Smart, Strong, and Brave!

Chapter 1: Feeling Unsure

Amber sat on her bedroom floor with her math worksheets spread out on her bed. The numbers made her head spin, and her tummy felt wiggly. “I’m not smart enough,” she mumbled, pushing her pencil until it rolled away. Her room was quiet, except for a soft buzz of her iPad on the bed. A FaceTime call came through, and Amber’s eyes lit up when Grammy’s face appeared. “Hey, Sparky!” Grammy said. “What’s my favorite girl doing?” Amber shrugged. “Math’s too hard, Grammy. I’m not smart.” Grammy smiled and said, “Oh, Amber, you’re smart. And strong. And brave. And don’t forget that!” Amber giggled, but inside, she wasn’t sure. Brave? She felt more nervous than brave.

Grammy lived far away and had a garden full of sunflowers. She visited Amber once a month, sometimes twice if she could make it. But every few days, Amber would curl up with her iPad, and Grammy’s face would pop up on FaceTime. “You’re smart, strong, and brave, Amber,” she’d say. That made Amber feel good. Slowly, Grammy’s words started to feel real to her.

Amber started raising her hand at school, even when she was nervous. One day, she answered a question about planets, and her teacher said, “Great job, Amber!” She smiled and thought maybe she was smart. At the park, a short walk from her mom’s house, she tried the tall slide. Her legs shook, but she climbed up and slid down fast. “Strong,” she said to herself, thinking of Grammy. But brave? She wasn’t sure about that.

A few weeks later, Amber’s class did a science experiment with a volcano. She was nervous to try it. She remembered Grammy’s words: “You’re smart, Sparky.” Amber raised her hand. “I’ll pour the vinegar,” she said. Her hands shook, but she poured it, and the mixture fizzed. Her classmates cheered. “Good job, Amber!” her teacher said. Amber smiled. That night, she FaceTimed Grammy from her mom’s house. “I did a science experiment, Grammy!” she said. Grammy smiled. “That’s my Sparky! Smart, strong, and brave.”