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Chapter 1
The Vent Behind Biography
Ollie’s notebook was open before the library vent finished squeaking.
He knelt behind the Biography shelves and tugged the loose metal cover. Dust tickled his nose. Beyond it waited the forgotten crawlspace that held the Neglected Problems Bureau.
Ollie slipped inside. His battered notebook bumped his elbow. The space smelled of paper, old wood, and a little bit of rain. Pipes crossed the ceiling like sleepy metal snakes.
A small boy crawled after him. He wore a yellow raincoat and held one red mitten.
“Are you sure this is a detective office?” the boy whispered.
“It is,” Ollie said. “It is also a very small office.”
At the far end, a desk made from a wooden crate leaned against the wall. A bell, three pencils, and a jar of buttons sat on top. A card read:
THE NEGLECTED PROBLEMS BUREAU
The boy pointed at it. “I have a problem.”
Ollie opened his notebook. “Tell me.”
“The slide at school disappears every Tuesday.”
Ollie stopped writing.
“It doesn’t really disappear,” the boy added quickly. “It is still there. But it gets too far away. My feet cannot reach the bottom.”
“How far?”
The boy held up both hands. “About this much. Maybe more.”
Ollie measured the space between the hands with his eyes. Then he wrote, Tuesday, slide, too far away.
“Did you tell an adult?” he asked.
“My teacher said I was standing in the wrong place. The playground helper said slides cannot move. But I saw it.”
A library cart squeaked outside the shelves. Ollie glanced toward the vent. Adults often missed small things. They missed crooked pictures, humming lights, and socks that vanished only on washing day.
He looked back at the boy. “We will check.”
The crawlspace seemed to grow smaller as they turned around. Ollie bumped the desk. The bell rang. The boy bumped a pipe. A puff of dust landed on Ollie’s nose.
He sneezed so loudly that someone outside shushed the whole library.
At the playground, rain dotted the rusty slide. The woodchips felt damp beneath Ollie’s shoes. He crouched near the slide’s bottom.
There, under the metal, shone a thin smear of dark oil.
Maya Lin hurried over, carrying a little listening device with wires taped around it.
“You found something!” she said.
“I found oil,” Ollie said. “It could be from a bicycle. Or a gate. Or - ”
“Or a slide that is secretly a machine.”
Ollie touched the woodchips. A low hum moved through them.
Maya’s eyes grew wide. “That is not a bicycle.”
The hum stopped.
Then footsteps crossed the playground.
Mr. Henderson, the substitute janitor, came around the fence. His shoes were spotless. His cloth was folded into a perfect square.
“Well,” he said, looking at the slide. “What are you children doing?”
Ollie closed his notebook, but he did not step away from the oily mark.
“Investigating,” he said.
Mr. Henderson’s smile stayed neat. “Some problems are best left alone.”
Under the woodchips, something hummed again. This time, Ollie heard a tiny click beneath it.
He gripped his notebook.
The Bureau had its first real case.
End of chapter one. 5 more chapters and about 2,749 words in the full book.
Swipe or use the arrows to turn the page
What's inside: 6 chapters
- 1. The Vent Behind Biography
- 2. The Notebook’s Too Many Patterns
- 3. Three Inches at Two
- 4. The Hatch Behind the Boiler
- 5. The Triple-Hourglass Valve
- 6. A Case for Next Tuesday
About this book
"The Neglected Problems Bureau" is a children's book by Leigh Ralph with 6 chapters and approximately 2,749 words. Two observant children investigate a playground slide linked to Oakhaven’s hidden brass machine.
This book was created using Inkfluence AI, an AI-powered book generation platform that helps authors write, design, and publish complete books. It was made with the AI Children's Book Creator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "The Neglected Problems Bureau" about?
Two observant children investigate a playground slide linked to Oakhaven’s hidden brass machine
How many chapters are in "The Neglected Problems Bureau"?
The book contains 6 chapters and approximately 2,749 words. Topics covered include The Vent Behind Biography, The Notebook’s Too Many Patterns, Three Inches at Two, The Hatch Behind the Boiler, and more.
Who wrote "The Neglected Problems Bureau"?
This book was written by Leigh Ralph and created using Inkfluence AI, an AI book generation platform that helps authors write, design, and publish books.
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