Used - like new Tee (short for Leticia) Woodie and her family have moved into a big, old house that is part of her father's inheritance. While exploring, they find a decorated Egyptian box which holds a shabti, a colorful wooden figure of a girl in painted mummy wrappings from the waist down. The writings on those wrappings are ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. When Charles, Tee's younger brother, borrows the figure and uses the Internet to discover what sounds the old hieroglyphics stand for, he reads the Egyptian words aloud to Tee, and strange things begin to happen. That evening, slow in answering her father's call to come and dry the dishes, Tee reaches the kitchen door only to hear the clink and rattle of plates and cutlery being put away. Peering in, she sees a costumed figure busy at work. Egyptian costume? The shabti? Surely not! But it is. Soon Tee is thinking of ways a secret, magical shabti-servant can help her with her homework. . .with school. . .with. . .All goes well until the shabti begins to enjoy taking Tee's place. A frightened Tee must get her back into her box, but--can she?
