This isn’t the first time one of my books became a movie. In 2004 Honus & Me was made into a TV movie starring Matthew Modine and Kristin Davis. I was disappointed that they turned my story about a kid into an adult romance. I hope My Weird School (Nickelodeon, Tuesday, 5pm EST) will be better.

You may be wondering if I had control over the My Weird School movie. No. I DID read an early script and asked if they would change a few names of the characters. Other than that, I wasn’t involved. But if it’s really good, I’ll take the credit! (And if it stinks, I had nothin’ to do with it.)

One of the stars of the My Weird School movie (Nickelodeon, Tuesday, 5pm EST) is Adam Rose. He’s been an actor since he was 9, but found his videos a few years ago. He posts short clips of things going wrong, followed by his reactions to them. Hilarious! Check Adam out: www.facebook.com/AdamRosePage

Hero Hunter is A.J., the main character in the My Weird School movie (on Nickelodeon at 5pm EST). He’s only 14, but Hero is an experienced actor who appeared on Abbott Elementary, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball, Chicago Fire, & more. And yes, that’s his real name.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! My 21-year wait is almost over. On Tuesday (12/30) we’ll FINALLY be able to watch the My Weird School movie (Nickelodeon, 5pm EST). I’ll be seeing it for the first time, just like you. I’ll tell you more about it over the next few days. In the meantime, here’s the cast…

Merry Christmas! Hey, if Santa brought any kids my books this morning, I’d love to see some photos (and thanks to Sandy Ressler for this one).

It’s too late to order something online, but you can still go to a BOOKSTORE to buy some gifts to put under the tree tomorrow. You’ll be supporting a local business, supporting authors, encouraging reading, and giving a gift that could very possibly change a child’s life for the better.

With all due respect for Jean-Luc Godard, I disagree. I like to read (and write) stories that unfold chronologically. Otherwise, things can get confusing. I want to make it perfectly clear to my reader what is happening, and when.

I searched for my name on YouTube & was surprised to see there are HUNDREDS videos about me! Some I made myself, but there are lots of read-alouds & other fun videos by librarians, parents, teachers, & kids. If your kids are already staring at YouTube all day, I say they might as well stare at ME.

Q: What do you call Frosty with a six-pack? A: The abdominal snowman.

Of all the My Weird School books, which one is the most popular? By far, it’s “Miss Daisy Is Crazy!” (2004) Why? Probably because it was the FIRST book in the series. Many kids (and grownups) who start a new series want to start with #1.

Do your kids like audio books? Until January 1st, “The Beatles Couldn’t Read Music?” is on sale for 50% off (that’s just $4.50). Grab it here: www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

Do your kids like Ebooks? Until the end of December these 12 My Weird School books are on sale for just $2.99. To grab them, use this link and type the title you want into the SEARCH box: www.harpercollins.com/pages/childr...

Today is my last school visit of 2025, with these kids at Columbus Grove School in Ohio. This year I’ve zoomed with dozens of schools from Alabama & Arkansas to a school in Nigeria. If YOUR school is interested in a virtual author visit between January & June, visit my website to get the details.

I just signed 94 copies at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you’re in New York City for the holidays and need to pick up fun, inexpensive gifts for the kids, go to the gift shop at THE GREATEST MUSEUM IN THE WORLD and grab ‘em!

MY KINDA TREE! Seen at The Hermitage Historical Society in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Thanks to reader Molly Gavin Matchak for this photo.

LAST CHANCE! I’m going to my local bookstore TOMORROW to sign books. If you want to get autographed books in time for Christmas, order them today or tomorrow morning and I’ll sign them while I’m at the store. Call 212-989-3270 or use this link: booksofwonder.com/search?q=Dan...

People often ask if they can buy a book from me. I don’t sell my books directly. I live in an apartment and don’t have room to store a lot of stuff. But if you go to my website you can click on a cover to order any of my books. Go to: dangutman.com/books/

You can give the kids overpriced plastic toys that you’ll be selling for $1 at next year’s yard sale. OR you can give ‘em the My Weird School game, which is fun, funny, educational, & costs less than $15. Your call. Get the game from your local book or toy store, or… www.amazon.com/All-Things-E...

I got an email the other day that promised to teach me how to read maps backwards. But it turned out that it was just spam.

Just a few of the nice booksellers I met yesterday on my Barnes & Noble marathon. They weren’t even born when I started writing children’s books, but it made me feel so good when they told me they grew up reading my books.

Done! Today I signed 336 books at these Barnes & Noble stores in New York City… --2289 Broadway --1550 3rd Ave --555 5th Ave --33 East 17th St. --194 Atlantic Ave (Brooklyn) --267 7th Ave (Brooklyn) If you’re in town this week and looking for holiday gifts, go get ‘em!

Happy Birthday to Dick Van Dyke who turns ONE HUNDRED today. I can’t say for sure that he inspired me to become a writer. But I loved watching “The Dick Van Dyke Show” when I was a kid. Seeing him goofing around, dreaming up silly ideas in a writer’s room seemed like a dream job. And it is!

Tomorrow will be my annual pre-holiday Barnes & Noble marathon. I’ll be hitting all six B&N stores in New York City that I can get to by bike, subway, or on foot and signing all my books they have on the shelves. Last year I signed over 400 books. It’s gonna be a LONG day.

