Bruce Hale

Author Information
Bruce Hale's Latest Book

Newest Release

  • Bibliography:
    58 Books (8 Series)
  • First Book:
    July 1989
  • Latest Book:
    October 2024
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Full Series List in Order

Clark the Shark

1 - Clark the Shark (Jun-2013)
2 - Clark the Shark Dares to Share (Jan-2014)
3 - Clark the Shark Takes Heart (Jan-2015)
4 - Afraid of the Dark (Sep-2015)
5 - Lost and Found (Jul-2016)
6 - Clark the Shark Loves Christmas (Sep-2016)
7 - Friends Forever (Jun-2022)

Clark the Shark (Readers)

1 - Tooth Trouble (Jan-2015)
2 - Clark the Shark and the Big Book Report (Jun-2017)
3 - Too Many Treats (Feb-2019)
4 - Clark the Shark Gets a Pet (Nov-2020)
5 - Clark the Shark and the School Sing (Jun-2021)

Class Pets

1 - Fuzzy's Great Escape (Jul-2018)
2 - Fuzzy Takes Charge (Jul-2018)
3 - Fuzzy Freaks Out (Sep-2018)
4 - Fuzzy Fights Back (Dec-2018)

From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI

1 - The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (Apr-2000)
2 - The Mystery of Mr. Nice (Aug-2000)
3 - Farewell, My Lunchbag (Apr-2001)
4 - The Big Nap (Oct-2001)
5 - The Hamster of the Baskervilles (Apr-2002)
6 - This Gum for Hire (Sep-2002)
7 - The Malted Falcon (Apr-2003)
8 - Trouble Is My Beeswax (Sep-2003)
9 - Give My Regrets to Broadway (Apr-2004)
10 - Murder, My Tweet (Oct-2004)
11 - The Possum Always Rings Twice (Apr-2006)
12 - Key Lardo (Oct-2006)
13 - Hiss Me Deadly (Oct-2007)
14 - From Russia with Lunch (Jan-2009)
15 - Dial M for Mongoose (Oct-2009)

A Monstertown Mystery

1 - The Curse of the Were-Hyena (Jul-2016)
2 - Mutant Mantis Lunch Ladies! (Mar-2017)
3 - Invasion of the Scorp-Lions (Nov-2017)

School for S.P.I.E.S.

1 - Playing with Fire (Jun-2013)
2 - Thicker Than Water (Jun-2014)
3 - Ends of the Earth (Jun-2015)

A Seek and Solve Mystery!

1 - Santa on the Loose! (Sep-2012)
2 - Monsters on the Loose! (Jul-2013)

Underwhere

1 - Prince of Underwhere (Jan-2008)
2 - Pirates of Underwhere (May-2008)
3 - Flyboy of Underwhere (Sep-2008)
4 - Fat Cat of Underwhere (May-2009)

Multi-Author Series List

Fairytale Retellings: Sleeping Beauty

Snoring Beauty (May-2008)

Book List in Order: 58 titles

  • Legend of the Laughing Gecko

  • Surf Gecko to the Rescue!

  • Moki and the Magic Surfboard

  • How the Gecko Lost His Tail

  • The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 1

    Meet CHET GECKO, the best LIZARD DETECTIVE at EMERSON HICKY ELEMENTARY. SOME CASES START ROUGH, some cases start easy. This one starts with a missing first grader named Billy Chameleon. His sister, Shirley, promises Chet a big piece of stinkbug pie ...

  • The Mystery of Mr. Nice

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 2

    Art and Crime Don’t Mix (not even with water). Just Ask Chet Gecko. Chet Gecko’s got the heart of an artist. He just doesn't have the talent. His classroom portraits get him an art show in the principal's office -- and face-to-face with a m...

  • Farewell, My Lunchbag

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 3

    A Hunger for Mystery isn’t always a recipe for success. The fastest way to any gecko's heart is through his stomach. But anyone who knows Chet, knows that. That's why Mrs. Bagoong, the cafeteria lady, goes to Chet for help when a food thief start...

  • The Big Nap

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 4

    Is it just Chet, or is everyone acting just a little bit strange? One by one, the students at Emerson Hicky Elementary are becoming mindless goody-goodies. No one talks in class, no one complains about homework--heck, the line to clean the chalkboar...

  • The Hamster of the Baskervilles

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 5

    Elementary school is a wild place. But this is ridiculous, even for Emerson Hicky. Trashed classrooms. Gnawed walls. Tunnels riddling the playground like worm chunks in a pan of earthworm lasagna. Something wild is at work at Emerson Hicky. Che...



