I can still remember visiting my local small town library as a kid and looking for a book. Any book to read over the summer and keep my attention for more than a few minutes. That day, some 20-odd years ago, in the kids section in the basement, I happened across
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. The cover art - a menacing villain with a skull mask on horseback - drew me in, and the exciting adventure story kept me enthralled until the end. And what luck - it wasn't a one-and-done. It was a series. Five full books called
The Chronicles of Prydain. I was in heaven. Each one was a masterpiece. That was a great summer.
If you are looking for other wonderful stories - that ooze with adventure and creativity and interesting characters - look no further than Lloyd Alexander's books.
Here are some of my recent favorites:
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha
The Arkadians