Snow Place Like Home Read online

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1 Frozanthia, Here We Come!

  Chapter 2 Polar Palace Resort

  Chapter 3 Winter Arcade

  Chapter 4 Snowflake Café

  Chapter 5 Frost Mountain

  Chapter 6 Invisible Lake

  Chapter 7 Ice Fort Disaster

  Chapter 8 May the Best Fort Win!

  Chapter 9 And the Winner Is . . .

  Chapter 10 Snow Place Like Home

  About the Author and Illustrator

  Chapter 1

  Frozanthia, Here We Come!

  Zack Nelson and Drake Taylor were surrounded by a towering mountain of clothes. The Nelson’s were going on a family winter vacation to Frozanthia, a snowy ice planet in the Frostus Galaxy.

  “I’m so glad you’re coming with us, Drake,” said Zack.

  The boys had been best friends since Zack moved to Nebulon.

  “Me too, I am so excited!” Drake agreed. “Frozanthia has grape outdoor adventures!”

  “You’re not kidding!” said Zack. “I mean, look at this holo-brochure!”

  He held up his hyperphone and a 3-D hologram of a gleaming, icy landscape filled the room.

  A snow-bot with a set of hydro-jets appeared.

  “Hi, Zack and Drake! Welcome to your virtual tour! There’s snow place like the Polar Palace Resort in the entire galaxy!” it said. “You will enjoy solar-snowboarding on Frost Mountain, hydro-freeze fishing on Invisible Lake, snow fort building, a winter arcade, and an out-of-this-world five-star restaurant! Safe travels, and remember to bundle up!”

  “You bet!” the boys exclaimed. Then the snow-bot waved good-bye and the hologram shut off.

  “The resort looks amazing! I can’t wait to go solar-snowboarding!” Zack cried as Mrs. Nelson walked in.

  “Well, if you want go snowboarding for real, you’d better get busy!” she said.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. We have got this all under control,” Zack told her.

  His mom smiled as she closed the door. The boys stared up at the clothes pile. It almost touched the ceiling.

  “Ira!” Zack called. “Help before there’s an underwear avalanche!”

  “Not to worry, Master Just Zack,” said Ira, the Nelsons’ Indoor Robotic Assistant.

  Mechanical arms dropped from the ceiling and started folding clothes in a blur. Within seconds, everything fit into two shrink-sacs. Ira pressed a button on each piece of luggage. The large bags shook, then shrunk down to the size of a wallet.

  “Thanks, Ira!” Zack said with a sigh of relief.

  Drake excitedly waved good-bye to Ira. “Frozanthia, here we come!”

  Chapter 2

  Polar Palace Resort

  Zack pressed his face against the window of their space cruiser. Stars shined brightly against the black sky. He loved flying, no matter where he went.

  Soon, a sparkling white landscape appeared. Zack’s sisters gazed out the window. They had finally reached Frozanthia.

  “The planet . . .”

  “. . . looks like a giant . . .”

  “. . . snowball!” shouted the twins.

  The cruiser landed at the spaceport and the family hopped into an ice pod to go to the resort. Ice pods were similar to cruisers on Nebulon, but they had skates on the bottom to travel across the frozen roads. Once everyone was buckled in, their driver released the brakes and zoomed into the falling snow.

  Zack looked out the window and admired the majestic snowcapped mountains in the distance. As the snow cleared, Zack noticed an ice-covered hotel with giant wood doors at the front gate. A sign nailed into the ice read POLAR PALACE RESORT.

  “Wow, this place is built entirely with ice blocks!” Zack exclaimed.

  A snow-bot stood at the entrance. When the ice pod stopped, the snow-bot opened the door. “Welcome to Polar Palace Resort, Nelson family and Mr. Drake Taylor! Please follow me.”

  The snow-bot pressed a button on its head and the gigantic wood doors slid open. A ski lift was waiting on the other side. It had wide, comfy seats, large windows, and two ice wings.

