|
Sample: STORIES FROM THE RIVER BLUE: #1 THE MYSTERY BOX
This is the first installment of a series of picture books about a single dad and his two children living together in an old stone house on the banks of The River Blue.
p. 1
Charlie and Annie live with their dad in a gray stone house on the banks of The River Blue.
p.2
One hot summer s day, Charlie and Annie asked their dad if it might be OK to take a canoe ride up The River Blue to Castleman's Bridge. Charlie and Annie loved to go to Castleman's Bridge on hot summer's days. It was the absolute perfect place for a picnic.
p.3
Charlie and Annie s dad thought a trip up The River Blue was a terrific idea. So right after breakfast the three adventurers packed a picnic basket full of apples and cranberries and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and headed down to the river's edge.
p. 4
The canoe was a little muddy and damp from last night s rain storm. Charlie and Annie helped their dad bail water out of the canoe and wipe down the wet seats with a towel.
Annie likes to sit in the front of the canoe. She is quite good at paddling. Annie really enjoys looking for fish and ducklings and frogs as the canoe glides across The River Blue. Charlie likes sitting in the back of the canoe best. He steers the canoe by putting his oar in the water and turning it back and forth, left and right.
p. 5
As Charlie and Annie and their dad headed up The River Blue, Annie kept count of all of the ducklings and fish and frogs that she could see. Charlie kept the canoe on a straight course, and all three paddled hard against the swift current. Suddenly, as the canoe turned the big corner near Castleman's Bridge, Annie saw something in the water that she had never seen before.
p. 6
"Look over there! Annie shouted."
p. 7
The three adventurers paddled the canoe over toward the shore. Charlie steered the canoe with great skill, and Annie kept watch over the strange thing near the shore.
p. 8
As they got closer, Annie could see that the strange thing was not a thing at all: actually, it was a box. It wasn't a very big box. In fact, it was quite small and delicate. The box was made mostly out of wood, though it had shiny silver buttons across the top and the side. It was clearly a very old box.
p. 9
Charlie and Annie s dad climbed out of the canoe and into the shallow water at the edge of The River Blue. He picked up the box and carried it to the shore. Then he helped Charlie and Annie out of the canoe and over to the shore as well.
p. 10
Annie and Charlie were quite excited. "What do you think is in there?" asked Charlie.
"Maybe it s a box full of treasure!" exclaimed Annie.
p. 11
Annie and Charlie's dad scanned the box carefully, looking a name-tag or anything else on the outside of the box that might help him figure out what was on the inside.
p. 12
Annie and Charlie wanted to open the box right away! Their dad wasn't so sure: "This box must belong to someone. Maybe we should try to find the box's owner before we look inside."
p. 13
Charlie and Annie knew their dad was right. Annie wouldn't want anyone looking through her special baseball card box that she kept under her bed. And Charlie would be upset if anyone opened his favorite marble box without his permission.
p. 14
Charlie, Annie and their dad climbed back into the canoe with the mystery box- that was the name Annie had chosen for the box- and continued paddling up The River Blue toward Castleman's Bridge.
P. 15
Upon reaching the headwaters under Castleman's Bridge, Charlie steered the canoe toward the docking post while Annie got ready to grab the docking post so that her dad could tie the canoe's safety rope to the pole.
p. 16
After the canoe had been secured to the pole by their dad, Annie and Charlie, along with their dad, climbed out of the canoe and, carrying the picnic basket and the mystery box, climbed up the side of Sherman's Hill and all the way to the top of Castleman's Bridge.
p. 17
Castleman's Bridge was very tall. From the middle of the bridge one could see all the way up The River Blue, past the General Store, and to the base of Mount Legend. Charlie and Annie's dad thought it would be a good idea if, after lunch of course, the three adventurers paddled up to Samantha s General Store to see if Samantha knew anything about the mystery box. Charlie and Annie agreed.
p. 18
After a great lunch of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, apples and cranberries, the three adventurers ran back down the side of Sherman's Hill and got back into the canoe. Annie sat in the front again, making sure that the safety rope kept the canoe steady while Charlie and her dad climbed in. Once everyone was on board, Charlie pushed the canoe away from the dock and the three adventurers paddled up The River Blue toward Samantha s General Store.
p. 19
Upon reaching the dock that led to Samantha's General Store, the three adventurers climbed out of the canoe and headed up the long, stone staircase toward Samantha's front door. Annie clutched The Mystery Box tightly, and Charlie walked behind her just in case the box slipped out of Annie s hand.
p. 20
Samantha had seen the three adventurers coming, and she was waiting to greet them at the front door to her store. Hello Annie, hello Charlie! she called. Annie and Charlie s dad smiled and gave Samantha a big hug; then the three adventurers headed inside- along with The Mystery Box, of course.
p. 21
Annie couldn't wait to show Samantha the mystery box. "We found this box by the side of The River Blue." Annie told Samantha. "Do you know whose box it is?" Samantha looked carefully at The Mystery Box. Soon a huge smile came across Samantha s face. Annie and Charlie she said, "you have found something very special, very special indeed!" Annie and Charlie were so excited! The two children leaned forward as Samantha told them the story of The Mystery Box.
p. 22
"Do you remember the big rain storm last night?" Samantha asked. Annie and Charlie nodded. They both remembered the sound of the rain as it had crackled against their roof and windows all night long. "Well," continued Samantha, "many, many years ago, when I was about as big as you are now, I hid a treasure box in a cave on the side of Mount Legend. I hoped that someday someone would find the treasure box and would enjoy all of the wonderful treasures that I had hidden inside." Annie and Charlie could hardly believe their ears!
p. 23
"Last night s rain must have finally washed my treasure box out of the cave and down the river, and since you have found it, all of the treasure inside is yours!" Samantha beamed.
p. 24
Annie and Charlie were so excited! Annie carefully placed the mystery box---which of course was longer a mystery---on the wooden table in the middle of Samantha s store. Charlie looked on as Annie pushed the latch to the side and opened the box.
p. 25
The two children gazed in amazement at the treasure: Annie couldn't believe her eyes. Charlie jumped up and down in excited joy. From inside the box, Annie picked up a plastic case containing what looked like a hundred old baseball cards, with players from way back before she was even born! These cards will be perfect for my baseball card collection! cried Annie. Charlie reached in and gently removed clear plastic pouch that contained a handful of beautiful glass marbles. These are the most beautiful marbles in the whole world! exclaimed Charlie None of my friends have marbles like these: I can t wait to show them to the kids at school!!
p. 26
After visiting with Samantha for a while longer, Annie, Charlie and their dad headed back down the stone staircase, climbed back into the canoe, and drifted quietly and gently down The River Blue toward home. Annie forgot about counting ducklings and fish and frogs along the way: she was too busy sifting through her new baseball cards. Charlie didn't steer the canoe as well as he usually did: he was too busy examining his new marbles and organizing them by size and color. What a great day for the three adventurers.
|