1241 ratings | 330 reviews | avg rating:3.61

Bruce’s Year In Books

Bruce’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Bruce’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Bruce’s 2025 Year in Books

Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

Bruce’s Bookshelves

to-read (529)
currently-reading (7)
read (1351)
abandoned-mid-way (25)
read-but-don-t-really-recall (8)
want-to-read (0)

Bruce’s Friends (1,168)

Lyn

883 books | 1,096 friends

Ray Kuili

33 books | 1,468 friends

Carol Neumann

903 books | 67 friends

Matthew Clark

107 books | 14 friends

Natalie Aguirre

1,480 books | 409 friends

Kristen Valenzuela

5,248 books | 80 friends

Leslie Ann

1,003 books | 1,950 friends

Heather

27,278 books | 3,159 friends

More friends…

Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

Born

October 30

Website

http://www.brucehale.com/

Twitter

storyguy1

Genre

Children's, Mystery, Horror

Influences

Raymond Chandler, Dr. Seuss, Tom Robbins ...more

Member Since

January 2008

edit data

A serious book addict, Bruce wanted to be a children's book author since he was in 4th grade (right after he got over wanting to be a pirate, Tarzan, and Daniel Boone). Today he's the author-illustrator of over 70 seriously funny books for kids, so some dreams do come true.

The Malted Falcon, one of his Chet Gecko Mysteries series, was an Edgar Award finalist, and Murder, My Tweet won a Little D Award for Juvenile Humor Writing. Bruce has written everything from picture books and easy readers, to graphic novels and novels.

Bruce's recent Monstertown Mysteries series blends horror and humor, based on his childhood love of monster movies. His other series include Class Pets, about the secret lives of classroom pets, and the forthcoming Outerspa ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Bruce Hale questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Bruce Hale’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 12,398 ratings · 1,664 reviews · 112 distinct works • Similar authors

	Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.92 avg rating — 1,745 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Too Many Treats by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 4.38 avg rating — 1,179 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (Chet Gecko Mystery #1) 3.75 avg rating — 714 ratings — published 2000 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Howard Fine (Illustrator) 3.88 avg rating — 660 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Bad Detective Agency (1) 3.66 avg rating — 445 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Clark the Shark Dares to Share by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.82 avg rating — 423 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Playing with Fire (School for S.P.I.E.S., #1) 3.98 avg rating — 345 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mystery of Mr. Nice (Chet Gecko Mystery, #2) 3.90 avg rating — 309 ratings — published 2000 — 19 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Clark the Shark: Tooth Trouble (I Can Read Level 1) by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.81 avg rating — 300 ratings — published 2014 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Farewell, My Lunchbag (Chet Gecko Mystery, #3) 3.98 avg rating — 268 ratings — published 2001 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Bruce Hale…

25 posts
Bruce Hale's Blog

How do I make my characters sound different from each other?

Dear Writer Guy, I often get feedback that my characters sound the same (voice). What process do you recommend to build distinctions in each character’s voice? Thanks, Judy Dear Judy, At the root of it, this is first a matter of getting out of YOUR head and getting into your characters’ heads. Early on, all our characters might sound the same because we haven’t really worked…

Source

Series by Bruce Hale

Clark the Shark (10 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author),

Guy Francis (Illustrator)

3.94 avg rating — 4,881 ratings

Chet Gecko Mystery (15 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.87 avg rating — 2,795 ratings

SCHOOL FOR S.P.I.E.S. (3 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author),

Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

4.10 avg rating — 569 ratings

Monstertown Mysteries (3 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.96 avg rating — 132 ratings

Class Pets (4 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.67 avg rating — 141 ratings

More series by Bruce Hale…

Bruce is Currently Reading

Bruce is currently reading

Totally and Completely Fine

by Elissa Sussman

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dec 21, 2025 06:21PM

Bruce is currently reading

Navola

by Paolo Bacigalupi (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dec 16, 2025 07:54PM

