New Releases by Tony Abbott

All Jeff wanted was a part in the school play, but now he has to be a real hero . . . It’s hard to be a normal kid in the Weird Zone! Jeff Ryan wants to play the Wizard in his school’s outer-space version of The Wizard of Oz. To help with his audition, Jeff plans to bring his favorite childhood toy: a Cosmic Boy Space Helmet. But the Weird Zone seems to have other plans. On Jeff’s way to school, a strange man with an even stranger face blasts him with an X-ray, and Jeff’s Cosmic Boy helmet gets stuck on his head. He soon discovers that the man is actually an alien who plans to take over the world with his own mind-controlling Mezmo Head helmet! But the alien is not the only one with a supernatural weapon. Jeff’s helmet gives him amazing powers, and now Cosmic Boy must save the world!

Welcome to the Weird Zone, the UFO capital of the world, where crazy is ordinary and Martians will eat your brain! Life in Grover’s Mill is never boring. When best friends Liz, Holly, and Jeff arrive at the local lake one morning, they know it is only a matter of time before something weird happens. And unfortunately, they’re right. When disgusting alien zombies start rising from the center of the lake, the trio must escape—or their brains will become an afternoon snack! Now the three kids must put their heads together to stop the hungry monsters and save their town from destruction. But when Holly is marked as the next victim, can Liz and Jeff save her from a grisly fate?

Humongous Studios makes the weirdest horror movies ever, and in its next film, the monster is a real-life threat! Sean and Holly’s dad owns the wackiest business in Grover’s Mill: a horror filmmaking studio. For his newest movie, their dad has decided to feature a gigantic robot octopus as the star of the show. When Holly and Sean visit the studio with their friends, they are excited to get a first-hand look at how movies are made. Unfortunately, there is one problem: Gigantopus is completely out of control, and its alien master plans to use the star to take Grover’s Mill back to her home planet! In a fight fit for the big screen, Holly and Sean must battle Gigantopus and save their town from being sucked into space. This may turn out to be their dad’s oddest movie yet!

It’s time for the W. Reid Elementary science fair—home to the weirdest inventions ever, and a lot of trouble! Mike is sure he’s going to win the school science fair with his potato-powered radio, “Potadio.” But when his contraption is electrocuted to life, Mike suddenly has more to worry about than winning first prize. Potadio has a bad attitude, and he now controls the minds of the teachers and students. With his army of minions, Potadio plans to take over the world! Mike must figure out how to beat this spud before becoming a brain-dead zombie himself. Luckily, he has access to a science fair full of crazy inventions that just might help him defeat his creation!

Liz and her friends battle a prehistoric dinosaur with a craving for junk food Everyone knows W. Reid Elementary has the grossest lunches—and the strangest problems. When piles of junk food start disappearing from the school’s cellar, Liz Duffey and her friends brush it off as another unexplainable mystery of life in the Weird Zone—their nickname for the zany town of Grover’s Mill. But when a scaly beast bursts out from underneath the cafeteria, they realize that what they thought was a mystery is a real monster with major hunger pangs! The kids must stop the creature from eating their entire school—and everyone in it. Is there anything this animal won’t eat? Liz has an idea, but she may not have time to put her plan into action before becoming a meal herself!

Crazy toymakers, disappearing houses, and shrinking boys: Just another day in the Weird Zone! A blast of strange purple light zaps Sean Vickers while he is riding his bike in Grover’s Mill. His sister Holly assures him that nothing is wrong, but Sean is not so certain—and the creepy new toy-store owner in town is not making him feel any better. When Sean rapidly starts shrinking, he knows the purple light is to blame, But how can he save himself when he is only four inches tall? Holly and her friend Jeff must snap into action and figure out how to reverse the process before Sean disappears forever and becomes part of the evil toymaker’s permanent collection!

Aliens are literally popping out of the ground, but luckily, Jeff and Holly have a few tricks up their sleeves Jeff Ryan and his friends want to play street hockey, but someone has stolen their puck. When the kids try to get it back, they discover the culprit is a giant mole from space. A colony of aliens has tunneled under Grover’s Mill, and they want to take over the town by killing the humans—starting with Jeff’s friends! With the help of a secret government invention, Jeff and Holly race to rescue the captives and defend their turf before the moles attack. But will they be too late to save the day?

