Midnight at Moonglow’S

By K. C. Sherwood

Life has always been a little lonely for twelve-year-old Casey Parker, an obsessive reader who makes up for her lack of friends with her books. The only attention she gets in school is unwanted, given a bit too enthusiastically by the school bully. But, when Casey's great uncle Walter moves back to town and takes over a mysterious little bookshop called Moonglow's, things begin to get interesting.

He gives her an old iron key and tells her to come back to read at night when the moonlight is shining in, because something truly magical happens. But there are three rules she must follow: the books must remain in the shop at night, she must keep the key with her at all times, and, above all, she must be out by midnight.

She discovers that she can physically enter the story of any book she reads. But, if she's not out by midnight, or if she forgets her key, she will be trapped inside the book forever. Casey spends the summer between grammar school and junior high leaping into different stories and learning about herself in the process. As the first day of junior high approaches, Casey knows she will have to face the bully again; disappearing into her favorite novel forever is beginning to sound like a great idea.

Midnight at Moonglow's received an honorable mention in the 2011-2012 Los Angeles Book Festival.

Winner of the bronze medal for best book series in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abbott Press
• Release date: Oct 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458200839

K. C. Sherwood

K. C. Sherwood was born and raised in New Jersey; after graduating college with a BA in history, she sought warmer climes and moved to San Diego, where she currently resides. She is an avid reader and ancient history lover and continues to write fantastic adventures for children.

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Copyright © 2011 K. C. Sherwood

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ISBN: 978-1-4582-0083-9 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4582-0084-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4582-0085-3 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011919231

Printed in the United States of America

Abbott Press rev. date: 10/24/2011

Contents

Chapter 1:

GREAT UNCLE WALTER

Chapter 2:

INTO THE JUNGLE

Chapter 3:

A NEW FRIEND

Chapter 4:

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Chapter 5:

THE MALIKI

Chapter 6:

THE PRINCESS AND THE KNIGHT

Chapter 7:

WIZARDS, FAIRIES, AND DRAGONS, OH MY!

Chapter 8:

MR. APPLEBY

Chapter 9:

THE LAST STRAW

Chapter 10:

A CLOSE CALL

Chapter 11:

A NEW BEGINNING

For my children: Tre, Gina, and Sadie.

May you always let your imaginations soar.

Chapter 1:

GREAT UNCLE WALTER

The tingle of excitement that comes with the end of every school year crept through Casey Parker’s body. Just a few more weeks and school would be out for the summer. Then she could immerse herself in her books, safely away from the world around her.

She looked down at the limp, lifeless square of pizza that the lunch lady plopped onto her plate. With a disapproving frown, she slid her tray along the shiny metal rails toward the beverage section. She grabbed a bottle of water and pulled a few singles out of her pocket to place into the open and waiting palm of the cashier.

Yes, just a few more days and she would be done with sixth grade, done with elementary school, and on to junior high in the fall. Oak Hill Elementary, class of 2010 sounded pretty good. The tingle of excitement gave way to a wave of nervousness as she thought about next year. She quickly pushed it aside and glanced back down to her tray as she made her way through the cafeteria. She definitely wouldn’t miss this food. At least that had to be better in junior high.

Casey took her usual spot at the end of the long, white table that was assigned to her class. The metal feet of the chair screeched against the tiled floor as she pulled it out to sit down. The last chair shouldered right up against the window, perfect for gazing outside and daydreaming. But before she sat down, she always made sure there were a few empty chairs between herself and Sarah Templeton.

With her angelic face, perfectly curled brown hair, and always in style and accessorized outfits, Sarah didn’t fit the classic stereotype of a school bully. But, Casey had seen the humiliation and utter destruction of self-esteem that Sarah and her little group of friends could impose on someone if they so chose. And they chose to do so quite often. She brushed her straight, shoulder length blonde hair out of her eyes and looked down at her own clothes, faded jeans and a T-shirt. There was no doubt; she could not be more opposite of Sarah if she tried.

