Background
Bruce Hale was born on October 30, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, United States. He is a son of Clark (in industrial relations) and Ann (a homemaker) Hale.
1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, United States
Hale attended the University of California, Davis, California, United States in 1975-1977.
Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
Hale got his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1980 at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale
Young Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale
Bruce Hale with his readers
Bruce Hale with his readers
(On a magic surfboard, Moki the Gecko flies, journeys unde...)
On a magic surfboard, Moki the Gecko flies, journeys underwater and travels through time. In the end, he must choose between magic and friendship.
https://www.amazon.com/Moki-Magic-Surfboard-Hawaiian-Fantasy/dp/0962128058/ref=sr_1_22?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659925&sr=8-22
1996
(Chet Gecko loves a good mystery. Almost more than he love...)
Chet Gecko loves a good mystery. Almost more than he loves his fee - stinkbug pie. So when fellow fourth-grader Shirley Chameleon asks him to find her missing brother, Billy, Chet expects the case to be as easy a pie. But Billy's disappearance is part of a larger plot, one that involves the Rat Sisters, a riddling junkyard dog, and a vicious Gila monster named Herman.
https://www.amazon.com/Chameleon-Wore-Chartreuse-Gecko-Mystery/dp/0152024859/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-10
2001
(Get ready for muckraking time at Emerson Hicky Elementary...)
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.
https://www.amazon.com/Possum-Always-Rings-Twice-Gecko/dp/015205233X/ref=sr_1_19?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659925&sr=8-19
2007
(Everyone knows the story of Sleeping Beauty: A handsome p...)
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 garlic-scented fairy, and - oh yeah - the princess in this book not only sleeps and snores ... she's also been turned into a hot-pink and purple dragon!
https://www.amazon.com/Snoring-Beauty-Bruce-Hale/dp/015216314X/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-4
2008
(Most folks know him as the best lizard detective at Emers...)
Most folks know him as the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary, but it's not all knuckles and know-how with Chet Gecko. He's also got his artistic side. If it wasn't for his art, he might never have been sent to Principal Zero's office, where he stumbled onto the mystery of Mr. Nice.
https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Mr-Nice-Chet-Gecko/dp/0152025154/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-7
2008
(It's tough to be ZeKe. He's got his hands full: There is ...)
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 now, thanks to a stinky, scruffy, good-for-nothing talking cat, he's also got to cope with zombies, midget freedom fighters, devious spies, superstar rappers, and a whole weird world beneath our own where people wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes.
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Underwhere-Bruce-Hale-ebook/dp/B002C949JA/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-12
2009
(Clark the Shark is a great read-aloud picture book, with ...)
Clark the Shark is a great read-aloud picture book, with fun rhythm and rhyme, from the ever-popular Bruce Hale and Guy Francis. Clark is a shark with zing, bang, and BOOM. Clark zooms into school, crashes through the classroom, and is rowdy at recess. Clark loves life - but when his enthusiasm is too much for his friends, Clark's teacher, Mrs. Inkydink, helps him figure out a way to tone it down. Clark the Shark celebrates boisterous enthusiasm - and knowing when it's time for indoor voices!
https://www.amazon.com/Clark-Shark-Bruce-Hale/dp/0062192264/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-1
2013
(A funny, larger-than-life adventure for fans of No, David...)
A funny, larger-than-life adventure for fans of No, David! 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 milk and cookie trucks by storm. No police, firefighters, or even librarians can stop him!
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Bad-Baby-Bruce-Hale/dp/0803735855/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-3
2014
(Don’t shed a tear, 'cause there’s nothing to fear! Clark ...)
Don’t shed a tear, 'cause there’s nothing to fear! 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 entertained and reassured by this clever, funny twist on a dentist visit in this I Can Read story featuring their favorite boisterous shark. The back matter also includes fun, bite-sized facts about shark teeth! With colorful illustrations from Guy Francis and lively text from Bruce Hale, this Level One I Can Read is perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.
https://www.amazon.com/Clark-Shark-Tooth-Trouble-No/dp/0062279068/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-11
2014
(From the comic genius behind CHET GECKO comes a new kind ...)
