Books
BELLY UP
Murder. Mayhem. Megafauna.
Henry the Hippo, the beloved mascot of FunJungle, America’s hottest new tourist attraction, is dead. Twelve-year-old Teddy Fitzroy suspects foul play, but when no one believes him, he decides to investigate himself. To his surprise, he discovers that plenty of people wanted Henry gone — and the list of suspects keeps growing. As Teddy searches through the clues and asks too many questions, it becomes clear that he too might end up belly up.
2012 MARK TWAIN READERS AWARD FINALIST
BANK STREET MOCK NEWBERRY PICK
CYBIL AWARD FINALIST
DOROTHY CANFIELD FISHER BOOK AWARD FINALIST
2012 LONE STAR READING LIST SELECTION
“First-novelist Gibbs offers no shortage of suspects in his fast-paced story, which deftly mixes humor and suspense. Cleverly plotted…this book is an auspicious debut that will leave readers clamoring for more.” – Booklist
“Great fun… In his authorial debut, screenwriter Gibbs combines details of the inner workings of zoos with some over-the-top action for an entertaining read.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Gibbs handles issues of animal welfare in a fair way without being preachy, and his motley cast of characters holds its own with quirky personalities and memorable details.” – School Library Journal
“‘Belly Up’ is a very fun – and often very funny – story. The mystery is clever, and the characters are intriguing. Furthermore, the inventive zoo setting will not just appeal to young readers, but also allows the author to dispense plenty of fascinating facts about animals. Your children (and you) will learn about everything from the world’s most deadly snake (that’d be the black mamba) to the most dangerous animal in Africa (the cape buffalo, with hippos coming in second) while racing though the pages to find out who did it in this impressive debut whodunit.” – LA Parent Magazine
And in bookstores March 5, 2012…
Spy School
Like many kids, Ben Ripley imagines life as a secret agent would be pretty awesome — so when he learns he’s been recruited to the C.I.A.’s top secret Academy of Espionage, it sounds too good to be true. And it is. From the moment he arrives — and ends up in the middle of an enemy attack — Ben finds Spy School is going to be far erous than he expected. Even worse, he soon discovers that he hasn’t been recruited to become a top agent; instead, he’s been brought in as bait to catch a devious double agent. Now, Ben needs a crash course in espionage so that he can catch the mole, prove his worth — and get the girl. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be a very fun — and very funny — ride.