Eleanor’s Secret

Seven-year-old Nathaniel and his older sister Angelica move into their eccentric Aunt Eleanor's home. The house carries the aunt's peculiar sensibilities and a legacy she left behind. They begin adjusting to the unusual surroundings.

Angelica frequently teases Nathaniel for traits she perceives as immature, like his difficulty reading. The teasing underscores their tense relationship and hints at underlying jealousy and friction.

In Aunt Eleanor's will, she designates Nathaniel as the guardian who will receive the key to the locked room. Angelica is given a porcelain doll. The arrangement foreshadows a secret tied to the room and the stories it holds.

Nathaniel enters the locked room alone and discovers shelves filled with old books—the tales Aunt Eleanor used to read to him. He is horrified by what he finds and bolts from the room in a panic. The discovery plants the seeds for the magical events to come.

That night, a fierce thunderstorm devastates the house, and repair costs threaten the family's stability. With no savings, Nathaniel offers that the family might sell the books to raise money. This decision triggers the books' magical consequences.

Back in the attic, the miniature figures from the books come to life and declare Nathaniel their new guardian. They reveal that he must read a magic spell to keep them alive, or they will disappear within five hours. The moment is tempered by the appearance of Carabosse, the evil witch, who accuses him of failing his duty and shrinks him to their size.

An antique seller arrives and realizes the books are valuable first editions. He schemes to pass them off as worthless and resell them for a much higher price, trapping Nathaniel and the living characters. The group is taken to the seller's shop and must find a way back to Aunt Eleanor's house to read the spell.

The group travels back toward the house, facing perils along the road, including interaction with other humans and a crab on a beach. The Ogre among them learns the value of friendship over immediate consumption, strengthening their resolve. They press forward despite the danger.

Upon arriving back at Aunt Eleanor's house, Nathaniel proves himself and reads the spell aloud, keeping the living books alive beyond the five-hour limit. The magical crisis is averted through his courage and literacy. The books' fate now rests on his actions.

Nathaniel returns to the antique shop and forces Carabosse to restore him to his normal size. The witch is defeated and the living stories regain their rightful place in the world. The spell's success marks a turning point in his guardianship.

Nathaniel convinces his parents that the books hold too much value to sell. They decide to keep the magical library rather than monetize it. The home’s future is secured by their newfound appreciation for stories.

Angelica discovers valuable jewelry hidden within her porcelain doll, providing a windfall to fund repairs for the house. The discovery shifts the family’s financial priorities and strengthens their home.

The siblings learn to value each other and begin reading together in the attic. The attic becomes a shared space of imagination and learning, mending their earlier rifts.