Gordan Ryan- The Dawning of a Brighter Day

Gordan Ryan , author of Dangerous Legacy, Threads of Honor and others, passed away November 14, 2012.  He served in the United States Marine Corps, as a missionary for the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Norway, and with the United States Air Force during Vietnam. 
I enjoyed getting to know him as a member of LDStorymakers.  During his adult life, he lived in Norway, England, Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Ireland.  He was living in New Zealand at the time of his death.
One memory I have of Gordon, is when a group of Storymakers met at a restaurant in Draper and I brought a little jar of kiwi jam for Gordon.  He got the joke and chuckled.  He was a great person, and I will miss him.

The Hobbit- by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien has been one of my favorite stories for as long as I can remember.  I remember loving the story when I was a little kid, yet I still enjoy it now that I am an adult. 

While I look forward to seeing the book translated into a movie by Peter Jackson, I will always cherish the original story by Tolkien, and the images in my own head of that.

The Hobbit, as many people already know, is the story of Bilbo Baggins, who is reluctantly drawn into the adventure of thirteen Dwarves, assisted here and there by Gandalf, who are on a quest to take back their stolen treasure from the dragon Smaug.  On the way, Bilbo and his companions have run ins with Trolls, Orcs, and Wargs, and are assisted by friendly Elves, and Beorn, a... well, you know who Beorn is if you've read the book.  Suffice it to say that Beorn isn't exactly human.  All the time.

I heartily recommend The Hobbit to all ages of readers who enjoy a good fantasy adventure.

Escape from Zarahemla- by Chris Heimerdinger

I have been a fan of the Tennis Shoes series since I was a kid, and have enjoyed the adventures of Jim Hawkins and his friends and relatives.  So every time Chris Heimerdinger comes out with a new book, I'm usually one of the first to read it.  I can't honestly say that I read Escape from Zarahemla, by Chris Heimerdinger since I listened to it on CD, but I did, well, experience the story.  And it was great! 

Here, we find the story that left off at the end of Passage to Zarahemla, and continues the story of Kerra and Brock, and their dad.  Their troubles haven't ended, in fact in Escape from Zarahemla, they're only getting worse!  We get to meet a few characters we haven't met before, like Kerra's new step mother, and half brother, and we also get to meet, again, some characters who look, well, strangely familiar.  To my delight, in fact, Escape from Zarahemla, is where we see two previously separate series converging into one, and I am excited to see what will come in the future from Chris Heimerdinger!

I recently finished a story entitled Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi.  It is a delightful story, with Kenny Rabbit, its likable main character as the hero.  He makes a best friend in Grahame, a friendly dragon, but things start to get difficult when George, the kindly bookshop owner turns out to be a retired knight, and is recruited by the king to kill the dragon.

I won't give the ending away, but I will say that it's fun, and filled with twists that folks of all ages will enjoy! 

This is a book I heartily recommend.

Pleasant Grove Library Booksigning

Pleasant Grove Library, Pleasant Grove, Utah

 On August 1st, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., there will be a multi-author booksigning at the Pleasant Grove Library.


The Pleasant Grove Library is located at:
30 East Center Street
Pleasant Grove, Utah


The participating authors are:

 Tristi Pinkston

Julie Coulter Bellon

Nichole Giles

Angie Lofthouse

Monique Bucheger

Heather Moore

Rachelle Christensen

Andrea Pearson

Heather Justesen
Julie N. Ford

Loralee Evans

This booksigning will help kick off Tristi's newest book, Turning Pages, which, coincidentally, takes place in a library.  The event will also help to benefit the Pleasant Grove Library, so please come!

There will be prizes and treats, and promises to be a fun night!

I have read the Anne of Green Gables books before, but recently have started reading them again.  L.M. Montgomery was an amazingly gifted writer who could hold her readers' attention with fun, humorous situations that her main character, Anne, was constantly getting herself into.  From accidentally getting her best friend drunk to smashing a slate over the head of Gilbert Blythe for making fun of her red hair, Anne is a character that readers can easily relate to, and sympathize with. 
I also liked that though they were written over a century ago, Ms. Montgomery's books are still finding readers who adore Anne, and keep reading her stories.  I think because the messages in them of friendship, courage, and good humor etc. are universal, and never get old. 

The Education of Little Tree, by Asa Carter, (pen named Forrest Carter) is the story of a young boy named Little Tree who goes to live with his Cherokee grandparents after his parents die.

Little Tree's grandparents live and farm in the mountains, and teach Little Tree the values they live, along with the importance of education. (Despite Little Tree not going to a formal institution for education until toward the end of the book, Grandma educates him at home, teaching him to read and do arithemetic.) Both Grandma and Grandpa (along with their friend, Willow John) teach Little Tree the importance of living with nature, and why one must not take more from the world around him than what he gives back.

The ending is sad, but concludes on a hopeful note. Little Tree will be fine, because of what his grandparents taught him.

It is a good book for middle to high school aged readers. I have used it in my classes, and my students have liked it.

Every once in a while, a book comes along, that sticks in your mind, and doesn't leave because of how refreshing and fun it is. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is one of those books for me. I can see why it's a classic, and has been as popular as it has been for so long.
It's the story of four friends, Badger, Mole, Rat, and Toad. Toad is by far, the most colorful of the friends, getting into all sorts of trouble, and causing constant headaches for his long suffering friends. He's always getting into mischief, and hardly thinking about the consequences of his silly choices. (I thought he was particularly rude to the poor barge woman.) But his friends finally help him turn around in the end. (He even makes restitution to the barge woman, which I was hoping he would.)
It's a really cute, fun book, and I think all ages would enjoy it.