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
Only trouble is that Chet's old nemesis, Herman the Gila Monster, is the number one suspect, and he wants Chet to clear his (not quite) good name.
Chet and his mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, must solve the case fast, or Herman will make sure it's their last. But which is more dangerous—Herman...
Right in the middle of a run-of-the-mill case, the powers that be finger Chet's fine-feathered partner, Natalie Attired, as a no-goodnik blackmailer and boot her out of Emerson Hicky quicker than you can say, "Boot her out of Emerson Hicky."
Chet, of course, tackles the case for free. Mess with his partner, mess with—well, somebody. (Natalie's the brains of the outfit.) But just when Chet thinks he might clear her name, Natalie
So when fellow fourth grader Shirley Chameleon asks him to find her missing brother, Billy, Chet expects the case to be as easy a pie. But Billy's disappearance is part of a larger plot, one that involves the Rat Sisters, a riddling junkyard dog, and a vicious Gila monster named Herman. If Chet doesn't solve the case fast, the entire school could be humiliated....
Still, there's a big difference between sneaking a bigger slice of stinkbug pie and sneaking the answers to Mr. Ratnose's history test. When a cheating ring is suspected at Emerson Hicky Elementary, Chet takes on the case as a matter of honor. Or of stupidity. It's so hard to tell...
Chet Gecko's investigations often show him the seamy underbelly of school life, but this case throws him for a loop. A deadly stink bomb is unleashed, a school building falls to rubble, money goes missing from the principal's office, and that's just a start. Chet's endurance for trouble is tested, but so is his loyalty: Someone is trying to get his mongoose janitor pal Maureen DeBree fired. A true-blue P.I. doesn't take that kind of monkey business
...Chet Gecko's hunger for mystery is matched only by his appetite for cockroach casserole, mosquito marshmallow surprise, and stinkbug pie. So when the cafeteria needs help nabbing a food thief, Chet digs into the case with a passion he usually reserves only for dessert. But this time Chet may have bitten off more than even he can chew.
Someone has framed him, and now everyone...
If it wasn't for his art, he might never have been sent to Principal Zero's office, where he stumbled onto the mystery of Mr. Nice. Because whatever you can say about Principal Zero, one thing is certain: He is not nice. Until now.
Chet knows something is wrong with this picture,...
It's no mystery: Chet Gecko can't sing. He can't dance. He can't act. Heck, he can't even act normal. So why would he take the lead in Mr. Ratnose's musical version of Shakespeare's Omlet, Prince of Denver? A new case, naturally. The original leading man has disappeared, and something smells rotten in the realm of Ratnose. Did the third-act lip-lock with Shirley Chameleon scare him away? Or is foul play afoot? One thing's for certain:
...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...
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!
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
...Chet Gecko doesn’t believe in the supernatural. His idea of voodoo is his mom’s cockroach ripple ice cream. But when a teacher reports seeing a monster by the light of a full moon, it...
17) Clark the Shark
Clark the Shark celebrates boisterous enthusiasm—and knowing when it's time for indoor voices! A great choice for circle time or for sharing one on one with your energetic little shark.
Clark is a shark with zing, bang, and BOOM. Clark zooms into school, crashes through the classroom, and is rowdy at recess. Clark loves life and always means well—but when his enthusiasm is too much for his friends, Clark's teacher,
...The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: Chet Gecko loves a good mystery. Almost more than he loves his fee—stinkbug pie. So when fellow fourth grader Shirley Chameleon asks him to find her missing brother, Billy, Chet expects the case to be as easy as pie. But Billy's disappearance is part of a larger plot, one that involves the Rat Sisters,...
A harrowing array of scary stories that all have one thing in common: each either begins or ends with a scream!
Scream and Scream Again! is full of twists and turns, dark corners, and devilish revenge. Collected in conjunction with the Mystery...