The Library Girls

2016 3rd & 4th Grade Prose Honorable Mention

One day I was walking to the library. I love the library. So many books, so many to read! When I got there, I buried my head in a good book. It was called The Broadway Girls and it’s about two girls who fight their way to become Broadway stars. I glanced at a picture of the girls on stage and felt the smooth paper under my hand as I moved it across the page. "I wish I was one of them," I thought as I rested my head on the book. I wanted to jump in and start dancing!

Suddenly, a golden poof exploded in the air. I shook my head. It was gone. "That was weird!" I scrambled off to the bathroom to hide. The door creaked open and I rushed into a stall, but a second later, darkness surrounded me. I hurried out and realized someone was standing next to me. It was Clare. She's the new girl in school, but I never talk to her, she doesn't seem very friendly. “Hi Sasha,” said Clare. “Hey,” I murmured and we walked out of the bathroom. The library was pitch-black. "Did it close for the night?" Clare asked. I shrugged. Just then, the book I was reading flew off the table and was headed straight towards us. Blue sparks scattered everywhere! The book got bigger and closer. “Run!” I yelled to Clare, but the pages grabbed hold of us.

"Whaooooo!” Words and chapters flashed by us as we fell down into the book. We landed in Chapter 5: “The Audition.” Clare brushed some dust off her shirt and said, “Sasha—what was that?” I replied, “I think we’ve been sucked inside a book.” Two golden poofs burst in the air and we were on a stage.

Our gold costumes shimmered under the spotlight and our feet went tappity tap tap tap. Clare spun around and whispered, “This isn’t so bad,” and I smiled. “We’re the Broadway girls!” I thought. I did my coolest dance move and sang my favorite song. Clare did the same. After we finished, the crowd clapped. We walked backstage and Clare said to me, “That was sooooo exciting!” Frank Walmans, the director of the show, pulled us aside, “I will think about you two,” he said. “Nice performance back there.” Clare and I high-fived—we were having fun together.

“If we get parts in the show, maybe we’ll be sent out of the book,” I guessed. “I think that’s the case, too,” Clare agreed as she flipped her long amber waves behind her shoulders. All of a sudden, a golden twister spun above us. Up up up up and then we were surrounded in gold. I shut my eyes and screamed and then THUD CLANG BANG BASH, Clare and I were dropped into an apartment from a different chapter of the book.

For a moment, I relaxed. "What happened?" I asked Clare, but she gave me a blank stare and said, “Well, my new skirt is ripped.” The phone rang. Mr. Walmans said he wanted us in his Broadway show after seeing our amazing performance. "Goodbye, I hope to see you bright and early in the morning for rehearsal,” and he hung up. I told Clare. We jumped up and down with excitement. This meant we were going home! A blue mirror appeared. “TO GET OUT" was written on it.

Clare and I ran over to the mirror, but first we hugged. We went this far together, there was no going back and not being friends. We looked at each other, clutched hands and hopped in the mirror.