Casey made a conscious effort to avoid attracting any attention from Sarah and her friends. Luckily, the most she had gotten from them so far were a few whispers and giggles if she happened to hurt herself in gym class.

On this particular day, however, about halfway through eating her pizza, Casey noticed quick glances being thrown her way, followed by the dreaded whispers and giggles. First, they were coming from Sarah, and then from her number one sidekick Claire and then on down the line from the rest of her groupies.

Uh-oh, this can’t be good. Casey’s stomach immediately tied up into a knot, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She frantically tried to think of what to do. Her mind raced through the possibilities. I’m trapped. The only way out is to walk right past them and that’s probably not a good idea. She looked at the latch on the window next to her. Jumping will definitely get me into trouble, and I’ll end up breaking my neck in the process anyway. Okay, forget that idea. Shoot, I’m just stuck!

The seconds ticked by. She couldn’t wait any longer. That would only give them more time to plan whatever it was they were planning. Perhaps if she got up when they glanced away and walked by as quickly as possible, she could escape and they could turn on someone else. She waited until their heads were all huddled together, stood up, grabbed her tray, and started moving swiftly down the aisle. She kept her head down, eyes on the floor, as she passed behind Sarah and Claire. The other girls in the group were sitting across from them on the other side of the table. Casey’s heart was racing. Three steps past them and still nothing happened. The end of the table was right in front of her. It was like the light at the end of a tunnel. A few more steps and she would be free.

Just as she was about to clear the end of the table, she saw it. It shot out in front of her as fast as lightning. Too fast for her to be able to do anything about it. Billy Martin’s leg stretched out across the aisle. Her tray and everything on it launched into the air and went flying. The floor rushed up to her face. Every ounce of air in her lungs gushed out at once. After their short, dramatic flight, her tray, plate, and empty water bottle skidded across the floor in different directions and came to rest underneath several tables on the opposite side of the room. Casey lay there on the ground stunned for half a minute, unable to get up or even move. She vaguely heard the laughter and clapping begin to rise in the background. The sound grew until it reached an almost deafening pitch.

Her senses began to clear and her breath returned. The tears that welled up in her eyes were accompanied by a familiar burning sensation on her face. She could not believe this had just happened to her. It was worse than she could have ever imagined. She picked herself up, left her tray and things sprawled on the floor and broke into a run. She had to get away from all the staring eyes and wide-open mouths in fits of laughter. The sound completely engulfed her. It came down like a thunderstorm crashing all around her. She covered her ears and raced for the door.

As soon as she was outside, she let it all go. She sat down against the wall and let the tears flow. She could just imagine what was going on inside the lunchroom. Sarah and her groupies would be high-fiving each other and then high-fiving Billy Martin for going in on it. Like a true puppet master, Sarah had a knack for bending people to her will. Most kids just went along with whatever she said because they were afraid of getting on her bad side. Even the teachers went out of their way to avoid confrontations with her. Rumor had it that Sarah had acquired these talents from her mother, who, if she didn’t like something that Sarah told her about school, would come to the teachers in a rage and turn her wrath on them. So when Sarah misbehaved, the teachers mostly just tried to brush it off.

Casey, are you all right?

Casey looked up to find Ms. Davis standing before her. Her soft voice and youthful appearance made her seem more like a loving older sister than a teacher. She bent down to put an arm around Casey’s shoulder.

Yes, ma’am. She nodded and wiped away tears with the back of her hands. Just got the wind knocked out of me and a bit embarrassed is all.

Well, don’t worry about it, honey. In a day or two, the kids will have forgotten all about it.

