Thanks for stopping by.

My name is James M. Janik (That's me on the mountain). When I'm not skiing, playing baseball, or flailing at golf balls, I write stories and articles for kids.

You may have read some of my stories in Boys' Life, With, or Highlights for Children magazines.  Click the Stories and Articles link for a complete listing of each. Many of my baseball columns and articles have appeared in Junior Baseball magazine.

I've written two middle grade novels, SMIDGENS and THE EMERALD GLASSES. SMIDGENS was under contract with an e-publisher, but that didn't work out. ( Don't ask unless you've got a lot of time to listen.)

My young adult novels, NONE OF THE COURAGE and WORTH THE RISK, are under contract with an agent. I hope we can find a publisher for them soon. Click on the Young Adult Novels link for a brief synopsis of each.

I served as field editor for MidWest Outdoors magazine for several years before discovering my passion for children's literature. During that time I wrote countless articles on bass fishing and got all my fishing trips for free! When my kids began bringing Roald Dahl novels home from middle school though, I became thoroughly hooked on writing for children.

Before that, I was--GASP--a dentist. Actually, I was an endodontist (root canal specialist). I taught at Loyola University and practiced for about 20 years before retiring. I published a few technical articles, penned an essay or two for the school newspaper, and contributed a chapter for a textbook during my associate professor days, but writing really was off my radar at that time. I always remembered my college English Comp teacher (Mr. Fender where are you?) though, who said going into dentistry would ruin me as a writer. He seemed to think I should be writing for a living and I always thought income would be nice. I guess we were both right, in a way.

I now live in the Midwest with my wife Laurie, my daughters Katie and Ali, and my cat Stinker. I finally stopped playing baseball following the  2003 season when I had to have my biceps muscle surgically re-attached after making a fabulous (fabulously stupid?) diving catch in center field. I guess I don't bounce very well after all these years. I'll always have the memories of tournaments in Florida, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada, and Puerto Rico to go along with the scars. There's nothing quite like the feeling of jogging around the bases after a long one. Golf will have to do from now on. The local Emergency Rooms have wondered where I've been though.

Writing for kids has been a blast. I've met so many fantastic writers, editors, and kids as a result of my work, it's hard to imagine a better job.

Sign my guestbook while you're here. I'd love to hear from you. Watch Highlights for Children and Boys' Life for more of my stories.


Thanks for stopping by.

My name is James M. Janik (That's me on the mountain). When I'm not skiing, playing baseball, or flailing at golf balls, I write stories and articles for kids.

You may have read some of my stories in Boys' Life, With, or Highlights for Children magazines.  Click the Stories and Articles link for a complete listing of each. Many of my baseball columns and articles have appeared in Junior Baseball magazine.

I've written two middle grade novels, SMIDGENS and THE EMERALD GLASSES. SMIDGENS was under contract with an e-publisher, but that didn't work out. ( Don't ask unless you've got a lot of time to listen.)

My young adult novels, NONE OF THE COURAGE and WORTH THE RISK, are under contract with an agent. I hope we can find a publisher for them soon. Click on the Young Adult Novels link for a brief synopsis of each.

I served as field editor for MidWest Outdoors magazine for several years before discovering my passion for children's literature. During that time I wrote countless articles on bass fishing and got all my fishing trips for free! When my kids began bringing Roald Dahl novels home from middle school though, I became thoroughly hooked on writing for children.

Before that, I was--GASP--a dentist. Actually, I was an endodontist (root canal specialist). I taught at Loyola University and practiced for about 20 years before retiring. I published a few technical articles, penned an essay or two for the school newspaper, and contributed a chapter for a textbook during my associate professor days, but writing really was off my radar at that time. I always remembered my college English Comp teacher (Mr. Fender where are you?) though, who said going into dentistry would ruin me as a writer. He seemed to think I should be writing for a living and I always thought income would be nice. I guess we were both right, in a way.

I now live in the Midwest with my wife Laurie, my daughters Katie and Ali, and my cat Stinker. I finally stopped playing baseball following the  2003 season when I had to have my biceps muscle surgically re-attached after making a fabulous (fabulously stupid?) diving catch in center field. I guess I don't bounce very well after all these years. I'll always have the memories of tournaments in Florida, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada, and Puerto Rico to go along with the scars. There's nothing quite like the feeling of jogging around the bases after a long one. Golf will have to do from now on. The local Emergency Rooms have wondered where I've been though.

Writing for kids has been a blast. I've met so many fantastic writers, editors, and kids as a result of my work, it's hard to imagine a better job.

Sign my guestbook while you're here. I'd love to hear from you. Watch Highlights for Children and Boys' Life for more of my stories.