The Door

Max has no problem with going to school. Learning doesn’t pose a challenge because he instantly memorizes everything he reads. If only it weren’t for the terrible seventh-graders Mairold and Baldy, who use every chance they have to make the boy’s life unbearable. They hide his things, push and shove, and taunt him as best as they can. Once when Max is fleeing his tormenters, he dives into a thicket where he comes across a strange house he’s never seen before, even though he walks that path home from school every day. The door is standing wide open and appears to beckon him, so Max gives into curiosity and enters.