Hey, Story Pirates podcast listeners, Lee here.
Today's brand new story is about becoming immersed in books.
Like, really becoming immersed in books.
Like, going into books.
And not just any books.
Weird books.
Coming up after a few words for the grown-ups.
Hey, grownups, Lee here.
See Story Pirates Live.
Our amazing touring cast, including Eric, will be visiting some East Coast cities this spring to perform some of your favorite songs from the podcast.
And they'll take suggestions from kids in the audience to create a brand new story that will only be seen once.
Best of all, all of our upcoming shows are on weekends, so no need to worry about school nights or bedtime routines.
We'll see you soon in Munhall Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh Cincinnati Ohio Portsmouth, New Hampshire Medford Massachusetts, just outside of Boston and Richfield, Connecticut.
Tickets to all the shows are on sale now at storypirates.com slash live.
It just filled me up with joy.
My mom loves the jokes.
Yo, yo, my joke.
It made me very proud about my writing.
I love to write stories.
I definitely think I can be more creative now.
I'm the champion.
The story pirates.
Oh, hey, everyone.
Have you ever read a book that you wish that you could live inside?
What about a nonfiction book on an esoteric subject?
Well, in today's story, you can experience just that.
Here's the author to introduce it.
Hi, I'm Annika.
I live in Maine and I'm six years old.
This is my story, The Library Adventure.
Wow, Abby and Lulu, I can't believe I get to spend this afternoon doing what I love most visiting Falmouth Elementary Library with my two best friends.
Aka you guys.
Yay!
I can't wait to play tag.
I mean, read books.
Totally.
We definitely aren't going to play tag the moment we step foot in that library.
I know you both love running around and working up a sweat, but I'd love it if we could spend time doing my favorite library activity reading non-fiction.
Totally yeah, libraries are about books and not tag.
Let's head in.
Wow, the library.
It smells like adventure.
Come on girls, let's head to the reference desk.
I put a book on hold.
That's just the number pi written out.
Tag, you're it?
Lulu, get back here.
Abby Ugh.
So much for showing interest in my passions.
I guess I'll enjoy this pie book all by myself.
Excuse me, librarian, I put a book on hold under the name Lottie.
Ah, yes, Pie Uncovered, if you can believe it.
It actually hasn't been brought back yet.
Today is not my day.
If you're interested in Pie Uncovered, you may want to take a look at this book, too.
Irregular wind patterns of the Atlantic ecosystem?
Sounds promising.
It's mostly just graphs and charts, but... Graphs and charts?
What is it, my birthday?
I'll take it.
Thanks, librarian.
I'm going to find a quiet corner in the stacks and lock in.
Enjoy!
Hmm, where to read my awesome new book?
Here's an interesting section.
Books about obscure topics that double as portals to other worlds.
I'll give it a shot.
Wait a minute.
Why is the back of this book glowing purple?
It must be a portal to another world.
Well, obviously, I have to go through it.
I better leave the girls a note.
All right, here goes nothing.
Into the portal.
One, two, three.
Tag, you're it, Abby.
Hey.
Where's Lottie?
I guess we should find her.
We've been playing tag for 45 whole minutes.
After we explicitly promised we wouldn't.
Let's make it up to her.
Lottie!
Lottie!
Lottie!
Girls, this is a library.
There's no yelling.
Kind of weird you let us play tag, though.
We librarians have to pick our battles.
Have you seen our friend Lottie?
She's seven years old, passionate about nonfiction.
Last I saw she was headed into the section labeled Books about super obscure topics that double as portals to other worlds.
It's next to the cookbooks.
This library has portals to other worlds?
That is what I keep trying to tell people, but no.
Everybody's just at the library for the free Wi-Fi.
And the icy cold water fountains.
I mean, seriously, the water here is bone chilling.
Enough chatting about the many great attributes of the public library.
We gotta go find our friend.
If I know Lottie, she probably went through a portal to prove a point about us being more supportive of her passions.
We've gotta find that section.
There it is.
Books about super obscure topics that doubles portals to other worlds.
Now we just gotta figure out which book Lottie went into.
This is gonna take forever.
I can't believe I'm actually inside a book.
Whoa, this is clearly an Atlantic ecosystem.
It's just water for miles.
Did I just hear a bird calling?
It must be coming from that cave over there.
Let me just crawl inside.
It certainly is spooky in here.
So many shadows.
That shadow is moving closer.
Wait a minute.
It's not a shadow at all.
It's a... a...
Lulu, I feel like I just heard Lottie's voice coming out of one of these books.
