2nd Annual MN STEM Book Festival on Saturday, October 24

Don't miss the 2nd Annual MN STEM Book Festival on Saturday, October 24th, from 10 am to 5 pm! Presented by The Thinking Spot and The Bakken Museum, this free event celebrates Science Communication with a book fair, author presentations, and engaging children's activities. Plus, enjoy free access to The Bakken Museum!

From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., join Margi at the Kids Corner for a bug treasure hunt and a reading from her newest book, The Shrew Detective: The Case of the Pilfered Peals. Bring your friends and family! These all-day activities will keep little hands busy. We can't wait to see you there!

Saturday, Oct. 3: Join Margi at Stillwater Public Library's "Month of Mystery"

Join award-winning Minnesota author Margi Preus for an engaging presentation that inspires young authors ages 8 to 12, as well as interested adults.

In conjunction with Stillwater Public Library's "Month of Mystery," Margi will share fun and valuable tips about the mystery writing process while featuring The Shrew Detective, the first title in her exciting new mystery series for young readers. The program will last fifty minutes, including time for questions.

In partnership with Valley Bookseller, copies of Margi's most recent books (including The Shrew Detective) will be available for purchase and autographing at the event.

No registration is required. This program will take place in the Margaret Rivers Meeting Rooms on the upper level of the library.

Join Margi Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Central Wisconsin Book Festival

Children and their families are invitied to Janke Book Store as Newbery Honor winner Margi Preus shares her children’s book “Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for Pennies.” (Margi will also share some of her other stories, the stories behind the stories, her dog’s writing tips, and more!)

This free Central Wisconsin Book Festival event is open to children and their families, with no registration. For more information, visit their website, https://mcpl.us/event/central-wisconsin-book-festival-cwbf/

The Shrew Detective is a Common Sense Selection for Families!

It's official! The Shrew Detective is a Common Sense Selection for families! The Common Sense Selection seal program was created to highlight the best of the best in movies, TV/streaming titles, video games, podcasts, and books. It received the top rating, 5 STARS, for readers age 8 and up!

From the editors: “This tale of a shrew and her cousin is a  lively, whimsical introduction to the mystery genre, packed with vocabulary, math, and science along the way. Cute, detail-packed illustrations enrich the tale, as irresistible characters face dire peril. A great read-aloud, too.”

Listen: Margi is featured on the podcast, Read Minnesota Books, Episode 19

Read Minnesota Books is hosted by Minnesota author Deborah Copperud. In this episode, she and Margi talk about The Shrew Detective, The Case of the Pilfered Pearls, Margi’s first book in a new mystery series for young readers.

“Minerva Shrew is the detective you never saw coming, probably because she is only two inches long, including her tail,” Margi explains, “And yet she has a capacious intellect, remarkably vast vocabulary, especially for a shrew, thanks to her wallpaper, pages of a human Dictionary.”

“The book made me think of so many kids' books that I love: The Borrowers by Mary Norton because it features a tiny home with furnishings fashioned from human detritus, The Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo because the protagonist is so very hungry, and The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln because of all the vocabulary lessons,” said Deborah. “Are you choosing the words and then the story, or are you writing the story and then defining the words?’

Listen now to learn more about Margi’s writing process, including how the Shrew Detective started as a dog detective named DogLeash!