Ryers Readers - Fresh Princess

Episode Date: November 22, 2023

Destiny and her family move to a new city. Destiny finds ways to bring her happy back in her new home!

Let's do this! Thank you so much for tuning into today's story. Don't forget to rate and follow so you never miss out on all the Ryer's Reader's fun. And if you're looking for even more fun, come join me on the Ryer's Reader's Patreon page where you can find ad-free episodes, bonus content, and even become a Ryer's Reader's celebrity. Before we get into the story, do you want to be a Rier's? I want to know a fun fact.

Did you know that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the number one mural capital of the world? A mural is a painting or piece of artwork that is created right onto a wall, ceiling, or another type of permanent structure. Philadelphia is filled with murals. There are over 4,000 pieces of this type of street art, street art all over the city. Pretty cool, huh? Okay, story time. Today we are going to read Fresh Princess by Danine Milner is Destiny. Her dad calls her princess, his fresh princess. Destiny likes a lot of things that princesses like. Poofy dresses and sparkly shoes shiny crowns, her princess throne, and her loyal subjects too.

She also is really good at being really fresh. That means she's brave, has her own style, and is super smart. She shines like a new penny. Most days, being fresh is a good thing. Like when Destiny's big sister Marley teaches her how to double dutch, and destiny jumps and trips and struggles and jumps back in, cool as she pleases, until she's got it licked. Today, Fresh Princess is not feeling fresh at all. That's because her family is moving to a new house, in a new city.

It is far away from everyone she knows and everything she loves. Destiny is not happy about that. Her dad tries to make it all better. That's his thing. Boo-boos get band-aids. Belly aches get soft rubs. Sleepy heads get good night kisses. On this day, getting back to feeling joyful takes way more work.

Her heart will need more to fill in the empty spaces where her happy used to be. She perks up a little bit when she sees her new room. It has potential. She says to herself, she imagines the magnificent cities she'll build there, the fancy luncheons she'll host, and the new throne that will be the centerpiece of her castle. Destiny finds a new favorite place where the daylight greets her every morning, and the stars wink at her each night. She perks up a little bit more when she looks outside.

Listen to the rhymes as the double Dutch rope skips beat across the concrete. Blue bells, cockleshells, EVIV over. The jumpers swing their hips and watch the ropes. And then they take flight. Destiny thinks it might be fun to jump in, but those kids are good, like really good. So for now, she just watches. watches. Her dad wants to help his fresh princess feel at home, so he invites her on a big

adventure. One of his favorite things to do when he was a kid in this neighborhood was to ride the L train. Speeding at the top of the city made me feel like the king of the world, dad says. Let's go see your new kingdom. Madame, your royal carriage. Destiny takes Dad's hand, climbs the steps, and prances down the aisle to her royal seat. She giggles as the train picks up speed, whistling and whirling through West Philadelphia. Along the way, Destiny's dad points out love letters tucked on the building's rooftops and spines. Keep your head to the sky, fresh princess, he says as they roll on by.

Destiny waves and blows kisses as the buildings salute her passing by. She does love what she sees. But still, she aches for home. Back at their new place, the kids are playing double dutch again. One of the girls flashes a smile and invites her to join. Destiny says, no thanks. She's not ready for her public. Not yet.

Maybe soon. Why are you not playing? double dutch, asks Marley. You are just as good a jumper as anyone here, she says with a smile. What if I fall flat on my face? Destiny asks. It wouldn't be the first time, plus you'd get back up. You're the fresh princess. Destiny thinks about this and realizes she can do it. So she grabs her sparkly sneakers and decides to get out there and show them how it's done. Can you jump? asks one of the girls. She says her name is Mari. Destiny gives a slow yes. Come jump with us, says Mari. Mari introduces Destiny to the block. There's Shawnee and

Estée, Zoe and Zion, Miles and two Lila's. Finally, it's her go. Destiny takes her place next to the ropes as the turners swing their arms. Rarella, Justin Yella, what upstairs to kiss her fella. Destiny takes a deep breath, swings her hips to the beat, and, like the brave, fresh princess, jumps in. And the happiness she feels in this very moment, jumping high and free,

surrounded by her new friends, is the freshest, of all. The end. Don't forget to stick around to see if you can answer today's paying attention question. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? What type of jump rope did Destiny play with her new friends? If your answer was Double Dutch, you did it!

Great job! You sure were paying attention! paying attention. I hope you enjoyed that story. I wonder what we're going to read next.