The Case of the Library Monster (2 page)

Are more willing to read out loud in class

Start doing better in other subjects, too

I feel very good about myself when I hear humans say that.

But there’s something Mom, Mrs. Warner, and Mrs. Christie don’t know about me:

I don’t know how to read!

When kids read to me, I don’t know if they’re getting all the words right. So I just listen. And look at the pictures. Sometimes the pictures tell me if the words are right.

Jemma reads, “empty yellow buses cross the town.”

Hmm. I
think
those are yellow buses in that picture. Some colors are hard for me to see. The buses look empty. Unless there are ghosts inside them? And the buses look like they’re crossing the town. I think Jemma read those words right.

“You’re so smart!” I tell Jemma, licking her cheek. Mmm. Peanut butter! I LOVE peanut butter. It’s my favorite food!

Jemma giggles. “Don’t lick me!” She wipes her cheek with her arm, then points to the book in her lap. “Just listen to the story.”

“Okay.” I rest my chin on her knee.

I like this book. It’s all about school buses and what interesting lives they have driving around town, going this way, going that way. It would be fun to be a school bus, I think.

All of a sudden, I hear a strange rustling sound. It’s coming from those bookshelves over there.

I raise my head and watch as a book on the bottom shelf slowly slides out of place. Then the book next to it slides out, too. Those books are moving all by themselves.

Maybe there really is a ghost in this school?

Sniff ... sniff ... sniff. There’s a strange smell coming from those shelves. Something I’ve never smelled before. Is this what ghosts smell like?

“Okay, Jemma,” Mrs. Christie says to the girl who’s reading to me. “It’s time to go back to your class.”

“Awww,” Jemma groans. “Can’t I stay a little longer? I’m almost done with my book.”

“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Christie says. “We have a special visitor coming this morning, so we need to stop.”

“Who’s the special visitor?” Jemma asks.

“Bob, the Reptile Guy,” Mrs. Christie replies. “He’ll be here any minute, so I have to help Mrs. Warner set up for his visit. And Buddy needs to go back to Mrs. Keene’s office.”

Yes, but before I go back to the office, I need to find out if there’s a ghost hiding in those bookshelves.

Jemma closes her book. “Can I do a trick with Buddy before I go?”

“A quick one,” Mrs. Christie says. “Why don’t you give him a high five.”

I lift my paw and high-five Jemma. Then I yank my leash out of Mrs. Christie’s grip and hightail it over to the bookshelves, my leash dragging behind me.

Sniff ... sniff ... sniff ...

Whatever is over there, it’s on the bottom shelf. Behind all those books.

I paw at the books until they drop to the floor and
WHOA!
That’s not a ghost hiding in there. It’s a MONSTER. A strange, creepy-looking monster!

For a monster, he’s not very big. In fact, he’s way smaller than I am. And he doesn’t have any fur. He has short, stubby legs with fingers and toes, scaly skin, and a long, skinny, BLUE tongue! I’ve never met anyone with a tongue like that before.

“Who are you?” I ask, sniffing him. “
What
are you? Where did you come from?”

He stares at me with round little eyes. Man, he smells strange! Sort of like sand ... and lettuce ... but something else, too.

I notice an open window at the end of the aisle. “Did you crawl in through the window?” I ask.

The monster scurries back behind the books.

“Hey!” I say. More books fall to the floor. “I’m talking to you!”

But that monster is FAST! I climb over the books and stick my head under the shelf so I can see him.
He’s climbing up the inside of the shelves!

“Where are you going?” I ask him. “You can’t hide in our bookshelves. Mrs. Warner wouldn’t like it.”

I hear footsteps behind me. “What are you barking at, Buddy?” Mrs. Christie asks.

More footsteps. And another voice: “WHAT ARE ALL THOSE BOOKS DOING ON THE FLOOR?”

Uh-oh. That’s Mrs. Argus. She’s a teacher here. For some reason, she doesn’t like me very much.

“I keep telling Mrs. Keene that dogs don’t belong in school.” Mrs. Argus scowls at the books that are scattered around my feet.

Two or five kids peer around her. I can tell they think I’m a Bad Dog.

“It’s not what you think,” I tell them. “There’s a
monster
hiding in the bookshelves!”

Mrs. Christie smiles. “I wonder if Buddy’s found our mouse,” she says.

“Mouse!” Mrs. Argus leaps back. I don’t think she likes mice any more than she likes me.

