Alex and his brother are hunting for hungry snakes. What could possibly go wrong?
Learning Objective: Students will analyze the relationship between two brothers and how it changes over the course of the story.
Mosquitoes feasting on every inch of exposed, sweaty skin. Alligators and panthers lurking in the tall grass. Zero cell phone service. And somehow, my older brother, Nick, thought that this would be a place where I’d want to spend my Saturday.
Jim McMahon
This story is set in Florida. Check out this map to find where the action takes place!
Had he forgotten that we were complete opposites? He loved rock climbing, deep-sea fishing, and riding roller coasters. I loved all the wonders of air-conditioned life, especially in a library.
Plus, why would I want to hang out with him for hours? All he liked to do was tease me about going to what he called “a school for brainiacs” instead of the neighborhood middle school where he had gone.
“Nope. Not a chance.” I shook my head. “You’re going to have to go catch those pythons without my help.”
“Come on, Alex. This is the first time they’re doing a one-day python roundup in the Everglades.” Nick followed me out of our room. Unfortunately, in our small Miami apartment there wasn’t anyplace to go to avoid someone. “I’ll split any prize money that we might get. It’ll be fun,” he added.
“Fun?” I scoffed. “Not for me . . . or for the pythons that get caught.”
“The pythons are an invasive species. They have to get removed, or else they’ll kill everything else in the ’Glades,” Nick explained.
I grimaced. “Chasing down slithering creatures that are devouring all the other wild animals is not a selling point.”
I cleared off my schoolbooks from the kitchen table so we could have dinner.
“But you won’t have to do much,” Nick persisted. “Freddy, my boss at the camping gear store, has a great way to catch them. We just need someone to ride on top of the truck and spot the snakes. Freddy and I will grab them.”
“And you think riding on TOP of a truck is supposed to make me want to do this?” I shook my head, amazed at how my brother thought about things.
“Pleeeeease. Freddy’s 9-year-old daughter was going to do it but something came up with her dance class. You’re two years older.”
“¿De qué hablan?” Mami asked, bringing over a large pot to the table as Papi joined us in the kitchen.
“Nada. We’re not talking about anything,” I said, taking a seat.
“I’m trying to convince Alex to go with me to the Everglades,” Nick said. “Don’t you think it’d be a good idea, Papi? Get his nose out of a book for once.”
I glared at Nick. It was a low blow to bring our father into it.
Papi chuckled. “That’s not Alex’s kind of thing.”
I clenched my jaw. Papi was right, but I wished he weren’t. He and Nick were always going fishing together down in Key Largo. He never invited me to go with them.
“I think he’s scared,” Nick teased. “Thinks one of those snakes might squeeze him to death.”
“Leave your brother alone,” Mami scolded Nick. She gave me a quick kiss on the top of my head. “You’re my little bookworm,” she whispered. “I know you aren’t afraid. Plus, I don’t like snakes either.”
Her treating me like a little kid made me feel even worse.
“Well, guess what . . . I AM going!” I declared, much to my own surprise.
“Really?!” Nick shouted, an excited look on his face. “Alright! We leave at five in the morning. Everglades pythons . . . here we come!”
I nodded, but I already had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
What had I gotten myself into?
The next morning, it was still dark when Freddy’s pickup truck pulled up near our building. Under the glow of a lamppost, I noticed that there
was some sort of metal platform on the truck’s roof, with metal pipes acting like handrails.
“Whoa,” I said, taking a few steps back. “What’s up with that thing?”
“That’s the observation deck,” Nick said. “From there, you’ll get a better view of where the snakes might be hiding.”
“That does not look safe,” I whispered.
“Don’t worry,” Nick pulled me along by my elbow. “Freddy will drive super-slow, so we don’t scare the pythons.”
I stayed quiet.
Nick turned to face me. “You’re not scared, right? Because you can’t back out now.”
“Who said anything about being scared?” I rolled back my shoulders and marched toward the truck.
“Ready for some fun?” A petite woman smiled at me as I opened the passenger door. “I picked up some croquetas and pastelitos to eat for lunch.”
I glanced back at Nick, confused as to who this woman might be.
