Chet Gecko's Big Box of Mystery: Three Hilarious Capers: The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, The Mystery of Mr. Nice, and Farewell, My Lunchbag (Chet Gecko)
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
The Possum Always Rings Twice: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Chet Gecko)
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
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. Worst of all, Chet might not get his fee. And Chet's hungry. . . .
The Big Nap: A Chet Gecko Mystery
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
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 these two hilarious mysteries from Chet's tattered casebook, he and his mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, must catch a cafeteria thief, foil the sinister plans of a weaselly zombie master . . . and still take part in the Nations of the World PTA assembly. (Fourth-grade detectives get no respect.)
Key Lardo: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Chet Gecko)
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
From Russia with Lunch: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Chet Gecko)
by Bruce Hale
from Houghton Mifflin
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 Attired, has abandoned him in his hour of need.
Will Chet be able to restore his friendship with Natalie and bring Emerson Hicky back to normal? One thing's for certain: The crazy, mixed-up mastermind behind this case will be the last creature anyone expects.
Hiss Me Deadly: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Chet Gecko)
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Children's Books
The Mystery of Mr. Nice: A Chet Gecko Mystery
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
When Principal Zero doesn't punish Chet Gecko for his less than flattering drawing of a teacher, Chet, the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary, knows something fishy is going on. "And I was just the gecko to find out what it was." Soon this hard-boiled fourth-grade detective is on the case, mixing with a tough hamster ex-con named Guido, a brass-knuckle-wielding bat called Ms. Darkwing, and the ringleader, a fat cat fake principal who aims to take over the elementary school and turn it into a vocational school for criminals. But will Chet and his cohort, a mockingbird by the name of Natalie, get to the bottom of this mystery before the ill-fated PTA meeting where this dastardly plot will be unveiled? With the help of a hyper tree frog named Popper, and Tony and Bo, a pair of food-fighting newt brothers, they just might crack this case.
Future Raymond Chandler fans will think they've died and gone to heaven when they get a load of Bruce Hale's private eye series (The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse and others). Chet Gecko has the lingo down cold ("Hey, brown eyes... How's tricks?" "Had our principal gone plumb crazy, or was he off somewhere taking the Big Nap?"), along with the most groan-worthy grade-school humor around. Hilarious line drawings of a menagerie of characters, shady and otherwise, add an even finer note of humor to this already sidesplitting mystery. (Ages 7 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
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, and he's just the gecko to solve this mystery. After all, who do you think put the art in smart aleck?
The Hamster of the Baskervilles: A Chet Gecko Mystery
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
When classrooms start turning up trashed and rumors of a mysterious giant "were-hamster" are whispered in the halls of Emerson Hicky Elementary, Chet Gecko, fourth-grade detective, swings into action. His teacher, Mr. Ratnose, has promised him two get-out-of-detention-free cards and a box of jelly doughnuts if he solves the mystery, and as the case evolves and the moon waxes full, Chet and his mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, are drawn in deeper and deeper. Soon they are going undercover as potential members of the Dirty Rotten Stinkers gang, hiding out in Dumpsters, and working on the sly for fat-cat Principal Zero.
Savvy readers well-versed in Bruce Hale's hilarious wordplay and detective novel spoofs will not be surprised to see that the denouement of this uproarious mystery involves a few shady characters named Erik Nidd (a tarantula bully), Luke Busy (a badger janitor), and Lauren Order (a meek little hamster), as well as a giant makeshift Habitrail. Other titles in the series include Farewell, My Lunchbag and The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
The Malted Falcon: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Chet Gecko)
by Bruce Hale
from Harcourt Paperbacks
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