Hey, come, it’s a great scene and a terrific way to support the arts. After all, we’re nothing without readers. Bring the kids, bring the checkbook! And by all means, yes, please, stop by my little corner of this thing and say hello.
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I stopped and took a quick snap of this banner outside a library at some point during one of my school visits this past year. Best guess: somewhere deep in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas.
Still very much hoping to schedule more visits for this coming year. Give me a jingle.
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I can’t be sure — it’s hard to tell from here — but I suspect that this letter came from a GIANT named Brady.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Could there be any other explanation?
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I replied:
Dear Brady,
Wow, you sent me the coolest letter ever! Kind of huge, don’t you think?
Thank you for reading Jigsaw Jones: The Case of the Christmas Snowman. There’s plenty more where that came from!
I also loved your drawings. You’ve got a lot of talent, young man. Keep it up.
You wondered where I live. It’s Top Secret!!! No, actually, I live in upstate New York, a town called Delmar, just south of Albany. Our nearest river is the Hudson and the nearest Duncan Donuts shop is five minutes away. The way a car needs gas, I need coffee to run. In fact, if you ever see me stalled on the side of the road, bring me a cup of regular with milk, no sugar. I’ll perk right up!
I am 57 years old. But I don’t look any older than 54. It’s the little things, Brady.
I LOVE that one of your two favorite lines from the book was, “With what?” That was a good day when I wrote that line.
Ah, sweet inspiration.
Hey, have a great summer. You addressed your stamped envelope to your elementary school, so I hope you get it before school starts up again.
Keep reading books, any books at all, even mine.
Your friend,
James Preller
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Question: So what’s new with Jigsaw Jones?
Answer: Funny you should ask! There’s actually a lot going on and I’m excited to tell you about it.
First, I handed in a manuscript last week for a new Jigsaw Jones title, The Case of the Hat Burglar. It centers around the school’s Lost & Found. We’ll see how my editor likes it (fingers crossed). I am not clear on the pub date for this or any of the following titles. Note to self: Find out!
As readers may know, I wrote many Jigsaw Jones titles over roughly a 15 year period. Those books were originally published by Scholastic. Over time, they slowly went out of print. It was sad. I regained the rights, and Macmillan quickly stepped up with a plan to republish the series. To date, I’ve written one all-new book, The Case from Outer Space. In addition, we’ve put out 8 “classroom classics.” Each book completely revised and reformatted (slightly larger trim size).
Now I’ve been asked to revise and update 4 more titles (plus the aforementioned “all new” title). That will make 14 titles available in all. We’re making progress! Thank you, Macmillan. And thank you, Scholastic, for once more offering these books on your fabulous book clubs!
To recap:
ALL NEW!
The Case from Outer Space
COMING SOON!
The Case of the Hat Burglar
REVISED & UPDATED!
The Case of the Bicycle Bandit
The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost
The Case of the Mummy Mystery
The Case of the Million-Dollar Idea
The Case of the Best Pet Ever
The Case of the Disappearing Dinosaur
The Case of the Smelly Sneaker
The Case of the Buried Treasure
COMING SOON!
The Case of the Golden Key
The Case of the Bear Scare
The Case of the Vanishing Painting
The Case of the Haunted Scarecrow
I very much look forward to sharing these stories with a new generation of readers. With 11 million Jigsaw Jones books in print, this series is fairly well-known with experienced (read: older) teachers. I’ve learned that quite a few newer teachers are less familiar with Jigsaw and Mila and the gang. Hopefully you’ll check them out! Please know that I am eager to sign up school visits for next year. Openings still available. Just drop a line to jamespreller@aol.com. Thanks!