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- Herausgeber: Gemma Open Door for Literacy
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Serie: The Two-Wheeled Detective Mysteries
- Sprache: Englisch
Tami is back! And she's involved in another mystery. A professional temporary employee, Tami lands a job guarding a quirky collection in the Museum of Oddities. Soon she discovers that precious objects are disappearing from the museum. Who is the thief? Tami is determined to find the culprit. When a troubled old woman falls to her death, Tami's curiosity unmasks more than theft. Zelda, the mechanical fortune teller, turns up a card that leads Tami into the secret pasts of two people….and murder! The Museum of Oddities is the second book featuring the intrepid Tami Tripper and her bike Ruby. Join Tami on her latest adventure where her curiosity and knack for finding trouble make her The Two-Wheeled Detective. Beware of an old memory!
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Seitenzahl: 52
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Susan Thompson
The Museum of Oddities
A Two-Wheeled Detective Mystery
Susan Thompson spent twenty years in the adult literacy field as a teacher, program director, curriculum developer, trainer, and mentor to adult literacy professionals. She is a graduate of Hollins University, the New School Certificate Program in adult literacy, and a recipient of the 2011 Literacy Recognition Award from the New York City Literacy Assistance Center. A lifelong reader of mystery stories, Susan lives in Brooklyn, New York.
First published by Gemma in 2023.
www.gemmamedia.org
©2023 by Susan Thompson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Printed in the United States of America
978-1-956476-27-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in Publication Data available.
Cover by Laura Shaw Design
Named after the brightest star in the Northern Crown, Gemma is a nonprofit organization that helps new readers acquire English language literacy skills with relevant, engaging books, eBooks, and audiobooks. Always original, never adapted, these stories introduce adults and young adults to the life-changing power of reading.
Cabinets of Curiosity, or Wonder Rooms, exhibited a wide variety of objects. They featured examples of natural history (such as stuffed animals, dried insects, and fossils), exotic plants and animals, scientific instruments, and objects created by or modified by humans, like works of art. [Adapted from Google Arts & Culture]
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Tami Tripper—A professional temporary employee and free spirit.
Raven Moore—Curator. Head of the Museum of Oddities.
Helga Fitzroy—Conservator. Repairs, cleans, and preserves the collection.
Nathan Amos—Archivist. Maintains the computer catalogue.
Willow—Exhibit designer.
Hector Diaz—Head of security.
Selma Simpson—Museum visitor.
A FEW OF THE MANY GALLERIESIN THE MUSEUM OF ODDITIES
Taxidermy
Carnival Curiosities
Tick Tock
Musical Miracles
Secrets of the Sea
Gems and Jewels
Contents
CHAPTER 1
ENTER AND BE AMAZED
CHAPTER 2
SWEETIE PIE
CHAPTER 3
A MUSEUM HELPER
CHAPTER 4
ZELDA TELLS FORTUNES
CHAPTER 5
WILLOW LOVES TO TALK
CHAPTER 6
PRECIOUS OBJECTS
CHAPTER 7
ELEVEN O’CLOCK IN THE LIBRARY
CHAPTER 8
RITZY FITZY
CHAPTER 9
NATHAN
CHAPTER 10
WHO IS THE THIEF?
CHAPTER 11
BEWARE OF AN OLD MEMORY
CHAPTER 12
OLD PEOPLE FALL. IT HAPPENS.
CHAPTER 13
“CLAIR DE LUNE”
CHAPTER 14
MS. NOSY
CHAPTER 15
WHAT DOES NATHAN KNOW?
CHAPTER 16
TAMI TAKES A DAY OFF
CHAPTER 17
WHO WAS HEDDA?
CHAPTER 18
ANOTHER FALL?
CHAPTER 19
NATHAN EXPLAINS
CHAPTER 20
ZELDA’S FORTUNE
CHAPTER 21
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
CHAPTER 1
ENTER AND BE AMAZED
Tami pedaled leisurely along the street. What a beautiful spring day. Perfect for riding her bike, Ruby. Tami was not headed any place in particular. Just biking around town.
“Wait a minute! What is this?”
It was an old stone mansion. A carved blue arch framed the double-doored entrance. Insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals frolicked across in bright colors. Above the arch was a sign.
Welcome to the Museum of OdditiesEnter and Be Amazed
Tami jumped off her bike. She was eager to enter and be amazed. And she was. This was what Tami saw that day:
Twenty-seven stuffed animals.
Three music boxes that were two hundred years old and played tunes.
One huge crystal ball.
A chair with a secret drawer. Inside was a tiny carved dog with a tail that wagged.
Shells from distant oceans.
A two-headed duckling.
And an automated fortune teller.
The Museum of Oddities was crowded with all sorts of curious things. They filled the cabinets and covered the shelves. They dangled from the ceiling. They rose from the floor and stood in corners. Each gallery displayed something Tami had never seen before. She spent three hours roaming through the museum. She had a wonderful time. On her way out, Tami stopped to take a photo of the museum’s entrance. The blue color of the arch and the creatures that floated across it looked familiar.
Tami biked home full of excitement. She raced up the stairs to her apartment. Only three cozy rooms. Tall windows looked out on the street below. Shelves held Tami’s many books. There was a sofa and a chair and a plant. The walls were painted red, Tami’s favorite color.
Tami’s mom was an abstract artist. Even when she was dying from cancer, Tami’s mom painted. Tami often wondered what inspired her mom’s canvases. Now she studied one particular painting. Colorful shapes floated across a blue background. Just like the arch above the museum’s entrance. Tami read the title on the back of the painting. It said Enter and Be Amazed. A warm feeling flooded Tami’s heart. It was a connection to her mom.
CHAPTER 2
SWEETIE PIE
Tami returned again and again to the Museum of Oddities. She fell in love with the adorable two-headed duckling. It was tiny and fluffy and had a sweet expression. Both little heads smiled at Tami. The two-headed duckling was not alive. It was stuffed and displayed under a glass dome in the Taxidermy gallery.
Taxidermy is the art of stuffing dead animals. There were many in the gallery. A deer with a large rack of antlers. A rhino head with a horn. A snarling tiger. Birds hung from the ceiling. An eagle. A hummingbird. A swan. Beavers and raccoons posed in display cabinets along with tiny mice and chipmunks.
Tami heard a voice behind her. “I knew I would find you here. You have been here every day. I thought I should say hi. I’m Hector Diaz. I am head of security for the museum.”
“I’m Tami Tripper. I think the Museum of Oddities is wonderful. I can’t stay away. Especially from this cute duckling.”
“Have you given it a name?”
Tami’s dark eyes twinkled. “She is so sweet. I will name her Sweetie Pie.”
Hector chuckled. “Hello there, Sweetie Pie.”
Tami laughed. “I have another favorite. The automated fortune teller in Carnival Curiosities.”
“Zelda was discovered in Europe,” said Hector. “She still tells fortunes. Maybe she will tell yours.”
“I would love that,” said Tami. “Have you worked here long, Mr. Diaz?”
“Call me Hector. I have been here fifteen years. After I retired from the police.”
“I wish I could work at the Museum of Oddities.”
“Are you looking for work?”
“Yes, I am between temp jobs. I hope to find something soon.”
“You don’t work full-time?”
