New Releases by Kevin Sylvester

Something smells fishy—and it’s not the sushi—in the fourth book in The Neil Flambé Capers, the culinary mystery series celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey calls “good fun.” Superstar teen chef Neil Flambé isn’t thrilled when his cousin Larry moves to Japan to work on an online manga comic book. Now who’ll help him in the kitchen? But he finds a replacement in Gary the bike courier, and life, and the restaurant, moves on without Larry. That is, until the news comes that Larry has been in a fatal boating accident and is lost at sea. Neil is devastated. But then he checks Larry’s online manga. There’s a subtle change in the plot, something Neil and Larry had discussed—something only Neil would notice. Is this a cryptic message from beyond the grave—or is Larry still alive? Determined to find out, Neil heads to Japan to solve his next mystery.

Not everyone can be an athlete, but that doesn’t stop thousands of others from participating in world-class sporting events. When Patrick Reynolds realized that he couldn’t be a race car driver, he turned his love of cars into a successful career as a NASCAR mechanic. A passion for grass and baseball lead Nicole Sherry to become the groundskeeper at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. Author Kevin Sylvester tells the stories of 20 talented and dedicated behind-the-scenes stars of the sports world. In this new book, the glamour of the frontline athletes takes a backseat to the hard-working people whose jobs are critical to the success of their sport but often go unacknowledged. Readers will discover some very special people who have devoted their lives to supporting the sports they love, including the eagle-eyed baseball scout for the Chicago White Sox, the members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the doctor who treats injured players on the Canadian Olympic soccer team. With its real-life stories and lively photographs, GAME DAYwill delight any young sports fan or wannabe athlete.

Cindy Winters loves to play hockey. When her family''s basement apartment is flooded and the floor freezes, she''s even happy to skate on the concrete. Her parents are too poor to enroll her in a league, but she''s resourceful and does odd jobs until she has earned enough money to play. Armed with her mother''s old equipment, she is thrilled to join a team. But her happiness doesn''t last long. Among her teammates are the horrible Blister Sisters. They make her life miserable. And worse, Cindy''s sidelined by the coach, who just happens to be Mrs. Blister. It looks like she''ll be spending the season cleaning equipment, instead of playing on the ice. Cindy''s luck changes when her Fairy Goaltender appears and saves the day. With its great good humor and hilarious illustrations, Kevin Sylvester''s Splinters is bound to become a favorite.

The world''s greatest sporting events, chock-full of guts, glory and going for gold. If you want to read about that, you''d better look elsewhere. The gold medals handed out in this book are for inept athletes, shameful scandals, freakish weather, cheaters, chokers and much worse. But it''s not all bad. You''ll also read about athletes who went from chump to champ and warm your heart to stories of high-stakes heroism and fair play. There may still be hope for humans --- and sports competitions! Read about ? unbeatable runners who tested positive for turtle''s blood and caterpillar fungus ? the snowboarder whose hot-dog move cost her a gold medal ? live animal hunting, dueling with pistols and other events now (thankfully) discontinued ? a medal-winning gymnast with a wooden leg ? the sailor who gave up a chance at the gold medal to save a drowning competitor

Come on in! Don''t be shy. Bizarre, hilarious and just plain gross moments are waiting inside Sports Hall of Weird. From yucky bathroom accidents and crows hungry for golf balls, to cursed teams, haunted stadiums and spectacular losers, this Hall''s got it all. Find out why some hockey fans throw an octopus on the ice for good luck. How the hand of God might have decided a soccer game. How a dead guy got drafted ... all this and a lot more is immortalized in Sports Hall of Weird!