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
PENNSYLVANIA YOUNG READERS CHOICE AWARD FINALIST
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“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
The Last Musketeer
Greg Rich has just been catapulted back through time.
One moment, his parents were selling their family heirlooms to Michel Dinicouer, a mysterious and suspicious curator at the Louvre in Paris — and the next thing Greg knows, he’s in France in 1615. His parents have come along, too, only they’ve been captured by the King’s Guard and thrown into La Mort, the world’s most dangerous prison. Now, Greg has to rescue them… but how?
By uniting the Three Musketeers. Greg soon discovers that the three great warriors from Alexander Dumas’s classic novel actually exist — only they’re teenagers as well and haven’t met yet. Even stranger, Greg might just turn out to be the fourth Musketeer, D’Artagnan. Together, the Musketeers need to pull off an impossible, death-defying rescue — and unravel the devious plot of Dinicouer as well. Get ready for action, adventure and mystery in this new novel from the acclaimed writer of ‘Belly Up.’
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“From the gripping first sentence—’Clinging to the prison wall, Greg Rich realized how much he hated time travel’—the excitement never flags in this newly imagined Musketeer adventure. Using Alexandre Dumas’ stories as a jumping-off point, Gibbs mixes fact, fantasy and thrills to create a galloping swashbuckler.” -Kirkus Reviews
“Gibbs’ playful, action-packed twist on the classic novel includes plenty of humor as Greg attempts to fit into medieval life. An entertaining premise and high adventure.” – ALA Booklist
“Gibbs deftly packs an abundance of historical detail into a lively narrative that captures the swashbuckling spirit of Dumas’s original. Full of jovial humor, narrow escapes, sorcery, and intrigue, the novel will likely generate interest in the classic… A good choice for older reluctant readers.” – School Library Journal
And coming this summer…
Traitor’s Chase
The adventures of Greg Rich and the Three Musketeers continue.
The Musketeers head to southern France in pursuit of their diabolical enemies Michel Dinicouer and Dominic Richelieu — only to discover that Dinicouer and Richelieu have hatched a new plot that threatens the entire course of world history. Now, Greg and his friends must stop them — while trying to elude assassins, uncover the secrets of the Devil’s Stone and outwit Milady de Winter.