Freddie Ramos Takes Off

Zapato Power #1

by Jacqueline Jules, Miguel Benítez (Illustrator)

One day Freddie Ramos comes home from school and finds a strange box just for him. What's inside? ZAPATO POWER-shoes that change Freddie's life by giving him super speed! But what will Freddie do with his fast new skills? Weird things are happening at the Starwood Park Apartments where he lives, and his friends at school need his help. Is Freddie Ramos ready to be a hero? In this imaginative story by Jacqueline Jules, an ordinary boy in a city neighborhood learns how to use his new-found powers for good. Illustrations by Miguel Benitez lend just a touch of comic-book style to this chapter book adventure.

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Mystery, Chapter Books, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, 2nd Grade

88 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

About the author

I am a children's author, teacher, librarian, and poet. My books include the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, Pluto is Peeved, Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation, Duck for Turkey Day, Never Say a Mean Word Again, and Feathers for Peacock. Please visit me at http://www.jacquelinejules.com

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scribd text and audio. A very easy, quick, and light read and listening to improving my English.

"One day Freddie Ramos comes home from school and finds a strange box just for him. What's inside? ZAPATO POWER-shoes that change Freddie's life by giving him super speed! But what will Freddie do with his fast new skills? Weird things are happening at the Starwood Park Apartments where he lives, and his friends at school need his help. Is Freddie Ramos ready to be a hero? In this imaginative new story by Jacqueline Jules, an ordinary boy in a city neighborhood learns how to use his new-found powers for good."

[Jan Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 yr old grandson read the book and had comments on it. He liked it! Here’s what he had to say: He liked it a lot. His favorite character was Freddy’s dad because he was a hero in the army. He died as a hero and that part was sad. Ages 7-10 would like reading this and boys and girls both would enjoy it.
This was one of the free books I got from good reads

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

recommended for ELL310 @ Chase Academy

This is a cute read. I genuinely enjoyed it, and appreciated Jacquleing Jule's light touch of humore. I think I especially liked the fact that Freddy isn't your typical kid lit smart-alack who gets caught up in some zany mischief. Freddy is a nice boy who is curious and adventurous. In Zapato Power, Freddy receives a mysterious pair of sneakers that give him the power of speed. I love how he uses his "super power" to help others. The illustrations are also adorable.

I think this is a great fit for ELL310.

[Westen Gunning · Rating 4 out of 5]

After coming home from school one day, Freddy Ramos finds a strange mummified box with his name on it outside of his door. That's kind of how the book starts. This book was a pretty quick read, because it's only eight chapters, but still a pretty fun book! I would recommend this. The story is really good but the graphics kind of just look weird, but I like the book.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast read. Not deep but I think my 2nd and 3rd readers will like it.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

AR BL 3.0

[Doret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zapato Power by Jacqueline Jules, illus. by Miguel Benitez
This book was brought to my attention thanks to the Cybils Awards. In 2010 it won the short chapter book category.

Freddie and his mother have recently moved to Starwood Park Apartments. One day Freddie Ramos comes home to find a box with his name on it. Inside is a new pair of purple sneakers. There's no name with the gift, just a note saying Zapato power for Freddie Ramos. With his new shoes, Freddie is very fast, faster than a train. Freddie wants to use his new speed to be a hero. He also knows me must keep is Zapato power a secret.

This was a very fun read. Freddie Ramos is great. He's just an ordinary boy who is given a special gift. This is easily my favorite early chapter books I've read in a while. I love that it features a male protagonist of color.

I checked out the first book from the library. I figured I'd only meet Freddie but now I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series. The chapters are only about eight pages long with illustrations. Jules text and Benitez art, make this a very relucatant reader friendly.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Freddie finds a mysterious package outside his apartment containing sneakers that allow him to run faster than a train, and inspire him to perform heroic deeds.

