Most Popular Books by Kevin Sylvester

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.

Get ready to go global! Our cellphones, our clothes, our food: All are everyday things we consider essential, but we seldom think of what and who is involved in making them and getting them into our hands. In Follow Your Stuff, award-winning children’s author Kevin Sylvester and business professor Michael Hlinka team up again, this time to tackle the dynamics of the global economy, examining the often-complex journey of ordinary goods from production right to our doorsteps. Using familiar examples, easy-to-follow charts and graphs, and a fun, accessible tone, Hlinka and Sylvester introduce young readers to concepts such as relative value and fair wages and how to think critically about our purchasing decisions. Sylvester’s lively illustrations add even more kid-appeal making this sequel to the critically acclaimed Follow Your Money the perfect introduction to socio-economics and an eye-opening essential read for young people.

Meet six kids a lot like you. Except . . . . . . Benny, Jenny, Karl, Starlight, DJ and Mo got zapped in an evil plot gone wrong — and they became the super-est team the world has ever seen. Starlight wakes up in an alternate reality, although she doesn’t realize it right away. She sees kids skating on a secluded pond using ancient equipment. Is she in the past? The kids are secretly playing hockey because it’s banned for all but the elites. Plebes who might never make the pros are not allowed to play at all. Only select individuals chosen by Dr. Boom — the supreme leader who has taken over Canada — are given the privilege of playing the game. Starlight must track down the rest of the Super Six so they can defeat Dr. Boom and his horrible minions and restore hockey to its former glory. This is the eighth action-packed, laugh-a-minute book in the Hockey Super Six series.

Secret ballrooms, hidden artwork and unlikely friends—welcome to the Regency, where even time moves in surprising ways! Jake Simmons hates his new home. The Regency is nothing more than floor after floor of peeling wallpaper and faded glory. Jake misses his old life. He misses the time when his mother was employed. He misses living in a house where the wind doesn’t make the windows whistle. Loneliness (and a trail of kittens) leads Jake to the apartment of an elderly lady, then to the bowels of the building and then to a part-time job assisting Danny the custodian. With each passing day, the building reveals more of its mysteries to Jake. The occupants grow on him too. Unfortunately, Jake’s feeling of belonging is short-lived: the city plans to demolish the Regency. Jake feels powerless. And then fate throws him a curveball. He’s summoned to apartment 713. An apartment he’s been told is off-limits. But when he opens the door . . . he travels to the past! Alongside Beth, his new friend and guide, Jake begins searching for any clue that might help him save the Regency. As their friendship blooms, the mystery around the building’s makers deepens. The Regency’s own storied past will give Jake the key to saving his own future—if only he knows where to look.

Meet six kids a lot like you. Except . . . . . . Benny, Jenny, Karl, Starlight, DJ and Mo got zapped in an evil plot gone wrong — and they became the super-est team the world has ever seen. Lucky thing, because this time the Six face their toughest challenge yet — all their worst foes have joined together to defeat them once and for all. Thanks to Slapper and Clarence Crosscheck, the Six see their reputation ripped to shreds. And then it gets worse — their powers are stripped away. Their only chance at redemption is a final all-or-nothing hockey game against the GANG. But without all their superpowers, how can they match up? Maybe their true skills were their teamwork and friendship all along? Better hope so . . . The fate of the world, and more importantly hockey, hang in the balance. It’s a race against time and the whole universe is at stake in this sixth action-packed, laugh-a-minute book in the Hockey Super Six series. With short chapters packed with action, loads of illustrations and jokes aplenty, the Hockey Super Six series keeps kids gripped, and wondering how their heroes will win the day.

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

Meet six kids a lot like you. Except . . . . . . Benny, Jenny, Karl, Starlight, DJ and Mo got zapped in an evil plot gone wrong— and they became the super-est team the world has ever seen. Lucky thing, because this time they are sucked into a virtual reality, with a computer program firing the worst bad guys at them in a bid to learn all the Hockey Super Six’s best tricks for stopping evil in its tracks. But then the Six and all the evilest evil-doers are tossed out of the game and into real life. Can the Six round them up using their hockey superpowers? It’s a race against time and the whole universe is at stake in this fifth action-packed, laugh-a-minute book in the Hockey Super Six series. With short, fun-filled chapters and highly illustrated pages, these books provide just the kind of story today’s sports- and humour-loving kids want.

Includes an excerpt from "Neil Flambe and the Tokyo treasure."

