CHAPTER 12

That afternoon, the class headed to the Blue River Creek Library. Sofia loved the library and went there often.

The public librarian, Mr. Page, was in a meeting, so they waited by some couches and beanbag chairs. Bee and Beau were there with a very tall, hairy dog and a calico cat. The animals wore red vests that said BLUE RIVER CREEK READING BUDDY.

Everyone knew Bee and Beau. They drove the recycling truck and volunteered at the fire department. Sometimes they brought specially trained pets to the library so kids could read stories to them. Today they had two pets Sofia hadn’t met before.

“Hello!” said Bee, petting a lumpy spotted cat. “This is the Great Catsby!”

Catsby yawned and closed his eyes.

“He’s thrilled to meet you,” said Bee with a chuckle.

“Who is this?” asked Sofia, petting the large, long-haired dog next to Beau.

“This is Fido,” said Beau. “His full name is Fido Dog-stoevsky. He’s a Russian bookhound.”

Fido nudged Iggy’s hand.

“He wants you to read to him,” said Beau. “He loves sad poetry.”

“Where’s Virginia Woof?” asked Sofia.

Virginia was a black dog who was as big as the beanbag chair and just as floppy. She loved it when Sofia leaned up against her and read stories.

“She’s in the doghouse,” whispered Beau. “She accidentally ate a book. Well, she slobbered on it, but Mr. Page is afraid Virginia will eat one.”

“Afraid?” asked a tall, thin man who had appeared suddenly from behind a magazine rack.

“Who’s afraid of Virginia Woof? Not I!” he said, scooting through the crowd of kids. “I welcome all our furry friends. Except when they eat the books! Same goes for kids!”

Mr. Page wore a black vest covered with bumpy pockets, and he held a large magnifying glass.

“Aha!” he said. “That reminds me of a quote from my favorite book.”

He stuck his hand into one of the bumpy pockets and pulled out a teeny-tiny blue book titled Famous Author Quotes. It was the tiniest book Sofia had ever seen. He flipped the book open with his left thumb and held up the huge magnifying glass with his right hand.

“Here it is!” he said. He cleared his throat and read: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

Mr. Page laughed. “Mark Twain was a smart one!” He stuck the book back into his pocket.

“Virginia Woof can come back,” he said, “if she tries not to slobber so much.” He scratched Fido’s chin with a big smile. “But first, Mrs. Bookbinder phoned about your library emergency!”

He looked through his magnifying glass at the students. He carefully inspected each face. At last, he lowered the magnifying glass and nodded slowly.

“Hmm,” he said. “It looks serious.”