Read an Excerpt
Chapter One
A Black Hole
I HAD TO KNOW what was inside the mystery box.
Outside the science lab a snowblower roared. The room filled with chatter. Everyone was whispering about the box sitting on a table in the middle of the room.
“I’m going to peek,” I whispered. Birdie Bhatt, my very best friend, jumped in front of me.
“Don’t even think about it, Kate.”
“But . . . but . . .” The box was wrapped in shiny tinfoil like a present. Only instead of abow, there was a giant red question mark made of con-struction paper.
“Ms. Daly is right there.” Birdie pointed to our after-school science club advisor, who stood at the doorway, welcoming kids.
I bit my fingernails. “I hate waiting.”
“I know.” Birdie smiled and her brown eyes crinkled.
She knew me soooo well.
“Here.” Birdie dug into her flower-covered backpack and handed me a caramel apple granola bar.
It was my favorite.
“Here.” I unzipped a front compartment in mybackpack and yanked out a bag of trail mix with M&M’s and sunflower seeds.
“I love those,” said Birdie in a hushed voice.
“I know.” Now it was my turn to smile.
That’s when Ms. Daly marched to the front of the class. She glanced up at the clock. Three fifteen exactly. She’s a retired air force flight engineer and always starts on time. She says you can’t keep fighter pilots waiting.
Of course, we weren’t pilots. We were students at Rosalind Franklin Elementary School. Which is named for Dr. Rosalind Franklin, one of the greatest chemists of all time. Science is extra extra special at our school, which is just fine by me.
Ms. Daly clapped her hands. “Okay, folks. It’s mystery box time!”
A bunch of kids made happy shrieks, and I whooped.
“We’re going to work on your abilities to observe using your senses,” continued Ms. Daly. “Give me some words to describe this box.”
“It’s got six sides,” said Elijah Williams, who’s one of my closest friends and also my next- door neighbor.
“It’s a cube,” I said.
“It’s very pretty,” added Birdie.
“That might be true, but that’s how you feel about it,” admitted Ms. Daly. “Give me a pure observation.”
Birdie’s blush spread to her ears. “It’s silver,” she murmured.
“And shiny!” I exclaimed.
“And all taped up so we can’t see what’s inside,” groaned Steven McFee, a fourth grader wearing a basket ball shirt.
“Perfect!” Ms. Daly grabbed a yellow pad. On it, she had written facts in black ink. “In science, we stick to facts. For example, we know that the moon has had enough to eat when it’s full.”
For a minute, nobody said anything. And then a few kids like me started grinning when we realized it was just her typical corny humor.
“Facts are observations about the world,” continued Ms. Daly. “Like that your heart pumps blood. The sun comes out during the day. And there are seven beakers sitting on my desk.”
“And today is Friday, November twenty-eighth, our weekly science club meeting,” I called out. I think science is the best thing in the entire world. That’s not an observation, it’s a feeling. And it’s a really good one!
“That’s a fact, Kate,” said Ms. Daly. “So, in addition to shape, we can pay attention to texture and sound.” She gently shook the box. “And smell.”
Tilting his chin, Memito Alvarez sniffed. “Hey! I smell something sweet.” He rubbed his belly. “It’s definitely candy.” He popped out of his seat. “Is it candy?”
“Sorry, but no.” Ms. Daly shook her head and not one short gray hair moved. She continued on with her lesson. “Scientists know things exist without even seeing them. All based on observations and evidence.”
“Like dinosaurs?” piped up Elijah. “I saw a Tyrannosaurus fossil in a natural history museum, but no human being has ever seen a real T. rex.”
Memito roared like a dinosaur. Birdie and I jerked back in surprise, and then giggled.
“There’s something else scientists know based on evidence.” In the back, a new girl with wavy pigtails raised her hand. I recognized her from the main office this morning, when she had come in with her dad to transfer to our school. “How about black holes?” she said. “You can’t see them, but you know they exist.”
“Oh, that’s perfect, Tala!” I exclaimed.
“How do you know my name?” She didn’t sound angry, just surprised.
“Kate is a psychic,” joked Elijah, pressing his finger to his forehead. “That’s how she knows all the answers. And names.”
“Ha ha.” I kicked the back of his chair. “I just overheard someone say it. Tala Campo. Down in the office.”
“Kate’s mom is the principal,” explained Avery Cooper, which sounded like a brag.
Ugh. Now it was my turn to blush. I really don’t like it when people make a fuss about who my mom is. “It’s no big deal.”
“Well, welcome, Tala,” said Ms. Daly. “You seem to know a lot about astronomy. Anything else you want to share about black holes?”
Tala blew on her thick bangs. “The gravitational field of a black hole pulls nearby stars. Scientists can see the effect on the stars but not the hole itself.”
“That’s so cool!” I gushed, thinking about how in chemistry, scientists can’t actually see super- small particles like electrons, but they know about them because of intricate experiments in the lab.
Ms. Daly leaned over the mystery box. “Okay, are you ready to see what’s inside?”
“Oh yes!” My legs bounced. My thoughts bounced. I couldn’t wait.
