Most Popular Books 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Before Gargantua Junior was born, Mom had a reputation for being a little wild. Now she prefers to repair damage and protect the Earth from invaders — and Gargantua Junior wants to help! Gargantua (Jr!) wants to grow up to be just like Mom. Before Junior came along, Mom had a reputation for being a little wild, but now she only knocks over buildings that are supposed to come down. She also protects Earth from dangerous space robots and giant asteroids. Gargantua (Jr!) would like to help out, but Mom says, “You’re too little.” So Junior sets out to prove that she’s wrong ... Making amends for past mistakes, giving back to the community, learning one’s limits and teamwork all come into play in this story about a mom and her baby monster, vibrantly written and illustrated by Kevin Sylvester. Key Text Features speech bubbles Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

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.

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)!

In the third book in The Neil Flambé Capers, the sudden disappearance of Neil’s skills in the kitchen is the real mystery. Could a curse to blame? World-class chef—and royal pain in the neck—Neil Flambé is used to serving his dishes to resounding applause and overwhelming approval. And Neil’s super-sensitive nose does more than enable him to cook sophisticated meals and run his own restaurant; it also allows him to help local police solve mysteries in his spare time. Then things start going wrong. His plates are returned. A group of critics visit the restaurant and leave completely dissatisfied. Worse yet, Chez Flambé is closed by an order of the Department of Health! Suddenly, Neil finds himself amid the cook-off of his life—and his entire reputation is at stake. Then he discovers the root of all his problems: a dark curse that has plagued Flambé chefs for centuries. Has Neil finally met a mess he can’t smell his way out of?

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.

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

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.

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

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.

A fast-paced illustrated time-travel adventure, from the author of Apartment 713 and the MiNRS series, about a father and son who are part of an elite team from the future who dive into the past to save lost treasures—and who end up in life-changing trouble Caleb Fisher is the right-hand to his time-surfer, scientist father, John. Together on their thick metallic ship, they travel at super speed into the past and rescue treasures that have otherwise been lost—priceless works of art from the torpedoed RMS Lusitania, a crown jewel threatened by a flood in 1216 CE England—all for the good of humanity and for the glory of the ruling Global Council. But there are rules for time surfers. Never bring back anything that could change the course of history. And never, under penalty of death, bring back another human being. John Fisher is haunted by the loss of his wife in a mysterious incident, and he is always looking for a way to go deeper into the past and stay longer. John forbids Caleb to come on one particularly dangerous mission—to save ancient scrolls from the burning Great Library of Alexandria. But Caleb sneaks on board and what happens in 48 BCE returns with the Fishers into the future and changes their lives forever.

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 . . .

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.