New Releases by Bruce Hale

Juvenile delinquent and budding pyromaniac Max Segredo belongs in juvie hall. At least, that''s what his most recent foster family would tell you. Instead, Max ends up on the doorstep of Merry Sunshine Orphanage-their very heavily guarded doorstep. As he begins to acclimate to his new home, Max learns a few things straightaway: first, cracking a Caesar Cipher isn''t as hard as it seems; second, never sass your instructor if she''s also holding throwing knives; and third, he may not be an orphan after all. Soon, Max and the rest of the students are sent on a mission to keep a dangerous weapon out of the hands of LOTUS, an international group bent on world domination. Of course, all Max cares about is finding out more about his father, the man he''s now sure is still alive. As the stakes get higher, Max must make some difficult choices, including who to trust, and finally learns the true meaning of family.

Nate’s best friend Jeremy is missing, and Nate seems to be the only one worried that he’s been captured by hideous creatures that live in the sewers. A short story from Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Chet Gecko’s investigations often show him the seamy underbelly of school life, but this case throws him for a loop. A deadly stink bomb is unleashed, a school building falls to rubble, money goes missing from the principal’s office, and that’s just a start. Chet’s endurance for trouble is tested, but so is his loyalty: Someone is trying to get his mongoose janitor pal Maureen DeBree fired. A true-blue P.I. doesn’t take that kind of monkey business lying down. Standing up, maybe. And stand up he will—to some very shifty school bullies. Chet keeps digging for the truth like a mole after an earthworm sandwich. Oh, foolish detective.

Stephanie has a whole underwear drawer full of trouble. A week ago, Stephanie''s biggest problem was finding enough time to complete her homework and study for her Mathletes competition. Now, thanks to her big-mouth brother, Zeke, she has to deal with magical toilet brushes, sinister talking cats, nearsighted sea serpents, singing custodians, feminist pirates, runty freedom fighters, and all the cottony-white weirdness of Underwhere—the world beneath our own where people wear their undies on the outside of their clothes.

Sometimes even sidekicks have to step up. Here''s the thing: Zeke''s busy being the so-called Prince of Underwhere. His prissy sister, Stephanie, is some sort of pirate queen. But Hector? Everyone treats him like a joker and a sidekick. Well, those days are over. Now only Hector can save the day—if he can survive the swarms of sharp-beaked midget flying dinos, smart-aleck flying horses, angry armies in their undies, a really, really bad hypnotist, and a duel with deadly toilet plungers. . . all the ordinary wedgie weirdness of the tighty-whitie world under our own.

Cats are not meant to save the world. Fitz the cat is supposed to be enjoying the normal activities savored by those of the feline persuasion—napping (a lot), nibbling on house plants, sharpening his claws on expensive furniture, and, most importantly, never, ever doing what a human wants him to. But instead, thanks to Zeke, Stephanie, and Hector—those meddling, tuna-hatin'', whiskerless kids who dragged him down to Underwhere—Fitz has bigger fish to fry (though, of course, he prefers his fish raw). Not only has he started thinking like a human, he''s actually helping them recover the stolen Scepter of Underwhere, battle a wild pack of triceradoodles, outwit a roaming band of savage mice, and foil the plans of the strange new movie director in town, who happens to smell awfully familiar. . . .

It''s tough to be ZeKe. He''s got his hands full: There is his prissy, know-it-all twin sister; his mean cousin Caitlyn, who''s house-sitting for his missing parents; and a bully making life tough at school (as though it wasn''t hard enough already). And now, thanks to a stinky, scruffy, good-for-nothing talking cat, he''s also got to cope with zombies, midget freedom fighters, devious spies, superstar rappers, and a whole weird world beneath our own where people wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes.

Detectives Chet Gecko and his partner Natalie Attired try to solve the mystery of why Emerson Hicky Elementary school students have suddenly started acting strangely.

Chet Gecko and his partner Natalie try to find a missing valentine and the winning ticket to a fantastic dessert.

An adaptation of the traditional tale, featuring a sleeping, snoring princess who is rescued by a prince after being cursed by a bad fairy.

When fourth-grade private eye Chet Gecko is called to catch someone who is stealing food from the school cafeteria, he finds himself framed for the crime. Chet''s tattered casebook is chock-full of the hilarious characters, wacky one-liners, and fast-paced mystery that have everyone else boggled. Can Chet Gecko solve the mystery?

Get ready for muckraking time at Emerson Hicky Elementary. The race is on for student council president, but it''s quickly getting fishier than the bottom of a pelican''s lunch box. Someone is sending candidates ominous threats and posting signs with messages like FIR IS FIRST! and DOWN WITH FEATHERS. Could someone be trying to rig the election? Good thing Chet and Natalie are around to expose the filthy frauds!

When the new penguin at school turns out to be a private eye, Chet Gecko confronts not only a devious sparrow but also his own jealousy.

Chet Gecko is hired by Principal Zero to investigate the disappearance of valuable items from Emerson Hicky Elementary--including Mama Gecko''s pearls.

A how-to for every budding detective/gourmand/comedian!

When it comes to splitting dessert, Chet Gecko may cheat a little, but who’s going to complain if Chet’s half is more like two-thirds? He’s never been good at math. Still, there’s a big difference between sneaking a bigger slice of stinkbug pie and sneaking the answers to Mr. Ratnose’s history test. When a cheating ring is suspected at Emerson Hicky Elementary, Chet takes on the case as a matter of honor. Or of stupidity. It’s so hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Chet and his partner, Natalie Attired, investigate a cheating ring at Emerson Hicky Elementary school.

“Fourth-grade gumshoe Chet Gecko takes on his most baffling case yet . . . Clever, good fun” from the author of The Big Nap and the Clark the Shark books” (Kirkus Reviews). Chet Gecko doesn’t believe in the supernatural. His idea of voodoo is his mom’s cockroach ripple ice cream. But when a teacher reports seeing a monster by the light of a full moon, it falls to Chet and his sleek-winged partner, Natalie Attired, to answer the burning question: Is this the work of a vicious, supernatural werehamster on the loose? Or just another science fair project gone wrong? “The zany text reads like a mixture of stand-up comedy, Raymond Chandler mysteries, old films, and a fourth grader on an overdose of sugar.”—School Library Journal The Chet Gecko Mysteries are . . . “Zesty and entertaining.”—The Bulletin “Fodder for budding criminologists and stand-up comedians . . . Sassy.”—School Library Journal “A choice series for reluctant readers.”—Booklist

Chet and his partner, Natalie Attired, investigate a cheating ring at Emerson Hicky Elementary school.

Chet Gecko loves a good mystery. Almost more than he loves his fee—stinkbug pie. So when fellow fourth grader Shirley Chameleon asks him to find her missing brother, Billy, Chet expects the case to be as easy a pie. But Billy''s disappearance is part of a larger plot, one that involves the Rat Sisters, a riddling junkyard dog, and a vicious Gila monster named Herman. If Chet doesn''t solve the case fast, the entire school could be humiliated. Worst of all, Chet might not get his fee. And Chet''s hungry. . . .

Moki the surfing gecko learns the value of friendship when a wise old Menehune man helps him catch the biggest wave in the world and asks for an important favor in return.