Books with author Thomas R. Ryan

A lonely teenage boy whose father has moved them too often for him to make lasting friendships.A mysterious neighbor his own age who hums as he gardens... at night... surrounded by fireflies.Superstition is the town Thaddeus Cane and his father, Nathan, have settled in this time, and every evening Thaddeus becomes more intrigued with his new neighbor. When Thaddeus finally works up the nerve to visit his neighbor, the crush blooming underneath surfaces, and he realizes that Teofil, the midnight gardener, is lonely as well. When his father finds out where he's been spending his time, Thaddeus is forbidden from returning. But the attraction is too strong, and soon Thaddeus is back in Teofil's yard, leading to the revelation of long held secrets that upend Thaddeus' quiet life and sends him on the adventure of a lifetime.

A massive forest populated by creatures both dangerous and trustworthy.A source of power stronger than anything previously known.Far from his home in Superstition, Thaddeus Cane is in a race against dark forces to track down a dragon and break a curse.Teofil, his neighbor and new boyfriend, accompanies him, bravely standing by his side and facing down dangers as they search for a place whispered of in legend. Along the way, Thaddeus feels the first stirrings of love, as well as the awakening of a power he never imagined possible. When old secrets are finally revealed, will his new-found family be strong enough to survive the devastating shock?

The Itty Bitty collection of short stories are mini adventures with big imagination. Each tale has been carefully crafted to inspire kids young and old, whilst effectively embedding a moral to bring out the best in a child’s behavior. This book consists of eight short stories:“The day Christmas nearly never came”, “Petra The Brushtail Possum”, “The moon is made of Cheese”, “Craig the Scary Crocodile”, “Kevin the Blade of Grass”, “Matilda the Tugboat”, “Henry the Ghost” and "Rachel and the Glass Jar"The day Christmas nearly never cameChristmas day was always a jolly time for Santa and his merry reindeer. Why, it was the one time they all got to fly around the world visiting all the good little girls and boy’s homes dropping off their presents. However, one year this festive day of celebration nearly never arrived. Read the short story to find out why? Petra The Brushtail PossumPetra the Brushtail Possum lives high up in a gumtree amongst a vast national park in Australia. She was never one to share her food with all the other animals, which made them quite upset. One day a natural disaster struck the forest which left poor Petra stranded up in her treetop. Would the other animals come to her rescue?The Moon is made of CheeseHave you ever looked up at the moon on a clear and glistening night and wondered? Is that a giant ball of cheese floating in the sky? Well I’m here to tell you it really is! Or so that's what little Scotty Brown believed. Follow this little field mouse' adventure as he sets off to prove just that!Craig the Scary CrocodileCraig the Scary Crocodile lives in a zoo in Australia's Northern Territory. He’s a menacing beast that tourists from all around the world flocked to see, especially around meal times. One day, an unexpected visitor suddenly pops in. Read the story to find out what unfolds!Kevin the Blade of GrassKevin the Blade of Grass is a tiny speck amongst millions all huddled together in a large open field. Oh, how he longed to be different from the others so that he could stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, he was never encouraged to do so. One day however, he challenged himself to try something a little bit different. Read this mini adventure to the find out what he did!Matilda the TugboatMatilda the Tugboat was as tough as nails. Each day, she would guide all the large cruise liners through the windy narrow canals and out to sea. On one morning however, she was forced into making a tough decision. Her poor friend required her help, in which required Matilda to venture out of her comfort zone. Will she do it?Henry the GhostHenry the Ghost lives in a tiny attic at the top of a building at 15 Albion Place. Each day he would watch in awe as all the children who also live there play with each other, only wishing he could somehow be part of the fun. Unfortunately, the grown-ups would not let their young ones socialize with him, which made Henry very sad. One day, he gathered up his courage to try something a little bit different. Will he succeed? Read on to find outRachel and the Glass JarRachel celebrated her 5th Birthday party with all her friends. There were games, candy and plenty of presents at the occasion. However, an unexpected guest suddenly shows up. One that Rachel doesn’t completely recognize, but does have a mysterious and familiar look to his face. What unfolds is a magical adventure that turns Rachel’s day upside down. Read the story to find out how it unfolds!

When Rosalie, a poor but bright girl, turns up on the doorstep of his ramshackle castle, the Baron allows her to stay in exchange for tending his garden and cleaning up after his spoiled daughter, Kate. Rosalie loves flowers and is willing to work hard, but she also has a secret: a collection of magical seeds. Soon the garden is blooming again, and the Baron’s old servant teaches Rosalie to read and write, although the Baron and Kate have never bothered to learn to read or write more than their names. Prince Valor falls in love with Rosalie and her garden, but the Baron hopes a marriage between Kate and the Prince will restore his riches. Much to the prince’s shock, Kate reveals that she’s never learned to read or write. The Baron is embarrassed, but instead of punishing his lazy daughter, he banishes the innocent Rosalie. Rosalie finds herself imprisoned by an evil forest witch. Prince Valor is determined to save her, but Rosalie herself will have to use her smarts and a few more enchanted flowers to complete the rescue mission.In The Prince and the Flowers, a fun cast of original fairy tale characters teaches children an important lesson: learning to read and write and hard work bring greater happiness than riches or royal titles.

