New Releases by Christopher Healy

The Brothers Grimm meets Knives Out in this unexpected, hilarious, and wholly original fantasy-murder-mystery. The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve. None of that is true. Yet. In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves. But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble. And that’s before the dead body is discovered. Now, everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last…

The thrilling conclusion to Christopher Healy''s funny, action-packed, acclaimed alt-history adventure! It is 1884, and Molly and Cassandra Pepper, Emmett Lee, and Emmett’s long-lost father are sailing back to New York following their death-defying adventure in Antarctica. Having discovered a subterranean world at the South Pole while saving the world from certain doom once again, surely their accomplishments will finally earn them the recognition they deserve. Unless, of course . . . well, you know by now. And so do the Peppers and Lees. They’re used to having their deeds covered up by the government in order to protect powerful men, and frankly, they’re sick of it. And when their return to New York doesn’t go the way they’d planned, they decide that maybe it’s best to go into hiding and accept that, perhaps, the forces aligned against them are just too great. As the 1884 presidential election approaches, however, our heroes discover a plot against leading candidate Thomas Edison that only they can stop. It’ll be up to them to decide whether to come out of hiding, make the perilous journey to Washington, DC, and do the right thing one last time. Even if it means risking everything they have left.

The second book in the new adventure trilogy from the beloved author of The Hero''s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. It''s 1883—only a few months after Molly Pepper; her mother, Cassandra; and her friend, Emmett, saved New York from an attack by the megalomaniacal Ambrose Rector while managing to preserve the reputations of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, whose technology was manipulated in Rector’s scheme. Their selfless heroism will finally earn them a place in the Inventors’ Guild, alongside the greatest minds of their generation. Unless, of course, no one knows that they did any of that. Left with nothing but empty promises and a struggling pickle shop after the government chooses to cover up the crisis, Molly, Cassandra, and Emmett have no idea where to turn—until they learn of a daring expedition to the South Pole, where an meteorite of mysterious power is embedded, and where Emmett’s father, explorer and ship captain Wendell Lee, disappeared years ago. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, our heroes commandeer an experimental seacraft to make their play on the pole. But the trip is more treacherous than they realize, and there’s no guarantee that they will return successful—if they even return at all.

This is a book that answers all the kids who have ever posed the question What kind of book is it? This clever alphabet book... Wait, that''s not right. This original fairy tale... Nope. Mystery? Joke book? Superhero story? Pirate adventure? This delightful mash-up features every kind of character found in the picture-book universe--all in one book. Just when the reader is convinced the story is going in one direction, it spins off in another. Ever-changing illustrations keep pace with the rapid reversals, and the setting shifts with nearly every turn of the page. Truly inventive, here''s a picture book that can be anything you want it to be!

A rip-roaring, hilarious alternate-history adventure starring the world’s most famous inventors—and its most forgotten. From the author of the beloved Hero’s Guide series, Christopher Healy. It''s 1883—the Age of Invention! A time when great men like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Nicola Tesla, and George Eastman work to turn the country into a land of limitless opportunity. And it all happens at the world famous Inventor’s Guild headquarters in New York City—a place where a great idea, a lot of hard work, and a little bit of luck can find you rubbing elbows with these gods of industry who will usher humanity into the future. Unless, of course, you’re a woman. Molly Pepper, daughter of brilliant but unknown inventor Cassandra Pepper, lives with her mother in New York. By day, they make ends meet running a pickle shop; but by night, they toil and dream of Cassandra taking her place among the most famous inventors in America. In an attempt to find a way to exhibit Cass’s work at the World’s Fair, they break into the Inventor''s Guild, where they discover a mysterious plot to destroy New York. The evidence points to the involvement of one of the world’s most famous inventors, and now it’s up to Molly, Cassandra, and a shop hand named Emmett Lee to uncover the truth—even if no one will ever know it was they who did it. “Christopher Healy, author of the Hero’s Guide series, knows how to tell a good story. He’s done it again with the adventures of a determined girl named Molly Pepper.”—Brightly, Best Middle Grade Books of Fall 2018

Heroes and Villains, the seventh volume in Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read Library of Great Reading, is chock-full of adventure featuring an array of characters—with and without capes. Featuring ten all-new, original stories that run the gamut from fantasy to comics to contemporary adventure to nonfiction, and featuring eleven of the most acclaimed, exciting writers for kids working today, this collection is the perfect book for you, whether you use your powers for good—or evil. Authors include Laurie Halse Anderson, Cathy Camper and Raúl Gonzalez, Sharon Creech, Jack Gantos, Christopher Healy, Deborah Hopkinson, Ingrid Law, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Lemony Snicket, and Eugene Yelchin, with illustrations by Jeff Stokely.