  • This Gum for Hire

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 6

    Kidnapped! One by one, the members of Emerson Hicky's football team are disappearing. As far as Chet Gecko is concerned, this is a cause for celebration. Only trouble is that Chet's old nemesis, Herman the Gila Monster, is the number one suspect, an...

  • The Malted Falcon

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 7

    Freddie Nostrils is a prairie dog with a passion...for dessert. In fact, his sweet tooth rivals Chet Gecko's own well-known appetite for cake, cookies, ice cream, and -- well, you get the idea. That's why when the winning ticket in the Malted Falcon...

  • Trouble Is My Beeswax

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 8

    When it comes to splitting dessert, Chet Gecko may cheat a little, but who’s going to complain if Chet’s half is more like two-thirds? He’s never been good at math. Still, there’s a big difference between sneaking a bigger slice of stinkbug p...

  • Give My Regrets to Broadway

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 9

    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 orig...

  • Chet Gecko's Big Box of Mystery

    In these three wisecracking, sidesplitting mysteries from Chet Gecko's tattered casebook, the fourth-grade detective and his punning mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, foil bad guys and evildoers . . . and still have time for a helping or two of s...

  • Murder, My Tweet

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 10

    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...

  • Chet Gecko's Detective Handbook

    Revealed at last--secrets and surprises from ace detectives Chet Gecko and Natalie Attired's criminal casebook!

    This nifty (and very handy) handbook features tips and techniques for detective work: how to shadow people, collect evidence, and ...

  • The Possum Always Rings Twice

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 11

    Get ready for muckraking time at Emerson Hicky Elementary. The race is on for student council president, but it's quickly getting fishier than the bottom of a pelican's lunch box. Someone is sending candidates ominous threats and ...

  • Key Lardo

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 12

    Hold on to your fedoras, Gecko fans: Chet and Natalie have at last met their sleuthing match. That's right -- a new detective has arrived at Emerson Hicky Elementary. His name's Bland. James Bland.      Bland immediately cracks a ...

  • Hiss Me Deadly

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 13

    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 ...



  • Prince of Underwhere

    Underwhere - 1

    It's tough to be ZeKe.He's got his hands full: There is his prissy, know-it-all twin sister; his mean cousin Caitlyn, who's house-sitting for his missing parents; and a bully making life tough at school (as though it wasn't hard enough already). And ...

  • Pirates of Underwhere

    Underwhere - 2

    Stephanie has a whole underwear drawer full of trouble.A week ago, Stephanie's biggest problem was finding enough time to complete her homework and study for her Mathletes competition. Now, thanks to her big-mouth brother, Zeke, she has to deal with ...

  • Snoring Beauty

    Fairytale Retellings: Sleeping Beauty

    Everyone knows the story of Sleeping Beauty: A handsome prince rescues a beautiful princess from a wicked fairy's terrible sleeping spell.
                This story is just like the original. Except for the sarcastic frog narrator, the ga...

  • Flyboy of Underwhere

    Underwhere - 3

    Sometimes even sidekicks have to step up.Here's the thing: Zeke's busy being the so-called Prince of Underwhere. His prissy sister, Stephanie, is some sort of pirate queen. But Hector? Everyone treats him like a joker and a sidekick. Well, those days...

  • From Russia with Lunch

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 14

    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...

  • Fat Cat of Underwhere

    Underwhere - 4

    Cats are not meant to save the world. Fitz the cat is supposed to be enjoying the normal activities savored by those of the feline persuasion -- napping (a lot), nibbling on house plants, sharpening his claws on expensive furniture, and, most importa...

  • Dial M for Mongoose

    From The Tattered Casebook Of Chet Gecko, PI - 15

    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...

  • Guys Read: Nate Macavoy, Monster Hunter

    Nate's best friend Jeremy is missing, and Nate seems to be the only one worried that he's been captured by hideous creatures that live in the sewers. A short story from Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka. ...

  • Santa on the Loose!

    A Seek and Solve Mystery! - 1

    Santa's sleigh is ready to go -- except for one thing: The presents are nowhere to be found! Santa needs your help to find out who took the toys! Is the culprit an unhappy elf or a disgruntled reindeer or even -- yikes! -- a hungry polar bear? With s...

  • Clark the Shark

    Clark the Shark - 1

    Clark the Shark has a loose tooth and needs to visit the dentist. But he's heard that the dentist is scarier than a box of blue whales! Uh-oh, and oh no! Can Clark find a way to stay cool when it comes to tooth trouble? Beginning readers will be ...



