Books with author Rhode Montijo

"Fast-paced, entertaining read ... a charming main character and a diverting plot sure to appeal to fans of whodunit novels." -- KIRKUS REVIEW Last year was one heck of a ride for 12-year old Mary Frances (“Frankie”) Jackson. She was an inning away from becoming the first female all-state middle-school pitcher … until a teammate double-crossed her. Then, she was arrested after she sought revenge against the double-crosser. And to top it off, her dad was banished from the family home after falling off the wagon. Now, she’s been sent to California for the summer to live on a houseboat with her Aunt Roxy. There’s one catch -- she can’t get in trouble or it’s back to New Jersey and juvenile detention camp. Too bad that days after arriving at the houseboat community, Frankie lands in hot water. Accused of animal cruelty (killing a cat), and with the evidence stacked against her, she has two weeks to prove her innocence. Frankie turns to a houseboat resident, Margie Britt, a washed out 70s TV star who used to solve mysteries on TV. But as the days pass, Frankie loses faith in Margie and initiates her own investigation. In the process she gets to know all of the eccentrics on the dock. There’s Forgetting Michael, a young disabled man, who forgets things whenever a loud noise goes off; Alice, an 82-year old activist who loves birds and hates cats; and there’s Butch, a German shepherd whose owner has a shady past. Frankie even learns the sad truth about Kay, her accuser. Ultimately, with help of Margie, Roxy, and her new houseboat friends, Frankie proves her innocence. But more importantly, Frankie learns how to deal with her own anger and frustration from the past year’s events. I Didn’t Kill Your Cat is a young adult novel with a tough, lovable, heroine and an intriguing setting – the houseboats of Sausalito.

At Little League, Luis is catching fly balls, stealing bases, and hitting like a champ. But there is a problem: he thinks he's getting good luck from the snacks he samples at the supermarket before every game. Then one day his mom goes directly to the field and he has a horrible practice. The day she skips the stop at the store before a game, he strikes out twice. Luckily, Luis's father understands and convinces him that practice and concentration matter much more than any superstition.

Bad guys tremble at the sound of his name!From: grateful@fred.comTo: melvin@beederman.comDear Melvin, We need your help. Someone has been sending us threatening letters. We don't know who it is. Please come to our concert tonight, just in case.Sincerely,Fred of The Grateful FredSomeone is out to get the Grateful Fred, Melvin Beederman's all-time favorite rock-and-roll band. Can he and his partner-in-uncrime, Candace, find out who it is before it's too late? Or will Joe the Okay Guy turn into Joe the Bad Guy and put an end to the Grateful Fred once and for all? In this third installment of the Melvin Beederman series, only the narrator knows for sure!

Bad guys tremble at the sound of his name!Meet Melvin Beederman. He's a pretty good superhero, even though it always takes him five or six tries to get launched and flying. His weakness (every superhero has one) is bologna, which makes it hard to go into a deli. Still, Melvin manages to keep the city of Los Angeles free of nasty villains—once he's airborne.Crash! Splat! Thud! Kabonk!This series has it all: hilarious story lines, amazing classic-comic-inspired illustrations, fearless new superheroes, and SNACKS!Bad guys tremble at the sound of his name!Melvin loves fighting crime in Los Angeles, until the McNasty Brothers, the baddest guys of all, start robbing banks—and Melvin's superpowers mysteriously disappear. Enter Candace, a third-grade actress with some surprising new talents. Once they team up, nothing can beat these partners in uncrime. Nothing but bologna, that is . . .

Can three jazzy pigs outfox a hungry wolf?Satch, Mo, and Ella are the coolest cats--er, pigs--around. Satch plays sax. Mo plays bass. And Ella sings scat-scooby-dooby, skit-scat-skedoodle, shoooo!When Wolfie shows up for the Big Pig Gig, ready to eat some barbecue, the jazzy trio smells trouble. Can these three swingin' pigs win Wolfie over with their vivacious vocals and toe-tapping tunes? With cool-cat scats by Vicky Rubin and jazzy illustrations by talented new artist Rhode Montijo, this book will have readers dancin' up a storm.