"What''s So Special About You?" offers 77 life-changing qualities from the world''s most successful people and a "success" challenge to see how you rate with the world''s best. Reviews: "Awesome!" "Brilliant!" "Groundbreaking."

Talent is what you start with, especially in show business, and understanding the business of show business will give you the edge. The Actors Success In The making covers four critically important areas so you can live your dreams for real. To be successful you need to stand out by making a great impression and separating yourself from the pack.

In the Hero''s Guide books, readers discover that Prince Charming isn''t one man—there are four of them: Liam, Frederick, Duncan, and Gustav. And they all have their own challenges to overcome as they try to grow from goofy, average-guy princes into impossibly perfect knights of legend. Joined by princesses Ella, Snow White, Briar Rose, Rapunzel, and Lila, they''re off on adventures that they—and their kingdoms—can only hope to survive. Tween fans of Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon will love this fast-paced, funny series that''s been applauded by the LA Times, the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews. This collection includes: The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw

The League of Princes returns in the hilariously epic conclusion to Christopher Healy''s hit series, which Kirkus Reviews called "part screwball comedy, part sly wit, and all fun" in a starred review! Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don''t you? Well, think again. Posters plastered across the thirteen kingdoms are saying that Briar Rose has been murdered—and the four Princes Charming are the prime suspects. Now they''re on the run in a desperate attempt to clear their names. Along the way, however, they discover that Briar''s murder is just one part of a nefarious plot to take control of all thirteen kingdoms—a plot that will lead to the doorstep of an eerily familiar fortress for a final showdown with an eerily familiar enemy.

Your favorite princes and princesses are back in the hilarious and action-packed sequel to the breakout hit The Hero''s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by author Christopher Healy, which the New York Times selected as one of its best books of the year. Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You remember them, don''t you? They''re the Princes Charming, who finally got some credit after they stepped out of the shadows of their princesses—Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Briar Rose—to defeat an evil witch bent on destroying all their kingdoms. But alas, such fame and recognition only last so long. And when the princes discover that an object of great power might fall into any number of wrong hands, they are going to have to once again band together to stop it from happening—even if no one will ever know it was they who did it.

Class Acts is your hall pass to great kids'' books! In this sampler, New York Times bestselling authors Tim Green (Football Genius), Dan Gutman (The Genius Files), Gordon Korman (Ungifted), Adam Rex (The Cold Cereal Saga), and Jon Scieszka (Guys Read) are teaming up with other stellar middle-grade authors: Bryan Chick (The Secret Zoo), Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson (The Familiars), Christopher Healy (The Hero''s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom), Nils Johnson-Shelton (Otherworld Chronicles), Jeramey Kraatz (The Cloak Society), Christopher Krovatin (Gravediggers), and Maryrose Wood (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place). Preview twelve awesome books, get hooked on favorite series, and decide for yourself which author is "best in class."

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be. Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.” It’s a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun.

A smart, hip, and exhilaratingly funny primer for today''s father. Once upon a time being a good dad meant doling out bowls of Frankenberry to the kids on weekends while your wife slept until eight. Today it means juggling bilingual board books, Baby Bjorns, and chilled bottles of pre-pumped breast milk. Fortunately, new and prospective fathers have the equivalent of a Sherpa dad in Christopher Healy, who brings his experience—and that of more than 100 other dads—to this clearheaded and hilarious guide. Healy goes beyond the basics and tackles the questions that really matter: • Is it appropriate to play a couple games of Grand Theft Auto in front of an infant? • Who decided that people under five will only listen to trilly folk music? • Is it okay to watch Blue''s Clues when your child is not around? Genuinely useful and truly entertaining, Pop Culture is indispensable.

Poetry written by Healy and diary relating to his death.