That must mean whatever portal she traveled through is close by.
We know our friend.
What book would Lottie want to enter?
What about this one?
Family, Faith, and Fortune.
A Woman's Guide to Having It All by Forty.
I don't know.
I kind of feel like Lottie already has it all.
It's worth a shot.
Come on.
We'll hop in the portal and have a quick look around for Lottie.
Jump!
Whoa!
And we're back in three, two, one, action.
Welcome back to Family, Faith, and Fortune.
I'm Gale Wentworth, and I'm here to show you ladies how to have it all by 40.
Excuse me, Gale?
Oh, great.
A small child derailing my entire book.
What is it?
We're looking for a friend about yay high, brown hair, adventurous spirit that can't be crushed.
Children aren't allowed in my book, and that includes you too.
Security!
Quick, back through the portal!
Whoa! back in the library.
Okay, well, Lottie definitely wasn't in that book.
How about this one?
1,200 different types of train whistles.
This does seem like something Lottie would like.
Nothing you do but find out.
Whoa!
Well, I sure didn't expect that portal to drop us off right in the middle of the train tracks.
I don't see any sign of Lottie, but I do see a giant steam engine barreling towards us.
It really does have a distinct whistle.
It's shrill, yet baritone.
Enough about the whistle.
We gotta get back through the portal.
Whoa!
Well, that was a close one.
Who knew train whistles could be so dangerous?
Where could our friend be?
Let's think about her interests.
Uh, adventures.
Uh, nature.
Uh, books with no pictures.
What about this book?
Irregular Wind Patterns of the Atlantic Ecosystem.
Ugh.
It's got a glowing purple portal on the back of it, too.
And a sticky note.
Hey, Abby and Lulu.
Not to brag, but I went through this book portal.
Looks like obscure books are more fun than tag after all.
Okay, okay.
It definitely sounds like she's annoyed with us.
Lottie, hold tight.
Your besties are coming to get you.
Jump!
Whoa!
Lottie, where are you?
Lulu and I are here to save you from the super intense wind, or whatever this book is about.
I'm going to make an educated guess that she's probably in that cave over there.
Come on!
Ugh, it's all gross and drippy in here.
Lottie?
Lottie?
I'm here!
Help!
I need help!
I can't quite see, but it looks like she's being attacked by...
An unbelievably cute litter of baby puffins and its mama?
And by attacked, I mean cuddled.
Lottie, why are you yelling for help?
Because I need help cuddling these unbelievably cute baby puffins.
I only have two arms, and there is so much love to give and receive.
We'd love to help you in the cuddle department.
Come on, Lulu.
Wow, this is so much fun.
I'm sorry we were so resistant to exploring books that interest you, Lottie.
Yeah, we promise to show more interest in your passions.
Hey, that means a lot.
Now, how about we head back to the library?
I think my book on pies should be returned by now.
What do you say?
I say... Tag!
You're it, Abby!
Oh, come on, Lulu.
That wasn't even fair.
Guys!
The end!
And now, Leigh speaks with the author.
So, Annika, you wrote The Library Adventure.
Yeah.
Do you like to go to the library?
There's a coloring space where I like to color, and...
I like to find chapter books that I want to read.
That's cool.
Do you remember the last book that you checked out from the library?
I'm reading a book called Puppy Place.
Right now it's about a kitten and a puppy.
The puppy is named Maggie and the kitten is named Max.
Sounds like you are a fan of animals.
Yeah, I am.
Well, Lottie from your story seems like she is a fan of animals too.
Did you learn anything about puffins before you put them in your story?
Yeah, I did.
They can fly and then they dive underwater to get fish.
And then they just sit on the top of the water.
Then they fly again and go get fish.
And they swallow some and then they give the rest to their babies.
You know I love your story because in your story there's like literal portals in the books that take you to another world.
But isn't reading itself, even in real life, kind of like being taken to another world?
Yeah.
And I love to write stories.
That's another way to transport yourself.
If you could choose any of your books to have a portal itself that would take you into the world of the book.
Which book would you choose?
One about mermaids?
What would you do in the mermaid world?
Go visit the Pacific Ocean and see squid and octopuses.
Oh, yeah, cool.
The mermaids could help you see wildlife because you love animals.
Yeah, I do.
Do you have any pets yourself?
No, but I'm going to get one hamster.
Oh, that's cool.
When are you getting the hamster?
Probably next week.
Oh, wow.
That's soon.
You must be excited.
Yeah, I am very excited.
