For a production that tours libraries, what could be a better subject than books?a

That was the inspiration for Shiloh Hart to write “The Magic of Books,” which is the touring production for this year’s Summer Stock season by Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre.

“Last year was a great play, I loved it, but I’d love to have a play about books,” Hart said. “How do I bring books into a good storyline?”

“The Magic of Books” tells the story of a girl named Charlie who, on the first day of school, becomes friends with a group of children who call themselves “The Lost Kids’ Book Club,” inspired by the Lost Boys in J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.”

The club members recreate the potion from Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” that causes the main character’s transformation, and they sneak the potion into their teachers’ glasses of water.

“Each teacher is based on a real-life author, and the secret potion turns them into their pen names,” Hart said.

The teachers are based on Ben Franklin (who used the pen name Silence Dogood, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Samuel Clemens / Mark Twain, Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket and R.L. Stine / Eric Affabee.

Seven young actors play the nine characters in the play with Hart directing.

“These kids are great,” Hart said. “I had to slow them down. They work so fast. This a 45-minute straight play, and it’s crazy how fast these kids picked it up. They just love the characters.”

“The Magic of Books” will do public performances at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren, and at three of its branches — 1 p.m. Monday at the Lordstown branch, 1471 Salt Springs Road; 2 p.m. July 17 at the Howland branch, 9095 E. Market St.; and 11 a.m. July 18 at the Liberty branch, 415 Churchill-Hubbard Road.

Admission for all performances is free.

The production has a simple set design with 4 chairs and 4 TV trays for the students that can work as desks or be combined to create a larger table and a chair and a fold-out table for the different actors playing teachers.

It allows for easy set up and transportation to the different locations, and Hart also would like to take the play to other communities in northeast Ohio.

“I have a few companies that have shown interest in publishing it, and I want to look into that a little bit more,” she said.