James Preller facts for kids

James Preller (born February 1, 1961) is an American author who writes exciting books for kids! He is well-known for his novels like Bystander and Six Innings. He also created the popular Jigsaw Jones Mysteries series.

James Preller grew up in Wantagh, New York. After college, he worked as a waiter for a year. Then, he got a job as a copywriter at Scholastic Corporation. This job let him learn about many famous children's authors. Their books inspired him to start writing his own stories.

His first book, MAXX TRAX: Avalanche Rescue, came out in 1986. Since then, he has written many different kinds of books. Sometimes, he even uses different names, called pen names, like Mitzy Kafka. Today, James Preller lives in Delmar, New York, with his wife Lisa and their three children. When he was young, James loved making up stories. He would even "sell" them to his friends and family! Back then, he dreamed of becoming a baseball player for the New York Mets.

Books by James Preller

James Preller has written many books for young readers. He writes everything from mystery stories to scary tales and even picture books.

Novels for Young Readers

James Preller has written several novels that explore important topics.

• Six Innings (2008) is a baseball story.
• Bystander (2009) talks about bullying and standing up for others.
• The Fall (2015) is another novel that explores tough situations.
• The Courage Test (2016) is an adventure story.
• Upstander (2021) continues the themes from Bystander.

He also wrote novel versions of popular movies like The Fox and the Hound and The Iron Giant.

Scary Tales Series

If you like spooky stories, you might enjoy James Preller's Scary Tales series. These books are published by Feiwel & Friends.

• Home Sweet Horror (2013)
• I Scream, You Scream! (2013)
• Good Night, Zombie (2013)
• Nightmareland (2014)
• One-Eyed Doll (2014)
• Swamp Monster (2015)

Jigsaw Jones Mysteries

The Jigsaw Jones Mysteries are a very popular series for younger readers. Jigsaw Jones is a kid detective who solves mysteries with his partner, Mila Yeh. These books are published by Scholastic Corporation. There are many books in this series, including:

• The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster
• The Case of the Christmas Snowman
• The Case of the Secret Valentine
• The Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards
• The Case of the Mummy Mystery
• The Case of the Runaway Dog
• The Case of the Ghostwriter
• The Case of the Class Clown
• The Case of the Detective in Disguise
• The Case of the Haunted Scarecrow
• The Case of the Disappearing Dinosaur
• The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost
• The Case of the Food Fight
• The Case of the Kidnapped Candy
• The Case of the Groaning Ghost

Picture Books

James Preller has also written fun picture books for younger children.

• Wake Me in Spring (1994)
• Hiccups for Elephant (1995)
• Mighty Casey (2009)
• A Pirate's Guide to First Grade (2010)
• A Pirate's Guide to Recess (2013)
• All Welcome Here (2020)

He also wrote picture book versions of movies like Big Top Pee-wee: Pee-wee and the Circus, Space Jam, and Godzilla.