The Danger Guys find themselves in a real-life scary movie, and the ending is up to them It’s Halloween, and best friends Noodle and Zeek have decided to make a horror movie in honor of the holiday. To show the boys how real films are made, Zeek’s family takes them to Paragon, the oldest studio in Hollywood. During the tour, a huge lightning storm separates Noodle and Zeek from the rest of the group. The two boys suddenly find themselves in a world of famous sets and exciting props. It’s the perfect location for their own movie! But it turns out that Paragon Studio has more than a little danger—and not just the staged kind. The lightning damaged the studio’s central control center, and all the electronic props are now going crazy. Noodle and Zeek must battle an evil robot, a sneezing dinosaur, and a deadly mummy in order to find and warn Zeek’s family. Little do they know that Zeek’s family is also under attack! With some luck and a lot of movie drama, the Danger Guys show Paragon Studio what real heroes look like. Danger Guys: Hollywood Halloween on Ice is the 3rd book in Danger Guys, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Noodle and Zeek team up again to beat an evil scientist and save their school When best friends Noodle and Zeek get on a rocket ride at the carnival, they have no idea that they are about to be blasted into danger. The rocket turns out to be real, and when Noodle and Zeek crash-land, they are sucked into a secret laboratory under Mayville School. There they find their old science teacher Mr. Vazny—who’s about to blow it up! The boys must snap into action to stop Vazny from going through with his evil plan. But to do so, they must defeat a giant robot, learn to fly the rocket, and defuse the bomb before it’s too late. Can Noodle and Zeek save their school in time? The boys have their work cut out for them in this exciting Danger Guys adventure. Danger Guys Blast Off is the 2nd book in Danger Guys, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Can Noodle and Zeek stop international treasure hunters and rescue their town? The Danger Guys are at it again! During a trip to the beach, best friends Noodle and Zeek try to relax and have a quiet, danger-free afternoon. But trouble follows these boys wherever they go. Before they know it, Noodle and Zeek find themselves stranded on a sinking boat in the middle of the ocean. To escape, the boys jump on a surfboard and ride a giant wave to a nearby island. The island is where their town’s founder, Captain May, was shipwrecked hundreds of years ago. Noodle and Zeek soon discover that treasure hunters are on the island, searching for Captain May’s lost gold. But to find it, the hunters are going to blow the ship out of the water, which would cause a tidal wave big enough to destroy Mayville! With some quick thinking—and a little bit of help from some old friends—the boys fight to save their town from disaster. Danger Guys Hit the Beach is the 4th book in Danger Guys, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

When an old nemesis reappears, Noodle and Zeek must save their town from a band of frozen cavemen Best friends Noodle and Zeek are on a skiing trip for Zeek’s birthday when they uncover more than just snow hidden away in the mountain: The boys have stumbled across cave dwellers who are thousands of years old! But when Noodle and Zeek come across their old nemesis, the evil Mr. Vazny, the boys are shocked to learn that he plans to resurrect the cavemen and make them destroy Mayville. Once again, the boys must work together to take down Mr. Vazny and stop his wicked scheme. But what happens if one of the cavemen escapes? It’s Noodle and Zeek to the rescue in this thrilling installment in the Danger Guys series. Danger Guys on Ice is the 5th book in Danger Guys, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Fans of Dav Pilkey''s The Adventures of Ook and Glook and Patricia Reilly Giff''s ZigZag Kids will flock to this chapter-book mystery series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series. Jeff, Mara, Brian, and Kelly are Goofballs and proud of it. Goofball private eyes. Together, they solve mysteries. How do they discover the truth? They use funny disguises, nutty inventions, and their secret weapon: Sparky the Goofdog! Objects have been disappearing from Ms. Becker''s kindergarten classroom - blocks, an easel, even the class goldfish! Luckily, the Goofballs are ready to go undercover to help their former teacher learn the truth. But posing as teachers is hard work, especially when the entire class may be as smart as Kelly, as observant as Jeff, as creative as Mara, and as goofy as Brian. Everyone''s a suspect, and every time the Goofballs turn their backs, something else vanishes. Soon, the whole classroom will be gone! Have the Goofballs been out-goofed? These young sleuths have never failed so solve a case, and they don''t intend to start now!

