Stella by Starlight By Sharon M Draper-pdfread.net

courage with wisdom.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Catching the Klan is kinda like nailing jelly to a tree,” he explained.
“You work real hard, and what do you have to show for it? It just slips
down the bark. You understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes, Papa.” She understood, but she wasn’t sure she believed
everything he said.
Mama filled Papa’s mug back up. “It’s chilly out there, Jonah,” she
said, deliberately changing the subject, Stella thought. “The children are
gonna need shoes soon.”
Papa blew on the coffee. “They’ll be fine. When I was a kid, I never
wore shoes. Made me tough. ’Sides, I’ve got lots more on my mind today
than barefoot children.”
Stella saw her mother’s eyes narrow, but she switched subjects again.
“Jojo, Stella, you two get on out of here. Ain’t none of the other younguns
got shoes neither, so don’t you worry at all about that. If you run to school,
you’ll stay warm. Just be sure to sit by the stove in the schoolroom when
you get there.”
Stella looked down at her dirty toenails and rusty-looking feet. Shoes
might be nice, but she knew those feet could outrun just about anybody in
Bumblebee. Well, anybody but Tony Hawkins. And that was good enough
for now.