Casey nodded again and smiled, but the chances that Sarah would let it be forgotten that easily were almost nil. She suddenly wanted the school year to end so badly that she could taste it. Three months of Sarah-free summer bliss couldn’t come soon enough. She sat against the wall, by herself, for a few more minutes. I really wish I could put those girls in their place. The breeze felt good against her face. Her cheeks finally cooled down. When she had calmed down enough, she got up and headed back to the classroom with a sense of dread. Making it through the rest of the day now seemed almost impossible.

She slid into her desk as inconspicuously as possible. A dark-haired girl named Miranda, who sat next to Casey in class and sometimes sat across from her at lunch, leaned over her desk and whispered, Don’t worry about it, Casey. Sarah did the same thing to me last year.

≈

Around two o’clock, Casey started watching the clock on the wall of her classroom intensely, like she did every day. For the next hour, she would be restless, squirming in her seat and tapping her pencil on her desk—until an annoyed look from Sarah made her pencil come to a screeching halt. She itched to get out and do the only thing she really loved doing. Reading. She couldn’t wait to steal away to her favorite spot in the woods behind her house and open her latest find from the library. What Casey Parker lacked in actual human friends, she more than made up for with imaginary ones. Ever since she was able to read and found that she didn’t quite fit in with the other kids at school, she had turned to books and found companionship in them.

When the bell rang at three o’clock, she was one of the first kids out the door. Still recovering from the lunchtime catastrophe, she wanted to avoid as many pairs of staring eyes as possible. She felt better as soon as she left the school grounds. For a couple of minutes, she could hear some giggling behind her, but she just walked a bit faster and soon it trailed away in the wind. She thoroughly enjoyed walking to and from school every day, and it was probably the thing she would miss the most come next year, when she would have to start taking the bus. That was a social nightmare waiting to happen, she just knew it.

She was letting her mind wander and listening to the birds chirp when a familiar sound came from behind her. A car revved its engine and then roared up the road, the deep rumble giving it away. She knew instantly who it was. She looked over to see her brother’s old blue Mustang come to a screeching halt next to the sidewalk where she was walking. The window rolled down and Ryan flashed his bright, boyish smile. His dark blond hair, as usual, looked as though he hadn’t combed it when he got up that morning.

Hey, squirt! Want a ride home?

Hey, Ryan! Boy am I glad to see you! She gave him a big smile and jumped into the car.

She didn’t mind sacrificing her walk home every now and then. A ride in the Mustang was always great fun. As soon as she was buckled into her seat, the words began to spill out of her mouth uncontrollably, like water breaking through a dam, as she filled Ryan in on what had happened at lunch.

Ryan, it was awful! The entire school was laughing at me. And then, I ran outside crying. I wanted to disappear forever. I don’t want to show my face ever again in the lunchroom. Everyone’s going to be staring and whispering and laughing. I already get enough of that in gym class. You know how me and sports just don’t mix. You can still see the red mark where I took a dodgeball to the face the other day. She pointed to a slightly red circle in the middle of her forehead.

I’m so sorry, squirt. Want me to go beat ‘em up for ya? Cause I will, you know. You mess with my little sis, you mess with me.

No. But thanks for offering, Ry. She smiled at him.

It’ll get better next year, kiddo. I promise. You’ll see. Junior high is completely different. It’s not just the kids from this little town anymore. All the kids from Maplewood and Pine Valley will be going there too. That Sarah kid won’t be nothin’ next year. Right now she’s a big fish in a little pond. But you just wait. Next year she’ll be a little fish in a big pond, and she’ll be knocked down a peg or two.

I know. You’re probably right. I just can’t wait for summer vacation to start.

Yeah, me too.

They pulled into the driveway of their house and headed inside. Their two-story home was modest in comparison to a virtual mansion like Sarah’s, but Casey and her brother and sister each had their own bedrooms, and the best part was that it sat right on the edge of the forest. Samantha, their sister, wasn’t home yet.

