The monastery had a stone wall all around it. Brother Patrick took Jack and Annie through the gate. Beyond the gate was a small church with a hangingbell. There was also a vegetable garden and six stonehuts shaped like giant beehives. We grow all our...
Jack's glasses were wet with mist. He quickly wipedthem, then looked up. A man in a brown robe stood before him. The manhad a round red face. He was bald, except for a fringeof hair around his head. Nearby the rope was tied around a tree. I--I'm not...
Jack opened his eyes. The light was still gray, but the air was evendamper and colder than in Frog Creek. Wow, I'm in a long dress, said Annie. It'sscratchy. Hey, I've got a little purse on my belt. It hasmy library card in it!Jack looked down at his...
Jack opened his eyes. A thin gray light came through his window. Hisclock read 5 A.M. All was quiet. Today we're going to ancient Ireland, he thought,back more than a thousand years. Morgan le Fay had told him that it was a verydangerous time, with V...
Jack opened his eyes. He was wearing his ownclothes and his sneakers. The cloth sack had turnedback into his backpack. Welcome home, Master Librarians, said Morgan. She stood in the tree house, smiling at them. Hi! said Annie. We brought you the anci...
What's going on? said Jack. I don't know, said Annie. But we'd better followit.She hurried after the ball of silk thread. Jack put the bamboo book into his sack and took offafter her. They followed the trail of thread down the row,where it turned dow...
The Dragon King watched the bonfire as it blazedup toward the sky. Around the fire the air was thickand wavy. Bamboo books were stacked beside thefire, waiting to be burned. Hurry! said the scholar. They jumped down from the cart and joined thecrowd...
The oxcart bumped across the wooden bridge thatcrossed over a moat. Then it passed guards standingby giant wooden gates. Are the gates ever closed? Jack asked. Oh, yes, every day at sunset, said the scholar. When the gong sounds, the gates close. The...
It's a book from our country, said Jack. Yourbooks are made of bamboo, but ours are made ofpaper. Actually, your country invented paper. Butlater, in the future.The man looked confused. Never mind, said Annie. It's for reading. It's forlearning about...
Jack and Annie ran around the farmhouse. At theback was an oxcart filled with bags of grain. Therewas no one in sight. The shouting behind them got louder. Jack and Annie looked at each other, then divedinto the back of the wooden cart. They buriedth...