Books with author Ted Staunton

Sounding Off is award-winning children's author Ted Staunton's 24th book, and his first for a young adult audience. Featuring the town of Hope Springs, home of his popular Monkey Mountain novels and Hope Springs a Leak, Sounding Off is a skillfully woven account of the farces and foibles of a community that could be found anywhere in Canada. Sam Foster is every teenager struggling to find out who he is and what his place is in the world. He is entering Grade 9, his first year of high school, filled with the usual worries: he's tall and gawky, he's constantly embarrassed, he tends to fall in love (or lust) with the nearest female. He wishes he were invisible—yet, somehow, he keeps being thrust into the spotlight.

The Monkey Mountain Monster finds Lindsey a reluctant day-camper, partly because most of the kids come from another school in her town of Hope Springs, but mostly because of mouthy Mona, who's a put-down artist extraordinaire and who's never without her gaggle of admiring girlfriends. Lindsey wants no part of it, but Mona has lured Lindsey's best friend, Caitlin, into her crowd of disciples, which leaves Lindsey out in the cold. To complicate matters, there's a mysterious monster, known as the Ooly Gooly, roaming through Hope Springs. On a dare Lindsey agrees that she will sleep out in her backyard one night, but when she finds out that Caitlin won't join her, she realizes she really is all on her own. An unexpected volunteer agrees to join Lindsey, and when the monster shows up the kids can't contain themselves. Chaos and panic set in with lively results.

Travis Bee is the youngest of three sons of Reverend Bee, one of the town's most respected citizens. There are no lengths to which Travis won't go to attract attention to himself whether it's spraying the Sunday morning congregation with his water bottle, playing up his notorious hyena laugh in the classroom, stealing other kids' pencils, clowning around during church choir practice - or, most of all, teasing Mary Beth Harvey. Of course, Travis gets his comeuppance before long: he's chosen to sing the solo during the dedication service for the renovated church building, a prospect that both terrifies and pleases him. This time, however, he'll have to be on his best behavior, which means he's the perfect target for Mary Beth's revenge. It all makes for an uproarious finale to this rollicking good story about Monkey Mountain mischief.

Having a paper route is a lot more work than Morgan cares to take on. His parents helped him into it so he would have some money for a video game that he wants. Things get easier when he persuades Charlie to do some of the delivery, in exchange for copying Morgan's math homework. Aldeen, who has been coming along on the route, wants in on the same deal. Things go smoothly until time comes for a math test. Morgan panics. He can't help them in the test. Then his mother insists that he share the earnings with his two helpers. He wants to get out of the deal but when he gets a lower mark on the math test than his friends, the tables are turned. In this delightful new addition to the well-loved Morgan series, young readers will get a look at the fun and the trials of having a paper route.

When Morgan starts swimming lessons, he has lots of problems to deal with. There is the towel flicking and the slimy floor in the change room. There's the jiggles in his tummy he needs to cover up with his t-shirt and the scary possibility that his suit will drop to his knees when he jumps in. Worst of all, Aldeen Hummell, the Godzilla of Grade Three, has told him she will turn him into cat food if he doesn't cover for her while she plays hooky. Once again Morgan finds himself dragged into Aldeen's plans. But by playing the clown, and facing his own fears, he thinks he can free himself from her clasp by helping her get her badge. Morgan Makes a Splash is a hilarious story about gathering courage to cope with difficult situations.

All the kids in Morgan's class are itching to go to the zoo—all except Aldeen Hummel, the Godzilla of Grade Three. Aldeen didn't bring her eight dollars, and now she's not allowed to go. When Morgan sees Aldeen looking in the teacher's desk, he suspects there's going to be trouble. And when she shows up later with money for the trip, he knows it. Their teacher finds eight dollars missing from the trip money, and says nobody gets to go until it's returned. Morgan is sure he knows who took it, but wonders whether he should tell or not. When the money finally turns up Morgan finds he has jumped to conclusions, and that there's more to Aldeen Hummel than meets the eye. Morgan and the Money is the story of a boy who struggles with the truth, and finds that things aren't always what they seem to be.

When Morgan meets his friend Charlie's golden retriever pup, he is a little envious and a little allergic. But he would really like a pet. Finally Morgan and his parents come home with an albino rat. Morgan doesn't really like Snowdrop, but his pesky classmate Aldeen Hummel-the Godzilla of Grade Three-gets along famously with it. She takes over and helps Morgan prepare Snowdrop for the pet show at school. Morgan decides he'll give the rat to Aldeen after the show, but things don't work out exactly as planned... Morgan's Pet Plot is a funny and touching story that shows how the things we value most are sometimes found where we least expect them.

Morgan's keen to play when he signs up for the soccer team-but unfortunately so is Aldeen Hummel, the Godzilla of Grade Three. Morgan takes it easy on the field, but Aldeen is a maniac, playing hard and dirty and getting way too many penalties. To make matters worse, the whole team blames Morgan when they lose. Morgan wants to quit, but if he does the team won't have enough players for the big tournament. As the play-offs near, however, both Morgan and Aldeen find unexpected ways to help the team triumph. Great Play, Morgan is a hilarious story about perseverance against great odds.