Bruce is currently reading

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life / The Little Book of Hygge / Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living

by Héctor García (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 07, 2025 07:30AM

rss
Bruce’s Recent Updates

Bruce started reading Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 21, 2025 06:21PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce finished reading Stuart Woods' Golden Hour (Teddy Fay #7) by Brett Battles (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 21, 2025 02:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour by Brett Battles. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Stuart Woods' Golden Hour by Brett Battles <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book liked it Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 21, 2025 02:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deep End by Ali Hazelwood. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deep End by Ali Hazelwood <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book liked it Drop Dead Sisters (The Finch Sisters, #1) by Amelia Diane Coombs (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 16, 2025 07:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce is currently reading Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 16, 2025 07:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce finished reading Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Ernest Cunningham, #3) by Benjamin Stevenson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 16, 2025 07:45PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book really liked it Like a Bullet (The Paperback Sleuth, #3) by Andrew Cartmel (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 16, 2025 07:45PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book liked it Drop Dead Sisters (The Finch Sisters, #1) by Amelia Diane Coombs (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 16, 2025 07:45PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce finished reading Drop Dead Sisters (The Finch Sisters, #1) by Amelia Diane Coombs (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 16, 2025 07:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce entered a giveaway Arcana Academy (Arcana Academy, #1) by Elise Kova (Goodreads Author) 1 copy available, ends on January 14, 2026 Enter to win »
Dec 15, 2025 06:09AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Arcana Academy by Elise Kova. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Arcana Academy by Elise Kova <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Bruce's books…

Quotes by Bruce Hale (?)

“First," said Ms. Johnson, "I want you to know that you are all winners,"

Why do grown-ups always say that? Duh,we know we're not all winners.”
― Bruce Hale, Prince of Underwhere

4 likes

“Sometimes the writing flows, sometimes it's like wading through concrete. But I keep showing up each day, whether the Muse joins me or not.”
― Bruce Hale

2 likes

“air." Jack scowled. His practice had really paid off—his whole face bunched up like a muscle-man's fist. Rocky and Bosco pushed up to standing. Rocky's brawny shoulders flexed like two”
― Bruce Hale, Trouble Is My Beeswax: A Chet Gecko Mystery – A Funny Mystery Chapter Book About a Cheating Scandal at Elementary School for Kids

0 likes

See all Bruce Hale's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Coffee & Books: Jonny's List and Challenges.	2	33	Sep 21, 2011 12:01PM
The Next Best Boo...: The Title Game	20218	14601	May 30, 2013 12:53PM
2025 & 2026 Readi...: Kat's 150, 2015 Challenge	21	94	Dec 30, 2015 08:39PM
Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author Game, Round 2	15570	1206	Mar 21, 2016 09:15AM
Cozy Mysteries : Mystery ABC's, Round 2	12168	1134	Mar 21, 2016 12:30PM
Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author game, Round 4	16049	654	Jan 05, 2019 04:49AM

More…

Bruce’s Quotes

“Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

tags: enjoy-life, fearlessness, live-in-the-moment

5491 likes

Bruce’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-1) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 1: by Lisa

Jun 01, 2012 08:12PM

Thanks for connecting here! See you in LA! :-)

reply | flag

Bruce’s Year In Books

Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

Add New
Videos

Bruce’s Bookshelves

Bruce’s Friends (1,168)

Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Bruce Hale’s books

25 posts
Bruce Hale's Blog

How do I make my characters sound different from each other?

Series by Bruce Hale

Bruce is Currently Reading

rss
Bruce’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman

See a Problem?

Preview — Stuart Woods' Golden Hour by Brett Battles

See a Problem?

Preview — Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

See a Problem?

Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs

See a Problem?

Preview — Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi

See a Problem?

Preview — Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

See a Problem?

Preview — Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel

See a Problem?

Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs

See a Problem?

Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs

See a Problem?

Preview — Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

Topics Mentioning This Author

Bruce’s Quotes

Bruce’s Friend Comments

Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssBruce’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman

See a Problem?

Preview — Stuart Woods' Golden Hour by Brett Battles

See a Problem?

Preview — Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

See a Problem?

Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs

See a Problem?

Preview — Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi

See a Problem?

Preview — Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

See a Problem?

Preview — Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel

See a Problem?

Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs

See a Problem?

Preview — Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs

See a Problem?

Preview — Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

Topics Mentioning This Author

rss
Bruce’s Recent Updates