Fantasy On 4th Street
by
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That night Jake and Max went to bed early because they were very tired from a busy and exciting day. They fell asleep right away and a magic spell cast them into a land of enchantment. They were standing on Fourth Street in front of the elevator. However, what they saw was something very magical. The cable cars were candy-apple red with pure gold seats trimmed in diamonds and pearls. The windows were stained glass and the rails were made of shiny brass. Standing in the street was a huge white cat. He was dressed in a velvet purple suit with a white lace collar. His hat matched his suit and included a large black feather. He wore black gloves and high black polished boots. “My name is Master Graves and I’ll be your guide,” he said. “Would you like to ride?” Jake and Max could only shake their heads up and down. Jake said, “We don’t have any money.” “You don’t need money, just some magic,” said Master Graves. The cat snapped his fingers, and just like that, Jake and Max were holding a red licorice stick.
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About the Book
In Dubuque, Iowa there is a very famous landmark called the Fourth Street Elevator. It is definitely a great tourist attraction and has been in operation since 1882. One summer day, Maggie took her grandsons, Jake and Max, for a ride up and down the elevator. They had so many questions about the history of the elevator, so they went on the internet to learn more about the history of it. After the first ride, every time the boys came to visit they had to take another ride up and down the elevator. About that same time, the first J.K. Rowling book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone hit the bookstores. The boys loved it when Maggie read the book to them. They even wanted her to make the Harry Potter caps, which she did. That was the starting point. Maggie’s mind starting spinning with all sorts of ideas about a book based on the Fourth Street Elevator and inspired by the over-all theme of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The book includes some historical background but very quickly turns into an imaginative and magical tale of two boys and a delightful white cat, Master Graves.
About the Author
Maggie Ann Tyler is a retired educator. She taught school and was a school counselor for thirty-four years. She has demonstrated her creativity over the years in art forms of interior design, quilting and making wearable art, writing poetry and digital scrapbooking. This book is based on the Fourth Street Elevator, a long-standing landmark in Dubuque, Iowa and inspired by the over-all theme of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The book includes some historical background but very quickly turns into an imaginative and magical tale of two boys and a delightful white cat, Master Graves. She lives along the Mississippi River in Northwest Illinois with her husband, Rich. She spends much of her free time working on scrapbooking and has printed several hardcover scrapbooks for family and friends. She has also published another children’s book, The Adventures of Jake, Max and the Friendly Dinosaurs. This book can be found online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and Google. Aaron Butcher illustrated the book. He was in Maggie’s counselor division in high school. He was always interested in drawing and using different art forms. He used colored pencils to draw the illustrations for the book, giving it that dreamy, almost surreal effect. In 2005 he earned a Fine Arts Degree from Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. His artwork is featured in several local galleries and can also be seen at: www.aaronbutcher.etsy.com . He lives in Dubuque, Iowa with his wife and two daughters.