Called Ogood funO by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, this series about a teen chef detective is a delicious blend of mystery, history, and topnotch cuisine. The first three books are now available in paperback. Illustrations.

Neil and his friend Larry travel in their new food truck to the Salsa Verde ranch in Arizona to participate in the legendary food-truck gathering, but when Neil discovers that the Verde ranch is in danger of foreclosure, the only hope for the ranch is a treasure map left behind by the very first Verde, a chef who discovered a mine while escaping from a murderous army colonel.

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.

When Neil arrives in Mexico City to partake in the Battle of the Chefs, he learns that Isabella has been kidnapped and it will take a dose of Aztec history and knowledge of buried ruins to find her before time runs out.

Includes an excerpt from "Neil Flambe and the Bard''s Banquet."

Meet six kids a lot like you. Except . . . . . . Benny, Jenny, Karl, Starlight, DJ and Mo got zapped in an evil plot gone wrong — and they became the super-est team the world has ever seen. In this new instalment, the Six are awoken from their icy prison only to find out there is a new villain (fallen former superstar Sam Boni, AKA Ned Doosa) on the loose, and he is kidnapping Canada’s best hockey players. Why? To control their minds and assemble the best team of all time to win the Snowlympic Gold Medal. Soon enough the Six get themselves into Boni''s inner sanctum and must participate in an all-or-nothing game with this new superstar lineup. The losers will be tossed into the collider to create more energy. Can the Six win by losing? Yes. Will there be hockey action and non-stop laughs along the way? Yes and yes. Join the Six in this seventh instalment of their madcap quest to save the world through hockey!

"Twelve-year-old Christopher Nichols and his family live on a new planet, Perses, as colonists of Melming Mining''s Great Mission to save the earth. When Landers, as the attackers are called, obliterate the colony to steal the metal and raw ore, Christopher and a small group of survivors are forced into the maze of mining tunnels below the surface of Perses"--

The action-packed conclusion to the MiNRS space adventure series, which School Library Journal praised for keeping readers “on the edge of their seats.” We do what we do best. Run. Hide. Survive. The children of Perses must return to Earth. They defeated Major Kirk Thatcher on their adopted planet, but his evil plans are still unfolding. People need to know the truth. Christopher has a video of Thatcher killing an injured grinder in cold blood. If they can show that to the people of Earth, they might just turn the tide. The MiNRs need to bear witness. A transport ship might get them back home, or it might send them spinning off into the deepest recesses of space. Is it worth the risk? Cracks begin to appear in the group. Darcy refuses to leave Perses, the only home she’s ever known. And Pavel’s mistrust of the grinders threatens to destroy them all. Once again, Christopher has to make tough choices, choices that will cost them dearly. And even when things seem to be going well, there are hidden dangers. A strange noise on their transport ship signals the return of their worst nightmare. And the Earth they left years before is not the Earth they will return to now. Can Christopher and his friends win the race to reveal the truth? Or will they escape one dangerous planet for one far worse?

Fifteen-year-old celebrity chef Neil Flambe is summoned to England to solve a Shakesperian mystery.

Dive right back into the action on Perses in this thrilling sequel to the gritty, space adventure, MiNRS, which School Library Journal called “a solid survival story.” They are coming to get you. Hide. Hide. Hide. The children of Perses have been receiving this message on repeat from Earth for weeks. Christopher, Elena, and the other survivors of the attack on their space colony know two things: Their victory over the Landers will be short-lived and a new wave of attacks is imminent. New Landers arrive sooner than expected. Led by the ruthless Kirk Thatcher, and armed with a new lethal kind of digger, they vow to hunt down and destroy everyone. The kids have nowhere to go but underground. Again. But resources and patience are running low, and the struggle to keep everyone safe is complicated by all the infighting. As Christopher bears the burden of leadership, he also has to decide whom he can trust. There are no easy answers. And with deadly consequences on the line, there is no room for mistakes.

