Hello there! Welcome to a fun story adventure with Storyline Online. Today, we’re going to talk about a special story called “Henry Holton Takes the Ice.” It’s written by Sandra Bradley and has beautiful pictures by Sarah Palacios. Let’s dive into the story of Henry and his exciting journey!
Henry Holton comes from a family that loves hockey. His dad, mom, grandpa, uncle, and even his big sister Sally all play hockey. Even their dog, Gretzky, gets dressed up in hockey gear! The only one who doesn’t play is Henry’s grandma, but that’s because she hurt her hip. Before that, she was a super hockey player too!
When Henry was born, everyone thought he would be a great hockey player. He even started skating when he was very little. But when Henry tried to play hockey with a stick, it just didn’t feel right. Instead, Henry loved to glide and dance on the ice, twisting and turning in fun ways.
One day, Henry saw something amazing at the ice rink. Skaters were dancing on the ice without hockey sticks! They were spinning and twirling like colorful kites. Henry was so excited and wanted to try it too. He learned these skates were called figure skates, and they had special picks on the front.
Henry really wanted to try figure skating, but his family wasn’t sure. They were a hockey family, after all. But Henry’s grandma had a surprise for him. She used to be a figure skater too! She gave Henry her old skates, and he was thrilled to try them out.
With his grandma’s skates, Henry felt like he was flying on the ice. He practiced and practiced, and even though it took him many tries, he finally learned to spin and dance just like the skaters he admired. His family saw how happy it made him, and they supported his new passion.
Henry’s story teaches us something important: always follow your heart. Even if others want you to do something else, doing what makes you happy is the best choice. Just like Henry, we all have something special inside us, and it’s important to find it and let it shine!
Thank you for joining this story adventure with us! Remember, there are many more stories to discover. Keep reading and exploring new worlds through books. Who knows what exciting things you’ll learn next?
Ice Skating Exploration: If possible, visit a local ice rink with your family. Watch the different types of skaters on the ice. Can you spot the difference between hockey skaters and figure skaters? Try to notice how they move differently. If you get a chance to skate, try gliding like Henry and see how it feels to move on the ice!
Create Your Own Skating Routine: At home, pretend you are on the ice. Use a smooth floor or a carpet to practice your moves. Can you create a short dance routine with spins and glides like Henry? Show your routine to your family and see if they can guess which moves are inspired by figure skating.
Family Talent Show: Just like Henry found his special talent, think about something you love to do. It could be drawing, singing, or even building with blocks. Organize a small talent show at home where each family member can share their special talent. Remember to cheer for each other and celebrate everyone’s unique abilities!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi! Welcome to Storyline Online brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I’m Ray Romano, and I’m going to be reading “Henry Holton Takes the Ice,” written by Sandra Bradley and illustrated by Sarah Palacios.
Henry Holton’s dad played hockey. So did his mom, his grandfather, his uncle, all twenty-three of his cousins, and his big sister, Sally. The only person in Henry’s family who didn’t play hockey was his grandmother, and that was because she’d hurt her hip. Before that, she was voted MVP in the Silver Skates League six years running. Henry’s family was very enthusiastic about hockey. They were so passionate that Henry’s mom drove a Zamboni to work, and on Saturdays, Sally dressed their dog, Gretzky, in full hockey gear and put him in goal.
So when Henry was born, there was only one question: LEFT WING or RIGHT WING? “Either way,” said Dad, “by the time he’s five, he’ll be a pro!” As a baby, Henry teethed on hockey pucks, and the moment he could toddle, his parents bought him a pair of skates. And away he went. Henry glided effortlessly across the ice. He swished, swooshed, and swaggered. He didn’t even need to hold his dad’s hand. “Henry Holton, you beauty!” Grandma cheered from the bleachers. “You are going to make one fine hockey player!”
But when Dad handed Henry a stick, something didn’t feel right. Suddenly, Henry’s feet were in a muddle. By the time Henry was seven, he skated better than any Holton in history. But still, he wouldn’t – couldn’t – hold a stick. And skating straight up and down the rink was downright boring. Instead, Henry twisted and turned, weaved and wound. He swayed and shuffled and shimmied. Henry’s parents were devastated. His sister was furious. Henry was a disruption to hockey. “Henry Holton, out of the way!” Sally yelled. “You’re ruining our game!”
