The Night Librarian
Chapter Four
Before he went to sleep the night of the library adventure, Joseph’s mother and father came into his bedroom. They spoke, and he listened. He was grounded. After school, he was to come home and go straight to his bedroom.
“Great,” he said to himself. “After a bad day at school I can be bored at home.” It was his last thought before falling asleep.
The next morning Joseph got dressed and raised his shade. Looking out of his bedroom window, he saw the library and sighed.
Then he noticed the book.
The Super Sleuth Academy Guide to Becoming a Detective.
Sitting on his nightstand, Joseph knew it had not been there when he fell asleep. It was a library book. Had his parents put it there? he wondered. It seemed unlikely. They were really mad about last night. Joseph flipped through the book, and then put it in his backpack to read later. Barely touching his buttered toast, he put on his coat, strapped on his backpack and walked the two blocks to his school.
* * * * *
“Morning meeting in five minutes,” his teacher chimed. “Make sure you check in on the board.”
In the middle of the room Joseph’s teacher always wrote out what they needed to do before morning meeting. Today it read:
1. Unpack bags.
2. Wash hands.
3. Choose your lunch.
4. Answer the daily question.
5. Choose a book and read.
After doing the first three, Joseph looked at the question.
What mystery do you want to solve?
Was he reading it right? He had a mystery. Who was the woman with the wings at the library, he thought.
“Get out of the way!” a voice barked at him. Joseph felt himself being shoved to the side. A rather large boy picked up the marker and wrote, Who stunk up the bathroom? Then the boy, whose name was Frank, laughed at his own joke.
That’s not a mystery, Joseph thought to himself. Everyone knew Frank himself did it.
After Frank left, Joseph picked up the marker and wrote, Who is the woman with wings at the library? He then found a book and waited for circle.
The teacher will know, he thought. But he was wrong.
