A retired teacher and homeschooling mother, Donita K. Paul returns to familiar ground on her mission to provide family-friendly fiction to young readers.

The Vanishing Sculptor (978-1-400-07339-9, $13.99) takes place in the same world as Paul’s popular “DragonKeeper Chronicles” series, but the main characters live on a different continent.

The “DragonKeeper Chronicles” series (WaterBrook Press) has sold more than a quarter-million copies since the first of its five installments was released in 2004.

Due to be released June 2, The Vanishing Sculptor tells the story of young Tipper, of the Emerlindian race, in the world of Amara who is responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Emerlindians are one of the seven high races, born pale with white hair and grey eyes. To make ends meet, Tipper is forced to sell the artwork her father left behind.

But when her father returns—accompanied by two strangers from a distant land—Tipper discovers that her actions have rocked the foundation of her world as well as her father’s life, and she must act quickly to undo the threat.

Tipper gathers the help of some unlikely companions—including her guardian, the giant parrot Beccaroon, the wizard Fenworth and his librarian, Librettowit—who set out on a quest. She eventually encounters the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder, a character from the “DragonKeeper Chronicles.”

Returning to the world of the dragon keepers, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God, Paul said.

“God must have imprinted ‘teacher’ on me clear down to the bone,” she said. “I taught in public school, then homeschooled my children and worked in private schools. Now my writing week isn’t very productive unless I include some time with kids.”

In addition to writing fantasy fiction that has created an online community of readers who celebrate “Appreciate a Dragon Day,” Paul also mentors and encourages young writers in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she lives.

For more information, visit www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook. To order, call Random House at 800-733-3000.

Ashley Boyer is a publicist for The WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.