Three days in a haunted mansion full of secrets. Two intrepid investigators. And one chance to solve a generations-old mystery. Beloved monster enthusiast Zed Watson returns in this charming new adventure chock-full of illusions, spirits, haunted pasts and heartwarming friendships. Zed and Gabe are back to their treasure-hunting, literary-sleuthing ways in this spooky new adventure! After some lacklustre cases involving lost books and a missing pet, the two friends have finally come across a mystery worth their attention: the secrets of Glyndebourne Manor, haunted home of a late, great opera designer. Every twenty-five years, the Manor hosts a challenge. You have three days and two nights to solve the puzzles in each room before the stroke of midnight. If you leave, you forfeit the game. If you solve the puzzles in time, you win a huge pile of money. Simple enough, thinks Zed. They and Gabe are interested in all things ghoulish. And if they win, they will be able to give their friends Sam and Jo the large wedding they deserve. There’s only one problem: no one has been able to stay in the house for more than a single night. Cue a whirlwind of scary ghosts, moving walls and cryptic letters. The two friends are going to need some help. Which means figuring out who the mysterious figure holding a crowbar is. And how to get out of a room with no doors! But thanks to Zed’s fearless enthusiasm and Gabe’s encyclopedic knowledge of theatre, they might be able to survive and maybe even right some past wrongs.

Looks at what is required for different jobs in the performing arts, including choreographer, set designer, advertiser, pyrotechnics expert, and promoter.

Will the Hockey Super Six thwart their enemy''s plans for world domination in book two of this action-packed series? In the second book pitting six ordinary kids with super hockey skills against the forces of evil, Jenny, Benny, Mo, Starlight, DJ and Karl desperately need to stay out of Crosscheck''s grasp! Their last run-in revealed to evil scientist (and former mediocre goalie) Clarence Crosscheck the scope of some of their secret powers -- powers he can use in his never-ending quest for world domination. Hard at work on a robot army to do his bidding, Crosscheck underestimates how strong the Super Six can be when they work together as a team. Get ready for high-stakes ice battles, non-stop hijinks and never-before-seen hockey action (it''s kids vs robots, and some giant lizards too)!

With six exciting reads to choose from, young readers can seek action and adventure alongside the hero of their choice. Featuring excerpts from: -The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands -Story Thieves by James Riley -Crown of Three by J.D. Rinehart -The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army by Jonathan Maberry -Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape: Attack of the Alien Horde by Robert Venditti & illustrated by Dusty Higgins -MINRS by Kevin Sylvester

A very special group of kids must save the world with — what else? — HOCKEY! Meet six kids a lot like you. Except . . . . . . Benny, Jenny, Karl, Starlight, DJ and Mo got zapped in an evil plot gone wrong — and became the super-est team the world has ever seen. Lucky thing, because they have to face off against enormous, multi-appendaged, hockey-playing tardigrades IN SPACE! Turns out the last of the Sizematrons was not destroyed in the Six-versus-evil-bunny saga of Hat Tricked. And now very enhanced giant tardigrades working for astronaut-turned-evil-scientist Richard threaten the world with an asteroid that would end it all. Can the Super Six use their hockey superpowers to thwart the baddies? Find out in this fourth action-packed, laugh-a-minute book in the Hockey Super Six series.

Imagine that you are holding a device that will allow you to see the monsters that live invisibly all around us. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions and…total chaos! Technology isn’t always easy, and this monster viewer disguised as a book is no exception. If you hold the viewer too high, all you see are the tops of the monsters’ heads. Too low, and all you see are their feet. And things don’t get any better when the monsters themselves try to help out. Full of puns and visual jokes, Super Duper Monster Viewer pokes gentle fun at our obsession with technology and the next cool thing. And while the two monsters we meet in this book might be terrible at tech support, they make pretty fun companions just the same. Written and illustrated by the irrepressibly funny and highly acclaimed children’s author Kevin Sylvester, Super-Duper Monster Viewer is sure to bring laughter — and maybe a little mayhem — into your day.

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!

Everything you wanted to know about basketball--and more!

Before Gargantua Jr. was born, his mom had a reputation for being a little wild. Now she prefers to repair damage and protect the Earth from invaders - and Gargantua Jr. wants to be just like Mom! But he gets into big trouble when he tries to show Mom that he''s big enough to help.

Offers facts about the American pastime, including such topics as stadium size, batting basics, and women in baseball.

A special group of kids must save the world with — what else? — HOCKEY! There are people out there, nasty mean greedy people, who want to rule the Earth. People such as evil scientist (and former mediocre goalie) Clarence Crosscheck. Only one thing is stopping them . . . hockey. This hilarious new high-action series from Kevin Sylvester pits six ordinary kids with super hockey skills against the forces of evil — specifically, the nefarious wannabe genius, Clarence Crosscheck. In The Puck Drops Here, Jenny, Benny, Mo, Starlight, DJ and Karl need to outmaneuver Crosscheck and his army of mammoth mutant ice squids before Crosscheck turns his giant freeze ray on the world. The entire planet is at risk! Get ready for high-stakes ice battles, non-stop hijinks and never-before-seen hockey action (it’s kids vs squids)! With fast-paced text and illustrations throughout, this series will grip sports fans and funny story lovers alike. Will the kids win the day? You’ll have to read the books to find out . . .

