Ok well the A520 is a good enough starter camera in that it has decent enough resolution for 8x10 prints, good metering and auto focus, and offers shutter priority and aperture priority exposure modes plus full manual if you need it.
A few tips:
- read up on how apertures and shutter speeds affect your pictures
- learn the rule of thirds
- keep the ISO on the lowest setting to avoid image noise unless you absolutely have to turn it up because of low available light
- try to only use the flash if you're taking candid shots where you don't care about the pic coming out so great
- get a cheap tripod for night shots