Bestselling author Tony Abbott''s epic new middle grade series, the Copernicus Legacy, begins with The Forbidden Stone, a thrilling adventure packed with puzzles, intrigue, and action. Fans of Rick Riordan and Ridley Pearson will love this first book in an exciting series that takes the reader all over the globe in a race to find pieces of a mysterious hidden past—before it''s too late. Wade, Lily, Darrell, and Becca fly from Texas to Germany for the funeral of an old family friend. But instead of just paying their respects, they wind up on a dangerous, mind-blowing quest to unlock an ancient, guarded secret that could destroy the fate of the world. Supports the Common Core State Standards

RICK RIORDAN meets DAN BROWN in this epic historical adventure series packed full of puzzles, clues and edge-of-your-seat excitement!

Fans of Dav Pilkey''s The Adventure of Ook and Gluke and Patricia Reilly Giff''s ZigZag Kids series will flock to this chapter book series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of The Secrets of Droon Series. When the Goofballs--Jeff, Brian, Mara, and Kelly--hear about a house that might be haunted, where someone disappeared years before, it sounds like the perfect case for them to solve on Halloween. But they''ll need their best sleuthing skills and, of course, the help of the Goofdog, because this may be their silliest--and scariest--mystery yet.

New introduction on why good policy matters and why books debating big policy ideas matter. Abbott argues the battle of ideas helps ensure political parties come to power knowing who they are, what they stand for, what the impact of the policies might be and how they can best be implemented. Good policy is 1% headline and 99% implementation — a lesson Labor has failed to heed. Liberal Party leader and parliamentary pugilist Tony Abbott offers a frank analysis of the way forward for the Liberal Party. Here he draws lessons from the dying days of the Howard Government, and gives his views on his contemporaries, including Kevin Rudd, Peter Costello, Julia Gillard and Malcolm Turnbull. In Battlelines, Abbott looks at the values and instincts that drive the Liberal Party and proposes policy that the party should adopt. This is the often humorous story of his own political development. He describes the truth about politicians'' lives; his ''days from hell''; insider moments from the halls of power; and how a would-be priest believed he had fathered an unknown son. Battlelines outlines a state of play for the Liberal Party, cementing Tony Abbott''s reputation as one of the Liberal Party''s most interesting thinkers and fearless advocates.

Fans of Dav Pilkey''s The Adventures of Ook and Glook and Patricia Reilly Giff''s ZigZag Kids will flock to this chapter-book mystery series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series. The Badger Point School is holding a talent show, and the Goofballs - sleuths Jeff Bunter, Mara Lubin, Kelly Smitts, and Brian Rooney - are set to be its stars. That is if the show even happens, with problems and mysteries at every turn. A giant pink tuba goes missing, the costumes are all the wrong size, and the talent show''s director disappears before the cast''s eyes. Good thing that the Goofballs are expert detectives. Funny, punny, and full of fun, this latest case in the Goofballs series will be eagerly devoured by old and new fans, alike.

The epic conclusion to the action-packed arc! It all comes down to this.Owen, Dana, Jon, and Sydney have to prevent Loki from finding the powerful Crystal Rune. That means they need to find it first, no matter what. But tracking down the rune is only the beginning. . . .Loki is taking his battle for power to the world of the Norse gods -- and he's bringing an army of Underworldly creatures with him, including a fierce ice dragon. The stakes are high: Dana's parents are missing, and Pinewood Bluffs is under attack. Loki is threatening to destroy our world - for good. Owen and his friends can't let that happen. But do they stand a chance of stopping him?

An action-packed, mythological chapter book series from Tony Abbott! The underworlds are rising -- and no one is safe.Loki is waging war, and Pinewood Bluffs is about to become his battlefield. Owen, Dana, Jon, and Sydney know they have to stop him. They'll do whatever it takes.But when they stow away in Loki's sledge and emerge in a new, mysterious underworld they know nothing about, things get complicated. The Babylonian underworld is dark as night and full of vicious monsters, including the dreaded Scorpion King. Will Owen and his friends ever make it back to Pinewood Bluffs?

An action-packed, mythological chapter book series from Tony Abbott! The underworld is in our world now. . . .Owen, Jon, and Sydney managed to rescue Dana from the underworld. But if they don''t fulfill their end of the bargain with Hades, she might be headed back -- forever. As if that wasn''t bad enough, some very creepy, very one-eyed mythological beasts are on the loose. Cyclopes have taken over the power plant in Pinewood Bluffs! Owen and his friends have to stop them before they destroy the town. But what chance do four kids stand against an army of mythological monsters?

