Ridley Pearson

What I love about Pearson is his ability to write for children and adults.  It is apparent that he is having a wonderful time writing the Kingdom Keeper stories, because the plots are complex, the characters are dynamic and the villains well researched. Pearson does not go for the common.villain, either. Chernabog is from Fantasia, with which most children are not familiar. I am willing to wager that quite a few will be asking for that film, Googling Chernabog and hearing a little classical music for a change. YouTube will get lots of hits as well.  I would remind parents that people mix in their own music on sites like that, so previewing is in order. 
Reluctant readers will be thrilled by Ridley Pearson. His writing is fast-paced and engaging. And they won't have to grow out of his books, because his adult writing is equally gripping.