What’s the point of being a children’s book author? Sweet, little letters like this one, from Annie.
I replied:
Hey Annie, thanks for your letter (and Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope!). No, Jigsaw does not have a cat. He’s currently catless.
I love your story about the swim team. I think your mom did you a big favor by not letting you quit, especially in the middle of the season. I totally agree with your mom. In our family, we play a lot of sports. My wife coaches basketball, I coach baseball, and my kids have played soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, softball, and more. We strongly believe that once you start on a team, it’s important to stick it out to the end — you might find, like Jigsaw, that once you get past the bumpy parts, you enjoy it more than you thought. The best things in life never come easy. (We feel that way about musical instruments, too, and after a few years my kids have become crazy good).
Illustration by Jamie Smith.
Here’s a secret about Jigsaw and Mila. Don’t tell the boys, but I think Mila is really the smart one. She’s awfully bright, a big reader, and a loyal friend. I’m crazy about her. Jigsaw isn’t perfect, but he’s awesome in his own way. Even though he says he wants to quit, Jigsaw is really a kid who never gives up. That’s what makes him such a good detective. He might make mistakes along the way, but he always solves the case . . . with a little from his friends.
I hope you do check out more Jigsaw Jones books, Annie. Thanks for writing to me!
JP
P.S. The Case of the Wild Turkey Chase includes a number of codes and riddles. One of the most basic is a space code, where the spaces between individual words are not where they are supposed to be. Here’s my message to you, Annie:
KE EPUPT HE GOO DWO RKANDK EEPR E ADIN GBO OKS!