The three members of the Bad Guy Brotherhood have broken out of jail, and now they're coming after the superhero who put them there: Melvin Beederman! Goofball McCluskey, Max the Wonder Thug, and Calamity Wayne are building a time machine so they can get Melvin before he ever became a superhero. Can Melvin and Candace travel back in time and reach the Superhero Academy to save young Melvin?

When Melvin goes to Las Vegas for the Superhero's Convention, Candace is left in charge of Los Angeles. Between the horrible bullies at school and the devious and sinister Spaz brothers (Major and his brother, Big), Candace has her hands very full. And someone has stolen her cape! How will she stop all the bad guys before the city is overrun with crime?The super-sidekick gets her turn in the spotlight in this fifth hilarious book in the Melvin Beederman series.

Is Melvin Beederman DOOMED?Mysterious threatening e-mails, a sad sidekick, and . . . country music? Melvin Beederman and his partner in uncrime, Candace, are really in trouble. Once again someone is out to get them, and this time not even the Superhero's Code can save Melvin from a terrible bologna-filled plight. Candace alone can rescue him—if only she can remember the country singer's motto: "When all else fails, sing about your dog."Melvin Beederman has launched himself as a flying success with kids and adults alike. And the sky is the limit with this fourth book!

A few million miles away from Los Angeles, danger is lurking. Evil aliens with some seriously hard to pronounce names like Zzykrkv are visiting earth from their home planet, Dork—to kidnap earthlings for their science class!While busy on a snack food errand . . . uh, mission . . . Melvin Beederman, official superhero of Los Angeles, senses that something doesn't feel quite right. Can Melvin, Candance, and friends from the Superhero Academy prevail over extraterrestrial bad guys with a spaceship powered by a Gamma drive? Holy alien invasion!

Bad guys tremble at the sound of his name!Meet Melvin Beederman. He's a pretty good superhero, even though it always takes him five or six tries to get launched and flying. His weakness (every superhero has one) is bologna, which makes it hard to go into a deli. Still, Melvin manages to keep the city of Los Angeles free of nasty villains--once he's airborne.Crash! Splat! Thud! Kabonk!This series has it all: hilarious story lines, amazing classic-comic-inspired illustrations, fearless new superheroes, and SNACKS!Bad guys tremble at the sound of his name!Melvin loves fighting crime in Los Angeles, until the McNasty Brothers, the baddest guys of all, start robbing banks--and Melvin's superpowers mysteriously disappear. Enter Candace, a third-grade actress with some surprising new talents. Once they team up, nothing can beat these partners in uncrime. Nothing but bologna, that is . . .

Crazy things are about to happen to 12-year old Frankie Jackson after she signs on to compete in a reality TV show. Not only does she have to win a televised pitching competition, but she also has to figure out who burned down an abandoned houseboat and how come a 15-year old con artist wants to become her BFF. And weirdest of all – why is she getting phone calls from someone claiming to be the "real" Frankie Jackson? I Like Your Shoes, the third book in the Frankie Jackson mystery series, takes place on the Sausalito houseboat docks. "{T}he book features believable, amusingly insightful narration by its 12-year-old star, and it balances its drama—including youth in dangerous situations—perfectly between having a bite and being appropriate for young readers … a worthwhile children’s mystery for kids and tweens." -- Kirkus Review

At Little League, Luis is catching fly balls, stealing bases, and hitting like a champ. But there is a problem: he thinks he's getting good luck from the snacks he samples at the supermarket before every game. Then one day his mom goes directly to the field and he has a horrible practice. The day she skips the stop at the store before a game, he strikes out twice. Luckily, Luis's father understands and convinces him that practice and concentration matter much more than any superstition.