the bike to a slope in the sidewalk. “First you roll without using the pedals. Watch.”

  Heidi sat on the bike and pushed her feet on the ground. She rolled down the sidewalk.

  Then she rode the bike back to Melanie. “Here, you try.”

  Melanie got on the bike and slowly let the bike roll down the slope. The handlebars wiggled uncertainly as she tried to get her balance. Then she got off the bike and walked it back up the slope. She tried it again and again until she didn’t wobble anymore.

  “This time use the pedals,” Heidi suggested.

  Melanie pedaled slowly at first, but soon she got the hang of it.

  “Wow, Melanie, you learned really fast,” cheered Heidi.

  “Thanks,” said Melanie. “That was nice of you to help me.”

  “No problem,” said Heidi. “Maybe we can go for a bike ride sometime.” Heidi could hardly believe she let those words come out of her mouth.

  “No way, Heidi Heckelbeck,” said Melanie, but she had a slight smile on her face.

  Heidi picked up her scooter. “See you around,” she said.

  “See ya,” said Melanie.

  Heidi rolled down the sidewalk. She felt a warm glow come over her body. She smiled. My powers must be back! she said to herself. I can feel it.

  She raced home and darted up the stairs to her room. Then Heidi reached under the bed and pulled out her Book of Spells.

  “Oh please, oh please, oh please work,” Heidi said as she opened the book.

  All the inside pages were still blank. But then the words slowly reappeared with a bright green glow on each page! It had worked! Even the cover of her Book of Spells had changed! It used to be black, but now it was purple with the sweetest swirls all over! Heidi hugged her new book so tightly. “I’m never, ever, ever going to lose you again. And that’s a promise!”

  Then she jumped back on her scooter and zipped over to Aunt Trudy’s. She couldn’t wait to tell her the good news.

  Flit!

  Fly!

  Flutter!

  Fall leaves swirled and ticked the panes of Heidi’s window. She pulled the hem of her quilt up to her chin. I love fall! she said to herself happily. Then she remembered something else she loved: sweater weather! And the best part was, Heidi had a brand-new sweater.

  She hopped out of bed and slipped on her fuzzy bunny slippers. Then she shuffled to her dresser and opened the bottom drawer. There it was—her new light gray sweater. It had pink buttons up the front and pink stripes down the sleeves. On the lower right-hand side was an embroidered brown mouse sitting in a white teacup. Heidi had gotten the sweater at Miss Harriet’s store.

  And now I finally get to wear it! she thought. She pulled on a jean skirt and a yellow tank top. Then she snuggled into her new sweater. She posed this way and that in front of the mirror. “Oh, it’s SO cute!” she declared. Then she skipped downstairs to breakfast.

  “Mmm,” she murmured as she stepped into the kitchen. “What smells so good?”

  Henry tapped the side of his head with his finger. “Hmm, let me think,” he said. “Probably not YOU!”

  Heidi rolled her eyes.

  Heidi frowned at her brother. “Way to go, little bro,” she said.

  Henry shrugged. “Sometimes my clothes get hungry,” he said. “Maybe that little mousie on your sweater wants some oatmeal too!”

  “Not if I can help it,” Heidi said as she placed a napkin in her lap.

  Mom gave her a wink and a smile. “By the way, Heidi, I heard from Mrs. Welli that you have a publishing party at school on Friday. Parents are invited to hear students read their stories.”

  “Sounds like fun!” said Dad as he joined the family at the table. “Do you know what you’re going to write?”

  Heidi blew on a spoonful of oatmeal. “Not yet,” she said. “But I want it to be something special.”

  Then she took a big bite and gave her dad a thumbs-up. “I wonder if it would it be too mushy to write about this oatmeal . . . because it’s super-yummers!”

  About the Authors

  Wanda Coven has always loved magic. When she was little, she used to make secret potions from smooshed shells and acorns. Then she would pretend to transport herself and her friends to enchanted places. Now she visits other worlds through writing. Wanda lives with her husband and son in San Jose, California. They have three cats: Hilda, Agnes, and Claw-dia.

  Priscilla Burris has illustrated numerous books and materials for children, parents, and teachers. She enjoys cake painting and creating art for products that include murals, greeting cards, and rubber stamps. Priscilla lives with her family in Southern California.

  HeidiHeckelBeckBooks.com

  VISIT US AT

  SimonandSchuster.com

  Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Wanda-Coven

  Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Priscilla-Burris

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

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  First Little Simon paperback edition May 2016

  Copyright © 2016 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Also available in a Little Simon hardcover edition.

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  Designed by Ciara Gay

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Coven, Wanda, author. | Burris, Priscilla, illustator.

  Title: Heidi Heckelbeck makes a wish / by Wanda Coven ; illustrated by Priscilla Burris.

  Description: First Little Simon hardcover/paperback edition. | New York :

  Little Simon, 2016. | Series: Heidi Heck
elbeck ; 17 | Summary: To undo a disastrous spell, second-grader Heidi Heckelbeck must grant three wishes without magic.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2015039409| ISBN 9781481466141 (hc) | ISBN 9781481466134 (pbk) | ISBN 9781481466158 (eBook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Witches—Fiction. | Wishes—Fiction. | Magic—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.C83393 Hko 2016 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015039409