In the book, Freddie lives with his mom. His dad died last year while serving in the military in the Middle East. His mom works hard and says she feels bad about not being able to have nice home cooked meals every night like Freddie's Abuela used to make them. Freddie's landlord is Mr. Vaslov, a nice old man who likes to fix up and invent things. When Freddie gets these special shoes he tried to figure out where they came from. (Mr. V) In the story he saves the day (in small ways) but helping out his friends. He runs back at super speed to get a boy his library book for library class, get a girl's lunch from home, save a boy from running into traffic, etc. Story ends with Freddie asking if Mr. V can make flying shoes.

I am looking for books that have Hispanic characters and came across this series for beginning readers maybe Grades2-3. It is also marked as a high-low book. Think it will work well at our library and I plan on ordering the 4 books currently in the series.

[Amber M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: Oregon State Beverly Cleary Reader's Choice Award Master List; Great Early Elementary Reads, ALSC 2011-2012 Age Programs and Services Committee; Honor Book, 2011 Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Award, Transitional Fiction; The Oregon Battle of the Books 2012 List; Winner 2010 Cybils: Short Chapter Book

Grade Level: K-2

I could use this book in my classroom to introduce the K-2 students to chapter books. In the book Freddie Romas comes home from school and finds a strange box. In the box is a pair of shoes that give him super speed. Weird things are happening where he lives and his friends at school need his help. Freddie uses his new found power to do good things. I would ask the students, if they found a pair of shoes that gave them super powers how would they use their powers to help others? This book also could be used for a vocabulary lesson. In the book Freddie uses some Spanish words. I would have the students pick those words out of the story and find the meanings and use them in a sentence.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Fantasy (Fiction)

Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Level: Approximately Level N

Summary: Freddie Ramos comes home from school one day to find a box outside his door. Inside are a pair of purple sneakers with silver wings. When he slips them on and starts to run he is astonished to discover that he can zoom around as fast as a superhero! Who did the sneakers come from and can Freddie use them to become a superhero?

Why I Liked/Disliked the Book: The beginning of this book is just perfect. The author, Jacqueline Jules draws the reader in with the surprise of the special gift and the curiosity about what Freddie will do with his new shoes. In addition to the great set up, Jules sets up a complex character. Freddie is a latchkey kid whose father has died serving in the armed forces. The illustrations by Miguel Benitez add lively movement and fun to the story.

What This Book Made Me Think About: What would I do if given such a amazing gift? This book makes a gift of special sneakers feel like it could actually happen in real life.

[Gabriela Sansoval · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a Cybils Award winning book. This is a great book because many kids can relate to the character. Freddie is a Hispanic kid that has grown in a single parent family and he considers his community his family. The book contains great illustrations and it is a chapter book for older children.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little mystery, perfect for early chapter book readers. Freddy is Hispanic and lives with his single mom (dad died while serving in the army). I believe many of my students will connect with Freddy and will want to read the next books in the series to follow Freddy's adventures (I do!)

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute new series for kids who enjoy superhero books. Main character Freddie Ramos is Latino and lives in an apartment building with his mother. His father was a soldier who was killed. Freddie is kind to his friends and uses his Zapato Power for good!

[Meghan Nels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always searching for easy chapter books for 1st - 3rd grade boys! There seem to be many more choice for girls than boys. I think the boys at my school will enjoy this series. I'm glad I stumbled upon it!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great to see a story with a young Latino superhero. Freddy Ramos is an appealing character.

[Courtney S · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find a digital copy of this book on https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/... It is also on the American Library Association's Website as well.
I found this book to be really fun, even though I am not a huge fan of science-fiction.  It is the perfect book for an early elementary aged student who is in love with super heros, because this book is all about a boy who opens up a mystery package, and inside he finds shoes that give him the ability to be super fast. What kid wouldn't love to have that special power? This book goes into all of his adventures and how he uses his super speed to help his friends at school and in his apartment complex where he lives.
I would use this book for a writing lesson with kids in kindergarten through third grade. I would have them write using a prompt, after reading the story with them: If you could have any super power, what would it be? This would be a fun writing prompt, and I am sure I would get a lot of creative answers.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great early chapter book for reading with my kindergartener, and he enjoyed it enough that we're going to continue with the series. It has a little action, a little mystery, and a little altruism as the main character tries to figure out how to be a real-life superhero with the magic shoes he's been mysteriously gifted. It's also nice to see a protagonist with experiences less common in kids' books, like being Latino, living in an apartment building, and having a deceased father who was a soldier. I enjoyed it, even if I thought the answer to "who gifted the shoes" was obvious from the beginning. I look forward to continuing the series with my son!

