Jason Deeble says that his books are a hobby . “ I’ve always liked to draw , as well as write , since I was a kid , ” he said . “ They kind of just come together . ” Deeble’s talents came together in April to produce “ Sir Ryan’s Quest , ” his first published children’s book . Deeble said that he had copied several books on a photocopier . “ I liked this one and sent it out to some people , and one said ‘ yes’. ” The book is geared toward children ages 4 through 8 , and is both written and illustrated by Deeble . It describes the adventures of youngRyan , who “ crawls into a kitchen cupboard one morning and imagines himself an audience with the great king of pots , thus beginning a pint-sized epic of knights and dragons , wizards and warriors , ” according to Deeble’s Web site . Deeble said that his style comes from a childhood filled with video games and comic books , and his drawings are “ cartoonish and whimsical . ”

Deeble , with a degree in elementary education , is a teacher at the Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich . “ I’m a seventh-and-eighth grade math and science teacher , ” he said . He has taken off the next yearto work on a graduate degree , to stay home with his first child , and to work on his next book . “ It’s going to be a busy year, ” he said . Although he plans to return to teaching after his sabbatical , he already has a second book in the works with the publisher of “ Quest , ” Neal Porter from Roaring Brook Press . “ The second book is going to be very different from the first one , ” he said . For one thing , it will be geared toward older children . “ It will be a science book , ” said Deeble , “ with 10 chapters . Each chapter will be geared toward a different subject in science . ” Like “ Quest , ” the book will be both written and illustrated by Deeble . He expects the book to be published in 2011 . “ I’m pretty much done with my part of it , ” he said . “ But there’s a lot more that has to be done in the publishing industry . There’s a lot of fact-checking that goes into a book like this . ”

Deeble said that his students at Charter School have been a great sounding board for ideas . “ The science book is all lessons that I’ve taught to them , ” he said . “ I share all kinds of ideas with them . I think it’s a good opportunity for them to find out about the publishing process . ” He has even had a student suggest an idea for a book . “ I had a student bring me an idea . I asked her if I could develop it , and she said ‘ Yes’ . I got a really good book idea out of it , ” said Deeble .

Deeble recently returned from the first annual Chestnut Hill Book Festival in Pennsylvania . The weekend featured panel discussions , author readings and signings , writer workshops , a soapbox corner , fiction and singer songwriter slams , and dramatic readings of famous literary passages by local actors . “ I got to meet a lot of great children’s book authors and illustrators , ” he said . “ I drew a lot of pictures , sat down with a lot of kids , and sold a lot of books . ”

“ Sir Ryan’s Quest” is currently available through Barnes and Noble , Amazon . com , and other book sellers . Or youcan obtain a signed copy from Deeble’s Web site . Go to www . jasondeeble . com for more information .