Cartoon by Tom Toro.
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Archive for jimmy
School Visit Vibes: Photos & Captions
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We talked about Kurt Vonnegut’s dictum, “Make awful things” happen in relation to my book Blood Mountain. What rotten, horrible things can we do to these poor characters in order to show the reader what they are made of?
Well, young readers — I’ve learned — are frighteningly good at this stuff. Full to overflowing with awful ideas! Maybe they should be writers, too?
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PRO TIP: I sit when I present to the Prek-K crowd. I go soft and gentle. And it’s lovely and warm.
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After reading Two Birds and a Moose, I tell them about the upcoming title, Two Ballerinas and a Moose. Fortunately, we had some real, live ballerinas in the room who were delighted to come up and demonstrate some of the basic moves.
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Lately for grades 3-4, I’ve opened up by talking about Character, Setting, and Plot in relation to one of my new “Scary Tales” paperback (3 stories in 1). These stories always get their rapt attention, so it’s the strong opening I need. Note: I stand for the big kids.
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THANK YOU, ANNEMARIE & TO ALL THE GOOD FOLKS AT KENSINGTON ROAD ELEMENTARY!
FAN MAIL WEDNESDAY #340: Brock’s Artwork
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I received one of those terrific letters the other day, a thing of beauty. It came the old-fashioned way, delivered through rain, sleet, and snow. The envelope looked like this:
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Inside, I found a wonderful piece of artwork which, I gather, is mine to keep.
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I replied:
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Dear Brock,
Thank you so much for sending along that terrific piece of art. How kind of you!
I enjoyed visiting your school at Jackson Heights Elementary. It was a great day for me, a happy day, full of books and art and ideas.
I remember that I talked about making my own books when I was young like you. I drew the pictures but needed help with the words. A lot of kids in your school nodded in agreement. They liked to draw, too. And maybe some of them will make their own books, too.
I see that you had help addressing the envelope. Isn’t that great? That there are people in our lives who are there to help us? I’m thinking you might owe someone a big hug.
As for your picture, I’ve got it hanging on the wall of my office.
Look:
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Thank you, my friend!
Keep reading, keep writing, keep drawing those awesome pictures!
My best,
James Preller
P.S. Brock, buddy, if you happen to see this, please know that a real letter is in the mail with a very small bonus gift (don’t get your hopes up).
Fan Mail Wednesday #339: “Bee the Change” and, yes, Be the Change!
Here’s an email from Jeremiah!
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Hi my name is Jeremiah and I am reaching out to you. To give you some positive wonderful feedback. (The Big idea Gang: Bee the Change). Was a very good and nice book. Furthermore I would highly recommend an individual to read this book. In addition because the book has much information regarding cycles of bees. Also I would recommend an individual to read this book because it has quality information about bee’s lifestyles. The details of the book were also splendid and terrific.
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I replied:
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Jeremiah,
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Thank you for your kind email and, also, for simply reading my book. That’s all any writer can wish for: a reader!
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I’m very happy with the three books in my “Big Idea Gang” series. For unknown reasons, those three books are beginning to get more attention of late. I think teachers are beginning to find them.
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While I tried to make these stories easy to read, fast and funny and hopeful — that is, to tell a good story — I’ve also had a second agenda: I’ve always seen these books as political. A practical to guide to improving our world.
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How do we make the world a better place? It’s a daunting question. Overwhelming. So the idea proposed in these books is to start small, act locally, make small differences in your community. For young readers, that’s the school environment. Install a buddy bench into the playground. Change the school mascot. Plant an eco-friendly garden. The key to positive change is overcoming all the objections that come our way. Any time folks hope for change, there’s going to be pushback, reasons for doing nothing. That’s where the persuasive writing element comes into play. Anticipating and overcoming objections is a big part of any move toward progress, big or small — in politics and in persuasive writing.
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After a long winter, I’ll be helping my wife and daughter start a new garden. They’ve already got some seeds going inside the house. I’ll need to check the fencing — those pesky rabbits can sneak through the smallest openings. They want help expanding it; we might even rent a rototiller! And we’ll consider the bees and birds when we plant.
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Will it change the world?
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Well, yeah, a little tiny bit. Just imagine if we all tried to do the same. As always, it begins very simply with one person who cares.
Caring, you see, is everything. It’s where all the good work begins.
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Thank you!
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James Preller
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Category: Big Idea Gang, Fan Mail / Tags: Bee the Change, Fan Mail James Preller, Politics in children's books, The Big Idea Gang