The Sock Thief

Felipe sets out for school carrying a backpack full of mangos and a plan to make a soccer ball. Along the way, he takes pairs of socks from lines and windows, leaving a mango in exchange. He packs newspaper into the first pair and then adds each new pair around it until he has made a ball for playing with his friends before, during, and after school. An author’s note connects the story to the author’s Brazilian father’s childhood and to sock balls used in Brazilian street soccer.