Books with author Paul E. Richardson

Fernando, a young South American finch, becomes cast out to sea and is all alone on floating debris. After a horrid storm-tossed six-hundred-mile trip, he is eventually stranded on a Galapagos island and ends up adventuring, learning, and exploring other islands and new ideas with a sidekick finch, Hector. Along with seeing and meeting many wondrous wild creatures on the enchanted islands, Fernando experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and watches nature at work, which keeps his keen mind filled with questions and flowing ideas. After seeing six strikingly different islands, can Fernando really understand the true nature of them and the humans he travels with? Can he and Hector, his sturdy sidekick, survive the many perils and ever find a way back to their homes? Can he learn why little finches do most bird tasks on all the different islands? Can he understand why giant tortoises and huge iguanas on the Galapagos Islands are so different from those in his South American mainland? He struggles to answer all these puzzling questions as he travels and trusts his luck. It's an exciting trip with feathered adventurers investigating many secrets of nature on unique enchanted islands with weird new animal life far out in the Pacific Ocean. Amazingly, Fernando discovers answers to many of his questions. But how does he get this new knowledge, insight, and himself back home to South America? Yet this feathered adventurer does just that.

Merlin and a group of his friends were at their middle school on the night of the Fall Festival. Ms. White, a long term substitute teacher, showed them a mirror and told them to look into a mirror and think about whatever they saw. The magical mirror gave the students a curse or blessing based on how they saw themselves in the mirror. Unfortunately, it was Halloween when they looked into the mirror and everyone was wearing costumes. If they saw themselves as shorter than their friends, they might start getting shorter each day. If they thought they looked strong, they grew stronger each day. Merlin was dressed as his hero, Merlin the Enchanter, and imagined that he could do magic as well. Unfortunately, a friend was not so lucky. He had to either help his friend and risk losing his powers or forget about her and keep the powers of the mirror. Unfortunately, he and his friends were not the only ones who looked at the mirror. Another group of students had also gained powers from the mirror. They felt no need to help the cursed friend and decided to stop Merlin and his friends from getting to the mirror. Will he risk losing his powers to help his friend? Can Merlin and his friends save the cursed friend or will they be stopped by the other students?

Hannah had just discovered a mysterious hallway lined with amazing paintings in her Aunt Abby's attic. She stopped before a painting of a beautiful flower garden. There was a yellow butterfly perched atop a ruby red rose. It was so lifelike that she reached out to touch the tiny golden wings. Startled, she jerked her hand away, then stood, stunned, as the little butterfly flew away. She was about to find out just how amazing those paintings were as they drew her into an awesome series of adventures. Ghosts of the past haunted her nightmares until she finally learned the reason for her destinations, and the power behind the paintings.

Osgood is one lucky and curious little kangaroo-like animal. This unique critter inhabits America’s grasslands, hopping on back legs, stuffing plant food into cheek pouches, and is only the size of a kid’s fist.As a young kangaroo rat, he faces adventures and challenges when he leaves the family nest. He must quickly learn about the complex web of many night creatures outside. From the small but deadly grasshopper mouse to the strong and cunning coyote, Osgood and his family encounter surprises from these and other nocturnal (night) animals. Over time Osgood hones his survival skills since he is a night dweller too.