Dear James Preller,
My name is Connor from ____ Elementary School. The things I enjoy are playing football and reading your books. My favorite book is Exit 13. My favorite part of the book is when they find out someone lives in the woods. The lesson I learned from the book Exit 13 was to not talk to strangers. My question is have you written any other books besides Exit 13? If you have any other books…which one is your favorite?
Sincerely,
From:Connor
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I replied . . .
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Dear Connor,
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Thanks for your email. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed Exit 13: The Whispering Pines. There’s a 2nd book, too, titled Exit 13: The Spaces In Between, which I think is even more exciting.
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I had hoped there would be at least a 3rd book in the series, where I could tie up all the loose ends, but publishing is a cruel business. It’s up to the publisher, Scholastic, not me.
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Yes, I have many other books. Four that I’d recommend to you, since you asked: Blood Mountain, a wilderness suspense thriller; Scary Tales: 3 Spooky Tales in 1, a new collection of scary stories, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno; Bystander, a work of realistic fiction that centers around bullying in a middle school; and Shaken, coming in paperback on 3/17, about a 7th grade soccer player, Kristy, who suffers from a severe concussion.
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One of my favorite books has become hard to find recently, titled Six Innings, about a championship Little League game. Better Off Undead is also a wild read with a zombie and a mystery at the heart of it.
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I have a new wilderness series coming out in May of 2027, The Survival Code, and the first book is very exciting, Wildfire Escape.
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You know, honestly, I don’t think I set out with any real “lesson” to teach with Exit 13. Mostly, I was trying to write an entertaining story. Of course, there are attitudes and values and signals embedded into any story — how characters treat each other, etc. — but I am not really a big believer in “teaching lessons” with my books. Whatever you, the reader, gets out of it, that’s okay with me.
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Personally, maybe this is wrong to say, but I like talking to strangers, i.e., meeting new people. Sure, yes, it’s important to be smart about it, to stay safe, but I don’t feel comfortable making a blanket statement to never speak to strangers. I mean, please, don’t be stupid. Don’t climb into any windowless white vans. But I don’t see every new person as a danger and a threat. That said, again, you have to be situationally aware and use good sense. Be wary, be cautious, but if you are in a safe place, with people around who you trust, you can probably venture a little conversation.
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The big lesson that I do want to teach with my books: Reading is a pleasure, it’s enjoyable, and it’s a fulfilling way to expand your mind and deepen your understanding of the world around you. In my world, all the best people are readers. And one good book leads to another.
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Keep reading, my friend. Any books at all, even mine,
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James Preller
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