Teaser TWOsday ~ Recycled Reads

Two teasers on TWOsday from The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet by Tony Abbott, 1999, children's chapter book.

(#1)  "Thginot Dekcatta Eb Lliw Frodnefroz" (p. 30).

(#2)  "Neal started running along the path.  He rushed into a clearing.  And he bumped his nose on something that wasn't there" (p. 31).

"The Secrets of Droon" is a fantasy book series by Tony Abbott with illustrations by Tim Jessel that's aimed at elementary school-age children.  The princess in the book is ten years old.

Underneath the steps leading down to Eric’s basement is a hidden storage space.  It’s dusty and old — nothing special  at all.  But when Eric, Julie, and Neal all huddle inside the gray room together, something unbelievable happens.  A glittering light and then a rainbow-colored staircase appear.  And as the kids take their very first step down to the mysterious land of Droon, they know that only magic and adventure await them!

Here's the story of how I came to have this book in my hands.

I was shelving books in the small library in the Crown Center, which is a "senior living" facility.  In other words, we're all old folks who live here.  Yet there on the counter was this small book someone had left there among books to be shelved.  For starters, we don't have a children's section, obviously.  I noticed a big sticker covering the author's name.

It's similar to this one I found on the St. Louis County Library website.

SLCL is excited to introduce Recycled Reads.  The program takes surplus library materials and gives them another life by circulating them throughout the community, encouraging people to read while they wait.  Displays will be set up at over 60 locations throughout St. Louis County where people typically spend time waiting including laundromats, hair/nail salons, health care providers, auto care shops, and more.  A complete list of Recycled Reads locations is below.  No library card will be required to borrow the materials. There are no fines or due dates. Individuals are asked to return the items whenever they’re finished to the original locale.

The actual sticker on this book says:  "Return it to any SLCL location or Recycled Reads site."  So I plan to take it to my Mid-County branch the next time I go.  What a great idea, huh?  Oh, by the way!  Did you figure out the secret code in the #1 teaser above?  It's easy to do if you're ten years old.  Simply spell everything backwards, and "Thginot Dekcatta Eb Lliw Frodnefroz" ... becomes ... "Zorfendorf will be attacked tonight."