In this hilarious, new series, four ordinary kids are about to learn that they are on deck. . . to save the world! Jessica Flem has spent the better part of her life so far reacting allergically to everything -- and much of it in her basement where she rules the online game Gang of Greats. She''s used to a nose that never stops running, but is not prepared for the mysterious power that shows up around her thirteenth birthday -- the ability to transform her mucus-filled tissues into slimy magical helpers. And just in time, too. It turns out there are forces both good and evil who have had their eyes on her and three other "special" kids since their exposure at birth to a mysterious element called reidium. Jess must draw on her full video game knowledge to face the evil Boss and her equally evil henchwoman in their quest for world domination. With her best friend Cliff at her side, and with the stakes ratcheting higher and higher, Jess and her arsenal of mighty. . . well, tissues, must make the world of Dimly, Manitoba, a safe place once again. In this hilarious new multi-author series, four kids are about to discover what they''re really made of. It might not be a superpower, but it sure is almost a superpower! Each book features an 8-page "origin story" comic strip, illustrated by Britt Wilson, and is penned by an all-star line-up of authors, including Kevin Sylvester (MiNRS and Neil Flambe series) Ted Staunton (Bounced; Seven series), Lesley Livingston (Wondrous Strange; Valiant series) and Richard Scrimger (Zomboy; The Nose from Jupiter).

Discover the path your money takes as it goes for everything from the raw materials used to make a product, to the workers who produce it and the advertisers who promote it.

A very special group of kids must save the world with – what else? – HOCKEY! Meet six kids a lot like you. Except . . . . . . Benny, Jenny, Karl, Starlight, DJ and Mo got zapped in an evil plot gone wrong — and they became the super-est team the world has ever seen. Lucky thing, because they have to face off against their toughest foe yet — a hockey-loving, nuclear . . . BUNNY! Yep, a Sizematron-enhanced gigantic (and gigantically evil) rabbit. Can they use their hockey superpowers to overpower the power-hungry bunny? Find out in this third action-packed, laugh-a-minute book in the Hockey Super Six series. Short chapters packed with action and jokes keep kids gripped, and wondering how the Super Six will win the day. Loads of images and cartoons mixed in with the text keep the read light and fun.

Join teen chef detective Neil Flambé for a delicious blend of mystery, history, and top-notch cuisine in the first four books of the The Neil Flambé Capers, now available as a paperback boxed set. Neil Flambé is a superstar teen chef whose stunning culinary capabilities are matched only by his uncanny ability to solve mysteries. From Mexico to Japan and more, Neil follows his passions—and his nose!—to decode clues and crack cases. This boxed set contains paperback editions of Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders, Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction, Neil Flambé and the Crusader’s Curse, and Neil Flambé and the Tokyo Treasure.

"A hilarious new high-action series from Kevin Sylvester pits six ordinary kids with super hockey skills against the nefarious wannabe genius, Clarence Crosscheck. Hard at work on a robot army to do his bidding, Crosscheck underestimates how strong the Super Six can be when they work together as a team. Get ready for high-stakes ice battles, non-stop hijinks and never-before-seen hockey action (it''s kids vs robots)! The winning combination of fast-paced text and art-filled pages makes an interactive and absorbing reading experience great for a range of readers and interests."--

"Christopher, Elena, and the other survivors of the attack on their space colony know two things: their victory over the Landers will be short-lived and a new wave of attacks is imminent"--

A wolf howled outside. Heidi glanced towards where the sound had come from. When she looked back there seemed to be fear in her eyes. "Will Fritz be okay?" she said. "In the village?" said Cindy. Heidi nodded. "He''ll be safer there than here. It''s going to be worst here," Cindy said. "Will we be okay?" said Heidi. "I know this sounds odd," said Cindy, "But I think so, if we just play hockey." "And even if we are not, I get to play hockey against you, mon ami," said Heidi. "Maybe we die tonight, but maybe we die any night. Today, hockey is life." Cindy Winters is in Germany for a holiday tournament at Schloss Schattenwalden. But why is it never winter in the valley? Why do the other teams, which are friendly to each other whenever they meet at other tournaments, seem to hate each other here? And how will Cindy survive her final face-off with the wolves of winter?