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators has a podcast with guests such as Paul Zelinsky, Kate DiCamillo, Chris Grabenstein, and many others. This week’s guest is little old ME! Check it out: open.spotify.com/episode/2j5R...

Hint hint…

The only gift that’s better than a My Weird School book is a My Weird School BOX SET! They should be available wherever you buy your books, and if a store doesn’t have them, they can order them for you. (A box set is also a great gift for your son or daughter’s teacher.)

My baseball card adventure series is also available in a 12-book box set.

The long-awaited My Weird School movie will be released 12/30 on Nickelodeon! I don’t have much more info right now, but I’ll be telling you all about the movie that week. Until then, please share this post and help spread the word to kids, parents, teachers, and librarians. What a way to end 2025!

I used to work at a bank but I got fired. A customer asked me to check his balance, so I knocked him over.

Yesterday, Henry and Holden came all the way from South Carolina with their parents just to meet me (Well, they also went to the M&M store and The Museum of Natural History), so the least I could do was meet them for lunch at my favorite diner and sign their books.

And now for something COMPLETELY different! If you’re in NYC on December 16th, join me, my wife Nina, and our daughter Emma at our favorite Christmas movie. Hey, maybe you’ll win the prize! Get tix here: www.symphonyspace.org/events/sing-...

PARENTS! Is your kid’s teacher awesome? Don’t give her a boring gift card this year. Show your appreciation with an autographed book…by ME! You can order from my local bookstore and I’ll sign and personalize the books before they ship ‘em to you. Go to: booksofwonder.com/search?q=Dan...

I had a great time chatting with Stephanie Affinito on her KidLit Love podcast, which drops TODAY. This was my second time on the show. I’m on episodes #33 and 190. Give ‘em a listen at www.alitlife.com//kidlitlove/ @AffinitoLit

Autographed books make great holiday gifts for kids! You don't have to live near me to get them. Just order from my local bookstore (Books of Wonder, in NYC). They'll contact me, & I'll sign & personalize your books before they ship them to you. It’s simple! Go to: booksofwonder.com/search?q=Dan...

The My Weird School Shop doesn’t JUST sell T-shirts. You can also get coffee mugs, baseball caps, tote bags, water bottles, magnets, mousepads, hoodies, buttons, posters, notebooks, and more…all with Jim Paillot’s artwork on them. The holidays are coming! Get your gifts at: dangutman.com/shop/

Every time I post a photo with a My Weird School shirt, people ask how they can buy one. It's simple! Just go to my website and click BUY STUFF. What a perfect gift for the holidays! And if you prefer, here's the direct link: dangutman.com/shop/

I asked a guy I know to meet me at the gym, but he didn’t show up. I guess the two of us aren’t going to work out.

During December I’m going to be pestering you to buy my books. I’ll try not to be obnoxious about it. It’s just that a huge % of book sales take place during the holidays @ if we want to be successful, authors have to do everything we can to get the word out. I apologize if it gets to be too much.

The most exciting cultural event in my lifetime was The Beatles. Whether you’re an old coot like me who wants to relive the memories, or a child who devours my books, check out “The Beatles Anthology.” I’ll never get over the fact that these 4 kids from England made such a huge impact on the world.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. As part of our feast, we had a “Potato Chip Challenge”—a blind taste test of 7 brands. It turned out there was no clear winner. My personal favorites were #3 and 4.

My Thanksgiving fantasy… (thanks to Tom Jaros)

3 cool facts for today… 1. In 1863, Sarah Josepha Hale convinced Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. 2. In 1830, she wrote the words to “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” 3. In 1877, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” was the first thing Thomas Edison recorded on his newly-invented phonograph.

Thanksgiving Eve Inflation Celebration. So when does My Weird School get a balloon?

People are surprised to learn that Jim Paillot and I have created 106 (!) My Weird School books together, but we’ve only met ONCE in person. If you’re a fan of the series, you should follow Jim too. Visit his website (jimpaillot.com) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/jimpaillot/). @HarperKids

LIKE E-BOOKS? For the rest of November, these My Weird School books are on sale for just $1.99. (And I thought they were getting rid of the penny!) You can grab ‘em at the HarperCollins.com book page: www.harpercollins.com/pages/childr... @HarperKids

Instead of Dad Joke Monday, here’s a shout-out to “Dads on Books,” a terrific podcast about children’s books hosted by David Patrick & Mike Walker. I was a guest recently, and I had so much fun hanging with those lunatics. Watch wherever you get your podcasts, or here: dadsonbooks.transistor.fm

Words On Warren is a new children’s bookstore in NYC. I stopped by the other day to meet Jean (the owner) & sign a bunch of my books. If you’re in the neighborhood (52 Warren St.) go get ‘em! And if you’d like to find out more, go to www.wordsonwarren.com or @wordsonwarren on Instagram.

BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW that less than a block from “the Seinfeld diner” on 112th Street in New York City is the spot where beloved children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown honed her craft to write classics like “Goodnight Moon.”

Did you know there’s a My Weird School GAME? Did you know it’s on sale for just $14.99 for the next two weeks? Did you know it’s hilarious and educational? Do your holiday shopping early this year! You can get the sale price here: www.amazon.com/All-Things-E...