The Big Nap: A Chet Gecko Mystery [Paperback]

Bruce Hale (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Chet Gecko

Grammar school--it's all about eating and sleeping. Well, for Chet Gecko, anyway.
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.)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-4-This adventure of the fourth-grade detective at Hicky Elementary School, is fraught with puns and double entendres that may not be grasped by young readers. However, the animal characters are very amusing. In this installment, Chet is faced with the eventuality of all of the students being turned into zombies. With the help of Natalie the bird and Waldo, a nonspecific furball, Chet meets and defeats the villainous weasel. Amusing black-and-white drawings are scattered throughout and deftly capture the animals' antics and personalities.

Sharon McNeil, Los Angeles County Office of Education

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-6. In this new Chet Gecko adventure, "the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary" recounts a truly scary case: his classmates are doing homework without complaint and being quiet in class. In short, they have become model students. Something is afoot, and the tough-talking, wisecracking PI wants to know what's going on. Suspects and red herrings abound: the new librarian, groovy Cool Beans, knows an awful lot about zombies; and what about slick Sammy Weasel? Fueled by ample snacks, Chet and cohort Natalie Mockingbird are on the case. Fast-paced suspense and snappy dialogue make for an entertaining read. Kids will enjoy Chet's narrative, filled with wordplay and tongue-in-cheek commentary, and black-and-white drawings add fun as as they visualize an animal cast that mirrors human behavior. A solid stand-alone in a choice series for reluctant readers. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152024794
• ISBN-13: 978-0152024796
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Edgar-nominated author Bruce Hale is passionate about inspiring reluctant readers to read. He has written or illustrated more than 25 seriously funny books for children, including the popular Chet Gecko Mysteries series and the comics-novel hybrid, Underwhere, as well as picture books like "Snoring Beauty" and "Moki and the Magic Surfboard."

An actor and Fulbright Scholar in Storytelling, Bruce is in demand as a speaker, having presented at conferences, universities, and schools across North America - from the Maui Writers Conference to the Surrey International Writers Conference in British Columbia. His acting resume includes regional commercials, theater, and an independent film, The Ride. Bruce's book, "The Malted Falcon," was an Edgar Award Finalist. "Murder, My Tweet" won the Little D Award for Humor Writing.

A little-known fact: Bruce loves jazz, and sings with an a cappella group called VocalPoint in Santa Barbara

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful addition to the series, August 29, 2006

By 

Ms. Parrothead "Book Lover" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Big Nap: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Paperback)

My son is 9 years old and hates chapter books, he would much rather be reading non-fiction. When I found the Chet Gecko series at the store, I took a chance and bought the first book. At first my son refused to read it, but after reading the first two chapters aloud as a bedtime story, he was hooked. He has since read all of the Chet Gecko novels and loves each and every one. I have read most of them to my students, (I teach reading recovery in a middle school)and they have always been a huge hit. While he may not be reading Chaucer, I am very happy to see him reading chapter books and enjoying himself. My six year old daughter also loves having the books read to her. I would recommend the Chet Gecko to any child, boy or girl, as a great introduction to mystery novels, detective stories, and bad puns.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter loves Chet!, November 6, 2005

By 

Truth Seeker (Fort Worth, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Nap: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Paperback)

Get some perspective--my 9-year old daughter LOVES Chet Gecko. She also LOVES Laura Ingalls, so I don't think she's been particularly harmed by Chet.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Zombie Detective Book, April 25, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Big Nap: A Chet Gecko Mystery (Paperback)

I love The Big Nap because Chet Gecko is a detective that solves funny mysteries about zombies and so on. Chet Gecko's partner Needles is a mocking bird and is Chet Gecko's best friend. There is a big possum named Cool Beans. Cool Beans is the librarian. Chet Gecko thinks that Cool Beans is part of the zombie gang. The first person to give Chet Gecko a call is a guinea pig named Meena. Her little sister named Eena has been zombified. Another friend of Chet Gecko has also been zombified. Now Chet Gecko is determined to solve this mystery.

I would say that the main characters are Chet Gecko and Needles. There are two things that go wrong in the book but it would spoil it for you if I told you. I loved the book so much. It was great for me to read. The reason I loved `The Big Nap' is because it is funny. I think the age group should be about 8 and over.

Alex
With a 1 - 5 rating I would give it a 4.5.