Archive for School Visits

PHOTO DUMP: School Visits

June 9, 2026 / / No comments

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I’ll be honest: Sometimes I look at photos that I receive from school visits and it’s a little bit stunning. There I am, speaking to all these kids, dancing as fast as I can. It’s such an honor — a privilege that I don’t take lightly. And, yes, there’s pride, too. I’m good at this. I may not be able to fix a car or figure out the television, but I can talk books and writing with young people and keep them happy and engaged and, for some of them, even inspired. 

Below is just a random assortment of shots with no particular rhyme or reason. A variety of settings. Sometimes it’s a cozy visit with kids on the library floor, or some bigger with older audiences in an auditorium. And everything in between. 

The one type of photo I’m missing here is from all those one-on-one moments that take place after a talk, or during smaller “cookies & conversation” sessions. Just me and some kid, an author and a reader, talking. I love those unscripted moments.

For the majority of an author visit, I am broadcasting. That’s the nature of the arrangement. I am putting out signals and messages. But in my real life, and as a curious writer, I am much more interested in receiving. The give-and-take. 

Lastly, again: Please consider me for an author visit to your school, no matter where in the country that might be. I love it when a school district teams up and can offer me 3-5 days of visits (at a discount). I’ve never figured out how to promote visits; I’ve always gotten work (and much needed revenue) via word of mouth. Unlike most authors, I have a range of age-appropriate books for readers PreK-8. And by virtue of being old as dust, I do bring a lot of experience to the table. Thanks for the thought. 

Anyway, enough of that!

 

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AND IT’S A WRAP!

GOODBYE TO THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR. 

Write to me at [email protected] and we can discuss the details to see if I’m the right fit for your students.

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Bringing Back a Classic

March 22, 2026 / / No comments

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I am not saying it’s too late to schedule an author visit for this school year.

But it’s getting there. 

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Photos: Captured in the Wild

October 14, 2025 / / No comments

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A friend recently passed this along . . .

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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 . . .

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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. 

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Family Matters, Circa Easter, 1966

July 10, 2025 / / No comments
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On school visits, I’ll often show this photo and say something like, “That’s me in the middle . . . five years old . . . surrounded by giants.”
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Easter, 1966.
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And I’ll sometimes add, “How do I know it’s Easter? My sisters are wearing hats.”
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Category: Family, School Visits / Tags: , , ,

Summer Hours, Publishing News, School Visits . . .

July 1, 2025 / / No comments

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It’s July 1. Boy, that happened fast. 

As the sole proprietor of James Preller Dot Com since May of 2008, possibly the longest continuously operated blog within spitting distance, I’ve learned that readership quiets down during the summer. 

This aligns with schools and the lives of teachers and librarians. 

So I kind of back off on content. You are out getting a tan anyway. 

But I actually keep working through the summer.

Here’s two pieces of news from Publishers Weekly:

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And also this, from further back:

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Exciting, right?

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I’ve got a 3rd “. . . And a Moose!” book coming out for early readers, Two Astronauts . . . and a Moose! And I believe I’ll be seeing copies of Two Ballerinas . . . and a Moose! any day now. 

 

 

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I’m going to write another Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, and those books are just pure entertainment. 

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And there are two more even bigger projects in the works (a graphic novel series and something else that’s super exciting in the very, very early stages of development — so hush that mouth, Jimmy). 

And all I can say is that I am grateful and proud to be survivor in this bunny-eat-bunny business. 

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Summer hours, indeed!

 

SCHOOL VISITS

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Yes, this is a great time for librarians and PTA members to start thinking about next year’s author visits. Calendars fill up, time flies. For me, I love beginning with a query and a phone call. I mean, there’s written information to find on the site. But it’s just warmer and easier if we can chat briefly and see if there’s a match. Or send an email to [email protected] and I’m happy to answer any questions. From there, we can go amiably forth!

I am fairly unique in the business because I have recently published, age-appropriate titles from PreK-8. Almost all of them in paperback at affordable prices. 

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While I do a majority of my visits in elementary schools (this past year brought me happily to Tulsa, OK!), I also get to a number of middle schools. During a June visit, we enjoyed “Cupcakes and Conversation” with a small group of students. The fabulous librarian, Rebecca Ekstrom, served these . . . 

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I think that’ s more than enough for today. Sorry for all the me, me, me context. Sometimes it has to be done.

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Oh, wait. 

I’m excited to see the paperback of Shaken, due sometime next year (hardcover available now). Bank Street named it one of the best books of 2025. 

I think they were right!

Ha.

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HAVE A GREAT SUMMER, FOLKS!

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Category: Musings, School Visits, The Survival Code / Tags: , , , , , , ,
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