The Story of the Big Front Door

A quiet neighborhood garden becomes Sherwood Forest when the Hazeltine children and their friend Ikey Ford turn their favorite stories into games. Carl plays Robin Hood, Bess takes the part of Little John, and the group prepares a feast for a visiting cousin cast as King Richard. Then news that someone is moving into the vacant Brown house threatens their summer playground and sends the children scrambling to recover their household treasures.

Mary Finley Leonard's children's novel follows the small dramas of friendship, family life and make-believe. The garden's flowers, shady street and hospitable Hazeltine home give the opening a strong sense of place. Later, a staged entertainment brings holidays to life through costumes, songs and verse, with children defending their favorite celebrations. Readers interested in old-fashioned childhood stories will find detailed scenes of shared play, inventive performances and the everyday concerns that become large adventures to a child.