Help Me Get This Bike: Chapter 1
A Math Curriculum Hidden in a Middle Grade Chapter Book. For Children Ages 5-9
Dear Parents and Grandparents,
Remember when your child couldn't stop talking about Harry Potter? They probably memorized every magical spell, from "wingardium leviosa" to "expelliarmus." That's the magic of storytelling—children naturally absorb what captures their imagination.
Now, imagine harnessing that same enthusiasm to teach real-world skills. That's exactly what "Help Me Get This Bike!" does. It's a chapter book that weaves practical math concepts into an engaging story about a determined 9-year-old named Hudson and his quest to buy his dream bicycle.
Think of it as "stealth learning"—your child will be so invested in Hudson's journey that they won't even realize they're developing essential math skills along the way.
Each chapter includes an interactive game called "Are You Smarter than Mr. Fluffbutt?"(a grumpy cat you’ll meet later)—a clever way to reinforce the math concepts while keeping your child thoroughly entertained.
Chapter 1 Instructions
Chapter 1 focuses primarily on fun and engagement. Our goal is to make this the highlight of your child's weekend reading while laying the groundwork for their learning journey.
Don’t worry, your children will be filling out profit and loss statements before you know it (seriously). Here’s a preview of Week 4!
This is week 1. Just have fun! Don’t tell your kids this is a math curriculum. Just read them the story and then play “Are You Smarter than Mr. Fluffbutt?” ENJOY!
Chapter 1 - Help Me Get This Bike!
Hi there, my name is Hudson. I’m a 9-year-old kid from Lake Bluff. I’m pretty normal; I like joking around with my mom and dad. I try to do well in school, but it’s really hard because some of the classes are so boring! I love animals—every time I see a dog, I have to pet it, if it’s safe, of course.
I have tons of special skills and talents. I’m a green belt in Tae Kwon Do. I build enormous houses in Minecraft, and I can make one of my eyes go cross-eyed just like my mom.
My life is pretty good except for one huge problem. I’m walking home from school right now, and I took the long way home. I take the long way home everyday. Why would I take the long way home you ask? So I can walk by the Bike Shop of course and see my beloved red bike of course!
I need to have this bike. I must have this bike. Look at it! Isn’t she beautiful? The tires, the shiny red frame, the rubber handlebars.
When I get this bike, my life will be complete. With this bike, I’ll be able to get to school at light speed!
And when I get to school, everyone there will think that I am literally the coolest person who has ever lived.
On weekends, I’ll take this bike and jump over Mount Cruz.
Why don’t I own this bike, you ask? If it’s so important to me, why is it not in my possession right now?
It costs $500—that’s why! Is my shirt made of money? No. Does money grow out of my head? No. Will my parents give me the money for the bike? No. They somehow think I’ll be able to earn $500 and buy the bike for myself.
Me, earn $500? Yeah right! I don’t think so. I’m a kid! Kids don’t have $500! We have weird haircuts and try not to smell bad.
Goodbye, bike. I love you. Maybe one day I’ll win the lottery, and we can finally be complete.
Oh, well, back to reality.
I was about to arrive home and start my homework when my neighbor, Miss Meyers, asked if I could cat-sit her cat, Mr. Fluffbutt, for an hour. Miss Meyers needed to run out and didn’t want the cat to be alone.
I quickly popped my head inside and asked my mom if I could do my homework while watching Mr. Fluffbutt. She said that was a great idea.
So, I walked next door, and Miss Meyers gave me instructions for watching Mr. Fluffbutt. She said, “That’s Mr. Fluffbutt’s favorite perch. He always goes up there when new people are over. Mr. Fluffbutt is not a very friendly cat, so don’t be surprised if he stays up on that perch the whole time.”
Then she said she’d be back in an hour and that I was welcome to eat anything in the refrigerator. Awesome!
As I was doing my homework, the weirdest thing happened! I was humming my favorite song as I wrote down my answers, and guess what? Mr. Fluffbutt liked my song! He came off his perch, stretched out his back, and then he came over and sat in my lap.
I couldn’t believe it. Is there anything better than a cat sitting in your lap while doing homework? I don’t think so.
Then something else crazy happened. Miss Meyers got home and said she was really impressed that Mr. Fluffbutt was sitting in my lap. She gave me $10 for cat-sitting.
I tried to give her the money back—I didn’t cat-sit for the money—but she insisted. So now, I have $10 in my pocket!
And that’s not all—she asked if I could come back every day this week, Monday to Friday, to watch Mr. Fluffbutt since he seems to like me so much.
I said I would have to ask my parents, but I shook Miss Meyers’ hand and went home. What an epic afternoon!
Before long, it was time for dinner. It’s my family’s tradition to go around and ask each other what our favorite part of the day was. Mom always says it helps us remember the good stuff, even on tough days.
"I'll start!" Mom said, twirling her fork in her mashed potatoes. "My favorite part was discovering this amazing cherry blossom tree during my lunch break walk. The petals were falling like pink snow!"
Dad grinned. "Mine was definitely beating Jerry at pool after work. First time in three weeks!" Then he turned to me with a knowing smile. "And let me guess, Hudson... another dreamy visit to your favorite bike shop?"
“Actually no!” I explained. “My favorite part of the day was when Mr. Fluffbutt sat on my lap when I was cat-sitting him. And guess what? Miss Meyers paid me $10, and she wants me to come back every day this week!”
"Whoa there, moneybags! That's great!" my dad joked. "Sounds like you made a new friend today!"
"I really did!" I said as I finished my chicken dinner. "Mr. Fluffbutt is actually super nice once you get to know him."
After dinner, I put my plate in the dishwasher, brushed my teeth, and went up to my bedroom. As my parents tucked me in, I couldn't help but smile thinking about my unexpected afternoon. Who would have thought a grumpy cat would turn out to be such good company?
As I lay in bed, I wondered what Mr. Fluffbutt was doing right now. Probably curled up in his favorite spot on that perch, or maybe dreaming about whatever cats dream about. Funny thing about thinking of sleeping cats—it made me feel sleepy too. Before I knew it, I was drifting off, dreaming about red bikes and purring cats.
Goodnight!
Wait there just one second. It’s me, Mr. Fluffbutt, the meanest, crankiest, fluffiest cat in Lake Bluff.
Did you know I’m really smart? Much smarter than any stinky kid. I may look like a normal white cat, but I’m secretly a genius!
WHAT YOU THINK YOU’RE SMARTER THAN ME? Prove it?
Thank you for reading “Help Me Get This Bike!” It was produced by Learn Through Stories!
Wish I’d had math stories when I was a kid!