Awesome.
Thank you so much for letting us perform your story, Annika.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.
We'll be right back after a few words for the grown-ups.
Hey, grownups.
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Hey, grownups, Lee here.
See Story Pirates Live.
Our amazing touring cast, including Eric, will be visiting some East Coast cities this spring to perform some of your favorite songs from the podcast.
And they'll take suggestions from kids in the audience to create a brand new story that will only be seen once.
Best of all, all of our upcoming shows are on weekends, so no need to worry about school nights or bedtime routines.
We'll see you soon in Munhall Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh Cincinnati Ohio Portsmouth, New Hampshire Medford Massachusetts, just outside of Boston and Richfield, Connecticut.
Tickets to all the shows are on sale now at storypirates.com slash live.
Welcome back to Story Love, where we read stories written by kids, and then we talk about them.
And by we, I mean Peter and myself.
We are those people.
Peter and the other is you.
We are those people.
We am those guys.
Today's first story comes to us from a 12-year-old in Colorado named Elsie, and Elsie's story is called Stuck in the Hamper.
Oh, no.
If that's ever happened to you, you know this is a very serious topic.
Mm-hmm.
This is a story about a mammoth, but it's not going to rhyme.
Oh, phew.
Once upon a time, there was a mammoth named John.
One day when John was doing laundry, he got stuck in the hamper.
He was more round than square, so it was hard to get out.
He tried to suck in his stomach, but that didn't work.
He tried many different things, but he still couldn't get out.
He was stuck for three hours before he remembered he had his phone.
He could call for help.
He decided to call his best friend, Jeff.
Hi, Jeff, said John.
Hey, John, what's up, said Jeff.
I'm stuck in the hamper.
Say no more.
I'll be there in a jiffy.
A few minutes later, Jeff was there and had brought a chainsaw.
Jeff used the chainsaw to get John unstuck.
You broke my hamper, said John.
You're a mammoth.
You don't need clothes, said Jeff.
Oh, yeah, said John.
The end.
Whoa, that's a twist I did not see coming.
I'll tell you what, like, a mammoth... being surprised that they're stuck anywhere.
I'm like, come on.
Come on, John.
You're going to get stuck in a hamper if you're a mammoth.
It's in the name.
You're a mammoth.
By hampered, do we mean just like a laundry basket or like one of those drawers that you open?
My grandparents had a laundry chute, which was great to send some G.I.
Joes down.
Oh, I love laundry chutes.
Man, that's fun.
Well, I love this friend, Jeff.
He's a great friend.
He saves his pal, but he also tells him the truth, which is a really important part of friendship.
He's like, I don't know how to tell you this, but you're a mammoth and you don't wear clothes.
I love that Jeff as a character comes in in this way where you're like, Jeff, you are unreasonable.
You're maybe, you know, you should think.
And then he has the most sound advice because he comes in with a chainsaw.
Which is not prudent.
I'm not into using a chainsaw to get someone out of anything.
It is...
Very rare that a chainsaw is the solution.
I love an axe.
I love chopping wood.
Sure.
Well, a chainsaw is like an axe times 12.
Times 12?
I'd argue every little tooth on that chainsaw is a multiplier.
Maybe.
We need some chainsaw scientists on this show.
Pronto.
We could get one.
Great job, Elsie.
Amazing.
Lee, this next story comes to us from a six-year-old from Canada named Arthur.
Arthur.
An Arthur story is called Grill and Pill.
Great title.
The last story promised no rhymes.
I have a feeling this story will be different.
It's possible.
Mrs. Grill and Mrs. Pill are twins.
They live in a sketchbook.
Their job is to build stuff.
One day, they made a house.
There was an earthquake and all the houses broke, so they were fired.
They felt sad.
They asked politely to come back, but their boss said, No!
They walked and walked and walked until they found another place to build houses.
They built them for a human called Critch, who had a friend who was a pumpkin called Pitch.
Pitch was scary, as he had so many eyeballs.
There was also a ghost who was perfectly normal, but he has arms.
Critch was a witch and turned the houses into ghost pumpkin.
Mrs. Grill and Mrs. Pill decided to call the police.
The police forgot, so Critch and Pitch arrested the police.
During this, Mrs Grill and Mrs Pill built a jail around the mall with.
You will never go anywhere because I'm so strong glue.
The end.
Fantastic strategy from Grill and Pill here to just build a jail around the entirety of their problem.
Just build a big jail.
Yeah.
Around everything.
And then you get everything in there.
Critch, Pitch, the police.
