Sneak Peak: Cover for SCARY TALES #5, “The One-Eyed Doll”
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 Posted in Scary Tales, Uncategorized | No Comments »When I think of the five books I've written so far for the "Scary Tales" Series -- currently working on #6 now -- I sometimes consider their relative "fear factor." I have been open about my debt to Rod Serling's "The ...
“Home Sweet Horror” Wins 2013 Cybil Award in Early Chapter Books Category
Monday, February 17th, 2014 Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »Okay, you might be asking: "What's a Cybil Award?" The Cybils are awarded by bloggers for the year's best children's and young adult titles. The Cybils have been in existence since, oddly enough, the year 1843. No, wait. Check that: Since ...
Fan Mail Wednesday #174: My Busted Baseball Career, The Next Book, and “Bullying” the Verb
Monday, February 10th, 2014 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »Here's one from Stephen with a "ph!" Dear Mr.Preller, My 7 grade English class is reading your hit book Bystander, and I love it. There are allot of cliff hangers for sure, and that is why i love it so much. I ...
Remain Calm, Dress Warm, and Keep Reading
Thursday, February 6th, 2014 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »Charlotte Zolotow Remembered: “Books for Boys.”
Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »"All of my books are based on an adult emotion that connects with a similar emotion that I had as a child. I like each of my books for a different reason, because each comes out of a different emotion. ...
Fan Mail #169: Dressing Up Like James Preller!
Tuesday, November 12th, 2013 Posted in Fan Mail, Jigsaw Jones, Uncategorized | No Comments »You may have noticed that I haven't done much here in the way of fan mail recently. It's a combination of getting less of it during the summer and, alas, finding my own answers a little perfunctory. But this one made ...
COMINGS & GOINGS: The Rochester Children’s Book Festival, November 16th
Monday, November 4th, 2013 Posted in Bystander, Current Events, Family, Jigsaw Jones, Scary Tales, Uncategorized | No Comments »I've always heard great things about the Rochester Children's Book Festival, but never got invited. I tried to weasel an invitation a few years back (clever Cynthia DeFelice reference), but that went nowhere. Finally, at last, I wore 'em down. ...
Five Days, 14 Presentations, More than 6,000 Students, and a Cowboy Steak
Tuesday, October 1st, 2013 Posted in Bystander, School Visits, Uncategorized, bullying | 2 Comments »On Friday the 20th, I traveled to Wolcott, Connecticut, where I spoke to 650 students, grades 6-8, at Tyrrell Middle School. They had all read Bystander as part of their summer reading program and, I'm sure, as part of their ...
KINDNESS: My Trip to the 2013 Youth Writing Festival at Calvin College
Thursday, April 25th, 2013 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits, Uncategorized, bullying | No Comments »I just returned from a wonderful, two-night trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I was invited (by Gary Schmidt!) to participate in the 2013 Youth Writing Festival at Calvin College. At one point it looked exactly like this: As my Nation of ...
Fan Mail #168: Questions, Questions, Questions
Sunday, April 7th, 2013 Posted in Fan Mail, Jigsaw Jones, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »Again, I'm beginning a blog entry with an apology. I haven't been keeping up with it lately, after five years of consistent effort. I have a few excuses, but really, who cares? I am not giving up this blog, but I ...