Chapter 1
Sylvia was born in 1965 (you know, back when everything was black and white), a shiny, 3,500-pound, 27-foot, happy, healthy aluminum camper.
From the moment her hitch was installed, Sylvia knew she was destined to be special! She just didn't know how to make herself really shine. She wanted so badly to make people take notice of her and her unique qualities!
When she was old enough to be road-ready, Sylvia joined the family business. Sylvia’s family was in the transport business, more specifically the tooth-transport business. That’s right, Sylvia’s family transported teeth for the Tooth Fairy Workers Association (TFWA). After the Tooth Fairy picks up a tooth from a kiddo, they load it onto a transport, and the tooth gets shipped to the Fairylands to be processed. Rumor has it, the Tooth Fairies make dentures out of them and resell them to our grandmas and grandpas for shiny nickels and quarters—hence the gifts under your pillow!
Chapter 2
Sylvia moved molars, incisors, and the occasional wisdom tooth from one Fairyland location to the next.
She was the best tooth transporter out there. She was nice, friendly, funny, and dependable. Sylvia would provide a smile to all the hard-working Tooth Fairies out doing their jobs. She loved to hear the Tooth Fairies' adventurous stories, especially the harrowing tales of almost getting caught by those little snooze monsters. She was intrigued by their special powers. A Tooth Fairy’s ability to appear with a twirl of glitter, squeeze under a pillow undetected, and of course, FLY, were all qualities Sylvia longed to possess. Her absolute favorite thing about working with Tooth Fairies was hearing the stories of how excited kids would get reading their Tooth Fairy’s handwritten note. Sylvia dreamed of being able to make kids that happy one day! She wanted nothing more than to be a fairy that all the kids loved.
But Sylvia wasn’t built for sneaking into bedrooms and whisking away teeth. She was, to put it kindly, more of a tank than a spry little sprite. Her physique—round, sturdy, and built to carry heavy cargo—was not exactly a quintessential fairy bod. She knew something needed to change.
Chapter 3
She thought, perhaps she could be a different type of fairy. Sylvia auditioned for Tinker Bell in her town’s production of Peter Pan, but it was suggested she try out for part of the pirate ship instead. #insulting
She went to a pumpkin patch to transform pumpkins into horse-drawn carriages. “Abracadabra!” “Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!” she exclaimed; however, there was no Fairy Godmother magic. Tragically, she smashed a few pumpkins while backing out of the field and is now not allowed within 100 feet of a pumpkin patch anymore.
Sylvia took up ballet. Spinning her wheels and donning a tutu, she practiced for weeks in hopes of impressing the Sugar Plum Fairy and joining her renowned troupe. Sylvia had the rhythm, the pizzazz, and the twinkle in her toes/tires. Unfortunately, upon meeting the Sugar Plum Fairy, Sylvia quickly realized the Sugar Plum Fairy was not so sweet. Sylvia could only talk to Ms. S. Plum’s assistant, was told not to look Ms. S. Plum directly in the eyes, and if she did not bring fresh-squeezed OJ for the entire production crew, she was told she’d “Never work in this town again!”
Sylvia was discouraged. She wanted so badly to be a fairy.
Chapter 4
One night, Sylvia was out on the road, working with one of her favorite Tooth Fairies, Barry. Barry, an eccentric Tooth Fairy who wore a beret, suspenders, and mismatched socks, often talked to Sylvia about life.
"Sylvia," he whispered with a grin, "How are you?"
“I’m okay,” she mumbled.
“Sylvia, what’s wrong? Come on, you can tell ole Barry.” Barry pried, as he could tell something was bothering Sylvia, as she was not her normal sassy self.
“I just want to be a fairy!” she blurted out, exasperated.
Barry thought for a second. Nodded his head. Swirled around in a cloud of glitter. Then exclaimed, “But you are a fairy! You have always been a fairy!”
“I don’t have wings. I don’t have special powers. I get pixie dust in my tailpipe when I try to sprinkle it. I’m just a transport camper, plain and simple,” Sylvia countered.
“Silly Sylvia! You are way more than a tooth transporter! You love kids, right? You love a good story, right? You love adventures, right?” Sylvia nodded her approval.
“Have I got an idea for you!!!!” Barry exclaimed. "You, Sylvia, are a BOOK FAIRY!"
“A what?”
Chapter 5
“Picture this...” Barry’s arms circled in the air as he said, “A mobile bookstore, where you are stocked full of children’s books and take them to their schools for them to purchase the books, take home, read, repeat, and buy even more books….”
“Parents will love you because you’re not another toy little Susie played with just once, or a snack that leads to cavities! You, my dear, have got the space, the charm, and the drive! You are the world’s—or perhaps let’s start you in a more centralized location, perhaps Indianapolis’—premier mobile bookstore! YOU ARE SYLVIA THE BOOK FAIRY!!"
Other fairies appeared out of nowhere with puffs of glitter and pixie dust, cheering and chanting “Sylvia...Sylvia!”
Could it be? Was this some kind of fairy prophecy, or just the result of too many late-night Takis? Regardless, she felt a spark deep within her, and for the first time in ages, she was filled with purpose.
With newfound determination, Sylvia set to work. She rolled up her tattered 1965 screens and transformed the interior of her once-bustling tooth transport vehicle. Her shelves now overflowed with books of all kinds: fantasy, mystery, adventure, romance (oh la la).
She even had a cozy rug in the back where readers could curl up and get lost in their stories.
She installed a mini-fridge, because what’s a good book without some Pirate’s Booty and a juice box? And she created a secret reading corner just for those who wanted to escape from the world for a bit. Sylvia was ready.
Chapter 6
Her first official day as a mobile bookstore was met with excitement. Kids’ eyes would widen when they saw her bright silver exterior gleaming in the distance, like a friendly, book-filled oasis on wheels.
They’d flock to her, eagerly climbing the steps into her magical interior, where books were stacked high and stories waited to be discovered.
And so, Sylvia’s adventures continued. She became the OG of mobile bookstores, rolling from town to town, spreading the joy of reading wherever she went. Her once-heavy-hearted, tooth-laden travels were now filled with stories, laughter, and the spark of imagination.
Sylvia never looked back, though sometimes, when she passed a dentist’s office, she’d chuckle to herself. After all, no one said she couldn’t occasionally take a tooth for the road... especially if it was a silver or gold one.
What Sylvia Brings to the Table
