Archive for April 21, 2023

ONE-EYED DOLL Published In Persian, Featured in the “Tehran Times”

Take a minute, study hard, and tell me if you can notice any subtle differences in the covers . . . 

Yes, okay, correct: one is red and the other is orange. And yes again. The image of the doll has been reversed! Very good. Now look closer at the words. That’s right! The book on top was published in Persian. How cool is that?

Thanks to Google Alerts, I found this article from the Tehran Times yesterday:

TEHRAN – “One-Eyed Doll” by American children’s book writer James Preller has been published in Persian.

Cheshmeh is the publisher of the book translated into Persian by Maedeh Mortazavi.

Welcome. Have a seat. The doll will move if you ask nicely. She’s got a story to tell. But be warned. One-Eyed Doll isn’t just any tale. This is a scary tale.

Meet Malick Rice and his sister, Tiana, two kids who love to hunt for hidden treasure and are about to make their biggest find yet: a small box, tightly locked, buried behind a deserted house; a box meant to stay buried forever… in this bone-chilling tale from James Preller and Iacopo Bruno.

Preller is the author of the popular “Jigsaw Jones” mystery books. 

He has also written widely for young readers of all ages, from picture books to young adult novels. Some middle-grade titles include “Blood Mountain”, “Bystander”, named a 2009 Junior Library Guild Selection; “Six Innings”, an ALA Notable Book; “The Courage Test”, a 2016 Junior Library Guild Selection; “The Fall”, a YALSA award-winner; “Better Off Undead”; and, “Before You Go” — as well as the “Scary Tales” and the “Big Idea Gang” series. 

Younger readers might enjoy his pirate-themed books (“A Pirate’s Guide to First Grade”) and an upcoming picture book of haiku, “All Welcome Here”. 

He lives in Delmar, New York, and gratefully visits schools around the country.

 

Anyway, just sharing. Once you put a book out into the world, there’s no telling where it might end up! 

And while it’s unlikely that Maedeh will find this blog post, thank you, Maedeh Mortazavi, for translating my English into Persian. I hope you enjoyed the experience.

 

 

The Hudson Children’s Book Festival: May 6th!

Mark your calendars, the great Hudson Children’s Book Festival is coming ’round in less than three weeks. This annual event was shut down for four long years — the pandemic and it’s sprawl — and now at last new joys (and old friends) are upon us.

If you are a children’s book person, or if you know any young readers, this is a great event. Come and please say hello. I’ll be signing EXIT 13: The Whispering Pines and many other titles. 

BTW, the poster was illustrated by Brendan Wenzel, an extremely talented & kind & unpretentious young man I got to chat with once, over eggs & bacon on paper plates. At the time, I was blown away by They All Saw a Cat. That situation has not changed. And hey, who doesn’t love a great poster?

FAN MAIL WEDNESDAY #328: Good News About “Exit 13”

 

I wonder: Is fan mail down in general? Are teachers encouraging students to write to authors — to send letters via snail mail — stamps & envelopes and all that jazz? I mean, clearly, it could be me. Still in a pandemic & post-pandemic lull. I imagine that it’s a combination of those two things. In so many ways, it’s just been a weird time in children’s books. The pandemic is over, but it’s still not over-over, and teachers certainly have their hands full.

The good news is that I’ve got at least four books on the way — some exciting things, too — and there will be a lot more than that before we’re through.

Not dead yet!

The stories we tell ourselves, our inner narratives, are so important (and coincidently play a key role in my current work-in-progress). The story I’ve embraced is that I’m a survivor. Published my first book in 1986 at age 25 and still publishing, still writing. More than half my life in children’s books, close to 2/3 of my entire life, actually, where I’ve been actively involved in books for young people. There are ebbs and flows, ups and downs. Times when I’ve felt embraced and times I’ve felt ignored by an indifferent world. I try to ride them like waves. Float on the surface. Keep swimming. 

Throughout everything, I still fall in love with the thing I’m doing right now, this minute. The latest idea, the current story. Not always literally glad to sit down at the writing desk, but also, in a more figurative way, always glad to sit down with the work before me. To wrestle and wrangle and dread and dream and avoid and write. It’s the best part, the part that endures. Making things. Being creative. Putting it out into the world.

Anyway, I’m grateful for the letters I do get and I thought I’d share this one, since it involves a bit of (good!) news.

This came via email from Gina & Sophia . . . 

Hi

My daughter just finished Exit 13 tonight and was begging to know if there was another book after this one. Do you ever give fans advanced copies? I see you have one coming in August.

I replied . . .

 

Gina & Sophia,

I love the enthusiasm and, I’ll admit it, the begging, too.

What writer doesn’t want readers begging for more books? I’m not above it, that’s for sure. 

At this date, there are no advance copies available — I don’t believe it’s even gone to the printer yet. 

However, here’s a glimpse from a page in the upcoming book, illustrated by the great Kevin Keele:

How is that for creepy? That art work — where the wolf seems to lead Ash to a shocking discovery — happens about midway through the book.
Here’s the cover . . . 
I appreciate your interest and hope you like the next book. I think it’s even more exciting as Ash and Willow delve deeper into the mysteries of Exit 13. 
I think I’ll probably post a sample chapter on my blog at some point soon. The book will be available on August 1st. Pre-orders are helpful and welcome!
My best,
James Preller

Children’s Literature Connection “Caldecott & Newbery Tea”: April 23rd, Guilderland Library

 

LOCAL LIBRARIANS, TEACHERS: The annual Caldecott & Newbery Tea, where local authors & librarians mingle, laugh, and listen to commentary on the award-winning titles (I’ll be speaking, briefly, on Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All).

Be brave and come help us build a better, stronger, bigger (and younger!) book community as we look back on the most acclaimed children’s books of 2022.

 

Mets Reveal New Sponsorship Patch . . . and It’s Worse Than You Could Have Ever Imagined

Take a gander at this:

The New York Mets revealed the new sponsorship patch that will be added to their uniforms starting for today’s game against the Florida Marlins.

This is a thing now that MLB endorses; eight teams have done it so far and more will climb on board. Because these guys obviously need the money.

But why so big?

And why so ugly?

Is this possibly the lamest “design” — in quotes! — you’ve ever seen?

I actually wondered for a moment if this is a late April Fool’s joke.

The idea is horrible and crass. Somehow the execution is even worse.

Oh, Rob Manfred and MLB. I love the game. But do you have to make it hard?