  • Playing with Fire

    School for S.P.I.E.S. - 1

    Juvenile delinquent and budding pyromaniac Max Segredo belongs in juvie hall. At least, that's what his most recent foster family would tell you. Instead, Max ends up on the doorstep of Merry Sunshine Orphanage-their very heavily guarded doorstep. As...

  • Monsters on the Loose!

    A Seek and Solve Mystery! - 2

    Something spooky--or at least more spooky than usual--is going on in the haunted Hallow Hills. It seems that a ghastly ghoul has taken all of the Halloween candy With tons of trick-or-treaters and no treats to give, Halloween is on the verge of cance...

  • Clark the Shark Dares to Share

    Clark the Shark - 2

    Join Clark the Shark as he discovers the true meaning of sharing and caring in this colorful read-aloud picture book written by Bruce Hale and illustrated by Guy Francis. In Clark the Shark Dares to Share, our favorite boisterous shark learns that sh...

  • Big Bad Baby

    Call in the fire engires and police cars! Someone delayed sweet Sammy's nap a bit too long, or served him applesauce that was a bit too tart, and suddenly he's morphed into . . . Big Bad Baby! Now this giant tyke is on the loose, and he's taking the ...

  • Thicker Than Water

    School for S.P.I.E.S. - 2

    Just when Max Segredo learned that his father is still alive, he also learned that Simon Segredo was working for LOTUS, an evil spy operation that wants to take down the Merry Sunshine Orphanage (a.k.a. the School for S.P.I.E.S.) and take over the wo...

  • Clark the Shark Takes Heart

    Clark the Shark - 3

    It's Anna Angelfish's birthday, and Clark wants to find the perfect present for her to show her how he feels. But when he tries to make a big impression with his usual zip, bang, and BOOM, things don't go quite as planned. With help from his best ...

  • Tooth Trouble

    Clark the Shark (Readers) - 1
    I Can Read: Level 1

    Clark the Shark has a loose tooth and needs to visit the dentist. But he's heard that the dentist is scarier than a box of blue whales! Uh-oh, and oh no! Can Clark find a way to stay cool when it comes to tooth trouble? Beginning readers will be e...

  • Big Bad Detective Agency

    From the comic genius behind CHET GECKO comes a new kind of fairy tale hero -- and a big, bad, crime-solving adventure! The houses of all Three (not-so-) Little Pigs were broken into and ransacked, and the Pigs are squealing for justice. So Prince...

  • Ends of the Earth

    School for S.P.I.E.S. - 3

    The S.P.I.E.S. team has been scattered to the winds, its headquarters burned down, and Max Segredo is under lock and key at LOTUS HQ. What's even worse is that LOTUS's ruthless leader, Mrs. Frost, wants to adopt him. Max would go to the ends of the...

  • Afraid of the Dark

    Clark the Shark - 4

    Clark the Shark is ready for his first big sleepover! He’s nervous about sleeping outside without his glow-fish night-light, but he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s just a teeny-tiny bit afraid of the dark. So Clark makes up a rhyme to help him...



  • The Curse of the Were-Hyena

    A Monstertown Mystery - 1

    What do you do when your favorite teacher starts turning into a were-hyena? a) Flee in terror? b) Try to cure him? c) Bring him carrion snacks? Mr. Chu, the coolest teacher ever, has developed some very unusual habits, like laughing hysteri...

  • Lost and Found

    Clark the Shark - 5
    I Can Read: Level 1

    When Mrs. Inkydink announces a class trip to the farmers market, Clark is so excited he doesn't listen to her instructions. Hurrah, hooray, it's time to play! Clark gets lost in the crowd and has to use his rhyming to remember what Mrs. Inkydink said...

  • Clark the Shark Loves Christmas

    Clark the Shark - 6

    Clark the Shark loves Christmas more than anyone! When Clark’s class organizes a Secret Santa exchange, Clark decides to find out who will be giving him a present ... and forgets to get a present for his Secret Santa! What will happen on the day of...

  • Mutant Mantis Lunch Ladies!

    A Monstertown Mystery - 2

    How well do you know the lunch servers at your school? Sure, they seem like nice people, but what if secretly they are something much, much weirder? Best friends Carlos and Benny, who just saved their teacher from becoming a were-hyena, have been...

  • Clark the Shark and the Big Book Report

    Clark the Shark (Readers) - 2
    I Can Read: Level 1

    Be bold, be smart, and speak from the heart! Clark the Shark is ready to present his book report to the class. But at the last minute, Clark gets stage fright and clams up in front of everybody. With a little help from his teacher, Mrs. Inkydink,...