Ryan went straight to the kitchen to raid the cookie jar, and Casey ran upstairs to her room. She dumped her backpack on her bed and grabbed the book she was currently reading, a high seas adventure involving pirates and strange sea creatures, and headed back downstairs. On her way through the kitchen, she stopped by the cookie jar for a snack, only to find a pile of crumbs on the bottom.

Ryan! she whined as a chuckle came from the TV room.

Sorry, squirt. You snooze, you lose!

With a sigh, she headed out the back door, hopped off the little wooden deck behind her house, and walked into the woods. Less than a quarter mile in was her favorite spot. There was a small clearing with a creek running along the edge of it. A large, flat rock sort of shaped like a lounge chair rested next to it. Casey would read on that rock for hours. She loved the woods, the scent of pine, the trickling water tinkling like an aquatic wind chime, and the hummingbirds and dragonflies whizzing by in erratic patterns. She loved it all. It was her escape, her hideaway, her own private heaven.

After what only seemed like minutes, she emerged from her high seas adventure to the sound of her mother calling her for dinner.

Six o’clock already? she muttered. That was fast.

The table was set and everyone was just sitting down when she walked through the back door.

Hi, honey, how was school? her mom asked.

She quickly glanced at Ryan to see if he had told her what happened, but he was wearing his poker face.

Well, um, it really wasn’t the greatest day ever, she replied.

She recounted the story to everyone at the table and, when she was done, her mom came over to give her a hug and tell her that everything would be okay.

Her dad shook his head and mumbled something under his breath about …those no good Templetons … and then followed it up with, I’m sorry, champ. Next time give her a good pop on the nose, which he said with a wink and a grin.

Upon hearing that last line, her mother turned to look at her father with fire in her eyes. He, in turn, looked down at his plate, trying to hide his smile.

Samantha rolled her eyes and let out a huff. Well maybe if she didn’t dress like a tomboy all the time and got her nose out of those books, she could make some friends and then this wouldn’t happen. Really, I don’t know how you could possibly be my little sister. I mean, I see the blue eyes and blonde hair, but there’s just no way. Mom, are you sure you guys brought home the right baby from the hospital?

Samantha! That is enough! her mother scolded.

Yeah, Sam, get off her back, Ryan chimed in. At least she’s got a brain in her head. When was the last time you saw an A on your report card without drawing it in yourself?

Casey grinned in silent triumph and then stuck her tongue out at her sister. She had no desire to ever be anything like her sister. She just wished that Samantha would be a little more accepting and understanding of her.

Okay, okay, truce everyone. Truce, said her father. Hey, Casey, I have something that might interest you and just might cheer you up too. You remember Great Uncle Walter? Well, he has just moved back to town, and he’s taking over that little bookshop on Willow Avenue. What’s it called? Moon something or other?

Her father definitely had her attention.

Are you serious, Dad? Yeah, it’s called Moonglow’s. I walk by it every day, but I’ve never gone in there. Looks kind of creepy. What happened to the old guy in there? He didn’t die in there, did he?

Her dad laughed. Um, I don’t know. Uncle Walt didn’t say. Probably just got too old and had to sell it.

"Huh, but I’ve never seen a for sale sign or anything. That is interesting."

Well, you should stop in there sometime and check it out when Uncle Walter takes over. He said he’d be there starting Monday.

Of course she would check it out. Having a real bookstore right in the family seemed like a dream come true.

≈

For the rest of that week and all throughout the weekend, Casey thought about the little bookshop. It looked old and musty. The wooden sign that hung over the door read Moonglow’s Books. Pictured on the front window was a moon, half covered in clouds, with a starry sky above. She had always eyed the shop curiously and sometimes stopped to look in the window, but she had never gone in. It was always dimly lit and she rarely saw anyone in there other than the old shopkeeper. She kept telling herself that she would go in one day, but she always put it off because it did look a little creepy in there.

She wondered what happened to the old man and what it might be like to actually go inside. She was intrigued, but a little nervous too. And then there was Great Uncle Walter to think about as well. She hadn’t seen