Whatchamacallit: A small object having a special power and suitable for hanging on Crosley’s belt. If you’ve read the Night Buddies series, you would already know this definition. Crosley’s whatchamacallits are some of the most important things he and John need to be able to make it through their Programs....
An author’s favorite writers can often say quite a bit about where they draw inspiration for their own novels from. For instance, the Night Buddies books are full of imaginative descriptions and witty dialogue, which could be why one of Ol’ Sands' favorite quotes comes from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures...
Writing a book that children will fall in love with at a young age is an important goal for many reasons, the most important of which is that one good book can turn a child into a reader for life. Do you remember your favorite book as a kid? Ol’...
Not only have the Night Buddies books won six awards amongst the literary community, but when Ol’ Sands went to visit Mrs. Miles’ third grade classroom this is what he heard: “I think your book is the greatest. It used a lot of imagination. Crosley is the funnyst crocodile. Yerk,...
There are certain characteristics that make a person stand out to be a qualified Night Buddy. Take a look at this list and see if you have what it takes! 1.) Patience—Every Night Buddy must have the patience to endure Crosley’s insatiable appetite for Pineapple Cheesecakes, to wait for his...
We all know that Crosley the Crocodile is pretty awesome, what with his out-of-this-world appetite for Pineapple Cheesecakes and his impeccable Black Bottom dance skills, but did you know just how cool all crocodiles can be? Here are some reasons why Crosley thinks it's cool to be a crocodile. 1.) ...
Sharing bedtime stories with your child is an important night-time ritual for many parents. In fact, research has shown that children of parents who have bedtime stories show increased brain activity, particularly vocabulary and logic skills. Those skills will serve as the foundation for a better reader for the rest of their...
[caption id="attachment_721" align="aligncenter" width="412"] Courtesy of PhotoPin/Flickr[/caption] Reading is a skill that every parent knows is essential for their child to thrive in the modern world. Gaining your children exposed to reading helps foster brain development, language development, and more at a critical time in their development. The skills...
[caption id="attachment_716" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Eleanor Roosevelt & My Grandmother[/caption] I was very nearly six when Eleanor Roosevelt came and stayed the night with us, at my grandmother’s where my mother and I lived. Our house was right next to a big army camp in Greensboro, NC. My grandmother was an...
People often ask me about the writing life, what's my process when writing a new Night Buddies adventure story. The main thing for me is scheduling and dedication. I make a schedule and stick to it no matter what happens or how rotten I may...
This is Crosley’s little whatchamacallit card that not only identifies him as a member of Night Buddies Amalgamated, but works just the same as money. Since the Night Buddies’ mission is to “help out” situations in the borough, people everywhere give them free goods and services when they’re out on...
My six-year-old son John invented the red crocodile named Crosley, and I had to explain why Crosley was red. You can’t just drop a red croc into a story without explaining, right? So it was something I had to figure out before I could start writing the Night Buddies adventures. At some...
Ol' Sands has created the whole Night Buddies world for us, and now it's your turn! When you fill out the missing words in this Mad Lib, you'll have created the first section of your very own Night Buddies stories. Let's get started! Last night, John could not (verb) a wink....
One of the most common fears among people, both kids and adults, is being afraid of the dark. Not all of us have a big, friendly Crosley visiting us when night comes! Sometimes we’re afraid of being alone at night, and sometimes we are afraid of the possible unseen threats...
Crosley’s brother Crenwinkle is not only a genius who runs the Night Buddies Headquarters, he’s also a top-notch juggler! Crenwinkle draws huge crowds for his juggling performances, and he can juggle just about anything he wants, including seven fat, triple-decker sandwiches! If you’re looking to pick up a new hobby,...
I started as a Harry Potter film franchise fan. From the beginning, I always saw the movies exactly one week after they came out (needed to wait for the big crowds to thin), and I couldn’t get enough. They were full of such high excitement, fine acting, Highlands scenery, and...