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Fraternal twin sisters find themselves in Mexico after walking through a magical crystal picture frame that acts as a portal to mysterious lands! The courageous 11-1/2-year olds empower themselves while solving why the monarch butterflies have vanished by using a mischievous map, encountering a talking toucan, working with a catlike creature, by dodging an evil professor, and later being rescued by color-changing monkeys.
SYNOPSIS:
WGA registered and adapted from the 2014 copyright novel of the same title.
Sophie and Scottie are non-identical twin sisters age 11 "and a half" (as they always say) who live on a 10,000 acre sheep shearing ranch called Shear Heaven. Sophie is an observer and follower who always wears green. Scottie is spontaneous and a leader who always wears blue. The girls receive a package for their hard work on the ranch from their globetrotting Auntie Jill. Little do they know that this gift is magical and acts as a portal to mysterious lands and amazing adventures! The frame glows in multicolored crystals and then grows when a picture is put into the frame that is also provided by their Auntie. Just walking through the frame takes courage and the girls must empower themselves by using their wit and determination to navigate where they are in the picture of the frame. Since the frame is magical, each girl develops a talent to help them in their adventure; Sophie can see in the dark, and Scottie can jump 20 feet or more. I use a bit of magic, mystery, and a dash of science to support the plot.
After the girls negotiate among themselves when they walk through the frame (that grows as big as their bedroom) the sisters find themselves in Mexico with Dr. Drake, who is engaged to Auntie Jill and can be trusted. He says that he’s been “waiting” for them and asks if they will help him in finding the missing monarch butterflies. After they agree, Sophie is startled when in their hotel room she discovers a map on a table, even though it’s black as night in their room; her night vision abilities have begun.
They start their journey early in the morning where Dr. Drake states that the map is now Sophie’s. Their guide, Diego, will also help them on their mission. They stop to camp and Sophie can’t sleep, so she sneaks out of her tent with the new map that shows her a trail to walk on, bringing her to the Crystal Canyon where a toucan speaks to her and a cat-like creature named Jinx wants to help them find the butterflies too! In a comical way, Sophie gets the entire group to follow her to the canyon and they can’t believe the beauty of the place as well as talking to a toucan, meeting Jinx, and watching color-changing monkeys called the Gecko Clan. Scottie gets hungry and tries to reach for some bananas and discovers she can pick them by jumping over 20 feet! After hiking out of the canyon, Jinx shows them where a group of other humans seemed to disappear in the outer forest. Scottie jumps way up into a pine tree to take pictures of where Jinx said to look. Scottie jumps down and they see humans in the picture! Hiking to the location, Diego discovers a zip line that apparently took the humans instantly to another area of the forest. As they all use the line, Jinx runs to meet them at the end of it. Walking on a trail, they find enormous wrought iron doors where they peer through them and Sophie's night vision spots the monarchs. The group is also spotted and are captured by a giant net falling on them. Dr. Drake can’t believe it; it’s the diabolical Professor Zooger who stole a bug communication formula where bugs use radio waves called Insect Modulation, of which, he used to control the butterflies! Professor Z just laughs at them and told his thugs to bring the group into this huge cave where the Monarch Butterflies are held captive. Jinx runs back to the canyon and gets the Gecko Monkeys to help Sophie and Scottie and the rest of the group to escape with the butterflies using special pulley systems to open the massive iron doors. Professor Zooger is stunned and barely escapes as Diego tries to capture him. The butterflies are set free and so are Sophie and Scottie and their group.
The girls return home in a magical way and "meet" Dr. Drake for the first time in their great room. He hands them an envelope where Sophie says, "I think it's a photograph." Scottie replies, "I think you're right!"
Millions of butterflies still migrate to Mexico, so I'm confident that children and families would enjoy this story.
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Hi Cindy, reminds me of C.S. Lewis! Sounds interesting, i think my kids would enjoy it :)
The only suggestion I would make (if i may) is to call it simply "The Monarch Mystery" and then subtitle it from "The Adventures of Sophie and Scottie". It would just make it easier for kids to say, and then you have it left open for more adventures to come... ;)
Wish you the very best with it, S.J.