CRANBERRY TWP - Larry Stevens hit the target twice this month: He has two books being released.

Written as a gift from a grandfather to a newborn, "Zachary's Arrow" combines Stevens' love of early American history with an adventure tale of frontier life. The book deals with the American Indian in the wilds of the Upper Missouri region in the 1830s.

"I've been interested in the topic for many years," said Stevens, who sees the Native American culture as a "casualty of progress. "Although I have a bachelor's, two master's (degrees) and a Ph.D., none of them have anything to do with history."

His research into the topic, however, allowed him to incorporate languages and traditions of mountain men and the Sioux and Blackfoot nations into a story geared for the general reader.

Stevens began his first novel 2½ years ago, before his grandson, Zachary Brunotts of Adams Township, was born.

"I started writing, and when I found out his name, I had to go back and add it. I did this for the fun of it. It's something I wanted to present to him ... something your Grandpa wrote for you."

"Zachary's Arrow" is available through Publishamerica.com, amazon.com and Barnes and Noble bookstores.

A desire to live near the grandkids brought Stevens and his wife to Cranberry Township when he retired a few years ago from the Millcreek Township School District in suburban Erie.

He spent 14 years as an elementary school principal and eight as a middle school principal. Currently, he serves as a consultant for the Millcreek School District as a crisis coordinator.

He also teaches for Gannon University, conducting classes at Mars High School and in Monroeville for those training to be school principals.

As a former school principal, Stevens has plenty of practical experience when it comes to talking with parents, and he put knowledge to use in the other book being published this month.

"Parents Want to Know: Questions for the Principal" provides parents with background information on school programs, definitions of critical terms, more than 1,400 questions related to all areas of school life to discuss with local educators, and lists of things to listen and look for when discussing concerns with school leaders, Stevens explained.

"When I was a principal, I noticed parents often didn't know the right questions to ask," he said.

The book is available at scarecroweducation.com, amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles bookstores.

Stevens has authored two other books for school principals: "A View from the Principal's Desk" and "A Critical Incident Planning and Development Guide."