[Michael Campana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A transitional paperback chapter book (and first book in a series), Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Takes Off is the fictional story of an elementary school-aged Hispanic boy living with his widowed mother in an unidentified city (presumably either Chicago or New York) who gains super speed after receiving the anonymous gift of a pair of "magic" purple sneakers. Principal characters include Freddie, his mother, his Uncle Jorge, apartment building maintenance man Mr. Vaslov, classmates Jason & Maria, Maria's 5-year-old brother Gio, their dog Puppy, and Freddie's teacher Mrs. Lane. Black and white drawings every two to three pages help the reader visualize the action of the plot.

[Sally Dumenil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freddie Ramos, just and average kid, finds out one day that he has special powers; powers that can help so many and change many lives. What should he do? Can he handle this task?

Freddie spends time solving mysteries and helping where he is able. But can he keep this up?

This is a great story/series/lesson on finding strength, noticing need, and seeing good in others. For a lesson students could read individually or as a group, reflect, and discuss together their take aways and reactions to text.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute illustrations accompany a tender story of a boy who has lost a father and slowly builds a surrogate relationship with another father-figure.
A pair of "special" zapatos appear at his door. When he tries them on, he feels relieved that his torn and worn down shoes can finally be replaced and that his mother won't be financially burdened. The gift comes just at the right time. But Freddie quickly learns that these shoes are not only timely, but also special.

[Jennifer Panton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zapato Power is a transitional chapter book about a boy who receives a pair of powerful shoes. The boy, Freddie Ramos, discovers they give the ability to run at super speed, so he decides to use them to help out his friends and neighbors. He finally discovers that his building's maintenance man is an inventor, created the shoes, and gave them to Freddie.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks for the heads up on this title, Latinxs in Kid Lit!

This is exactly the book I need for exactly the readers who need it -- in this case, upper elementary students who benefit from lower-elementary reading support. This book is not particularly funny, precise, sharp, or noteworthy, but it tells a story about magic shoes that readers will engage in and care about.

[Tarawyn Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great chapter book. A kid who gets mysterious shoes with special powers tries to find ways to use them for good. He also solves problems using brain power. I like that his mom went to community college and got a better job and that homework is important. I love that the main character is Latino.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freddie Ramos is surprised by the appearance of a mysterious package on his doorstep with his name on it. When he opens it, he finds a brand new pair of purple shoes with wings on the back. Freddie soon figures out that his new shoes give him "Zapato Power," and he can run at astounding speeds. As he uses his new found powers to help others around the neighborhood, he is working to solve the mystery of who sent him his new kicks.

[Dedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and quick read. Freddie gets a mysterious new pair of shoes that give him super speed. He tries to use his new power to help others, but he soon realizes that brain power is sometimes even more useful than super speed.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story about a boy who receives a package with super power shoes in them. He thinks they are from his uncle but finds out it was not his uncle. As Freddie tries to solve the mystery of the shoes he uses his new found speed to help others in need. Great read aloud for 1st and 2nd graders.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freddie Ramos gets a new pair of shoes, shoes that his mother can't afford. Although the Ramos family is experiencing some trying times, Freddie Ramos remains undaunted by the loss and hardship. He quickly learns to take on the hero role for his family after the death of a father.

[Marlene Scholfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m looking for read aloud for my class next year... I think they will enjoy this character Freddie who is going on an adventure to solve a mystery. Freddie gets a new pair of shoes that make him as fast as a train... but who did they come from..

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy gets magic shoes that make him run very fast, so he tries to be a hero. Great moral, a little bit of Spanish, small ways you can help others, and an accessible mystery that would be great for new readers.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute story about a boy with superpower shoes. I read it aloud to my second graders at the beginning of the year, and they loved it. They’ve been reading the entire series themselves and the books don’t stay on my library shelves for long.