by Nancy Krulik
Uh-oh. Had the Silverspoons figured out Java’s secret?
It was possible. They were pretty smart.
“I didn’t see Java cheating,” Stanley said. “He didn’t have any notes written on his hands or his shoes or anything.”
“I don’t know how he did it,” Sherry admitted. “But he must have. Otherwise he couldn’t have beaten us.”
Phew. The Silverspoons didn’t know Java’s secret after all.
“Nobody ever beats us,” Jerry insisted.
“Until now,” I said.
Jerry and Sherry didn’t answer. They just stared at me.
Then they turned and stormed away.
Wow. The Silverspoons were speechless.
I’d never seen them like that before.
It kind of made me feel like a winner, too.
“Is there anything your cousin can’t do?” Stanley asked me. “First, he’s a math master. Then he’s a soccer star. And now he’s the general of geography.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty amazing,” I said.
“You did really well, too,” Stanley told me. “I had no idea you knew so much about geography.”
Stanley was right. I did know a lot about geography—now. And no one had programmed all that information into my head. I had learned it all by myself.
Java pushed his way through his crowd of cheering fans. He started walking over toward Stanley and me.
Nadine hurried to catch up with him.
“Looks like Nadine’s heading this way,” Stanley whispered to me.
“I see her. I see her,” I whispered back. I ran my fingers through my hair and straightened my shirt. “H-h-hi, Nadine,” I stammered.
Why do I always get so nervous when I see Nadine?
My cousin patted me stiffly on the back. “Excellent job, Logan,” he told me. “You know a lot of geography.”
“Yeah. But today you knew more.” I pointed to the gold-colored medal around his neck.
“You guys were both bursting with brains,” Nadine told Java and me.
“Thank you,” Java said.
“Th-th-thanks, Nadine,” I added nervously.
“I keep picturing how mad the Silverspoons looked when Java won that medal,” Stanley said with a laugh.
“I can do it!” Java shouted out suddenly.
He reached into his backpack and pulled out a notebook and crayons.
Then he started drawing. I’d never seen anyone’s fingers move that fast.
“What are you doing?” Stanley asked him.
“Picturing the Silverspoons,” Java answered. He held up his notebook. “See? Here they are. In a picture.”
I shook my head. Sometimes Java was so clueless.
But Nadine didn’t think so.
“That’s awesome!” she complimented my cousin. “Maybe you can draw a picture of me some time. Do you want to have a playdate after school? Are you free?”
“No,” Java told her.
What? Stanley and I both stared at Java with surprise.
Nobody turned down a playdate with Nadine Vardez. Ever.
“I am not free,” Java told her. “The combined cost of my parts is seventy-three thousand, eight hundred sixty-two dollars, and forty-seven cents.”
Stanley and Nadine stared at him. They looked very confused.
Not that I blamed them.
I had to do something. And fast.
“Hahaha,” I laughed, pretending Java was making a joke. “Speaking of body parts, did you guys know that more than half of a human body is made up of water?”
Now Stanley and Nadine were staring at me. They had no idea why I had said that.
I wasn’t really sure, either. It had just popped out.
“That is correct, Logan,” Java told me.
“How did you know that?” Stanley asked me.
I had no idea.
“I must have read it somewhere,” I told him.
“You’re full of interesting information today, Logan,” Nadine told me.
I felt my face start to sweat again. “Th-th-thanks,” I stammered.
“Maybe the four of us can hang out together after school,” Stanley said. “We can practice our soccer drills.”
“That’s a great idea, Stanley,” Nadine told him.
“Yeah, it is,” I said.
“There are thirty-two panels on a soccer ball,” Java told us suddenly. “Soccer was played in ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, and ancient China.”
“Is there anything you don’t know, Java?” Nadine asked him.
“No,” Java answered her. “There is not.”
But I knew that wasn’t true.
Sure, Java’s electrical parts gave him plenty of smarts. But there were still lots of things he didn’t understand.
Like what it meant to be free after school.
Or to hit a high note.
Or to stick to his word.
Or that no one says no to a playdate with Nadine Vardez.
Those were the kinds of things only a real human kid could understand.
As long as Java was my android cousin, I knew it was my job was to teach him everything I could about being human.
Because when it came to knowing how to get along with people, I was the Applebaum kid with all the smarts.
Use Your Noodle!
Logan sure showed those Silverspoon twins who had spaghetti for brains—and it wasn’t Logan! He and Java beat Jerry and Sherry fair and square.
Java and Logan are geography geniuses. Thanks to them, the whole class now knows that noodles originally came from China, not Italy.
Here’s a recipe for Chinese sesame noodles that’s so easy it will have you shouting, “I can do it!” in no time. (But don’t do it alone. Make sure you have a grown-up with you to deal with the slicing, dicing, and boiling water.)
Here’s what you’ll need:
12 ounces thin noodles
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon chili oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced (You can also use two teaspoons of already minced garlic from a jar.)
4 green onions/scallions, thinly sliced
1 helpful grown-up cooking assistant
Here’s what you do:
Ask a grown-up to bring a pot of water to a boil.
Pour the noodles into the boiling water and cook them according to the directions on the package.
While the noodles are cooking, use a whisk to mix the soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, chili oil, and garlic in a large bowl.
Ask your grown-up cooking assistant to drain the cooked noodles.
Pour the sauce over the cooked noodles. Then toss the noodles around in the sauce until all the noodles are evenly coated.
Sprinkle the onions over the noodles and serve them to your family and friends. There’s plenty to go around. This recipe makes eight servings!
About the Authors
Nancy Krulik is the author of more than two hundred books for children and young adults including three New York Times bestsellers and the popular Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo; George Brown, Class Clown; and Magic Bone series. She lives in New York City with her husband and crazy beagle mix. Vist her online at www.realnancykrulik.com
Amanda Burwasser holds a BFA with honors in creative writing from Pratt Institute in New York City. Her senior thesis earned her the coveted Pratt Circle Award. A preschool teacher, she resides in Forestville, California.
About the Illustrator
Mike Moran is a dad, husband, and illustrator. His illustrations can be seen in children’s books, animation, magazines, games, World Series programs, and more. He lives in Florham Park, New Jersey. Visit him online at www.mikemoran.net
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