  “This lift will take you directly to your room. I do hope you enjoy your stay!”

  The family climbed in and lifted into the air.

  The cold felt good on Zack’s face. From above the trees, he could see that each floor of the resort was different. One floor was lined with cozy log cabins, while another had sparkling crystal igloo rooms. When they reached the top floor, Zack couldn’t believe his eyes. They were staying in an awesome snowcapped tree house!

  He burst through the door and saw a holo-display that showed three levels of fun.

  “Look! There’s something here for all of us!” Mrs. Nelson said excitedly. “Even a spa for me!”

  The twins raced up to the canopy ice beds that hovered on the second floor. Their bedroom had a wall-to-wall vid-screen and a swinging bench.

  The boys’ room was on the third floor, and it had two ice pod beds! Next to each pod, a smooth ramp dipped down to the first floor.

  “This is so grape!” Drake cried.

  “Yippee wah-wah! It’s the indoor ski jump!” Zack yelled.

  The two friends zoomed off the ramp and landed safely on a big, comfy couch.

  Zack called to his mom. “Can we please play a few games at the winter arcade?” he begged.

  “Okay, but take these. Remember, we have dinner reservations in an hour,” his mom said. She handed them each a wristband. The devices lit up as soon as they put them on.

  “Hello, I am Pat, your Portable Assisting Technology unit,” a voice said. “If you need anything during your stay, just say my name.”

  “Grape!” said Drake and Zack at the same time.

  “Nice to meet you, Pat! How do we get to the winter arcade?” Zack asked.

  “I’d be happy to escort you,” Pat replied. “A ski lift is waiting outside.”

  Chapter 3

  Winter Arcade

  The Winter Arcade was an enormous sparkling cave. Tall icicles hung from the ceiling and colorful lights reflected around the room.

  A boy with soft blue fur and big round eyes greeted Zack and Drake at the front desk.

  “Hi! My name is Jaxon,” he said.

  “I’m Zack, and this is Drake,” he said, pointing to his best friend. “We’re here to play some games!”

  “Great! My sister and I can show you around!” replied Jaxon as a tiny flying bot scanned their wrists.

  “Now you can play any game you want!” said the girl next to him. “My name is Ava.”

  The arcade was filled with several rows of game pods. The siblings led the boys to one called Frost Mountain Solar Blast.

  When the game turned on, they were transported to Frost Mountain, with full snow gear and helmets. Drake felt the snow crunch under his feet and the wind whip against his face.

  “This is amazing!” he said. “It feels like I am really standing in snow!”

  “That’s because this video game of Frost Mountain is supposed to feel real!” explained Jaxon.

  “All the games at this arcade were built to help kids practice,” Ava added. “Solar-snowboarding is harder than it looks.”

  “I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it,” Zack said confidently.

  Ava pointed out that there were two difficulty settings: easy or advanced. The boys decided to try the easy course first, and obstacles instantly appeared on the mountain.

  Zack took a deep breath as the kids lined up.

  “On your mark . . . Get set . . . Go!” Jaxon yelled.

  Zack leaned forward and sped down as fast as he could. He was amazed at how real everything felt. His board glided smoothly on the snow. Then, at a sharp curve, he turned to the right, e
asily jumped over a log, and landed back down with a soft whoosh! He moved swiftly past every obstacle and arrived at the bottom in first place! Drake finished closely behind him.

  “Wow, is it really your first time?” Jaxon asked when he arrived a few seconds later.

  “Yeah, it was!” Zack replied. “Let’s go again!”

  The game reset and they were instantly back at the top of the mountain. After several runs, the kids moved on to solar ski jumping and extreme solar sledding. Just like the first game, Zack and Drake adjusted quickly and beat each round with ease. Zack was having so much fun that he didn’t notice his wristband was flashing.

  “Hello, Zack,” said Pat. “It’s time to meet your family for dinner.”

  “Thanks, Pat,” replied Zack. “We’re on our way.”

