Flat
Library Mouse
Our story loosely based on the book
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
"Good mornin’!" Ms. Cray said, as Ms. Norma
walked into the Children’s Library. The special room in the
Moultrie-Colquitt County Public Library was in disarray, books stacked
here and there, shelves partially taken apart everywhere.
Ms. Norma said, "Good mornin’. We’ve sure got quite a mess here, don’t
we?" She started to push a cart of picture books down to the new
children’s room at the other end of the library building, when she
suddenly stopped and looked over toward a corner.
"Did you hear something just now, over in that corner?"
Ms. Cray stopped and listened intently. She nervously shook her head up
and down as she moved toward Ms. Norma.
"I believe something’s over there under those shelves."
The two librarians knelt down on their knees and peered under the book
shelves that seemed to have fallen over in the floor. Just then the
library director, Mrs. Jenkins, walked in.
"What are you two doing, now?" she chuckled as she got down on the
floor also.
"We’re trying to look under those shelves there. We heard
s-something..."
At that moment, two more librarians walked into the room looking for
Mrs. Jenkins. They started to laugh as they joined the other three already
on the floor.
"What are we looking for?" asked Ms. Edna.
"Should we be afraid?" laughed Ms. Johnnie.
Right then, who should walk into the room, but the library board
chairman, Reverend Hugh Ward. When he saw the librarians on the floor, he
burst into such laughter that several patrons came into the room to see
what was going on.
"Well, lets just have a look, shall we?" said Rev. Ward. He and the
patrons went over and lifted the shelves.
"What do we have here?" asked Rev. Ward.
All the librarians got up and went to look. Ms. Cray and Ms. Norma
answered the question...
"It’s Library Mouse!"
"He must have been looking at a book last night..." started Ms. Norma.
"And he fell asleep..." continued Ms. Cray.
"Then the shelves must have fallen..." added Mrs. Jenkins.
"And now he’s flat as a pancake!!!" everyone chimed in.
Ms. Norma bent down to take a closer look. Library Mouse was ok.
Everyone smiled at the mouse, wished him well, and then left the room to
finish their work, read their books, and run their errands.
Ms. Norma carefully picked up the flat mouse and carried him into the
office. She checked his flat ears, whiskers, flat paws, flat little belly,
and his flat tail. He really was Ok. But, he was flat as he could be. Ms.
Norma thought about where she might find information about what to do when
someone is flattened. She finally remembered a book written by Jeff Brown.
It was called Flat Stanley. The story was about a young boy who was
flattened one night when a huge bulletin board fell on him. Stanley wasn’t
hurt one bit and went on to have great adventures. Surely Library Mouse
would be all right, too.
Days passed and Library Mouse was as normal as could be. On one of
those days Rev. Ward called.
I’m calling to check on the mouse we found under the book shelf. Is he
doing Ok?" The answer was most positive.
On another one of those days some children came to the library for
storytime. When they saw what happened to Library Mouse they were so
surprised.
A little girl said, "I think we should think of a new name for the
mouse."
"I think we should call him ‘Flat Library Mouse’!" said one of
the boys. So that day we began calling
our mouse ‘Flat Library Mouse’. He liked it!
Why, being flat turned out to be pretty handy. Flat Library Mouse could
fit inside a book just like a bookmark! And, he could sit on top of the
stack of stuff on Ms. Norma’s desk and not have to worry about getting
lost or squished!
Weeks passed and things were getting back to normal at the library,
except Flat Library Mouse was still flat. The Children’s Library had been
moved to it’s new location in the north end of the library. Plans were
underway for the coming vacation reading programs for that summer. The
theme was:
"world.wide.reading@your library".
Ms. Cray, Ms. Norma, and the whole library staff were brainstorming
about ideas for decorations and programs. All of a sudden Ms. Norma had an
idea!
"I remember something that happened in Flat Stanley. In one
chapter, Stanley goes on vacation to California in an envelope! Why
couldn’t Flat Library Mouse do that? We could send the mouse through the
mail to locations around the country and maybe even to other countries!
Then when he returns, we could use his travels in our storytimes!"
All the librarians got soooo excited! They began thinking about all the
folks they knew who lived in other cities, other states, and even other
countries. One by one the ladies named locations: Tifton, Atlanta,
Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, New York,
Alaska, Japan, Scotland...
So, the adventure began!
Watch your mail box. You never know, Flat Library Mouse might just
visit you!
Participate in the
Flat Library Mouse Project
We are children’s librarians from Moultrie, Georgia and
we started the "FLAT LIBRARY MOUSE PROJECT" to enhance our storytimes for
this summer. Our plan is based on a very popular, world-wide project known
as the "FLAT STANLEY PROJECT". For more info see
www.flatstanleyproject.net. Flat Stanley is actually a book by
Jeff Brown in which a young boy is flattened by a bulletin board. He is
not hurt and goes on to have many adventures and learn many valuable
lessons. One advantage of being flat is that Stanley’s parents put him in
a large envelope and mail him for a visit to California.
In our project we have written a short story to explain
Flat Library Mouse’s predicament. Various members of our library staff
agreed to mail him to family and friends across the country and even the
world. We hope that you will treat Flat Library Mouse like a guest,
complete the journal, and then mail him back after a few days. Photographs
and/or souvenirs accompanying the mouse’s return would add to our
presentation.
You were chosen as a recipient because one of our staff
thought you would take time from your busy schedule and would understand
how much your participation would excite our children in taking part in
our storytimes. We hope you will in deed participate by welcoming Flat
Library Mouse into your life, making a few entries in the enclosed
journal, and returning it to the library’s address. Of course, we will be
most excited if you’re able to add any personal and creative ‘extras’ in
the package.
Thank you!
The Flat Library Mouse arrives in Electric Scotland's
office! |
