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Track Star #4 (Miles Lewis) Kindle Edition
The annual Fun Run is coming up at Brookside Elementary! The students will all run laps around the carpool lane, and Miles Lewis wants to be one of the top five runners. Even though he zooms through sprints, he runs out of gas for long distance, so he creates a nutrition and exercise regimen to boost his endurance. But on the big day, he witnesses one kid struggling to keep going. Should Miles keep pressing for his personal best, or should he lend support to help a friend? In the end, Miles must decide what winning really means to him.
- Reading age6 - 8 years
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level1 - 3
- PublisherPenguin Workshop
- Publication dateAugust 29, 2023
- ISBN-109780593383582
- ISBN-13978-0593383605
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Wayne C. Spencer (he/him) is a cartoonist, illustrator, and dinosaur enthusiast. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he nurtured an abiding compulsion to draw characters and tell stories about them. Originally from North Carolina, he currently lives in Florida with two powerful daughters and a mighty wife.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
On Your Mark
When our bus pulled up at Brookside Elementary, I saw teachers waving and grooving between bright signs: “Go the Distance.” “Ready, Set, Race.” Even with the windows closed, I could hear party music blaring from speakers. They were pumping us up for the Brookside Fun Run that was happening in two weeks.
Every year, we run laps around the carpool loop. Ten equals a mile. Kyla, Gabi, and RJ ran the most laps in our class last time. My score was somewhere in the middle. This time, I wanted to make the top five.
Fast as a cheetah. Swift as a sailfish. Quick as lightning. That’s what I tell myself when I’m in a race. Arms pumping, legs flying, I see myself crossing the finish line like a track star. Usually that gets me going, and I’m proud of how I do.
But when I have to run for a long time, it’s like my legs do the opposite. First, they’re zooming, and then they’re slow as a car about to run out of gas.
“Yes!” my best friend RJ said as he jammed to the music. “I’m definitely getting the most laps this year.”
Kyla, who was sitting in front of us, turned and smirked.
“We’ll see about that,” she said.
RJ and I laughed. This was supposed to be all about fun, but for some kids, it was all about bragging rights. People sponsor us, and we raise money for the school. Classes with the most laps win pizza parties. Kids who bring in the most money can earn passes to cool activities like mini golf and movies. Everyone slurps on Popsicles when they finish running.
As we got off the bus, my heart pounded at the excitement. But why did I have butterflies, too? It’s not like it’s a big track meet, but I wanted to do better than I did last time. Trying to achieve your best is a big deal in my family. I didn’t want to let them and myself down.
In Miss Taylor’s room, I tucked my backpack in my cubby and headed to my seat. She passed out flyers for the Fun Run. We slipped them into our take-home folders.
“This year’s theme is Laps for Laptops,” Miss Taylor said. “The more we raise, the more new laptops we get for the school.”
And we sure needed them. I was in the technology club—the computers we had looked like they were from my parents’ day.
Some friends chattered and smiled as they talked about the run, but I saw Carson frowning as he looked the flyer over. He can double Dutch almost as good as Simone, but running is not his thing. The last time we had the Fun Run, he got the least laps in.
Miss Taylor hit the chime to signal the morning meeting.
Chirr! Chirr! it sang, and the talking ended like someone pulled the plug on a TV.
“Okay, class, it’s time to get started,” she said. We joined her on the orange-and-blue rug.
“The Fun Run is just in time for our science unit on vitamins, minerals, and exercise. We’re going to talk about what we’re putting into our bodies, how food gives us energy, and how to live healthier lifestyles. Think about it. What could you do better?”
“Eat less junk food,” Jada said.
“Walk more,” Gabi added.
I get lots of exercise playing basketball, hockey, and riding my bike, but I get tired out too quickly. I raised my hand.
“What about lasting longer when we run or exercise?”
“Great point,” Miss Taylor said. “That’s called endurance.”
As she filled us in on what we’d be covering, a smile spread across my face. What if I came up with my own set of exercises, something that was guaranteed to make me fast as a flash and last as long as a battery? When the Fun Run came, I’d be ready.
I thought about the run all day and on the bus ride home. After I finished my math homework, I looked at the yellow flyer again.
“You coming, Miles?” Nana asked as she tied her sneakers. I’d promised to go with her on a walk around the neighborhood. Time to put my plan into action.
“Coming!”
We stretched before getting started. I copied Nana’s moves, rolling my head and shoulders, lunging to each side, reaching as high as I could and then touching my toes.
“I feel nice and warmed up,” she said. “How about you?”
I nodded.
“Okey doke, let’s go the long way this time.”
The long way? Uh-oh. I knew the route Nana was talking about. It’s all the way around the neighborhood, down to the grocery store and back. I took a breath and breathed out slowly. No turning back now.
