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A Brief Excerpt: 200 Words, Including “Petrichor,” from My Middle-Grade Novel, SHAKEN

EXCERPT from pages 102-103, Shaken.

 

He was her petrichor.

And it smelled, to her,

like the rarest of all things:

freedom.

 

 

 

She’d ask where they were going and he’d look at her as if it was the most preposterous question on earth. “That would ruin the surprise,” he’d say. This was an entirely new way of thinking for Kristy, whose life up to that point had been measured out in teaspoons. She had learned a word recently, petrichor. It described the smell that came with the first rain after a period of dry weather. Or, more simply, petrichor was the smell of rain. But not really. It was more complicated than that. One sleepless night Kristy went down the rabbit hole on her phone, hunting down the science. How do we smell rain? she wondered. She learned there was a bacteria in the earth called geosmin that gets released into the air when it rains—and for some reason humans are really, really good at smelling this particular odor. People smell it and smile and don’t even know why they are smiling. That’s how Kristy thought about Jimbo. He was her petrichor. And it smelled, to her, like the rarest of all things: freedom.

It was the fragrance of a window opening. Of a path untrampled.

Of climbing out into the dark unknown.

 

SHAKEN was listed by Bank Street Center of Children’s Literature as one of the “Best Children’s Books for 2025.” Ages 10-up.

FAN MAIL WEDNESDAY #340: Brock’s Artwork

I received one of those terrific letters the other day, a thing of beauty. It came the old-fashioned way, delivered through rain, sleet, and snow. The envelope looked like this:

Inside, I found a wonderful piece of artwork which, I gather, is mine to keep. 

I replied:

Dear Brock,

Thank you so much for sending along that terrific piece of art. How kind of you!

I enjoyed visiting your school at Jackson Heights Elementary. It was a great day for me, a happy day, full of books and art and ideas. 

I remember that I talked about making my own books when I was young like you. I drew the pictures but needed help with the words. A lot of kids in your school nodded in agreement. They liked to draw, too. And maybe some of them will make their own books, too. 

I see that you had help addressing the envelope. Isn’t that great? That there are people in our lives who are there to help us? I’m thinking you might owe someone a big hug.

As for your picture, I’ve got it hanging on the wall of my office.

Look:

Thank you, my friend!

Keep reading, keep writing, keep drawing those awesome pictures!

My best,

James Preller

 

P.S. Brock, buddy, if you happen to see this, please know that a real letter is in the mail with a very small bonus gift (don’t get your hopes up).

Photos from Some Recent School Visits

I just thought I’d post a few of these shots, with and without captions, depending. 

I’ve got a busy week ahead of me, with four days of school visits, Tuesday-Friday, and then on Saturday the Poughkeepsie Children’s Book Festival. 

I’m dancing as fast as I can. 

This is from last week, a local school.

– 

This last shot was kind of amazing. My first day in Tulsa, OK, and my first presentatiion: 450 5th-graders in a gigantic gym. Whoa!

 

TEACHERS, PTO MEMBERS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS:

In the world of author visits, I am fairly unique because I can share age-appropriate books, in paperback (cheap!), for PreK-8. Each presentation is different and, like the books themselves, geared specifically for the age and interest levels of the audience. 

I live in the Albany area of NY state, and will happily travel by car or plane to any location in the U.S. and beyond. 

Some titles typically discussed: 

 

What Makes a Great Photograph?

 

What makes a great, award-winning photograph?

I mean, what qualities lift a photograph above the commonplace?

Is it the lighting? The composition? The careful arrangement of objects? An emotion captured? A storyline conveyed? The inclusion of Yoda?

All of those things, I guess.

When I look at this photograph of Colin, a lad I’ve never met, sent to me by Erin, a mother I’ve never met, I know I’m looking at something special. 

Doubly so. 

Thanks, Erin, for passing this along, and for your desire to gift my new book to your classroom teacher.

 

 

EXIT 13 Features a Unique, Hybrid Format w/ Graphic Novel Component

 

The EXIT 13 series comes in a hybrid format. While most pages are traditional type, the book breaks out into a graphic novel format every once a while. I think it’s effective and enormously appealing. Art by Kevin Keele.

 

 

So while there are entire chapters of standard text, there are also these cool, dramatic sections that break into illustrated pages. For example . . .

 

 

EXIT 13 is available exclusively from Scholastic Book Fairs and Scholastic Book Clubs. It will be available in stores — officially published — in February, 2023.

Thanks for stopping by!