EllRay Jakes Stands Tall

1
ALMOST LIKE B-BALL
“Give it here,” I shout to Jared Matthews. He is hogging the basketball, as usual-not that he really knows how to play.
It is Tuesday afternoon recess on a cool-warm February day that is perfect for running around. Sunshine, wind, and freedom!
My name is EllRay Jakes, and I am eight years old. I am in Ms. Sanchez’s third grade class at Oak Glen Primary School, in Oak Glen, California.
And I’m the shortest kid in class.
All I want is respect, but to get respect you have to be good at something. At home, with neighbor kids and friends, it could be video games and memorizing lists of anime names. But at school, it pretty much has to be sports. For us boys, anyway. And sports means doing stuff.