An action-packed, mythological chapter book series from Tony Abbott! There''s something lurking under Owen''s school. . . .Owen Brown is your average fourth grader. Or he was, until his best friend, Dana, disappeared. Right in front of his face. Through the floor of the school.Owen''s average life has turned upside down.He''s determined to find Dana -- before anyone realizes she''s missing. Owen sets out on a mysterious, mythological rescue mission with his friends Jon and Sydney. But what none of them know is that Dana''s disappearance is part of a much larger riddle.And they''re at the center of it.

Fans of Dav Pilkey''s The Adventures of Ook and Glook and Patricia Reilly Giff''s ZigZag Kids will flock to this chapter-book mystery series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series. Jeff, Brian, Mara, and Kelly are self-proclaimed goofballs. Since first grade these friends have been solving mystery among their schoolmates etc and now their reputation is expanding. Rich kid Randall Crandall''s horse, Thunder, goes missing and he calls upon the Goofballs to find him. Deciphering the clues that range from a flower delivery truck, a thunderstorm and a horse who''s afraid of thunder, leads the Goofballs to recover missing Thunder, the flower-loving horse. In the meantime, they follow a trail of chomped-up flowers, disguise themselves as bushes in a florist shop and spend some time in a house that''s bigger than the White House.

Fans of Dav Pilkey''s The Adventures of Ook and Glook and Patricia Reilly Giff''s ZigZag Kids will flock to this chapter-book mystery series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series. The Goofballs Jeff, Brian, Mara and Kelly, haven''t had a mystery to solve in a while, so they help decorate for the 100th Anniversary of Badger Point school celebration. The new statue of the first principal is being unveiled at the party but the statue has disappeared. With clues like a skateboard in a piano, a broken pencil, a scrap of paper that smells like chlorine, and a climbing rope hung differently than the others, the Goofballs solve their goofiest mystery yet.

Owen, Dana, Jon, and Sydney must find a crystal rune before Norse trickster Loki uses its power to destroy their world.

Bobby and his family are visiting Civil War battlefields on the eve of the war''s centenary, while inside their car, quiet battles rage. When an accident cuts their trip short, they return home on a bus and witness an incident that threatens to deny a black family seats. What they don''t know is the reason for the family''s desperation to be on that bus: a few towns away, their child is missing. Lunch-Box Dream presents Jim Crow, racism, and segregation from multiple perspectives. In this story of witnessing without understanding, a naïvely prejudiced boy, in brief flashes of insight, starts to identify and question his assumptions about race.

Neal, Julie, and Keeah set out for the magical city of Ut, which appears in a bottle once every one hundred years, in order to retrieve the Moon Medallion.

Derek and his older brother, Ronny, are on therun from the dead. Souls are translating intoliving bodies on the brink of death. Even Ronny''sbody is inhabited by a different soul. Lucky forRonny, this soul is one of the good ones.Not all of them are.The evil souls are coming back, and they''reready for a fight.

This poignant novel about a boy''s friendship with a burn victim is perfect for fans of R. J. Palacio''s Wonder From the moment Jessica arrives, life is never quite the same for Tom and his seventh-grade classmates. They learn that Jessica has been in a fire and was badly burned, and will be attending St. Catherine''s will receiving medical treatments. Despite her appearance and the fear she evokes in him and most of the class, Tom slowly develops a tentative friendship with Jessica that changes his life. This quietly powerful novel demonstrates that a small gesture can make a huge impact in someone''s life.

She died today. One phone call changes Jason''s summer vacation-and life!-forever. When Jason''s grandmother dies, he''s sent down to her home in Florida to help his father clean out her things. At first he gripes about spending his summer miles away from his best friend, doing chores, and sweating in the Florida heat, but he soon discovers a mystery surrounding his grandmother''s murky past. An old, yellowed postcard...a creepy phone call with a raspy voice at the other end asking, "So how smart are you?"...an entourage of freakish funeral goers....a bizarre magazine story. All contain clues that will send him on a thrilling journey to uncover family secrets. Award-winning author Tony Abbott weaves an intriguing and entertaining mystery of adventure, friendship and family.