Archive for October 30, 2025

A Preller Halloween Tradition

Behold . . .

In the year 2025, weary of Halloween excess & inflatable lawn decorations, I brought back a family staple. 

This one has, to my surprise, a surfer dude vibe. Must be the hay.

The good old scarecrow. Takes 20 minutes to put together, only because I’m slow. 

I have childhood memories of the scarecrows that my father put up in front of 1720 Adelphi Road in Wantagh, New York. 

In fact, here’s one from 1953 — before my time.

And before you go . . . here’s a neighborhood favorite from some year’s back.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, DEAR READERS!

GOOD NEWS: Bigfoot & Dodo Are Coming Soon! (Well, if you consider 2027 soon.)

Here’s a clip from the industry announcement, which I gather runs in different places. Maybe PW? Maybe Bookshelf? 

I don’t rightly know. 

Anyway, we’re pretty thrilled about these books. It’s so exciting to be collaborating in a young graphic novel format. Audrey and I just handed in the manuscript for Book #2. No word back from editorial just yet, though we aren’t too terribly worried. You kind of know when it clicks, like when a batter barrels up a fastball. It just feels right. 

Now most of the hard work is left to our talented illustrator, Joelle Dreidemy. We can’t wait to see what she does with these characters. 

NOTE: 2027 should be a crazy year for me, since that’s when my action-packed middle grade series drops, The Survival Code. And I do believe that’s when my picture book, What Dogs Don’t Know, is also scheduled. We’ll believe these things when they happen. And there’s at least three other books that might end up on the same schedule. Publishing is a wild business and, no, I haven’t figured it out yet, either. 

I am grateful to my agent, Elizabeth Bennett, who has supported me and my work in every way possible.

Photos: Captured in the Wild

A friend recently passed this along . . .

Always nice for a book to show up somewhere. You just never know where they’ll end up. Though always best seen in a young reader’s hands.

And then there’s this shot, from the great Warwick Children’s Book Festival . . .

Yes, please. Ask me about school visits!

I’m happy to discuss the details to see if we have a fit. 

As I’ve said before, I am fairly unique in that I have current, age-appropriate, affordable paperback books for grades PreK-8. 

Will travel! You can write to me at [email protected].

Thanks so much. 

Warwick Children’s Book Festival, 10/12

In a world that has gone completely off the rails, there remain some simple values we can still enjoy and support.

Books, reading, children. 

And, yes, sure, the good folks who create the books and try to eke out a living doing so.  There are times we feel like an endangered species.

Please stop by my table and say hello!