Title: Amos Daragon_ The Mask Wearer Author: Bryan Perro File Type: Mobi Subject:Fiction:Young Adult Description:Amazon.com ReviewAmos Daragon #1: The Mask Wearer is the first book in a fast-paced adventure series for middle grade readers. Amos is a hero straight out of the Brothers Grimm--loyal, trustworthy, and very clever--outsmarting villains with their own nefarious schemes. In this classic story of good versus evil, Amos has been chosen as a Mask Wearer, tasked with combating forces of evil using the power embedded in four lost masks. Encountering gorgons, mermaids, nagas, and the Egyptian god Seth, Amos proves he is a fierce opponent and a steadfast friend. A satisfying conclusion sets the tone for the next book, and the mythology glossary at the end is an added bonus._--Seira Wilson_ strongA Letter from Author Bryan Perrostrong As a young boy, I had a passion for comic books, especially the French Pif Gadget and Rahan. At fourteen, I discovered my first book, The Devil’s Triangle by American writer Richard Winer. The book was about the Bermuda Triangle; I loved how it dealt with the supernatural and how unexplained forces exert power over the boats, aircrafts, and people who dare to venture in this eerie part of the Atlantic Ocean. This real-life mystery and Winer’s way with words fueled my imagination.During my college years, I developed a deep interest in anthropology and the myths that exist throughout the world. I have around 350 books in my home--all myths and legends from places near and far. The fantastical creatures that populate these amazing stories, along with the hero in each of them, inspired me to create Amos Daragon, the series.When I was looking for a magical item that Amos Daragon would need to find on his quest, I was surprised to learn that the first such item in the history of mankind is not the magic wand, but the mask.When the aborigines, the first men, danced around their campfires, they personified animals. How did they do this? They wore masks! If, for example, they put on the mask of the eagle, their vision grew more piercing. This enhanced power allowed them to be a better hunter. So I wanted Amos to be in pursuit of mankind’s first magical item, the mask. Four of them, in fact! And since I wanted to write an extended series, I decided that stones would empower the masks. Not only did this allow Amos to harness his abilities as Mask Wearer slowly, it gave me the opportunity to explore all sorts of adventures for my young hero. It’s been an incredible journey for him and for me--one that I hope boys and girls will join as they begin Amos Daragon #1: The Mask Wearer.FromFast paced, with a litany of new friends and foes introduced in every chapter, this first installment in the Amos Daragon series is a smart choice for die-hard fantasy lovers. Young Amos, a child of peasants in a mythical realm ruled by an evil king, is chosen to fight a �mysterious and wicked force� by collecting four masks that represent earth, wind, fire, and water and along the way eliminating the malevolent forces corrupting the woods of Tarkasis. In his quest, Amos encounters mermaids and mermen, druids and fairies, and he befriends the �humanimal� Beorf. The plot is complex, and the fantasy can be heavy-handed at times, but a �mythological lexicon� appears as an addendum and provides some cultural context regarding many of the creatures who appear in the story. This is ultimately a tale about finding one�s own independence, and the climax will leave readers eager for the next installment in the series. Fans of Cornelia Funke�s Inkheart trilogy will approve. Grades 4-7. --Erin Anderson

Title: Stories I Only Tell My Friends_ An Autob Author: Rob Lowe File Type: Mobi Subject:Autobiography Description:ReviewA lovely autobiography, equal parts dish and pathos.--_Vanity Fair_[Lowe] writes viscerally and insightfully...He looks back at the aberrant highs of his heart-throb days, the changing nature of stardom in Hollywood, the trade-off he has made between high life and home life, and the step-by-step effort behind his show business survival. He looked like the callowest kid in the Outsiders crew. Now he looks like the sturdiest of them all--_The New York Times_I really enjoyed it...Thoroughly entertaining: the Brat Pack years, the Waynes World years, the Alcoholic Obscurity, the Glamorous Romances (Princess Stephanie of Monaco!), the Inevitable Rehab, and the Triumphant Comeback on The West Wing.--_Time Magazine_[Lowes] charming, honest, even affectionate memoir is the story of strong guts behind a strikingly handsome face...A book to recommend widely.--_Booklist_strongA wryly funny and surprisingly moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eyestrongA teen idol at fifteen, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at twenty, and one of Hollywoods top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-seventies Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood. The Outsiders placed Lowe at the birth of the modern youth movement in the entertainment industry. During his time on The West Wing, he witnessed the surreal nexus of show business and politics both on the set and in the actual White House. And in between are deft and humorous stories of the wild excesses that marked the eighties, leading to his quest for family and sobriety. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last twenty-five years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.