“Freddy, this is my little brother, Alex. Alex, this is my boss, Freddy.”
My eyes widened. “You’re Freddy?”
“One and only,” she chuckled. “Fredricka Martin, hunter extraordinaire, at your service . . . but you can call me Freddy.” She wrinkled her nose. “Guess you were expecting some tough guy, huh? It’s good to defy expectations. Not be defined by what others think.”
“I guess,” I mumbled as Nick sat next to me, sandwiching me between him and Freddy.
“Well, you’re in good hands.” She gave me a big smile. “I’ve been going out to the ’Glades since I was a kid like you.”
Somehow, I wasn’t reassured.
By the time the sun peeked over the horizon, we were well into the heart of alligator-panther-python country. I was riding up on the observation deck. It felt like surfing . . . except, instead of waves, I was floating over the dirt road as the truck rolled along at a snail’s pace.
“Anything?” Nick called out, sticking his head out the window.
It had been a few hours since we’d started the hunt. I squinted trying to spot any sign of the snakes along the never-ending river of grass on either side of the road. “Nope. Nada,” I said, answering the same way I had all morning. For an invasive species that was taking over, the pythons sure were good at hiding. “How about we break for lunch? I could use a little—”
Suddenly, the truck lurched forward and came to a full stop. I heard the click-click sound of Freddy trying to start the engine.
“This ain’t good,” Nick muttered.
I climbed down while Freddy opened the truck’s hood. Our phones had no service, and we were stranded.
“You two stay here inside the pickup,” Freddy declared, pulling a bike off the back of the truck. “I’m going to get us some help.”
“Shouldn’t we wait here together?” I suggested.
“Nah, I can handle myself, and you two will be fine as long as you stay inside.” She shook her head before pedaling away. “Guess the pythons got lucky today.”
I stared out the truck’s back window until Freddy disappeared into the horizon. She was gone, and now Nick and I were alone in the middle of nowhere, sitting inside a broken-down truck.
Minutes passed, and neither Nick nor I said anything. My mind began to come up with crazy images of panthers and gators circling the truck, waiting for us to become their next meal.
“Sorry about all this,” Nick muttered, finally breaking the silence. “I shouldn’t have pushed you to do something that you don’t like doing.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said, although secretly I had been blaming him for getting me into this mess. “I’m glad you aren’t out here by yourself.” That part was true.
“Yeah, at least we have . . . LOOK!” Nick pointed to the side of the road.
A huge python was slithering out of the tall grass.
“That thing is huge,” I said, taking a picture of it with my phone. “That one might have won for biggest snake.”
“I think I can sneak up behind it and get it into one of the lockboxes.”
“Are you nuts?” I grabbed him as he slowly opened the truck door. “You can’t do it on your own.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “You volunteering to help?”
That wasn’t what I meant, but I couldn’t let him go out on his own. “Well, yeah. I guess.”
Nick smiled, a twinkle of excitement in his eye. “Let’s trap it.”
Carefully, Nick stepped out of the truck. I was sliding across
the seat to follow him when the snake raised its head and stared straight at us.
Neither Nick nor I moved.
The python froze for a moment, then quickly darted back into the river of grass.
“Darn, she took off.” Nick sighed.
I tried to look disappointed, but I couldn’t have been happier. The last thing I wanted to do was battle a python.
Nick was grinning as he got back into the truck. “And you . . . you were going to go after it with me!”
“Well, I wasn’t going to let you do it alone. I might not be considered brave, but . . .”
“Wait,” Nick interrupted me. “Who thinks that?”
I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me or being serious.
“Who thinks you’re not brave?” he repeated.
“You . . . and um, everyone,” I answered. “It’s pretty obvious. Papi never even asks me to go fishing with him.”
“Oh.” He closed the truck door. “Alex, you know that I think you’re pretty brave for choosing to go to that brainiac school of yours, right? It’s tough to get in and even tougher to do well there.” He shrugged. “I’d never be able to do it. I’m barely passing ninth grade.” Nick looked out at the horizon. “I wish I could be more like you sometimes.”
