When letters begin sliding off the pages of the books in Mrs. Popham's library, her elementary school embarks on an adventure in creativity that forever changes the way the students think about reading and writing. With classes suspended, everyone from the principal to the janitor gathers together to confront the mysterious problem and decide what to do about the mountain of type heaped upon the library floor. Julius suggests pasting each of the countless letters back in place, Rodney treats them like autumn leaves, several girls take to wearing them on their cheeks, and little Leonard laments the disappearance of his two favorite books, the ones he borrows every Friday. In a sudden burst of inspiration, the bewildered Mrs. Popham invites the students to create their own books from the scattered letters, precipitating an explosion of interest in the library, in books, and in the limitless creativity of the school's most colorful characters. Reading will never be the same in Mrs. Popham's library.