Tobey, a generally good guy, was walking home from school. He stopped at his friend Mac's house to drop off some work. Mac had been sick for three days and was quickly falling behind. When Tobey knocked on the door, he heard a loud slam as if another door had shut. Mac greeted Tobey through a half open door and a fake smile. Tobey peered over Mac's shoulder to find that the rug had been peeled back to reveal a trapdoor. Mac quickly grabbed his books and shoved Tobey out the door. However, Tobey was very curious, so he hid behind Mac's house until he was sure it was empty. He crept in through the kitchen window and shuffled over to the rug. He lifted the corner and reached to open the thick wooden door. The hinges groaned under the weight, but Tobey was determined. He climbed through the opening to find another door. When he opened this door, he was greeted by a cold breeze.

He stepped inside to find a huge winter habitat abundant with penguins and polar bears. Tobey continued in and started investigating. He hiked and played in the snow for hours, until he got too cold. He started the trek back to the door. When he got there, he reached to open the door. This time when the door opened, he did not return to Mac's house. He was taken to Egypt and was now sitting on top of one of the pyramids. Tobey was confused by this, so he decided to try the door again. Once again, the room on the other side of the door was not Mac's. It was a rainforest with monkeys swinging from the trees. Tobey wasted no time trying to get home.

He was alone in a quest to get home until, he found Mac along the great wall of China. Mac gasped when he saw Tobey walking up to greet him. Mac explained that the door was his grandfather's. His mother had told him never to open the door, however last week he wanted just a peek of what was behind it. He continued to tell Tobey the stories of his journeys with the door.

Tobey then asked how they get back home. Mac showed Tobey exactly how. The opened the door and Mac's mother was standing right in front of it. Mac was grounded for two weeks and Tobey was not allowed in the house without a parent's supervision. The two boys learned to work around these rules. They still schedule weekly visits to some of their favorite places. The adventures they experienced were all because of the magical door in the basement.