I had no words. I had never thought of things in that way. Nick always seemed so confident, but suddenly I was seeing him in a new light. It was like meeting Freddy for the first time and realizing that sometimes people aren’t what you expect.
Before I could answer, a car began to honk in the distance. We turned around and saw Freddy waving out of the window of a green sedan. We’d been rescued.
“Hey, about what I just said . . . ” Nick didn’t finish his sentence.
“It’s between us,” I answered.
“Good.” Nick gave me a little nod.
I smiled. “And with that picture I took, we’ll always have proof that both of us are brave python brothers."
Write to Win
Imagine you are Alex or Nick. Write an honest description of your brother, including what you learned about him while searching for pythons and how you feel about him. Send it to “Python Contest” by April 1, 2022. Five winners will each receive a $20 gift card to the Scholastic Store Online. See page 2 for details.
This story was originally published in the February 2022 issue.
Table of Contents
SEL Focus, Close Reading, Critical Thinking
5. Differentiate and Customize
Striving Readers, Advanced Readers, Multilingual Learners
1. Preparing to Read
Engage Students, Preview Vocabulary, and Set a Purpose for Reading
2. Reading and Discussing
First Read: Get to Know the Text (20 minutes)
Have students read the story independently. They can also listen to the Immersive Read-Aloud in which the author, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, reads the story with music and sound effects.
Second Read: Unpack the Text (30 minutes)
SEL Focus
Communication
In this story, Alex and Nick’s relationship changes when they communicate openly with each other. Discuss with students how Alex thought Nick felt about him before the trip, and what Alex learned about how Nick actually felt. Then ask students: Why do you think Nick hadn’t previously told Alex how he felt? How did Nick sharing his feelings help both brothers? Ask students to consider whether they’ve told the special people around them what they value about them.
Close-Reading Questions
.Critical-Thinking Question
Near the end of the story, Alex suddenly realizes Nick is different than he thought. What new side of Nick does he see? What lesson does he learn from the experience? (how characters interact/theme) Alex had always thought Nick was confident and brave. But when Nick confides that he wishes he could be more like Alex and succeed in school, Alex realizes Nick also sometimes feels unsure of himself. As Alex felt overshadowed by Nick’s adventurousness, Nick feels overshadowed by Alex’s intelligence. Alex learns that “sometimes people aren’t what you expect” and that the assumptions we make about people can be wrong.
3. Skill Building and Writing
4. Collaboration Station
Discuss Character Traits
Differentiate and Customize
To help make this story accessible, have students listen to the Immersive Read-Aloud as a first read. Then work together to create a list of the sequence of events in this story. The list might include: Nick asks Alex to go on a python roundup; Alex agrees to go, even though he’s scared; Freddy picks the brothers up in a truck, and Alex rides on the observation deck; the truck breaks down; Nick and Alex spot a giant python and try to catch it; the python gets away; Nick tells Alex he thinks he’s brave; Alex realizes Nick isn’t what he had thought.
For your advanced readers, pair this story with our March/April 2020 paired texts, “The Snake That’s Eating Florida” and “Tracking Pythons.” Then ask them to make a short presentation to the class, based on what they read, to explain why the one-day python roundup that Alex and Nick attend in the story is important.
This story uses some colloquial and idiomatic words and phrases that might be unfamiliar to multilingual learners. As you read the story with students, pause to make sure they understand these expressions: brainiacs (p. 11): smart people; a selling point (p. 11): a feature that can make you want to do something; bookworm (p. 12): someone who loves to read; in the middle of nowhere (p. 13): a deserted place where nothing is around; “Are you nuts?” (p. 13): Are you crazy?; in a new light (p. 14): in a new, different way.
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Did you know female pythons can lay up to 100 eggs at a time? Learn more about these amazing animals in this short article from San Diego Zoo Kids.
Explore Everglades National Park and meet the other animals that live there including panthers, alligators, and more in this video from National Geographic. (Note: The video begins with a short ad.)
By the end of the story, Alex realizes that being brave can mean different things to different people. This article from KidsHealth will help your students understand that everyone is afraid of something, and fear is nothing to be ashamed of.
