Dragon Keepers #3: The Dragon in the Library by Kate Klimo Page A
Authors: Kate Klimo
Tags: Fiction, General, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Cousins, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Language Arts & Disciplines, Animals, Children: Grades 4-6, Dragons, Mythical, Body; Mind & Spirit, Animals - Mythical, Magick Studies, Books & Libraries, Libraries, Library & Information Science
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"Ooooooh!" of approval.
Jesse held up a hand to show they were not finished yet. "Okay, Emmy, now find the doggie book," he said.
Emmy poked her nose inside the backpack and pulled out Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life .
"Thanks, Em. Now show us how you can read the doggie book...all by yourself." Jesse looked around at the crowd. "She can read. She really can. She taught herself."
Emmy set the book on the floor. Then, nosing it open to the first page, she began to bark in a rhythm that sounded remarkably like the opening paragraph of Maurice Sendak's famous book.
While the kids, pets, and the two librarians
78
stood around and listened, Daisy moved closer to Jesse and spoke to him out of the corner of her mouth. "So. Did you break through to the other side?"
Jesse shook his head and said, "That girl with the snake cornered me. I think she was hoping I'd be scared, but I told her I used to own an African rock python twice as long when we lived in Africa. She let me hold him. He's pretty nice. His name is Slick. You should check him out."
"No, thanks," Daisy said. "The only thing I want to check out is the book on the historic homes of Goldmine City."
"At the rate we're going, we're going to have to wait until everyone's asleep later tonight," said Jesse.
Just then, the crowd in the library burst into loud applause.
Daisy looked around. "What's going on? Why is everyone clapping?" she asked.
"They're clapping because our dog knows how to read," Jesse said.
Daisy shook her head slowly and sighed. "If they only knew what other tricks she can do!"
79
Chapter 5 CHAPTER FIVE DRAGON HEAVEN
Emmy lifted her head from the book with a look of becoming modesty. But the look she shot Jesse said something more like When can we get out of here and spring the professor from that dame's dungeon?
"That was great, girl!" Jesse said, kneeling and
80
burying his nose in Emmy's fur, which still bore the faintest scent of hot chili peppers.
Daisy whispered, "Don't you think you got a little carried away?"
Jesse spoke through clenched teeth. "Nobody calls our dog dumb and gets away with it."
Mr. Stenson clapped his hands loudly. "Okay, kids. Now, did everybody follow the rules and feed your pets their dinner before you came tonight?"
"I fed mine crickets," a boy said.
"I fed mine a live rat," the little girl with the python said.
"I fed mine mealworms!" someone else said.
"Okay, okay, kids, thanks for sharing," said Mr. Stenson, holding up his hands. "I'm glad your pets all have full tummies, because we humans are about to fill ours, and no begging pets are allowed in this library tonight."
Mrs. Thackeray, the Library Goddess, dealt out paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils as everybody lined up and filed past the food table, piling their plates high with the various pet-inspired dishes.
They had finished eating and had stuffed their dirty plates into the big plastic garbage bag when Mr. Stenson directed them to arrange their sleeping bags in a circle on the floor. Jesse and Daisy took
81
care to situate themselves on the outermost edge of the circle, closest to the adult section. Mr. Stenson and Mrs. Thackeray had placed their sleeping bags in the middle of the circle next to a large electric lantern that Mr. Stenson had enthusiastically designated as their campfire.
After they had all lined up to brush their teeth and wash their faces in the library lavatory, it was story time. Mr. Stenson invited them, one by one, to come into the center of the circle and read aloud a few pages from the story they had chosen.
Jesse sat cross-legged on top of his sleeping bag and held the Sendak book to his chest, waiting for his turn to read. Jesse might be shy, but he was a much better public reader than Daisy. For some reason not even she understood, Daisy's voice just disappeared when she had to read aloud. Emmy burrowed into Daisy's sleeping bag and turned around with her nose poking out the top. Daisy
Jesse held up a hand to show they were not finished yet. "Okay, Emmy, now find the doggie book," he said.
Emmy poked her nose inside the backpack and pulled out Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life .
"Thanks, Em. Now show us how you can read the doggie book...all by yourself." Jesse looked around at the crowd. "She can read. She really can. She taught herself."
Emmy set the book on the floor. Then, nosing it open to the first page, she began to bark in a rhythm that sounded remarkably like the opening paragraph of Maurice Sendak's famous book.
While the kids, pets, and the two librarians
78
stood around and listened, Daisy moved closer to Jesse and spoke to him out of the corner of her mouth. "So. Did you break through to the other side?"
Jesse shook his head and said, "That girl with the snake cornered me. I think she was hoping I'd be scared, but I told her I used to own an African rock python twice as long when we lived in Africa. She let me hold him. He's pretty nice. His name is Slick. You should check him out."
"No, thanks," Daisy said. "The only thing I want to check out is the book on the historic homes of Goldmine City."
"At the rate we're going, we're going to have to wait until everyone's asleep later tonight," said Jesse.
Just then, the crowd in the library burst into loud applause.
Daisy looked around. "What's going on? Why is everyone clapping?" she asked.
"They're clapping because our dog knows how to read," Jesse said.
Daisy shook her head slowly and sighed. "If they only knew what other tricks she can do!"
79
Chapter 5 CHAPTER FIVE DRAGON HEAVEN
Emmy lifted her head from the book with a look of becoming modesty. But the look she shot Jesse said something more like When can we get out of here and spring the professor from that dame's dungeon?
"That was great, girl!" Jesse said, kneeling and
80
burying his nose in Emmy's fur, which still bore the faintest scent of hot chili peppers.
Daisy whispered, "Don't you think you got a little carried away?"
Jesse spoke through clenched teeth. "Nobody calls our dog dumb and gets away with it."
Mr. Stenson clapped his hands loudly. "Okay, kids. Now, did everybody follow the rules and feed your pets their dinner before you came tonight?"
"I fed mine crickets," a boy said.
"I fed mine a live rat," the little girl with the python said.
"I fed mine mealworms!" someone else said.
"Okay, okay, kids, thanks for sharing," said Mr. Stenson, holding up his hands. "I'm glad your pets all have full tummies, because we humans are about to fill ours, and no begging pets are allowed in this library tonight."
Mrs. Thackeray, the Library Goddess, dealt out paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils as everybody lined up and filed past the food table, piling their plates high with the various pet-inspired dishes.
They had finished eating and had stuffed their dirty plates into the big plastic garbage bag when Mr. Stenson directed them to arrange their sleeping bags in a circle on the floor. Jesse and Daisy took
81
care to situate themselves on the outermost edge of the circle, closest to the adult section. Mr. Stenson and Mrs. Thackeray had placed their sleeping bags in the middle of the circle next to a large electric lantern that Mr. Stenson had enthusiastically designated as their campfire.
After they had all lined up to brush their teeth and wash their faces in the library lavatory, it was story time. Mr. Stenson invited them, one by one, to come into the center of the circle and read aloud a few pages from the story they had chosen.
Jesse sat cross-legged on top of his sleeping bag and held the Sendak book to his chest, waiting for his turn to read. Jesse might be shy, but he was a much better public reader than Daisy. For some reason not even she understood, Daisy's voice just disappeared when she had to read aloud. Emmy burrowed into Daisy's sleeping bag and turned around with her nose poking out the top. Daisy
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