  The kids left the game and made plans to meet the next day. If the arcade was built to help kids practice, then Zack was sure tomorrow would be a breeze!

  Chapter 4

  Snowflake Café

  A hostess greeted the family at the entrance to the restaurant. “Welcome to Snowflake Café. Is this your first time with us?”

  “It sure is,” replied Mr. Nelson.

  “Wow, this place looks like a giant snowflake Ferris wheel!” said Zack.

  Many long crystal spokes connected each dining room to the center of the moving wheel. That was where the kitchen was.

  “Great! Your dining room is here now,” said the hostess as she pointed to an egg-shaped glass pod. The doors slid open, and they took their seats at a table for six. Colorful snowflakes danced along the glass walls.

  “It’s like being inside . . .”

  “. . . a snow globe!” exclaimed the twins.

  When the doors shut, another snow-bot with long limbs appeared. He had on a clear, sparkling suit of ice that showed all the wires connected in his body.

  “Select any picture to pull up a sensory 4-D hologram of a dish,” he announced. “You will be able to see, smell, and sample everything on the menu.”

  Once everyone tried a few meals, the snow-bot took their orders.

  “I would like the snowball mashed potatoes, please,” said Drake.

  “And I’ll have the let it snow-cakes!” said Zack.

  “Toasted marshmallow mac ’n’ cheese . . .”

  “. . . and frosted fries for us, please!” said the twins.

  Zack’s mouth started to water. He couldn’t wait to try everything! Even the chilled chicken frosty and ice fish soufflé his parents ordered sounded delicious.

  “Excellent choices!” said the snow-bot as a panel on the ceiling opened. White snowflakes and sprinkles drifted softly down onto Zack’s empty plate, forming two fluffy cakes. Then, right after, the snow-bot launched two giant snowballs from his hands.

  “Duck!” Zack yelled as the balls zoomed right over Drake’s head. The boys watched excitedly as the bot hit the snowballs back and forth across the room before they landed neatly on Drake’s plate.

  “That was so grape, but way too close!” Drake said with a laugh.

  Then three new snow-bots appeared in the room. They stood on one another’s shoulders and began doing acrobatic flips and tricks while preparing the rest of the family’s food.

  “This pod will now detach from the kitchen,” said one of the bots. “Enjoy the beautiful view during your meal.”

  Their pod left its base and flew into the frosty mountains. Everyone eagerly dug in to their food.

  “This might be my new favorite restaurant!” exclaimed Zack.

  “Me too! No wonder this place is known all over the galaxy,” Drake agreed.

  Zack quickly cleaned his entire plate and got ready for dessert. As he dug in to a giant snowberry flurrado, he looked out the window and admired the gorgeous view. Frozanthia was really turning out to be the best place ever!

  Chapter 5

  Frost Mountain

  Early the next morning, Zack and Drake met Jaxon and Ava at the base of Frost Mountain.

  “Are you ready?” asked Jaxon.

  “You bet!” said Zack confidently.

  A snow-bot at the rental center gave out solar boots and helmets.

  “Wow, this stuff sure is heavy!” Drake said.

  “That’s because the gravity down here is much stronger than the gravity in the mountains,” Ava explained. “You will need the extra weight to ski down the slopes.”

  Jaxon nodded. “Now remember, there are two difficulty settings. When you select one, your helmet will show you the path.”

  “Awesome, let’s go straight to the advanced slope!” exclaimed Zack.

  The boys put on their boots and suddenly their wristbands began to beep. A soft glow surrounded them like another layer of clothing.

  “What is this?” asked Drake as he looked at his hands.

  “That is your force field,” said Ava. “It protects you in case you fall.”

  “We’re not going to fall,” said Zack with a wink. “Right, Drake?”

  The blue Nebulon smiled nervously. “Right. Now, how do we get to the top of the mountain?”

