Secret of the Silver Key

The Secret of the Silver Key is the second book in the Fribble Mouse Library Mysteries Series. Fribble and his little brother, Scamper, live in Cheddarville. Fribble has both extraordinary whiskers and an extraordinary curiosity. This curiosity is aroused when he receives in the mail a birthday card from his grandparents that contains a silver key. Not wanting to wait for his birthday and the gift awaiting him, Fribble tries to learn what the key might unlock. Once he learns that, he finds himself facing another mystery. Where will it lead him? Only the library can help him solve the secret of the silver key.

Grade 2-4--When his grandparents send him an old-fashioned key, Fribble Mouse must wait for the weekend to match it to an "antique" birthday gift. However, Fribble is curious, and, assisted by his younger brother, he goes to the library to get more information. First, he uses the dictionary to find the meaning of the word antique. Then, he uses the phone book to locate and seek advice from a local antique dealer. Even after he uses the key to open the chest at his grandparents' house, Fribble faces further mysteries when he finds an old newspaper article and some stamps hidden in the lining. With just enough black-and-white drawings to please the post-picture-book crowd, this story poses a new research challenge in each of its brief chapters. A librarian's dream, the book is an excellent springboard for teaching about traditional reference sources, as well as the Internet and computerized library catalogs. A companion pamphlet provides reproducible worksheets that target all the right concepts.--Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT
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