Books with author Kevin Sylvester

Neil, “the flamboyant, irrepressible chef” (Kirkus Reviews), hits the road in his food truck and drives right into a new case in the sixth book in The Neil Flambé Capers, the culinary mystery series celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey calls “good fun.”Neil has lost his beloved restaurant. Though he misses it dearly, he and his friend Larry are headed on a new adventure. They are travelling to the Salsa Verde ranch in Arizona with their new food truck to participate in the legendary food truck gathering, the Broiling Man Festival. Once he arrives, Neil discovers that the Verde ranch is in danger of foreclosure, at the mercy of a developer who wants to turn it into housing and a factory farm. 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. Neil and Larry are on a quest to find the treasure, but each time they think they’re close to finding something, they come up with nothing. Will the boys find the mine—and the treasure—in time to save Salsa Verde ranch?

Neil travels across the pond for a real honey of a case in the fifth book in The Neil Flambé Capers, the culinary mystery series celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey calls “good fun.”Neil Flambé has had enough with solving crime. After his adventures in Japan, he is back in his beloved restaurant doing what he does best—cooking. And he has a very special guest. Lord Lane from England has requested he serve a meal centered around an ancient jar of honey discovered in London. But when Lane disappears afterward, Neil receives a request from the Queen herself to come across the pond and find out what happened to him. As soon as Neil arrives, he is swept up in a mystery involving the great works of Shakespeare and food. Neil may know quite a bit about the latter, but being chased by thugs through the streets of London and following centuries-old clues is not exactly his forte. Will Neil be able to put the pieces together in time or will he let everyone down, including the Queen?

Something smells fishy—and it’s not the sushi—in this addition to the culinary mystery series celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey calls “good fun.”World-class 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 that life may have really left Larry behind—he’s been 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.

For die-hard basketball fans and casual spectators alike, this collection of fascinating facts about the game will be a welcome addition to their library. From the origins of the game to how much players are paid, and the evolution of the basketball shoe, this book covers a wide range of topics. Among others are how the color barrier was breached, the rise of women’s basketball, and innovations that have made the game accessible to disabled athletes. Lots of humorous, colorful illustrations, charts, and graphs make this ideal for visual learners, while the short chapters encourage browsing.

A delicious blend of mystery, history, and top-notch cuisine.Neil Flambé may be fourteen years old, but he’s also a world-renowned chef. Patrons pay top dollar and wait months for reservations at his tiny boutique restaurant. But Neil is more than a fantastic cook—he solves crime too. Ever since he used his kitchen know-how and keen sense of smell to acquit a man of murder, he’s been helping Police Inspector Sean Nakamura crack case after caseBut when some of the best chefs in town turn up dead, the crime scenes turn culinary. Police are stumped, and the only clues are the scents of mysterious spices and a journal that may have belonged to…Marco Polo? Neil must find a way to connect the past with the present and solve the murders—or he could end up as the prime suspect!

The most unusual baseball facts you’ll ever find! Behind the game lies a wealth of science, folklore, mathematics, psychology—and a very colorful past. Whether they are die-hard fans or casual spectators, readers will be captivated by this collection of fascinating, little-known facts. For example did you know that the yarn in a single baseball is long enough to reach from the street to the top of the Empire State Building or that in the old days playoff tickets were sold for people to stand in the outfield: fans might move to help the home team but not budge an inch for opposing players. With lots of humorous, colorful illustrations, charts, and graphs, Baseballogy explores such diverse topics as the materials used to make the balls (including fish eyes, once used for the core!), freak injuries (one player was stabbed by a bat!), and the chances of making it to “the show” (1 in about 14,000 baseball playing kids will get to the big leagues). Entertaining, informative, and highly visual, Baseballogy is the perfect sports book for all kids—especially reluctant boy readers.

The sudden disappearance of Neil’s skills in the kitchen is the real mystery in this culinary caper. Is 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?

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.

A fourteen-year-old crime-solving chef finds mayhem in Mexico in this full-flavored mystery.Teenage wunderchef—and budding detective—Neil Flambé heads to Mexico City to take part in the Azteca Cocina, a two-week battle of the chefs. But he’s off to an unsettling start: His box of secret ingredients contains a note that says his girlfriend, Isabella, has been kidnapped. He must lose in the final, or else she’ll be killed.Fortunately, Isabella is clever, and the locks of her hair that accompany follow-up ransom notes have been saturated with smells to help him track her down. But even Neil’s keen sense of smell can’t tackle this case alone. He’ll have to delve into Aztec history, symbolism, and the ancient ruins buried under the modern city. And time is ticking….

Imagine that you are holding a device that will allow you to see the monsters that live invisibly all around us. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions and total chaos!Technology isn’t always easy, and this monster viewer disguised as a book is no exception. If you hold the viewer too high, all you see are the tops of the monsters’ heads. Too low, and all you see are their feet. And things don’t get any better when the monsters themselves try to help out.Full of puns and visual jokes, Super Duper Monster Viewer pokes gentle fun at our obsession with technology and the next cool thing. And while the two monsters we meet in this book might be terrible at tech support, they make pretty fun companions just the same.Written and illustrated by the irrepressibly funny and highly acclaimed children’s author Kevin Sylvester, Super Duper Monster Viewer is sure to bring laughter — and maybe a little mayhem — into your day.

Come on in! Don't be shy. Bizarre, hilarious and just plain gross moments are waiting inside Sports Hall of Weird. From yucky bathroom accidents and crows hungry for golf balls, to cursed teams, haunted stadiums and spectacular losers, this Hall's got it all. Find out why some hockey fans throw an octopus on the ice for good luck. How the hand of God might have decided a soccer game. How a dead guy got drafted ? all this and a lot more is immortalized in Sports Hall of Weird!

Fresh off his success in solving the Marco Polo murders, Neil Flambé heads to Mexico City to take part in the Azteca Cocina — a two-week battle of the chefs. But things start to go wrong at the very first battle. Neil’s box of secret ingredients contains more than he bargained for. There’s a note inside, telling him that Isabella has been kidnapped. He must lose in the final, or else she’ll be killed. The kidnappers are obviously having fun — with every ransom note they send, they include a lock of Isabella’s hair, not realizing how clever their captive really is! Knowing that Neil and his super-nose will be looking for her, Isabella does what she can to help, rubbing her hair in the smelliest thing she can find at each location. Neil can smell garbage, flowers, and animals, but this only helps him find out where Isabella has already been — not where’s she heading next! In order to solve this mystery, Neil will need Larry's knowledge of Mexican history and Spanish, Sean Nakamura's portable forensic lab, and Angel Jicama's mentorship. He’ll have to delve into Aztec history, symbolism, and even into the real ruins that are buried under the modern city. But will he figure it all out in time?