The Haunted Library

It was Halloween night, and three friends—Emily, Danny, and Max—were walking home after trick-or-treating. Their candy bags were full, and they were laughing about their costumes when they passed the old town library.

The library looked different tonight. Its windows glowed with a soft, spooky light, and a cool wind blew past them.

“Let’s check it out!” said Max, pushing up his glasses. He had heard stories that the library was haunted, but he loved books too much to be scared.

Emily and Danny looked at each other and smiled. They pushed open the big wooden door, which creaked loudly. Inside, the library was dark, but the tall shelves were packed with books of every kind.

Suddenly, a voice called out, “Welcome to the Haunted Library!”

The kids jumped.

An old lady stepped out from behind a bookshelf. She had shiny silver hair and kind eyes behind her glasses. “I’m Mrs. Willow, the librarian,” she said with a warm smile. “You’ve arrived on a special night. Tonight, the books come to life!”

Danny’s eyes went wide. “Books come to life? How?”

Mrs. Willow pointed to a glowing book on the table. When the kids came closer, it opened by itself. Bright colors filled the air, and characters from the story stepped right out of the pages! A brave knight, a clever fox, and a friendly dragon waved hello.

“Wow!” Emily gasped. “That’s amazing!”

Mrs. Willow smiled, but then her face turned serious. “We have a problem,” she said. “A naughty story character called the Trickster escaped from his book. If we don’t find him before midnight, the library will stay haunted forever!”

Max gulped. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Willow. We’ll find him!”

Mrs. Willow handed them a glowing bookmark. “Follow this—it will show you the Trickster’s clues.”

The First Clue

The floating bookmark led them to the story section. On one page was a riddle:

“I love to play tricks, but I won’t be mean.
Find me near something long and green.”

“That must be the garden books!” said Max.

They hurried to the garden section, and there was the Trickster—a tiny man with a big grin—hiding behind a book about talking plants! But before they could catch him, he giggled and disappeared, leaving another riddle.

The Second Clue

The next riddle said:

“I’m tricky and quick, I love to hide.
Find me where wizards and dragons reside.”

“That’s the fantasy section!” Emily said.

They ran to the shelves filled with glowing spellbooks. Sure enough, the Trickster peeked from behind a wizard book—but poof!—he vanished again, leaving one last clue.

The Final Clue

The last riddle read:

“I’m small and clever, having a ball.
You’ll find me where books are most tall.”

Danny scratched his head. “Where books are most tall?”

Max smiled. “The fairy-tale section! Those books are huge!”

They ran to the fairy-tale area. The Trickster was climbing the tallest shelf! Emily quickly grabbed a ladder and climbed up. Just as the Trickster tried to run, she caught him with the enchanted bookmark.

“Gotcha!” she said proudly.

Back to Normal

Mrs. Willow appeared, clapping her hands. “You did it! You caught the Trickster and saved the library!”

The characters from the books waved goodbye as they hopped back into their stories. The lights in the library glowed softly again.

As the clock struck midnight, Mrs. Willow smiled. “You’ve made this Halloween one to remember. Come back anytime—the library is always full of magic.”

The friends left, their hearts full of excitement. They had solved the mystery and learned that even haunted places could be full of adventure, fun, and friendship.

The End!

Follow-Up Questions

Which riddle was your favorite and why?

If you could bring any book character to life, who would it be?

What do you think would happen if the Trickster escaped again?