Do not read this post if your name is Smash...

Or if you happen to know someone named Smash and you cannot keep secrets from him...

I was visiting with my cousin a few months ago and he was telling me about all the books he had been reading lately. His tastes are similar to my own, and as we were talking a book I read when I was his age came to my mind. But I could not remember the title, the author, or even the plot of the book. I just remembered how much I loved it, and felt sure Smash would love it too.

I racked my brain for any tidbit of information I could think of to give me a clue of what book this could be. I remembered a cute goblin, a boy who lived in a castle, and an underground goblin city. But that was all. Any time I was in a book store, I walked up and down the aisles hoping I would see this book and go "That's it!!" But to no avail.

I really wanted this book for my cousin. It drove me crazy that I could not remember enough of the book to talk to a store clerk and ask for help.

Finally, last night, I was in Barnes and Noble walking up and down the aisles again. I kept thinking of this book and had a sudden inspiration. "Call Karen, duh!!" So I called my sister and left her a message that went something like this: "Hey Karen, it's me, of course it's me. I'm in Barnes and Noble and I want a book for Ashton, but I can't remember enough to find it. It's the book we borrowed from Adam. Call me back so I can give you more details and see if we can't figure this out."

About five minutes later, my phone rang:

"Hey Karen!!"

"Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Coville."

"Oh my gosh, that's it!! You're a genius!! My hero, I love you!!"

I was amazed that with such little information from me, my sister knew exactly what I had been looking for. I hadn't even described what bits I did remember, just that we'd borrowed it from a friend!! Unfortunately Barnes and Noble did not have that particular Bruce Coville book.

BUT I got online as soon as I got home and found Bruce Coville's homepage (http://www.brucecoville.com/home.asp). It lists and sells all of his works. Plus, he autographs every copy he sells from his webpage. I was so excited I bought three ridiculously well-priced copies (meaning it was a LOT cheaper than I expected), one for me, one for Karen, and one for Smash.

Finally, I had found my book for my cousin. Now, I eagerly await the mail to bring me my present. I'm so excited I want to give it to him now, but my mom suggested I save it for his birthday. We'll see. I might not be able to hold out that long...