Books with author Bruce Hale

Inventions, spells, and bullies—oh my! It all begins when Chet’s favorite teacher is fired, only to be replaced by the mechanical invention of Dr. Tanya Lightov—a mysterious Russian scientist. Suddenly, the school seems possessed by forces that are upsetting the natural order of things: Kindergartners are beating up sixth graders; teachers’ pets are talking back; and worst of all, Chet’s faithful partner and best friend, Natalie Attired, has abandoned him in his hour of need. Will Chet be able to restore his friendship with Natalie and bring Emerson Hicky back to normal? One thing’s for certain: The crazy, mixed-up mastermind behind this case will be the last creature anyone expects.

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.

Inventions, spells, and bullies—oh my!It all begins when Chet’s favorite teacher is fired, only to be replaced by the mechanical invention of Dr. Tanya Lightov—a mysterious Russian scientist.Suddenly, the school seems possessed by forces that are upsetting the natural order of things: Kindergartners are beating up sixth graders; teachers’ pets are talking back; and worst of all, Chet’s faithful partner and best friend, Natalie Attired, has abandoned him in his hour of need.Will Chet be able to restore his friendship with Natalie and bring Emerson Hicky back to normal? One thing’s for certain: The crazy, mixed-up mastermind behind this case will be the last creature anyone expects.

A crime has been committed that strikes at the heart of Chet's very own family. Some slippery sneak has stolen his mother's beloved pearls, leaving Chet angrier than a nest of hornets on eviction day. When additional items go missing, Principal Zero turns up the heat by hiring Chet to flush out the thief. Will our gecko hero deliver the goods before it's too late? He'd better. Because this time, it's personal.This thirteenth entry in Chet and Natalie's tattered casebook is chock-full of the hilarious characters, wacky one-liners, and fast-paced mystery that have made this series a favorite among middle grade readers.

In this wisecracking, sidesplitting mystery from Chet Gecko's tattered casebook, the fourth-grade detective and his punning mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, keep the peace at Emerson Hicky Elementary. In this adventure, they track down the winning ticket for the biggest, chocolatiest, most gut-busting dessert ever, the Malted Falcon. Danger has never been so delicious!

In these two wisecracking, sidesplitting mysteries from Chet Gecko's tattered casebook, the fourth-grade detective and his punning mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, keep the peace at Emerson Hicky Elementary. In the first, the two sleuths blow the lid off a cheating ring in Mr. Ratnose's classroom, and in the second, they track down the winning ticket for the biggest, chocolatiest, most gut-busting dessert ever, the Malted Falcon. Danger has never been so delicious!

Fuzzy is the ambitious and unfortunately named guinea pig of class 5B. He has big plans for this year -- namely, to be president of the Class Pets Club. Then the cutest, most charming new bunny shows up and spins Fuzzy's plan like a hamster wheel. There's only one way to topple the adorable new club president: Fuzzy is taking the pets on a field trip!

Get ready for muckraking time at Emerson Hicky Elementary. The race is on for student council president, but it's quickly getting fishier than the bottom of a pelican's lunch box. Someone is sending candidates ominous threats and posting signs with messages like FIR IS FIRST! and DOWN WITH FEATHERS. Could someone be trying to rig the election? Good thing Chet and Natalie are around to expose the filthy frauds!

How well do you know the lunch servers at your school? Sure, they seem like nice people, but what if secretly they are something much, much weirder? Best friends Carlos and Benny, who just saved their teacher from becoming a were-hyena, have been called upon to investigate the strange goings-on in the cafeteria. Why are the lunch ladies suddenly so grumpy? Why are the girls' meals different from the boys'? And what was that thing seen scuttling around the kitchen wearing an apron? It's going to require a lot of courage -- and more than an industrial size can of Raid -- for the boys to avoid extermination in this buggy adventure.

Juvenile delinquent and budding pyromaniac Max Segredo belongs in juvie hall. At least, that’s what his most recent foster family would tell you. Instead, Max ends up on the doorstep of Merry Sunshine Orphanage—their very heavily guarded doorstep. As he begins to acclimate to his new home, Max learns a few things straightaway: first, cracking a Caesar Cipher isn’t as hard as it seems; second, never sass your instructor if she’s also holding throwing knives; and third, he may not be an orphan after all. Soon, Max and the rest of the students are sent on a mission to keep a dangerous weapon out of the hands of LOTUS, an international group bent on world domination. Of course, all Max cares about is finding out more about his father, the man he’s now sure is still alive. As the stakes get higher, Max must make some difficult choices, including who to trust, and finally learns the true meaning of family.

Grammar school—it's all about eating and sleeping. Well, for Chet Gecko, anyway. To Chet, nothing is more divine than a plate of Mrs. Bagoong's Mothloaf Surprise followed by a sweet bit of shut-eye on the playground. (Besides a few Pillbug Crunch bars and a monthlong holiday, that is.) In this hilarious mystery from Chet's tattered casebook, he and his mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, must catch a cafeteria thief, foil the sinister plans of a weaselly zombie master . . . and still take part in the Nations of the World PTA assembly. (Fourth-grade detectives get no respect.)

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.