By Cody Ellerd

The first time Christopher Paolini did a book signing on Mercer Island, he found out he was getting a major publishing deal. The second time, he learned Hollywood would be making his book into a movie. Now that he’s returning for a third time on a wave of success, he’s almost afraid of what could happen. This is a young man, after all, who believes in magic.

Paolini wrote a fantasy fiction novel beginning at the age of 15 and has become a prodigious publishing sensation. His personal story of humble beginnings and hard work has inspired adoration from a public steadfastly receptive to yet another realization of an American Dream.

Here on Mercer Island, a local book store is proud to have supported the young star when he was but a twinkle. The store remains on his map as his universe expands ever brightly. Paolini, now 21, is touring the country to promote his second book, “Eldest,” and will be making a stop at the Mercer Island High School Auditorium in his latest blitz of bright lights and publicity.

“The reason he’s stopping here is because we have a history with Christopher,” said Island Books owner Roger Page.

In 2002, Paolini’s parents self-published their son’s first book, “Eragon,” the story of a boy swept into a medieval world of magic by the discovery of a dragon egg. Paolini and the family spent three years writing, revising and devising marketing for the book. With his words finally in print and boxes of the slim paperback loaded into the trunk of the family’s car, they traversed the nation visiting libraries, schools and bookstores, selling some 10,000 copies.

A couple hundred of those made it into the hands of Page, who caught wind of the book from a traveling Scholastic representative who had picked up “Eragon” in Montana. Page’s own kids read it, and word of mouth fueled demand among adolescent Islanders. The bookstore owner couldn’t keep the hot young author’s book in stock. “I used to call his mom in her kitchen in Montana and say `send me another box,”’ he said.

When Page invited Paolini to come for a signing at Island Books, he showed up accompanied by his father, cloaked in a spirited medieval costume for his appearance. Page described the boy, then 16, as a bit shy but “clearly a performer.”

“He definitely had a persona he was conveying,” Page said.

It was on that day that Paolini received word that Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, would be picking up his novel for publication.

The book saw its initial printing in August 2003. Since then, “Eragon” has made the bestseller lists of The New York Times and USA Today, was named the 2004 Book Sense Book of the Year and has sold more than 2 million copies.

Paolini was back at Island Books a year later signing copies of royal-blue hardcover editions of “Eragon.” He was decked out in the same medieval finery, but the boy underneath, Page said, seemed a bit different. More self-assured and comfortable speaking to kids, he was learning how to deal with the attention.

Good thing, because on that day as well, the young man found out he’d be getting quite a bit more of it. When things quieted down at the signing, Paolini’s father told Page they’d just heard 20th Century Fox would be putting the story about a boy and his dragon up on the big screen. With John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons in starring roles, the movie is scheduled for release in the summer of 2006.

“Eldest,” which continues the quest of “Aragon” in a planned trilogy, is now bringing Paolini back to Mercer Island on Tuesday, Sept. 20, following a Barnes & Noble appearance in Seattle’s University Village. Paolini’s publicist Judith Haut said the author is nervous about returning to the auspicious island. “He doesn’t know what in the world might possibly happen,” she said.

One thing he can likely count on is being welcomed by his fans, whom Page expects to fill the 600-seats of the MIHS auditorium.

“Lots of kids remember him from the first signing,” Page said. Some of those kids may also be quite thankful to own an autographed copy of that first edition Paolini’s family worked so hard to publish, which could now easily fetch more than $2,000.

Every good celebrity knows he is nothing without his fans, and whether by magic or plain old-fashioned math, Paolini is likewise grateful to Islanders’ contributions to his success.

“He’s especially thankful to Roger and the entire staff of Island Books because they’ve supported him from the very beginning,” Haut said. “To him, it feels like coming home.”