  • Invasion of the Scorp-Lions

    A Monstertown Mystery - 3

    Something is very wrong at Monterrosa Elementary--again. Weird noises and funky smells are coming through the classroom vents. Could the school be haunted? When one of their classmates falls into a coma, best friends Carlos and Benny know it's time t...

  • Fuzzy Takes Charge

    Class Pets - 2

    Class 5B has a substitute teacher -- and he's the worst! Fuzzy might just be 5B's pet guinea pig, but he will not stand by while his kids suffer. With the help of the Class Pets Club, Fuzzy is going to drive the terrible sub out of town ... or lose h...

  • Fuzzy's Great Escape

    Class Pets - 1

    Fuzzy is the ambitious and unfortunately named guinea pig of class 5B. He has big plans for this year -- namely, to be president of the Class Pets Club. Then the cutest, most charming new bunny shows up and spins Fuzzy's plan like a hamster wheel. Th...

  • Fuzzy Freaks Out

    Class Pets - 3

    Fuzzy has a great new plan as the Adventure Director of the Class Pets Club -- the pets are going to join the Halloween Parade with their kids! In disguises, of course. Finally, they won't be missing all the fun! But then spooky things start happe...

  • Fuzzy Fights Back

    Class Pets - 4

    Is this the end of class pets? When Fuzzy accidentally gets a kid hurt, he feels awful. But worse -- the PTA president demands to get rid of all the class pets! Fuzzy and his friends get to work. A cuteness campaign? Their selfies fall short. A...



  • Too Many Treats

    Clark the Shark (Readers) - 3
    I Can Read: Level 1

    Clark the Shark’s mom is making brownies for school. But when Clark decides to taste just one, the impulsive shark can’t stop eating! Yum-yum-YUM. Will the class treat be ruined? With easy-to-read text and Clark’s trademark rhymes, this choc...

  • Peppermint Post

    'Twas the night before Christmas, when the North Pole's Peppermint Post Office is anything but quiet! Postmaster Buck and his crew of penguins can't rest until all of Santa's letters and gifts are sorted and on Santa's sleigh. ...

  • Clark the Shark Gets a Pet

    Clark the Shark (Readers) - 4
    I Can Read: Level 1

    In this funny rhyming story, Clark the Shark is excited about his new pet, Lulu the dogfish. He can’t wait to teach Lulu tricks and feed her lots of treats. But Clark discovers there''s more to having a pet than he thought! Young animal own...

  • Switched

    From the Edgar-nominated author Bruce Hale comes a hilarious story of a boy and a dog...who become a dog and a boyWho's a good boy?Twelve-year-old Parker Pitts hates a mess. Ever since his grandmother died, he's much more comfortable when things are ...

  • Clark the Shark and the School Sing

    Clark the Shark (Readers) - 5
    I Can Read: Level 1

    Clark the Shark makes his I Can Read Comic debut! Featuring a bold new comic style by Guy Francis and easy-to-read text by Bruce Hale, this Level One I Can Read Comic will have beginning readers ready to take a bite out of reading! Clark the Shark...

  • Friends Forever

    Clark the Shark - 7
    I Can Read: Level 2

    "A recommended story that helps young readers learn how to be a good friend." (School Library Journal)Featuring bold illustrations by Guy Francis and lively easy-to-read text by Bruce Hale, this Level Two I Can Read will have beginning readers ready ...

  • Super Troop

    From the Edgar-nominated author Bruce Hale comes a hilarious story about a kid who likes to break the rules . . . until the rules try to break him.Cooper just wants to spend the summer before 7th grade drawing and having adventures with his best frie...

  • Elvis Is Missing #1

    Blast off into space and come along for an intergalactic mystery -- with plenty of pizza -- in this first book of the illustrated chapter book series, Outer Space Mystery Pizza Club!It’s another ordinary Friday night in the suburbs for the Garcia-J...

  • Grunthar's Revenge #2

    Perfect for fans of The Alien Next Door, this second illustrated chapter book in the Outer Space Mystery Pizza Club series is an out-of-this-world adventure!With their trip to Kroon behind them, Mateo, Tina, Booker, and Jennica are back on Earth, Elv...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Bruce Hale has published 58 books.

The next book by Bruce Hale, Elvis Is Missing #1, will be published in October 2024.

The first book by Bruce Hale, Legend of the Laughing Gecko, was published in July 1989.

Yes. Bruce Hale has 8 series.
Author Series
Multi-Author Series
Publisher Series
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