“It’s not a mouse,” I say. “It’s a monster. A real, live, blue-tongued monster! He’s hiding behind the books. Let me try and get him to come out.” I scratch at the books and a few more come tumbling down.

“Okay, okay, Buddy,” Mrs. Christie says, grabbing my leash. She bends down and peers between the shelves.

“Do you see him?” I ask, wagging my tail. “Look up between the shelves! That’s where he went!”

“Hello?” I hear a man’s voice behind me. “Do you ladies work here?”

I turn. Hey, who’s
that
guy? Sniff ... sniff ... and what’s inside those cases he’s carrying?

Mrs. Christie stands up. “You must be Bob, the Reptile Guy,” she says. “I’m Mrs. Christie.”

What’s a reptile guy? I wonder.

I walk all around him, sniffing him up and down. I thought that monster smelled strange. This guy, and the stuff he’s carrying, smells even stranger. Like sand, sticks, water, hot light bulbs, and something else. Something
alive
. There’s something alive in
both
of his cases.

The man sets one of the cases on the floor and shakes Mrs. Christie’s hand. “Yes, I’m Bob,” he says. He offers his hand to Mrs. Argus, too, and she shakes it, but I can tell she doesn’t want to.

“We’re so happy to have you here,” Mrs. Christie says. “Let me introduce you to Mrs. Warner and she can show you where to set up.” She leads me and the reptile guy back to the storytime area.

“Uh ... what about the monster?” I ask. We don’t want a strange monster running around loose in the library, do we?

Of course, I also want to know what’s inside those cases. They smell so ... interesting!

I sniff the case on the floor. I hear a soft “sssss” sound inside. What is that?

Sniff ... sniff ... Is there a
snake
in that case? I’ve smelled snakes before, but I’ve never actually met one. They always slither away before I can meet them. I hope I can meet this one!

“I have quite a bit more to carry in,” Bob says. “Why don’t I go get everything else out of my van and then you can introduce me to Mrs. Warner.”

Mrs. Warner is talking to a group of kids over by the computers, but she hurries over before Bob can leave.

“I’m Mrs. Warner,” she says, holding out her hand. “You must be Bob. Thank you for coming today.”

Bob shakes her hand. “My pleasure,” he says.

“Mrs. Christie, would you help Mrs. Argus’s class find some books?” Mrs. Warner asks. “I’ll take Bob to the office to meet Mrs. Keene.” She turns to Bob. “While we’re there, we’ll page Mr. Poe. He can help you bring your things in.”

“Okay,” Bob nods.

“Do you want to take Buddy to the office with you?” Mrs. Christie asks.

“Sure.” Mrs. Warner reaches for my leash.

I groan. I don’t want to go back to the office. I want to meet the snake. I want to meet whoever’s inside the other case. And I still have to find the monster that’s hiding in the bookshelves. I don’t think Mrs. Warner even knows there’s a monster loose in her library.

“Come on, Buddy,” Mrs. Warner says. “No pulling on the leash.”

“But ... but,” I say. But it’s no use. Mrs. Warner and the reptile guy walk me to the office.

I sit on my pillow and watch long lines of kids troop past the office. I smell excitement in the air. Those kids must be going someplace fun.

“Stay here, Buddy,” Mom says from her desk. “Lie back down on your pillow.”

I sigh and lie down. I bet those kids are going to the library. I bet they’re going to meet Bob, the Reptile Guy, his snake, and whatever else he brought. Maybe they’ll even see the monster.

I hate that there are interesting things going on in this school without me.

If I listen hard, I can hear kids laughing and clapping and oohing and aahing in the distance. I wish I knew what they were laughing and clapping and oohing and aahing about.

After ten or twenty hours, Mom stands up. She grabs my leash. Oh, boy! I wag my tail. We’re going somewhere!

“Ellie?” Mom says to the lady in the main office outside Mom’s office. “I’m going to the library. I’d like to catch the end of the reptile presentation.”

Oh, boy! The library! I’ll get to meet that snake after all.

“Okay,” Ellie says. “Do you want to leave Buddy here with me while you go?”

What? NO!

“You don’t mind?” Mom asks.

“Not at all,” Ellie replies. “Buddy and I are good friends. Would you like a treat, Buddy?”

Treat? I swivel around so I’m facing Ellie. She tosses me a liver treat and I catch it in my mouth. I LOVE liver treats. They’re my favorite food!