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.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I recently finished an incredibly long, yet incredibly good book titled The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. In it, we follow the life of Kaladin, an honorable young man who has been unfairly betrayed time and again, yet somehow finds the courage, with the help of his little pal Syl, to continue to help people, especially the men on his bridge crew.

The reader also follows Dalinar, one of the leaders of this society, who, searching his heart as well as the teachings of a book entitled The Way of Kings, comes to understand that the best kind of leader is one who supports and sincerely cares for those he leads.

We also get to know Shallan, a young woman whose first goal to steal something important from her mistress changes as she learns to care for the lady as a friend and not just as a teacher, and also as she learns unexpected truths about her world that changes the way she looks at things.

The Way of Kings is the first book of what is intended to be a long series, and not everything is resolved, as can be expected. Much though, is satisfyingly resolved with enough left over to keep the reader interested in what is coming next.

The book, despite its length, was a great story, and toward the middle, I was actually glad it was so long. Mr. Sanderson paced it just right, with the story flowing exactly as it needed to in the right parts. I really enjoyed it, and recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy.

The Candy Shop War was a great story. It tells of the adventures of friends, Nate, Pigeon, Summer, and Trevor and the "secret candy" made my Mrs. White, the owner of "The Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe" the local candy shop that's recently opened in town. At first, everything seems like a fun, harmless adventure, until the kids start to realize they're getting in over their heads, and Mrs. White might not be the kindly, harmless friend they think she is.

I don't want to give much more away, but I will say that it was a fun story to get involved in, and adults and children alike, who enjoy a fun adventure involving magical powers and tasty candy, will love this book.