When we started walking, I did okay. I kept up with her, no problem. But then Nana picked up the pace. She was speed-walking, her locs swishing as she zipped down the sidewalk. I huffed and struggled to match her stride.
“You’re too young to conk out so quickly,” she said, slowing down. “You should come walking with me more.”
As I panted and tried to catch my breath, I knew she was right. I had a lot of work to do. If I got tired out walking with Nana, what chance did I have at the Fun Run?
Product details
- ASIN : B0BNMFB9D6
- Publisher : Penguin Workshop
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : August 29, 2023
- Language : English
- File size : 23.0 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 91 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780593383582
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593383605
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Grade level : 1 - 3
- Book 4 of 5 : Miles Lewis
- Reading age : 6 - 8 years
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,038,850 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Kelly Starling Lyons began her journey to become a children's book author in her hometown of Pittsburgh. She learned the art of storytelling from her mom who took her to productions at a children's theater, wrote plays and made up bedtime tales. Her grandparents, who showed their imagination through cooking and gardening, taught her to honor the magic of history and home. Surrounded by creativity, Lyons began to write.
She curled up near the radiator behind her bedroom door and allowed her pen to take her to other worlds. A canopy of trees transformed into a make-believe fortress, backyards hid treasure and tunnels to faraway lands, bridges that crossed the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers spanned distance and time.
Now a children's book author and teaching artist, her mission is to center Black heroes, celebrate family, friendship and heritage and show all kids the storyteller they hold inside. Many of her books have won accolades including a Caldecott Honor for Going Down Home with Daddy, illustrated by Daniel Minter; Christopher Award for Tiara's Hat Parade, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell; a Geisel Honor for Ty's Travels: Zip, Zoom, illustrated by Nina Mata and Junior Library Guild selection for Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon, illustrated by Laura Freeman. Her latest picture book, My Hands Tell a Story, illustrated by Tonya Engel, earned two starred reviews.
Kelly also writes for chapter book readers. Her Jada Jones series has earned praise for celebrating an African-American girl who loves science, friends and family. The latest is Jada Jones: Nature Lover. In 2022, Kelly's Miles Lewis spin-off series debuted. The first book, Miles Lewis: King of the Ice, is a Junior Library Guild selection. Stay tuned for more easy readers, picture books and chapter books.
Find out more about Kelly at www.kellystarlinglyons.com. Thanks for your support.
Customer reviews
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024This book is really cool has a really great message about being persistent and not giving up and overcoming.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2023A great story about perseverance and resolve.
Loved the representation and the resilience.
Thanks for encouraging healthy habits.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2024The title and cover art grabbed my attention. This was a good book for my 3rd grade, 8 year old son. We read it together and it was perfect. I actually got this one first but bought the three previous books for him for Christmas. I can’t wait to read them together.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023Track Star is a cute chapter book that I think my eight and six-year-old nephews would enjoy reading. My eight-year-old nephew could probably read most of it on his own, but it would also make a good family read aloud, and it definitely promotes things that my brother’s family values – making healthy food choices, exercising your body, and being a good friend.
Miles Lewis is excited about his elementary school’s annual Fun Run that’s coming up, and he’s made it his goal to be one of the top five runners this year. As he interacts with his parents, grandmother, coach, teacher, and other students, he refines his strategy to increase his endurance and keep those legs running. I appreciated that his parents and grandmother have already been modeling these healthy habits for him and easily integrate him into their routines when he asks to be included. I also enjoyed the tidbits of Black history that we’re given in the story itself, as well as in ‘Miles’ notes’ at the end of the book. I learned about some really interesting and impressive Black runners, and I think this is a great way to inspire further learning about these admirable athletes.
Most importantly, however, I loved this book’s message when it comes to friendships and community. There comes a point in the book where Miles must decide which is most important to him – being one of the top five runners or helping a friend who is struggling. The decision he makes has ripple effects on the whole class and presents adults with an ideal opportunity to talk about the lessons that Miles and his classmates learn. It can promote discussions on what winning really means, on whether success or people are more important, on how ‘slow and steady wins the race’ applies to more than just races, and on ways that young readers can be the kind of friend that Miles ends up being, too.
Bottom Line: Track Star by Kelly Starling Lyons is the kind of positive-message read that children need more of in today’s divided world. Full of strong and loving role models, the book points readers toward teamwork and friendship over competition or conflict, and it teaches several important lessons that are valuable for impressionable young minds to absorb and retain. Wayne Spencer’s diverse and lively illustrations make it easy for children to relate to Miles and ‘see’ the story unfold. A great choice for elementary school readers as well as family or classroom read alouds.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)