Deerstalker Hats and Library Joy, a guest post by James Ponti

This is the story of fifty-four authors, seven-hundred librarians, thirteen funny hats, and how (I hope) all of them come together to make book joy.

For me, book joy is a lot like good spaghetti sauce. There are countless recipes and you can never have too much. But, before I explain how I arrived at the above-listed ingredients, I’d like to give a little backstory. 

At some point during the mid-1970s, (maybe it was the day I randomly came to school dressed as an astronaut, but that’s a story for another time), I discovered From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler in the Atlantic Beach Elementary School library. It was life-changing, the first time I ever read a novel from start to finish purely for enjoyment. 

That was the seed.

I was, and for many years remained, a reluctant reader. But that story managed to get into my head and propelled me on the path to becoming an author. Decades later, when my first novel was published, I wanted to send a copy to Elaine Konigsburg to thank her for writing the book that had inspired me. It was only then that I discovered she lived in…wait for it…Atlantic Beach, Florida. My hometown.

I couldn’t believe it. One of the most amazing children’s authors of all time lived just a few miles away from me throughout my childhood. When I discovered this, I was delighted but also kind of disappointed. I wish I had known it at the time, because maybe writing a book would’ve seemed like a more achievable goal. 

Growing up, I assumed authors were only in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. I thought they exchanged witty banter and acerbic quips in hotel ballrooms while wearing tuxedos. Put another way, I thought they were worlds away from any life I knew.

I was wrong. 

I have amazing writer friends and although they’re hilarious, their humor tends to be more sophomoric than erudite. They are diverse with eclectic backstories and kind hearts. We celebrate each other’s victories; rally support in times of need; and have been known to bust out 1980s dance moves when the opportunity arises. As for tuxedos, my good buddy Stuart Gibbs owns one, but he also has a seemingly endless supply of cargo shorts, so we’re not exactly talking the Algonquin Round Table.

Stu was wearing cargo shorts the day we met at TLA, the Texas Library Association’s annual conference. We both had books on the Bluebonnet award list and were there to talk about them in front of hundreds of Lone Star librarians. (Perfect, considering the reason most authors pick a career of solitary writing is because we’re so comfortable talking in front of large crowds.) 

As it turned out, any stage fright was completely unwarranted because there is simply no easier and more generous audience than the one that exists when an author speaks to a group of librarians. By the end of the day, I knew that I had found my people. 

I have no doubt that my inclusion on that year’s Bluebonnet and Sunshine State Young Readers Award lists played a vital role in keeping my nascent career going. Before that, sales had been weak and it looked like my time as an author would be short-lived.

That was the first of many library conferences I’ve attended in the last ten years. They have provided me with a roadmap for my career. I’ve delivered keynote addresses, participated on inspiring panels, and listened to personal library stories that range from heartwarming to heartbreaking. There have been real tears and huge laughs, and throughout it all many of the librarians have evolved from acquaintances to colleagues to friends. 

During that time, I’ve visited hundreds of schools and seen how these librarians spark joy for their students. I’ve also seen how, by working together, we can close the gap between author and reader to make sure kids know that books are magical but not magic. And that all of them have stories that matter and have a place. 

In the last eighteen months, as I’ve switched to writing two books a year, I’ve had to dramatically cut back on school visits. I simply don’t have the time. But I think it’s essential to keep closing that gap, which is why I decided to try something new.

The Sherlock Society is a mystery series set in my home state. In the book, the society is a club that meets every other week in the school library. I wondered, what would happen if actual school libraries could join to form a club at their school too. I didn’t know what that meant, but I liked the idea of making books even more accessible.

I reached out to a bunch of librarian friends to ask them what that might be. They helped me come up with a still evolving model. “Joining” the Sherlock Society gives your library bonus content (I.e., I’m designing an in-library escape room), downloadable assets (Simon & Schuster is helping design these), and access to special virtual events (I just had one where my editor and I talked about our process and there’s an upcoming one with some fellow writers). 

It is totally free and there are zero strings attached, other than the hope that you and your students will have fun with it all. Books should be fun and joyful. Which brings me to the hats. I thought it would be fun if other writers would strike Sherlock poses in deerstalker hats to encourage participation. I didn’t know if they would be game or not, but the response has been amazing. So far more than 50 have struck the pose all in the spirit of book joy. 

Among those playing along are Jeff Kinney, Sharon Draper, Gordon Korman, Adam Gidwitz, Jasmine Warga, Christina Soontornvat, Angie Thomas, Laurie Halse Anderson, and the list goes on. Hopefully, when young readers see that their favorite authors are just as goofy as they are, the thought of writing a book won’t seem quite as distant. 

I didn’t know if the librarians would go for it, but so far nearly seven hundred have signed up. Just like always, they amaze with their enthusiasm and willingness to try whatever they can to plant that seed.

Join the Sherlock Society!

Meet the author

James Ponti grew up in a small Florida beach town, where he dreamed of one day becoming a writer. He loves pasta, laughing at funny stories, and going to the movies on weekday afternoons. One of his absolute favorite things to do is travel with his family, and it was during a trip to London and Paris that he got the idea for City Spies. He now lives in Orlando, Florida and is the New York Times bestselling author of four middle grade book series. Find out more at JamesPonti.com and follow him on Instagram.

Here is the book’s pre-order link

About The Sherlock Society

In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book in the action-packed and funny Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!

Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock take their last name as inspiration when choosing a summer job. After all, starting a detective agency has to be better than babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). Their friends Lina, an avid bookworm, and Yadi, an aspiring cinematographer, join the enterprise, and Alex and Zoe’s retired reporter grandfather offers up his sweet aquamarine Cadillac convertible and storage unit full of cold cases.

The group’s first target is the long-lost treasure supposedly hidden near their hometown Miami. Their investigation into the local doings of famed gangster Al Capone leads them to a remote island in the middle of the Everglades where they find alarming evidence hinting at corporate corruption.

Together with Grandpa’s know-how and the kids’ intelligence—plus some really slick gadgets—can the Sherlock Society root out the conspiracy?

ISBN-13: 9781665932530
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication date: 09/03/2024
Series: The Sherlock Society #1
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post