Most Popular Books by Bruce Hale

It''s Anna Angelfish''s birthday, and Clark wants to find the perfect present for her to show her how he feels. But when he tries to make a big impression with his usual zip, bang, and BOOM, things don''t go quite as planned. With help from his best friend, Joey Mackerel, our favorite boisterous shark learns that when it comes to showing that you care, something thoughtful and small could be the best of all. Featuring bright, colorful artwork from Guy Francis and hilarious read-aloud text from Bruce Hale, this follow-up to Clark the Shark and Clark the Shark Dares to Share will have kids and parents everywhere taking its warm message to heart!

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.

Children’s Choice Book Award Finalist Clark the Shark is ready for his first big sleepover! He’s nervous about sleeping outside without his glow-fish night-light, but he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s just a teeny-tiny bit afraid of the dark. So Clark makes up a rhyme to help him stay cool: “Take heart, be smart, sharks aren’t afraid of the dark.” But when the sun sets and his friends begin telling spooky stories, Clark’s voice sounds quiet and small and not brave at all. In this empowering tale about conquering nighttime fears, Clark the Shark learns how friendship can help light the way through the dark. Featuring bright, colorful artwork from Guy Francis and hilarious read-aloud text from Bruce Hale, this Clark the Shark picture book is the perfect story for kids braving nighttime jitters!

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. . . .

Someone is turning the students at Emerson Hickey Elementary into zombies, and it''s up to fourth-grade private eye Chet Gecko to find out who.

Riotous and inventive, this first entry of a cheeky new series is part regular novel, part comic book, and entirely hilarious. Aboveground, the novel is told in traditional prose. But in Underwhere, the story takes the form of a graphic novel. Illustrations.

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.

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.

Something is very wrong at Monterrosa Elementary -- again. Weird noises and funky smells are coming through the classroom vents. Could the school be haunted? When one of their classmates falls into a coma, best friends Carlos and Benny know it''s time to call in the best monster hunters they know: each other. This may well be their wackiest extermination challenge yet! In his third Monstertown Mystery, Bruce Hale delivers another silly, strange, and spooky tale for readers who like their chills with a side of chuckles.

Clark the Shark’s mom is making brownies for school. But when Clark decides to taste just one, the impulsive shark can’t stop eating! Yum-yum-YUM. Will the class treat be ruined? With easy-to-read text and Clark’s trademark rhymes, this chocolaty Level One tale will have beginning readers ready to take a bite out of reading. Also included are Clark the Shark’s Bite-Sized Facts, real facts on shark communication, behavior, and more. Clark the Shark has been embraced in the elementary school classroom and at home. Kids laugh at his antics, and they also relate to the young shark who always means well but can get himself into scrapes due to his overabundance of energy. Clark the Shark: Too Many Treats is a Level One I Can Read, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.

Chet Gecko Mystery series #9.

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

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.

Right in the middle of a run-of-the-mill case, the powers that be finger Chet''s fine-feathered partner, Natalie Attired, as a no-goodnik blackmailer and boot her out of Emerson Hicky quicker than you can say, “Boot her out of Emerson Hicky.” Chet, of course, tackles the case for free. Mess with his partner, mess with—well, somebody. (Natalie''s the brains of the outfit.) But just when Chet thinks he might clear her name, Natalie disappears, leaving behind a reddish smear that looks kind of like cherry ladybug jam. . . . Is it murder, or something serious?

What do you do when your favorite teacher starts turning into a were-hyena? a) Flee in terror? b) Try to cure him? c) Bring him carrion snacks? Mr. Chu, the coolest teacher ever, has developed some very unusual habits, like laughing hysterically for no reason, sniffing people''s homework, and chasing chickens. When best friends Carlos and Benny decide to find out what''s happening to him, they get caught up in some moonlight madness. And it looks like just the beginning of the weirdness that has arrived in the town of Monterrosa. . . . This first entry in a silly, sassy, and suspenseful new series will leave readers howling with laughter.

Just when Max Segredo learned that his father is still alive, he also learned that Simon Segredo was working for LOTUS, an evil spy operation that wants to take down the Merry Sunshine Orphanage (a.k.a. the School for S.P.I.E.S.) and take over the world. Now Simon is on the run from LOTUS, and Max''s surrogate family at the orphanage is being threatened from without and within. LOTUS is trying to drive the school out of business, while the Ministry of Health is investigating an anonymous complaint about the orphanage. To top it all off, the trainee spies are riddled by fear and squabbling among themselves. Into this chaos strolls a mysterious billionaire who hires S.P.I.E.S. to steal a powerful mind control device. The fee for the job will help save the school, but there''s a catch: they''ve got just three days to pilfer the device from an ultra-secure facility before LOTUS steals it first. Can the S.P.I.E.S beat their rivals to the prize before the orphanage doors close for good? In this action-packed sequel to Playing with Fire, it is impossible not to root for Max, a spy-in-training with mad skills, a spunky attitude, a way with the ladies (well, okay, maybe not so much), and a big heart.

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?