Children's Fiction Humorous Stories
Thumb and the Bad Guys
- Publisher
- Groundwood Books Ltd
- Initial publish date
- Aug 2009
- Category
- Humorous Stories, Chapter Books, Mysteries & Detective Stories
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780888999177
- Publish Date
- Aug 2009
- List Price
- $9.95
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780888999160
- Publish Date
- Aug 2009
- List Price
- $18.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781554981649
- Publish Date
- Aug 2009
- List Price
- $9.95
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Where to buy it
Out of print
This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 7 to 10
- Grade: 4 to 7
- Reading age: 7 to 10
Description
Thumb and his best friend, Susan, love movie nights, when the entire community of New Auckland gathers in the school gym to eat popcorn and watch videos. Mostly they are movies about bad guys being tracked down by cool detectives. It's the villains, Thumb realizes, that make life interesting. If only he could track down a bad guy.
But New Auckland is a remote fishing village. There are only 143 people in the entire community. How could there possibly be bad guys around? Thumb is determined, and so he and Susan conduct a stakeout. Their suspicions soon focus on Kirk McKenna, a toothless, bald fisherman. They track Kirk to a hidden shed in the woods, where they hear the muffled but chilling sounds of wailing. Meanwhile, their teacher sends the kids off to solve a different kind of mystery -- an archeological one that leads them to the possible site of an early European gun placement. Suddenly mysteries abound for Thumb and his friends.
About the authors
Ken Roberts is the author of several popular books for young readers, including Hiccup Champion of the World, Crazy Ideas, Pop Bottles, Nothing Wright, Past Tense (shortlisted for a Governor General’s Award) and two highly praised previous Thumb books — The Thumb in the Box and Thumb on a Diamond (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice, SSLI Honor Book, Horn Book Fanfare Top Ten List). Ken is chief librarian of the Hamilton Public Library. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario.
Leanne Franson spent her childhood winters in Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, building snow forts while her dad watched hockey games on TV. She was a really bad skater -- but she could draw really well! In 1991, after she finished her BFA in Montreal, she started illustrating books. Leanne is fluently bilingual and has worked on books in English and French, illustrating in total over 100 picture books, chapter books, and textbooks. In 2012, she and her teenage son Benn returned to Saskatchewan, where she draws and makes ceramics in her acreage studio.
Awards
- Commended, USBBY Outstanding International Books
Editorial Reviews
With its blend of creepiness, mystery, and humor, this story will be eagerly welcomed by fans of Thumb and Susan, but it stands alone... Franson's black-and-white graphic style illustrations enhance the suspense.
School Library Journal
Roberts' novel is nicely eccentric and breezy.
Toronto Star
...[Roberts is] adept at creating adventure...Characterization is again piquant...
Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW
Humourous...fun to read [and] well written.
Resource Links
...Ken Roberts scores another home run.
Globe and Mail
