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...
Jack and Annie kept walking across the pasturetoward the road. Annie stopped when they neared thefarmhouse. We have to find the silk weaver and give her themessage, she said. Let's do that on our way back, said Jack. I'mworried about finding the Impe...
Oh, wow, Annie said. These clothes feel so soft. And look, I have a pocket for my secret library card.Jack opened his eyes. Their clothes had magicallychanged. They no longer wore jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. Instead, they had on baggy pants, loose...
Prologue One summer day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, amysterious tree house appeared in the woods. Eightyear-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie,climbed into the tree house. They found that it was filled with books. Jack and Annie soon disc...
Jack didn't move. He had never been so tired in allhis life. Breathe, said Annie. Jack gulped in cool, clean air. He opened his eyes. He couldn't see a thing. Take off your glasses, said Annie. They're filthy.Jack took off his glasses. The first thin...
The bridge must have caved in! cried Annie. They stared at the dried-up stream. Pumice hadpiled up in huge drifts, like snow. We'll have to get through that stuff to get across!said Jack. He and Annie slid down the bank onto the piles ofpumice. As th...