Books with author Jeff Mack

"There is a white wizard, cloaked in spellcraft and guile and a truly astonishing sense of self-righteousness, and he simply will not stop slaughtering The Chosen One until he kills me."Set in a fantasy world of unmanageable magics and questionable cosmology, "There and NEVER, EVER BACK AGAIN: A Dark Lord's Journal" is the peculiar, blackly satirical tale of the Dark Lord, who is amassing an army of Things of the Night, and awaiting likely death at the hands of:The Elves: A beautiful, shiny, sociopathic species whose language is entirely sarcasm.The Dwarves: Doomed hammer-swinging dwellers of the underground.The Armies of Man: No one tells a better tale, or causes a more rapid extinction.The White Wizard: Embodiment of all that is good and right; just ask him.....andThe Chosen One: Victim--sorry, meant to say "Hero"--of a glorious prophecy. The Chosen One is destined to bring down the Dark Lord, if not killed first. In which case, The White Wizard will have to find a replacement. Again.Behold! A (relatively) epic narration of world-changing events, told from the point of view of the Dark Lord. 'Tis a story of shattering destiny, drinking, arcane secrets, drinking, and battles worth of the Sagas. Well, not the Sagas of Men, but the Orcs have probably got something to say about it. Let's get going; it's time to steal the Sun."There and NEVER, EVER BACK AGAIN" is the first novel by Jeff Mach, playwright, event creator, and certified Dark Lord.

Six slurpy stories, two comical combatants, and one laugh-out-loud picture book Frog and Fly are constant companions. There is only one problem . . . Frog thinks Fly is delicious! This leads to a never-ending battle of wits with laugh-out- loud consequences. Told in six short comic stripstyle chapters, Frog and Fly will delight kids and leave them begging for yet another slurpy story.

For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Timmy Failure!What do you mean they don't give trophies for playing video games? It’s only fair, isn’t it? Clueless McGee has mastered his Ninja Warz video game and he’d like a trophy. It seems like a lot of extra work to have to win the science fair to get one. . . . Yet that trophy is REALLY nice. And Clueless does have an idea for a magnetic pickle that seems like an obvious winner. So okay, he’s in. Until someone steals the trophy—and then he’s on the case! Clueless will have to call on his finest ninja skills —not to mention some luck and a lot of help from people more competent than he is—in order to solve the mystery. . . .Jeff Mack continues to hit every note just right in this hilarious series that young middle-graders will be reading, rereading, and exchanging with their friends until (and even after) the next installment lands on the shelves. With comic-style art throughout, this book is perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, Dork Diaries and for any kid who likes mysteries, likes to laugh, and is a video game master!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Timmy Failure! Clueless McGee is just your average fifth-grader: snarky, awkward, and a magnet for trouble. The only difference: he's also an amateur detective. Determined to make his absent father proud, he uses the skills he's learned playing video games to solve mysteries. Only he's no Sherlock Holmes. Or Encyclopedia Brown. Or even Scooby-Doo. When the school bully is framed for filling the orchestra teacher's tuba with macaroni and cheese, Clueless is on the case. But can he catch the culprit before he strikes again? His only obstacle, as Jeff Mack shows us in his hilarious new illustrated series, is his own ineptitude . . . questionable talent . . . and limited intelligence. No problem!

This funny picture book ode to the struggles of bedtime is perfect for fans of Mo Willems's Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! Bedtime can be a challenge for the best of us. But when you're a fun-loving, overactive pet gorilla, bedtime is downright hard. Who would want to go to sleep when Playtime is so much more fun? But the gorilla's responsible friend thinks enough is enough; no more fun and games. It's not Playtime--It's Bedtime! So the boy turns off the lights and the gorilla goes . . .Well, definitely NOT to sleep! Using only two words--Playtime and Bedtime--and an abundance of clever, giggle-inducing artwork, Playtime! is simple yet richly creative and bursting with childlike humor. Your own little gorilla will find it irresistible.Praise for Playtime?* "Young readers will enjoy watching a child take on the role of a parent, and sharing this book will be a delight for all. Multiple readings are sure to be demanded before bedtime finally comes."--Booklist, starred review"The gorilla’s naughty, sneaky smile is a thing of beauty. Just try saving this book for evening! Both younger and older readers will be looking and laughing throughout the day."--School Library Journal "A pleasant and action-filled going-to-sleep book, this selection may prove the perfect antidote for a sleepless night. A simple, fun-filled goodnight book."--Kirkus Reviews

For every fan of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, or Timmy Failure--a laugh-out-loud book with a fun mystery to solve!Clueless McGee is confident he is on his way to becoming a famous crime solver. Surely you want his autograph . . . no? Speaking of autographs, when Clueless learns that the messy scribble on the cowboy hat sent by his father is actually the autograph of famous teen idol Junior McFiddle, everyone in school suddenly wants to be Clueless' friend. And they want his hat -- especially the three Taylors, the popular girls who usually do their best to ignore him. When the autographed hat disappears, Clueless sets a trap to catch the thief. As usual, he manages to make a bad situation worse before the thief is unveiled.With abundant humor, a lampooning of teen music sensations and a fun, child-friendly mystery to solve, Jeff Mack has created another book perfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Timmy Failure, or even the Chet Gecko mysteries.

