Conversations

Synopsis This short story provides a parable for 8–11-year-old, African American, Native American, Spanish American, and Puerto Rican children. It has a ‘rags to riches’ theme similar to the beloved classic, Cinderella involving a midnight curfew and a pair miraculous shoes. Excerpt A block down from their house, an El Camino drove by,and Jasmine tagged it before he did. Another block down,Frankie discovered a silver bicycle rim lying in the middleof the sidewalk. He stood it up, and began to roll it downthe sidewalk.“So, why do you think some fireflies’ tails are greenwhen most of the others are yellow?” she asked.“Biology” he responded authoritatively.“Explain?” she said.“Heredity,” he responded.“Meaning,” she said.“Genes,” he replied“Genes,” she repeated.“Can’t see ‘em. But they control stuff,” he said.“Like God,” she said.“Like God,” he shook his head.The moon lit up a sinister-looking house with shinglesmissing from its roof and its windows boarded.“I heard that house got ghosts,”...