Grandpa Buzz lives in a beach house built on tall stilts. He loves his house and its big deck, where he grows tomatoes and fruit. Or, at least he would if it weren’t for the rats. The rats are big, greedy thieves. They raid Grandpa’s garbage bins and leave a terrible mess. They steal his tomatoes and fruit. Why, they even ran off with his freshly baked apple pie! Grandpa has had enough of the nasty little beasts. Under the house it’s dark and scary, and Grandpa is afraid of what might live down there. As it turns out a family of bats calls the dark space home, hanging out and sleeping under the slats of the deck. Grandpa only finds them when he waters his plants and water splashing through the slats wakes them up. When they ask Grandpa to stop leaving them with wet wings, he agrees—but only if they do him a favor in return. With the help of the bat family, Grandpa’s going to get rid of those rats for good! Written by grandfather Thomas R. Ryan, Bats in the Slats is a fun poem with a twist ending sure to leave children laughing.

When Rosalie, a poor but bright girl, turns up on the doorstep of his ramshackle castle, the Baron allows her to stay in exchange for tending his garden and cleaning up after his spoiled daughter, Kate. Rosalie loves flowers and is willing to work hard, but she also has a secret: a collection of magical seeds. Soon the garden is blooming again, and the Baron’s old servant teaches Rosalie to read and write, although the Baron and Kate have never bothered to learn to read or write more than their names. Prince Valor falls in love with Rosalie and her garden, but the Baron hopes a marriage between Kate and the Prince will restore his riches. Much to the prince’s shock, Kate reveals that she’s never learned to read or write. The Baron is embarrassed, but instead of punishing his lazy daughter, he banishes the innocent Rosalie. Rosalie finds herself imprisoned by an evil forest witch. Prince Valor is determined to save her, but Rosalie herself will have to use her smarts and a few more enchanted flowers to complete the rescue mission. In The Prince and the Flowers, a fun cast of original fairy tale characters teaches children an important lesson: learning to read and write and hard work bring greater happiness than riches or royal titles.

Kelly and Tini are sick of being stuck indoors. It’s raining outside, and to make matters worse, their crayons and markers are gone—they can’t even color! When they’re sent to the dusty attic to play, an old chest immediately gets their attention. Their mother warned them not to open it…but it couldn’t hurt to take one little peek, right? The girls discover a bottle that contains a magical genie. Now they’re granted one special wish—anything they want in the whole world. They choose to be able to color and draw, with crayons and brushes, anything their hearts desire. While it’s fun at first, Kelly and Tini soon learn that they’re not able to stop coloring—and it’s not long before they become very tired and sad. Now they’ll try anything for the genie to release them from their wish, but it seems like they might be stuck coloring and drawing forever! It’s only when they receive advice from a very special rat in a polka dot hat that they’ll learn the powerful “magic words” that can set them free.

Kelly and Tini are sick of being stuck indoors. It’s raining outside, and to make matters worse, their crayons and markers are gone—they can’t even color!They learn the power of saying "Please".When they’re sent to the dusty attic to play, an old chest immediately gets their attention. Their mother warned them not to open it…but it couldn’t hurt to take one little peek, right?The girls discover a bottle that contains a magical genie. Now they’re granted one special wish—anything they want in the whole world.They choose to be able to color and draw, with crayons and brushes, anything their hearts desire. While it’s fun at first, Kelly and Tini soon learn that they’re not able to stop coloring—and it’s not long before they become very tired and sad.Now they’ll try anything for the genie to release them from their wish, but it seems like they might be stuck coloring and drawing forever! It’s only when they receive advice from a very special rat in a polka dot hat that they’ll learn the powerful “magic words” that can set them free.

Praise for "Stonewall Goes West:" "It's no easy task to accurately depict individual personalities, let alone write believable fictional conversations and interactions between them; nonetheless, the author excels at both." — Dr. Mathew Lively, author of "Calamity at Chancellorsville"Stonewall Jackson's death at the Battle of Chancellorsville is the great "what if" of the Civil War. In "Stonewall Goes West," the fabled Jackson survives his wounding at Chancellorsville in 1863 to assume command of the South’s Army of Tennessee. In a final bid to reverse the failing fortunes of the Confederacy, a maimed but unbowed General Jackson confronts not only Sherman's Union armies on the western front, but his own recalcitrant generals. "Stonewall Goes West" gives the classic "what if” a fresh, new answer in a fast-paced tale, rich with authentic detail, filled with battle and strategy, and populated by the Civil War's most colorful personalities.

The Town of Superstition: Book OneAt fifteen, Thaddeus Cane has moved thirty-two times with his father. Each time he’s displaced without explanation, Thaddeus loses any friends he’s made. The name of their latest town is Superstition, but it seems normal enough, with one exception.Thaddeus’s bedroom window gives him a view into the beautiful gardens next door. Every night after dark, an attractive guy around Thaddeus’s age appears to tend the plants. When Thaddeus visits his neighbor, he discovers not only how deep his interest in the other man runs, but also that Teofil, the midnight gardener, isn’t human. He’s a garden gnome, a revelation that will lead to more secrets coming to light and an adventure unlike anything Thaddeus ever imagined.