Before we begin, you should know:VILLAINY IS APPARENTLY CONTAGIOUS.Even LISTENING to a Villain can get you accused of Villainy, even if you listen with scorn. The Writings of Villains are secret runes, innocuous at first glance, but addictive, seductive, and, in the end, ineluctable.In short, whatever you do, DON'T READ THESE WRITINGS.Contained in this deceptively slim volume are many, many little stories, largely in assorted scifi/fantasy/speculative fiction settings (and don't get us STARTED on the Fairy Tales). They're often satirical, frequently sharp-edged, sometimes poison-tipped, and what's worse is, NONE of them show proper respect and reverence to Heroes, much less Goodness, Truth, and Light.This is clearly Very Bad, and you should STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS BOOK.I mean, you’re familiar with Atlantis, surely? It drowned because its citizens didn’t recognize the basic truth: words are immensely powerful, and thus need to be trapped beneath layers of fear, shame, guilt, and unhappiness. We need to rely those who seek selflessly to protect us by trying to blot out, censor, cancel, or silence the wrong words; and if all of those Wards and Circles of Protection fail us, we’ve nothing left to fall on except the knowledge that we’re bad people for doing all this reading, and we should feel the most hideous Remorse.Because otherwise…Otherwise, how will we know which things are acceptable to do, speak, and think?It’s those damn Villainpunks, the Dark Lords, Villains, and Monsters who break rules, disobey, and challenge the ideas of what’s permissible and what’s possible. They’re beasts; unruly, unrulable; rogues, cads, ne’er-do-wells, rakehells, vagabonds, pirates, FIENDS.And you surely don’t want to be like them.Wait.….you DO?DAMNIT, IT’S TOO LATE. THE CONTAGION HAS SPREAD, AND YOU ARE INFECTED.Well, nothing for it, then. Best buy this book and resign yourself to a live of infamy. Pull up a seat at the bar; first round’s on the house. Oh, and sometimes there's poetry. Sorry. Nothing we can do about it; the Management has a thing for silly rhymes.___MONSTERS are we? Oh, good heavensesThis news might spoil our elevensesI gotta tell you, it ain’t rightTo put us off our appetite.MONSTERS are we? Bloody cheek!I ain’t done nothin’ bad this weekI’ve ‘alf a mind to cry a river.But firstly, I shall eat your liver.~Jeff Mach,Dark Lord

Good news, Rabbit and Mouse are going on a picnic. Bad news, it is starting to rain. Good news, Rabbit has an umbrella. Bad news, the stormy winds blow the umbrella (and Mouse!) into a tree. So begins this clever story about two friends with very different dispositions. Using just four words, Jeff Mack has created a text with remarkable flair that is both funny and touching, and pairs perfectly with his energetic, and hilarious, illustrations.

This hilarious tale of a friendship forged by books is the perfect picture book for fans of IT'S A BOOK and OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA! A great read-aloud for storytime.Everyone needs a little attention from time to time. Just ask our gorilla who will stop at nothing to be noticed by the boy with his eyes glued to the TV set. But for the gorilla, it’s going to take more than a quiet nudge to steal away the boy’s attention. When his usual antics fail to catch the boy’s eye—LOOK OUT! The gorilla has some other tricks up his sleeve. Using only two words—LOOK and OUT—Jeff Mack relates an adorably hilarious story about an attention-loving gorilla, a television-loving boy, and a friendship that develops over books. Simple in construct yet richly creative, this interactive and colorful tale will leave children laughing and loving books for years to come.Perfect for fans of It's a Book and Officer Buckle and Gloria. Praise for LOOK!:An Amazon Best Book of the Month! * "The slapstick action unfolds on linen-textured backgrounds, battered vintage book covers, and the actual pages of a book—hat-tips to the physicality of books that hint at a happy ending for bibliophiles of all ages. Even if audiences miss these winks and nods to the tactile pleasures of reading, they’ll still love that gorilla: hulking, eager-to-please and almost palpably furry, he’ll be welcome in any room."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW"The personalities and emotions of the chunky, fluffy ape and the TV-entranced boy nearly vibrate off the page. Look, indeed! An energetic invitation to the joys of books."—Kirkus Reviews"This is a fun read-aloud that will have children wanting to look and look again."—School Library Journal"Mack’s gentle, cartoonish illustrations are cleverly drawn on old book covers and endpapers, a subtle detail that emphasizes the joy of reading, and with a playful two-word vocabulary, even the littlest readers will be able to get in on the fun."—Booklist"Look! treads familiar metafictive ground in celebrating the pleasures of reading, but it manages to feel fresh nonetheless, with inventive use of controlled text, vibrant mixed-media art, and thoughtful design."—Horn Book