Jess and the Fireplug Caper (The Twelve Candles Club Book 2) [Paperback]

Elaine L. Schulte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1992

One Unsolved Mystery Some Clues = Gripping Suspense Excitement!

Jess McColl had been looking forward to the first clowning practice of the Twelve Candles Club, but when the other club members arrived she was happy for another reason. She'd been home alone and was sure she'd heard noises. Just the sight of her wacko friends dressed in their clown outfits helped shake away the strange feeling of uneasiness that had settled over her room.

Hoping to become an Olympic gymnast, Jess will provide the Twelve Candles Club with the cartwheels and backflips to make their clowning business a hit with the children they entertain. Her clown name of "Fireplug" promises to be an understatement.

But a loud clanging noise in the back yard, weird phone calls, and the car alarm going off on Jess's mother's Mercedes lead to an unwanted mystery that Jess can't seem to escape. Is everything that's happening just a coincidence? What is the intruder really after?

Best Friends Stick Together Even When Their Knees Are Knocking!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Today, you might find Elaine Schulte at the gym, observing from the sidelines as young gymnasts take their first tumbles on the balance beam. Tomorrow, she might be sitting a few rows from a stage, watching as kids audition for Christian theater.

When you find Schulte, you'll notice she's holding a pen in one hand and a notebook in the other. Whatever kind of book she's writing whether historical fiction, a book for preteens, or an adult novel she feels that research is necessary to create an accurate, relevant story. "I do a lot more research than you'd think," says the author of 27 novels.

Although she focuses mainly on books, Schulte occasionally writes magazine articles. A recent article presents guidelines for choosing children's novels. She believes that "warning Christians about the content of secular novels" is one aspect of her ministry. "So many people think that just because their children are reading a book, it's better than hanging out in the mall or doing drugs, " she says. "But some of the secular novels are so terrible that they're imprinting very bad things in [the readers'] brains."

That's one of the reasons she began writing the "Twelve Candles Club" series for young girls. "My agent called me and said, 'Could you do something like the [secular] 'Baby-sitters Club' series but with a Christian accent?"

At the time, Schulte was enjoying the success of her adult books and wasn't sure she wanted to write children's books. But she decided to give it a try, and the "Twelve Candles Club" series was born. Although the "Twelve Candles" titles deal with issues facing girls, such as blended families and coping with siblings, Schulte is quick to point out they're not "problem" books. "There's a place for problem books. I've written some myself, but the 'Twelve Candles Club' is a series I want girls to enjoy and still be encouraged in their walk with Christ," she says.

size : 5.2 x 7.5

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Pub (June 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556612516
• ISBN-13: 978-1556612510
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,028,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this is the best book in the series, December 31, 2000

By 

"lildaisy" (indiana, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jess and the Fireplug Caper (The Twelve Candles Club Book 2) (Paperback)

this book was my absolute favorite in the whole series. i loved jess's character. i loved the gymnastics. it was full of action and although it wasn't quite as "subtly preachy" as the other books, it still taught me something about the value of faith and family. it was the best ever.