I love Critch and Pitch.
Uh-huh.
You know, that's when the story really took off for me is that they built they're building houses for a human named Critch who had a friend who's a pumpkin, named Pitch, who was scared because he had so many eyeballs.
For some reason, I just really can see Critch and Pitch.
Yeah.
They're awesome.
And I tell you who can really see is Pitch.
Pitch.
Yeah, that's true.
Let's just remember, they live in a sketchbook.
That's true.
All of this took place in a sketchbook.
That's true.
And there's an earthquake.
Their job is to build stuff.
They made a house.
There's an earthquake.
All the houses broke.
Wow.
So they live in a sketchbook.
All of this are drawings.
And so was the earthquake.
Like somebody coming up and picking up the sketchbook and maybe ripping out a few pages.
And it was chaotic within the sketchbook?
Right.
Yeah, I think you can see the hands drawing it as the story goes.
It's like that old Looney Tunes.
Oh, yes.
You know what I'm talking about?
Yeah, where Daffy Duck's beak gets erased.
Daffy Duck is erasing.
You, my friend, are despicable.
Yeah.
It's a classic.
We love it.
Great work, Arthur.
Amazing story.
All right, here's our last one.
It's from Luna, age seven in Maryland, and it's called Tim.
Tim.
Tim once upon a trash can.
There was a fly named tim and he always had lived in the trash can, but one day he got tired of all the stinkiness and rotten apples.
So one night he told his mom i'll be back by dinner and he left to go see the world.
He went to the living room and he watched some tv.
He ran out of wi-fi so he went outside because the window was open.
He said Wow.
He flew to the tree.
He made friends with some bees.
He liked them.
He flew back to his trash can and ate moldy soup for dinner and melted popsicle for dessert.
The end, and they lived happily ever trashed-er.
Wow.
This is a, you know, there's a whole world outside your window.
But there is no place like home.
There's no place like home.
Where you can get your moldy soup.
You know right away that this is a rebellious teenage fly when he says I'm tired of stinkiness and rotten apples.
I think it's, you'd be hard pressed to find a fly that felt the same way.
Most flies like that stuff.
But I also would argue that Tim likes that stuff too.
It's very clear to me when he goes home and has moldy soup and melted popsicle for dinner and dessert that those are comfort foods.
Like Tim, I'm really glad Tim got out, that he met some bees, he was friends with them, et cetera.
But he came home again.
I also love that he ran out of Wi-Fi.
Yeah, well, that's the only reason anyone would ever go outside, isn't it?
It's like, ugh, Wi-Fi's out.
Guess I'll go experience nature's Wi-Fi.
I love when my phone is dead or suddenly there's no Wi-Fi, and then I suddenly look at the bookshelf and I pull a book out like it's an ancient Tome.
Tome, and I go...
What is this knowledge within?
And then you learn a spell.
And then I learn a spell.
That brings the Wi-Fi back.
Yeah, and then I never read the book again.
That book was called The Router Manual.
Yes, it was.
Reading manuals.
Luna, I would prefer to read your story over a manual any day.
To read all of today's story love stories, just head to storypirates.com.
And remember, you can watch an even longer version of Story Love on the Story Pirates YouTube page.
With help from your grown-up.
Grown-ups can submit stories at storypirates.com.
And remember, we respond to every single one.
That's it for today's episode.
Thanks to today's author, Annika.
And we'll be back next week with another brand new one for you.
Until then, stay creative and stay kind.
The Story Pirates Podcast is a production of Story Pirates Studios.
Executive produced by Lee Overtree and Benjamin Salka.
This episode was produced by Isabella Riccio, Sam Baer, Peter McNerney, Lee Overtree and Brittany Stahl.
Recording, sound design, and mixing by Sam Baer at the Relic Room in New York City.
Additional production by Brett Tuvin.
Theme song by Bobby Lord.
Musical scoring by Eric Gerson and Jack Mitchell.
Our head writer is Peter McNerney.
Staff writers are Megan O'Neill and Alexis Simpson.
The library adventure was adapted by Rachel Jorofsky.
Episode artwork by Camilla Franklin.
This episode features performances by Craig Barnett, Michelle Chan-Bennett, Jake Fallon, Peter McNerney, Kento Morita, Megan O'Neill and Brittany Stahl.
Hanging around, looking for a book to read, hanging around.
Ooh, look, Fishes of the Western North Atlantic Part 9.
I've been really meaning to read this ever since I finished Part 8.
Okay, I'll just open it up and... Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
