Magic Will Happen

The book’s central character is based on Frances Martindale, a longtime librarian at the Gordon School, a nursery to eighth grade school in East Providence, Rhode Island.

At the door of Gordon’s library, a wooden book invites students to “Touch this page and magic will happen,” and it has been a tradition for students to tap the book gently whenever they pass by.

Inside the library, Ms. Martindale made magic happen for students for over thirty years. Under her guidance, the library became the emotional heart of the school, and the collection she cultivated became one of the purest reflections of Gordon’s desire to include a broad spectrum of identities and to teach young people the truth about the world that surrounds them.

Ms. Martindale retired from Gordon after the spring of 2026. As parents, coworkers and friends dreamed up ways to honor her work and secure her legacy, it seemed natural to write a picture book about her so that future students, at Gordon and beyond, would be able to experience Frances’ magic.

One of Ms. Martindale’s passions has been bringing professional authors to campus to work with students, and one of these authors, Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, partnered with Gordon to craft a beautiful story that is now lovingly illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth.