FARMINGTON — The adventures of witches, pirates, ghosts and magical creatures will highlight a book-signing event Saturday during the Strawberry Festival.

Former Farmington resident, University of Maine at Farmington alumnus and author J. Bean Palmer, and artist/illustrator Melanie Therrien will present their latest book in the Cape Cod Witch Series, “The Cape Cod Witch and the Legend of the Pirate.” They will sign copies and talk with readers at 2 p.m. Saturday at Devaney, Doak and Garrett Booksellers on Broadway.

During the event, Therrien will perform a demonstration of the book illustration process, creating an original a piece of artwork for the upcoming “Cape Cod Witch Cookbook, the Secret Recipes of Hannah Goodspell.”

The book series follows the adventures of ElsBeth Amelia Thistle, the youngest witch on Cape Cod. In this second book to be introduced Saturday, ElsBeth and her friends become entangled in a fateful kidnapping while on an innocent field trip to Boston’s historic Freedom Trail. With the help of a famous pirate captain ghost, the classmates attempt the rescue of a young Arabian prince and discover the true meaning of the Legend of the Pirate.

The fast-paced book includes numerous historical nuggets including Cape and island lore. The author’s goal is to encourage and make reading fun for young readers who follow the series. A recipe for Double-Double Chocolate Chip Fairy-Cream cupcakes is included in the book.

The 176-page fantasy book with 10 color and five black-and-white illustrations was published in March.

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Along with the “Cape Cod Witch Cookbook, the Secret Recipes of Hannah Goodspell,” another release planned for later this year is “The Cape Cod Witch Coloring Book.”

Palmer, with a degree in environmental science from the University of Maine, weaves a message of care for the environment into the magical adventures of ElsBeth and her friends.

Therrien, the book’s illustrator, is an artist who works primarily in acrylics. She teaches private art lessons in Lewiston and is an active volunteer who works with many young people on community art projects. Her work on the Cape Cod Witch series are her first published book illustrations.

Saturday’s event at the bookstore is free and the public is welcome.


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