  “Simple!” said Jaxon. “Just say ‘Lift me up, Pat!’ ”

  Jaxon disappeared as soon as he said the words. Zack and Drake stared at each other in disbelief. Then they tried it, and a glittering light beamed around them.

  When the light was gone, Zack and Drake were no longer in the rental center. They stood in the snow on top of the highest mountain.

  Drake gulped as he stared down the steep winding trail. “Wow, the advanced slope is a lot higher than I expected.”

  Ava appeared next to him. “We can switch to the easy slopes if you want.”

  “Don’t worry, Drake. We got this!” Zack said with a smile. His friend’s excitement helped Drake loosen up.

  “All right, be careful!” said Jaxon. “We’ll see you at the bottom!”

  Then Jaxon and Ava leaned forward and a laser snowboard erupted from their solar boots. They effortlessly sped down the trail. As Zack watched them zoom away, he took a deep breath and bent forward too. At first he thought he was going to fall, then his own laser snowboard sparked to life.

  Zack sailed down the mountain. He began to relax as he took in his surroundings. The path was lined with tall, beautiful snow-covered trees, just like in the arcade game. He looked over his shoulder and saw Drake next to him. He gave his friend a quick nod and they both leaned harder against the wind.

  Suddenly warning lights flashed across Zack’s visor. A steep jump was ahead. Zack tried to swerve toward the snow ramp, but it felt like his board was controlling him! Before he knew it, Zack hit the jump and went flying into the air.

  Drake flew out of control right behind him. Their laser snowboards retracted back into their boots before they landed in the soft snow.

  “Owww!” Drake cried out in pain. “My ankle!”

  Zack rushed over to his friend just as a safety alarm sounded. It was Drake’s wristband!

  “Don’t worry. I’m scanning your ankle,” said Pat. A light rippled from Drake’s bracelet. “It looks like a minor sprain. A rescue-bot will be here to help in three, two, one.”

  A bot that looked like a dog came blasting out of the snowy woods. Using its mechanical teeth, the rescue-bot carefully wrapped bandages around Drake’s ankle.

  Then a sled unfolded and Zack helped his friend onto it. “So, that was nothing like yesterday, huh?”

  “Yeah, it is snow wonder we wiped out,” Drake replied with a smile.

  Zack let out a halfhearted laugh as the recue-bot moved forward, escorting them both safely down the mountain. This vacation was definitely not starting on the right foot.

  Chapter 6

  Invisible Lake

  With Drake’s hurt ankle, solar-snowboarding was out of the question. So early the next morning, the kids gathered at Invisible Lake to go hydro-freeze fishing. Lots of other kids were already there, standing by holes on the frozen lake.

  Zack, Drake, Jaxon, Ava, and
the twins looked into the lake. There were robo-fish swimming underneath the ice.

  “This is so grape!” said Zack. “But we won’t fall in, right?”

  “Of course not!” Jaxon cheered. “Invisible Lake is always frozen solid. How is your ankle, Drake?”

  “It is feeling better already,” said Drake. “Plus, this crystal boot helps.”

  “Perfect!” said Ava. “So let me tell you about hydro-freeze fishing. You each have an aqua-line built in to your Pat. Cast it into one of these holes like this.”

  Ava flicked her wrist like she was throwing a yo-yo. A sparkling crystal line sputtered out from her bracelet and landed in the water with a plop.

  “Your aqua-line attracts robo-fish,” explained Jaxon. “When you feel a tug, press the red button to catch it. Each person can catch only one fish.”

  Zack frowned. “Only one fish? Why? I want to catch a million!”

  Jaxon laughed. “It’s a surprise, Zack! I’ll explain more when you have your robo-fish.”

  The kids split up and began fishing. Within seconds, Cathy and Charlotte felt a hard tug on their lines. They pressed their buttons, and two nets with shiny robo-fish rose to the top of the water.

  “Hey! These robo-fish have mirrored scales . . .”

  “. . . and they dance!” exclaimed the twins.

  “Wow, you caught disco fish!” Ava said.