out on my team?”
Henry’s broad smile answered Kevin’s question. “I’d love to,” he said.
“Hey, what about me?” asked Benny.
Kevin looked at Benny thoughtfully. Then he squatted down so that his face was on Benny’s level. He placed his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “There’s no team for your age group, but I’d be happy to give you some skating lessons after Jessie’s practice is over.”
Benny was so excited that he didn’t know what to say. The other Aldens laughed, because they’d never seen him speechless before.
“That sounds great,” Benny said at last.
“And you, too, Violet, if you’d like,” Kevin added.
Violet smiled shyly and nodded.
“Great, then it’s all settled,” he said. “I’ll see you here next week,” Kevin called over his shoulder as he skated away. “Six A.M. sharp!”
“Six A.M.?” Jessie repeated. “It’s still dark out then!”
“If you’re going to play hockey, you have to get used to getting up early for practice,” Kevin said. “That’s when the rinks let us use the ice.”
“Okay,” said Jessie. “I guess I’ll be getting up early!”
The Aldens couldn’t wait to go home and tell their grandfather they’d met Kevin Reynolds that day. They quickly packed up their things and headed back to their house.
After the death of their parents, the Aldens had run away and lived in an old boxcar they’d found. But as soon as they learned that they had a kind grandfather who was looking for them, they came to live with him in his big house in Greenfield. Their grandfather had even moved their old boxcar to the backyard so they could still play in it.
When they got home, Grandfather was sitting in the library in his favorite big leather armchair. He looked up from his book when the children came in. “How was skating?” he asked, putting the book aside.
“It was great!” said Jessie.
“You’ll never guess who we saw at the rink!” cried Benny. But without giving Mr. Alden a chance to guess, Benny added, “Kevin Reynolds!”
“He’s moving back to Greenfield,” Violet explained.
“Yes, I remember reading something about that in the paper,” Grandfather said. He picked up the Greenfield News, which was folded on the side table, and looked at the front page. “Here it is,” he said, reading a headline aloud, “‘Hockey Star to Build New Ice Rink in Greenfield.’”
“He’s building a new rink?” Henry said. “He never mentioned that.”
“It says here that they’re still working on the plans, and then the town council has to approve them.” Grandfather’s eyes moved quickly down the article. “It also says Kevin Reynolds is coaching a team in the winter mini-league.”
“I’m playing on his team,” Jessie said.
“And I’m helping coach,” Henry added.
“And he’s giving Violet and me lessons!” said Benny.
“How exciting!” Mr. Alden said.
A week later, the Aldens got up very early to get ready for skating. Henry had helped Jessie pick out equipment and hockey skates at the pro shop at the rink. She put all of her hockey gear into her skating bag, which already held her figure skates and skating dresses.
“Can’t you just wear your figure skates?” Benny asked when he saw Jessie putting her new hockey skates in the bag.
“No, hockey skates are different. They’re harder and more padded to protect your feet. Also, the blades on hockey skates don’t have teeth at the front, since you don’t need to do any jumps or spins,” Jessie explained.
Mrs. McGregor, their housekeeper, gave the children a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast with homemade raspberry jam, and orange juice. “You’ll need lots of energy for skating,” she said.
When the Aldens arrived at the rink, Henry went to find Kevin Reynolds and get ready for the team’s first practice. Benny and Violet went up to the bleacher seats to watch. Jessie headed to the locker room to change, her stick in her hand and her large skating bag slung
Henry’s broad smile answered Kevin’s question. “I’d love to,” he said.
“Hey, what about me?” asked Benny.
Kevin looked at Benny thoughtfully. Then he squatted down so that his face was on Benny’s level. He placed his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “There’s no team for your age group, but I’d be happy to give you some skating lessons after Jessie’s practice is over.”
Benny was so excited that he didn’t know what to say. The other Aldens laughed, because they’d never seen him speechless before.
“That sounds great,” Benny said at last.
“And you, too, Violet, if you’d like,” Kevin added.
Violet smiled shyly and nodded.
“Great, then it’s all settled,” he said. “I’ll see you here next week,” Kevin called over his shoulder as he skated away. “Six A.M. sharp!”
“Six A.M.?” Jessie repeated. “It’s still dark out then!”
“If you’re going to play hockey, you have to get used to getting up early for practice,” Kevin said. “That’s when the rinks let us use the ice.”
“Okay,” said Jessie. “I guess I’ll be getting up early!”
The Aldens couldn’t wait to go home and tell their grandfather they’d met Kevin Reynolds that day. They quickly packed up their things and headed back to their house.
After the death of their parents, the Aldens had run away and lived in an old boxcar they’d found. But as soon as they learned that they had a kind grandfather who was looking for them, they came to live with him in his big house in Greenfield. Their grandfather had even moved their old boxcar to the backyard so they could still play in it.
When they got home, Grandfather was sitting in the library in his favorite big leather armchair. He looked up from his book when the children came in. “How was skating?” he asked, putting the book aside.
“It was great!” said Jessie.
“You’ll never guess who we saw at the rink!” cried Benny. But without giving Mr. Alden a chance to guess, Benny added, “Kevin Reynolds!”
“He’s moving back to Greenfield,” Violet explained.
“Yes, I remember reading something about that in the paper,” Grandfather said. He picked up the Greenfield News, which was folded on the side table, and looked at the front page. “Here it is,” he said, reading a headline aloud, “‘Hockey Star to Build New Ice Rink in Greenfield.’”
“He’s building a new rink?” Henry said. “He never mentioned that.”
“It says here that they’re still working on the plans, and then the town council has to approve them.” Grandfather’s eyes moved quickly down the article. “It also says Kevin Reynolds is coaching a team in the winter mini-league.”
“I’m playing on his team,” Jessie said.
“And I’m helping coach,” Henry added.
“And he’s giving Violet and me lessons!” said Benny.
“How exciting!” Mr. Alden said.
A week later, the Aldens got up very early to get ready for skating. Henry had helped Jessie pick out equipment and hockey skates at the pro shop at the rink. She put all of her hockey gear into her skating bag, which already held her figure skates and skating dresses.
“Can’t you just wear your figure skates?” Benny asked when he saw Jessie putting her new hockey skates in the bag.
“No, hockey skates are different. They’re harder and more padded to protect your feet. Also, the blades on hockey skates don’t have teeth at the front, since you don’t need to do any jumps or spins,” Jessie explained.
Mrs. McGregor, their housekeeper, gave the children a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast with homemade raspberry jam, and orange juice. “You’ll need lots of energy for skating,” she said.
When the Aldens arrived at the rink, Henry went to find Kevin Reynolds and get ready for the team’s first practice. Benny and Violet went up to the bleacher seats to watch. Jessie headed to the locker room to change, her stick in her hand and her large skating bag slung
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