The Stone Child (26 page)

The Stone Child
’s journey to publication was long and twisted, and she might have been left somewhere along the road but for the support of several amazing people who eventually conjured her to life.

My writing group—Nico Medina, Billy Merrell, Jack Lienke, and Nick Eliopulos—supported and challenged this story, while giving me an excuse to eat bowls of endless pasta, salad, and breadsticks in the middle of Times Square. Thank you, Nick, for seeing “potential” in those first eighty pages, and for placing the unfinished manuscript into nurturing hands. This story really would not have been written without your help.

Through many drafts, my exceptional editor, Jim Thomas, continually picked me up by the scruff of my neck and plopped me back onto that somewhat overgrown forest trail whenever I lost my way in the darkness. Thanks also to Whitney Stahlberg, who, during the final round, provided her own invaluable perspective and direction.

For thoughtful early advice and conversation, I give great thanks to David Levithan, Brian Selznick, Rachel Cohn, and Joy Peskin. For finalizing the small print, thank you, Noel Silverman. The excitement and insight of my first-draft readers—Emily Poblocki, Kathy Gersing, Nic DeStefano, Joanna Ouellette, Josh Chaplin, and Greg Emetaz—is much appreciated. For enthusiasm and encouragement throughout various parts of this writing process, I must also thank Charles Beyer, Brendan Poblocki, Matthew Sawicki, Jack Martin, Andrew Begg, Scott Bodenner, Gary Graham, E. V. Day, Ted Lee, Leon Gersing, Caroline Fairchild, Donna Kay, Gail Roe, Bruce Roe, John Poblocki, and Maria Giella-Poblocki. Like the folks I’ve already mentioned, you have each made this experience so much easier that I wish I could invent a perfect word to fully express how much your support has meant to me. If ever I do, I’ll be sure to whisper it to you in secret.

Finally, I owe a great debt to my favorite childhood authors, whose books still keep me busy reading (and dreaming) late into the night. I am certain their stories shall continue inspiring, enchanting, and terrifying future generations.

D
AN
P
OBLOCKI
grew up in Rhode Island and New Jersey and currently lives atop a tower in a magical place called Brooklyn, New York. He has always loved telling stories. Beginning in fifth grade, he gathered his friends after school, frightening them with tales of ghosts, monsters, and spooky places. When the author’s mother began to receive phone calls from neighborhood parents, warning that her son’s stories were giving their children nightmares, Dan decided to write the stories down instead.

The author requests that if
The Stone Child
, his first book, gives
you
nightmares, please refrain from contacting his mother, as she’s already heard enough complaints. Instead, you should visit his Web site,
danpoblocki.com
, where he may offer full apologies, as well as helpful advice for battling your own neighborhood monsters.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Text copyright © 2009 by Dan Poblocki

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Poblocki, Dan.
The stone child / Dan Poblocki. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: When friends Eddie, Harris, and Maggie discover that the scary adventures in their favorite author’s fictional books come true, they must find a way to close the portal that allows evil creatures and witches to enter their hometown of Gatesweed.
eISBN: 978-0-375-85388-3
[1. Authors—Fiction. 2. Books and reading—Fiction.
3. Supernatural—Fiction. 4. Monsters—Fiction.] 1. Title.
PZ7.P7493St 2009

[Fic]—dc22
2008021722

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