The Very Crafty School Librarian

By John Faller

Mrs. Ammerman, the school librarian, has a problem. None of the students wants to check out any of the many books in her library. Something has to be done! She needs to come up with a very crafty idea to get children involved in reading. Suddenly she gets a brilliant idea. And that is where our story begins.
The children are whisked away to places they had never dreamed of before. Not only do they learn a lot about each place visited, but they also learn about caring for the environment, other people, and themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504926492

John Faller

This is the second children’s book John has written. He is a retired teacher with more than forty years of working with students. John received his BS in music education from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, and master’s degree from USIU. He currently resides in Orange, California, and enjoys babysitting the neighbors’ dogs. He also serves as program chairman for the OUEA Retirees organization.

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© 2015 John Faller. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/04/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2632-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2649-2 (e)

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Contents

Prologue

Chapter One A Real What?

Chapter Two Yep, It’s Real (I Think)

Chapter Three Mother Goose Land

Chapter Four Under The Sea

Chapter Five An African Safari

Chapter Six Gum Drops And Lollipops

Chapter Seven At The Circus

Chapter Eight A Visit To The Planets

Chapter Nine Santa’s Workshop

Chapter Ten Back To School

The Very Crafty School Librarian is dedicated to all the

Wonderful staff and students, past, present, and future

Of West Orange Elementary School in

Orange, California

PROLOGUE

Mrs. Ammerman was the librarian at Apathy Elementary School and she had a problem. She was concerned that some of the students were bored with reading and she felt she had to take drastic measures.

Mrs. A., as the students called her, was considered to be a very loving and caring person. All the staff and all the students knew they were quite lucky to have Mrs. A. as their librarian.

She was probably the oldest person on the staff and certainly had been at Apathy longer than any other person. Her hair was salt and pepper gray, she wore glasses with thick dark rims and very little makeup. She would never have thought of wearing slacks, she always wore a dress, and wore an apron over the dress so as not to get the dress dirty. Her outfits were almost always some shade of purple, for that was her favorite color. But once in a while, especially during the holiday season, she would wear a colorful costume. She might dress as the Easter bunny, or perhaps an elf during the Christmas season, and once she even dressed as a native American during the Thanksgiving season.

The library itself was always spotless and every book was always in its correct spot. If a student wanted to read about a particular subject, (which wasn’t very often), Mrs. A. knew exactly where it could be found. It was said that she dusted each and every book every morning and she would sweep the library floor with her own vacuum because she felt the custodian had not done a proper job.

Her library was perfect in every way, but nobody cared. Something had to be done to get the students using the library again. Then she got a brilliant idea. And that is where our story begins.

CHAPTER ONE

A REAL WHAT?

By the time the students had arrived at Apathy Elementary School there was absolute chaos. In front of the library were cameras from five local television stations taking pictures, three radio station reporters with microphones, and reporters from the local newspaper all scrambling to find out just what was happening.

Poor Mrs. Ammerman. She seemed to be beside herself. She was a bit of a flighty individual anyway, some would even say she was scatter brained, but this seemed to have put her over the top. Yet, there was a twinkle in her eye that hinted that maybe, just maybe, she really did know exactly what was going on.

Even the principal, Mr. Michaels, was confused. Mrs. A., what is going on?

Mrs. A. responded in her typical high pitched voice, I don’t know.

But why are there so many reporters standing outside your library?

I don’t know. This time her voice was a bit louder and a bit higher.

Mr. Michaels then asked, Mrs. Ammerman, what have you done?

By now the librarian was speaking in a voice about three octaves higher than usual, and quite loud. I…. don’t….. know! (But secretly she did).

Mr. Michaels tried to calm her down a bit. Well, let’s just go into the library and see what the excitement is all about.

We can’t.

What do you mean when you say we can’t?

She hesitated. Mr. Michaels, I don’t know how to tell you this but…..

But what?

I’ve been told there is…. a…. train…. in the middle of the library.

Mr. Michaels simply stared at Mrs. A., not quite sure he had heard her correctly, and repeated, A train?

She quietly whispered, yes.

Mr. Michaels scratched his head and said in a quizzical manner, I’m not sure why there should be so many reporters standing outside just because there is a model train in there. I remember having a model train when I was a kid.

Mrs. A. looked at the principal. No, you don’t quite understand. It isn’t a model train. She took a deep gulp and yelled, It’s a real honest to goodness full sized train.

IT’S A WHAT?

It’s a real honest to goodness full sized train. Not exactly a normal train, but a train nevertheless.

How in the world did you get a train into the library?

I didn’t do it! (But maybe she did.)

Then who did?

I don’t know. (But maybe she did.)

Just then one of the students, Randy, came running up to the two adults. Hey, Mrs. A. Neato!! How did you get that big train into the library?

Mr. Michaels asked, Have you seen it?

Randy replied, No, not yet, but all the TV guys and newspaper people said that’s what they were told. Neato! And you did it without cutting a hole in the wall. Wow! Neato! How did you do it?

Her reply? I don’t know.

Mr. Michaels was dumbfounded. Yes, Mrs. Ammerman, how did the train get in there without a hole in the wall?

Mrs. A. started to say it, but Mr. Michaels finished the statement. I don’t know. He rolled his eyes in disbelief.

She looked at Mr. Michaels and with fingers crossed behind her back said, Well, I don’t.

A television reporter noticed Mr. Michaels and Mrs. A. approaching the library. He shoved a microphone at them and asked, Can you tell the public how all this happened? We’ve been informed that you have a life sized train in there. Where did it come from? When did it appear? Why is it here? And most importantly, how are you going to get it out of the library?

Mr. Michaels tried to take everything very calmly as if it were an everyday occurrence. Now, just take it easy. I’m sure our librarian can answer most of your questions, can’t you, Mrs. A?

When she saw the camera staring her in the face, Mrs. A. stood tall, brushed the hair