ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Samson is a real kitty, who lives with his owners, Christy and Ron Smith. Christy Smith, a professor in Charlotte County, Florida, had an idea to help the students in all K-12 public schools. Every single child who needed sneakers would get a pair to start the school year, or any time they needed sneakers during the year. And so, this Sneaker Project began with a teacher, over 16 years ago! From her Storage Closet in her house, the sneaker project grew until she had collected close to 100,000 pairs of sneakers to date. As the project grew, the Kiwanis Club began sponsoring the Sneaker Project. There are sneakers of all colors and sizes that are housed at every school, ready for the boys and girls each year. The story of Samson Saves the Sneakers, is a celebration of Christy Smith and other good people in Charlotte County, who make the magic happen for boys and girls. Hooray for the Sneaker Project!
SAMSON SAVES THE SNEAKERS IS THE 8TH AND LATEST IN THIS EXCITING FIRST CHAPTER BOOK SERIES FOR BEGINNING READERS. ENJOY!
It was the worst of times for Samson.
his bearings. Then he remembered the stories told around the
campfire over the Rainbow Bridge. THIS was The OTHER
WORLD his parents had warned him about. This was the
Rainbow Bridge to The Other World, the one Samson had vowed
never to enter. His Dad had given him a shiny penny for doing all his
chores, for weeding the garden and helping Mom plant carrots for
the rabbits who lived next door. He should have been paying
attention to where he was going, but he wasn’t. He watched as the
sun bounced every which way off the shiny penny, casting
diamonds on the Rainbow River below. He leaned over the
waved to Paddipaws, who, as usual, was floating downstream on
the Rainbow River, with two tiny itsy-bitsy kitties on his wide belly.
day!” He remembers Paddipaws waving frantically back, trying to
tell him something. What is Paddipaws trying to tell me, he
remembers asking himself. Then he made that fatal mistake. He did
not pay attention to where he was walking and crossed over the
Rainbow Bridge, landing feet first in the Other World!
pay attention, but Samson was watching the penny glisten in the
noonday sun. And that was that.
white skunk, as he waddled as fast as he could to avoid burning his
feet. “You’re standing in the wayyyyyyy! Get out of the wayyyy!”
The odor of the frightened skunk trailed behind him and mixed with
the choking smoke. Samson had forgotten for a minute where he
had landed. He was daydreaming again, but this time, he was in
danger!
usually very quiet were rattling their tails which were now charred
flung themselves from tree to tree, the babies following behind
their Moms and Dads, high above the ground. The deer fled, too,
frantically trying to find their way out. Birds screamed as loud as
they could to warn their friends. The rabbits hopped in circles as if
they were playing a game. But Samson sensed this was no ordinary
game. Many little creatures frantically searched for their Moms and
held each other’s paws. But the black plumes of smoke choked
them and some fell to the forest floor as they ran. Some of them
even darted blindly into Samson, knocking him to the ground, in
their rush to save themselves from the burning blaze.
tree, the babies following behind their Moms and Dads, high above
the ground. The deer fled, too, frantically trying to find their way
out. Birds screamed as loud as they could to warn their friends. The
save themselves from the burning blaze.
and twirled round and round, trying to follow the other animals, for
Then he remembered that he was now alone. “M-E-O-W,”
Mom and Dad and your ten brothers.
Mom would say and smile. But Samson had disobeyed his Mom and
Dad and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Samson knew no one
was coming to save him. Yet Samson stood perfectly still while the
stampede of forest animals raced by him. He stood perfectly still
while the wailing sounds of very sad animal families ripped through
the forest. The forest animals scrambled for their lives.
Samson,” his Mom told him. “You are safe and loved in this world.
But, never, ever cross over the Rainbow Bridge, or you will find a
world where strange, scary creatures live.
and makes you afraid to move. We do not know fear in Our World.”
He found himself helplessly stuck in one spot, immobile! A tear
rolled down his tiny white face, and he couldn’t, for the life of him,
figure out what to do next.