And then, one day, it happened. Henry arrived at the rink for free skate, and there he spied a poster on the front door. Henry asked his mom if they could go. “Well,” she said, “it’s not hockey…” But they went anyway. Henry sat in the bleachers, mouth open, heart pounding. The skaters below were like kites – brightly colored kites, swirling and twirling in the wind. There were no sticks, no pucks, no helmets or pads. Only bodies moving with the music. One little girl, the same size as Henry, dashed down the ice, spun like a top, and finished with one foot high in the air. It was magic.
And the magic gave Henry an idea that had absolutely nothing to do with hockey. “Their skates are different,” Henry said to his mom. “Figure skates,” Mom explained. “They have picks on the front of the blades.” “That’s it!” said Henry. “I NEED PICKS ON THE FRONT OF MY BLADES!” “Hmmm,” said Mom. “Let’s talk to your father.” But when they did, Henry’s dad shook his head. “No way!” he said. “We’re a hockey family, Henry… a HOCKEY FAMILY! You don’t need new skates! You’ve got top-of-the-line Junior Pros!” “But, Dad,” said Henry. “Pros don’t have picks!” “Ice dancing is for girls,” Sally chimed in. Henry thought about that. “I don’t think so,” he said. “There were lots of boys there tonight…” But nobody would listen. Deep in the bottom of his stomach, Henry felt a lump the size of a hockey puck. And for weeks, he benched himself. His top-of-the-line Junior Pros stayed in their bag, skate guards on. He would not skate again until he had picks.
“But, Henry,” said Mom, “you need to skate! It’s good for you.” “I need to dance,” Henry corrected. Then, one day, Grandma came to visit. “What would it take,” she asked, “to get you back on the ice?” “I’m not a hockey player,” said Henry. “I wasn’t made for boarding and body checking.” Grandma reached into her purse and pulled out a photo. “Here. I’ve brought something to show you.” Henry leaned close and peered at the faded picture. “Wow!” Henry whispered. “Who is she?” “Who do you think?” And suddenly Henry knew. “You were a figure skater, Grandma?” “Yes, a long time ago. But when I finally picked up the lumber and landed the biscuit in the five-hole with a mighty slap shot, well… the picks just had to go.”
Henry could scarcely breathe. “Do you still have the skates?” That night, Grandma met Henry at the rink, just as they had planned. She handed him the scuffed-up skates. They weren’t meant for a boy and they were a few sizes too big, but they had picks! And Henry had come prepared. He’d brought three pairs of wool socks plus all the money from his piggy bank to have the skates sharpened. When he stepped out on the ice, Henry’s feet felt wobbly. But he stood up straight and he skated. It wasn’t his usual skating, and it was far from dancing, but it felt… right.
“Out of the way!” Sally yelled. Henry ignored her. Henry ignored everything. Except for the music and except for his feet. When the bell rang for the end of free skate, Henry ignored that, too. Finally, the man who ran the rink blew his whistle three times and dragged Henry off the ice. Henry’s dad was waiting. “Dad!” said Henry. “Did you see that?” “Yes, Henry,” said Dad. “Yes, I did.” The next day, when Dad got home from work, he was carrying a brand-new pair of boys’ figure skates. They fit Henry perfectly. When they got to the rink, a man was waiting on the ice. He wore black skates just like Henry’s, and he smiled when he shook Henry’s hand. “Henry,” said Dad, “this is your coach. He’ll teach you all you need to know.”
It took Henry sixty-nine tries before he could dash down the ice, spin like a top, and finish with one foot high in the air. On the sixty-ninth try, Grandma was sitting in the bleachers. “Henry Holton, you beauty!” she hollered. “I knew you’d make one fine ice dancer!”
The End.
I really love this book! This is one of my favorite books, and you know why? Because I think everybody has a little bit of Henry in them. I think Henry is a kid who followed his heart. People wanted him to do one thing, and he felt he wanted to do another, and when he did it, he was happy. And I think that’s what all of us can learn from this book: follow your heart. It doesn’t matter what people think you should do or want you to do; you should do what makes you happy. And that’s what’s good about reading books: you can always find a little bit of yourself in there, and it could always teach you something and show you a way to just be a happy person. And that’s all any of us want.
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