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 Tyrone, ruler of Fairylandia, drags in the obvious suspect: Wolfgang. The lone wolf has big teeth, sharp claws, no alibi - and a single day to find the real culprit and clear his big bad name. When Wolf (reluctantly) teams up with the fourth Little Pig to crack the case, the Big Bad Detective Agency - and an adventure way funnier than your average fairy tale - is off to a howling start!
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Detective-Agency-Bruce-Hale-ebook/dp/B00LH4YYJG/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-8
2015
(Just when Max Segredo learned that his father is still al...)
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 world. In this action-packed sequel to PLAYING WITH FIRE, it is impossible not to root for Max, a spy-in-training with mad skills, a spunky attitude, a way with the ladies (well, okay, maybe not so much), and a big heart.
https://www.amazon.com/School-SPIES-Thicker-Than-Water/dp/1423171063/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-14
2015
(Children’s Choice Book Award Finalist Clark the Shark is ...)
Children’s Choice Book Award Finalist 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. Featuring bright, colorful artwork from Guy Francis and hilarious read-aloud text from Bruce Hale, this Clark the Shark picture book is the perfect story for kids braving nighttime jitters!
https://www.amazon.com/Clark-Shark-Afraid-Bruce-Hale/dp/0062374508/ref=sr_1_20?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659925&sr=8-20
2015
(What do you do when your favorite teacher starts turning ...)
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 hysterically for no reason, sniffing people's homework, and chasing chickens. This first entry in a silly, sassy, and suspenseful new series will leave readers howling with laughter.
https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Were-Hyena-Monstertown-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/1484713257/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-6
2016
(Clark the Shark loves Christmas more than anyone! When Cl...)
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 the gift exchange? Will Clark learn about Christmas giving? Featuring bright, colorful artwork from Guy Francis and hilarious read-aloud text from Bruce Hale, this Clark the Shark picture book is the perfect story for Christmas reading fun. Clark the Shark: Afraid of the Dark is a 2016 Children’s Choice Book Award finalist!
https://www.amazon.com/Clark-Shark-Loves-Christmas-Bruce/dp/0062374524/ref=sr_1_23?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659925&sr=8-23
2016
(How well do you know the lunch servers at your school? Su...)
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 called upon to investigate the strange goings-on in the cafeteria.
https://www.amazon.com/Mutant-Mantis-Monstertown-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/1484713249/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-9
2017
(Something is very wrong at Monterrosa Elementary - again....)
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 to call in the best monster hunters they know: each other. This may well be their wackiest extermination challenge yet! In his third Monstertown Mystery, Bruce Hale delivers another silly, strange, and spooky tale for readers who like their chills with a side of chuckles.
https://www.amazon.com/Invasion-Scorp-lions-Monstertown-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/1484713230/ref=sr_1_18?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659925&sr=8-18
2017
(Be bold, be smart, and speak from the heart! Clark the Sh...)
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, will Clark be able to overcome his fears?
https://www.amazon.com/Clark-Shark-Book-Report-Level/dp/0062279122/ref=sr_1_21?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659925&sr=8-21
2017
(Fuzzy is the ambitious and unfortunately named guinea pig...)
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. There's only one way to topple the adorable new club president: Fuzzy is taking the pets on a field trip!
https://www.amazon.com/Fuzzys-Great-Escape-Class-Pets/dp/1338145185/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-2
2018
(Fuzzy has a great new plan as the Adventure Director of t...)
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 happening, and not in a fun, Halloween way.
https://www.amazon.com/Fuzzy-Freaks-Out-Class-Pets/dp/133814524X/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-5
2018
(Class 5B has a substitute teacher - and he's the worst! F...)
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 his whiskers trying! 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 his whiskers trying!
https://www.amazon.com/Fuzzy-Takes-Charge-Class-Pets/dp/1338145215/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-15
2018
(Will Fuzzy and his friends be able to fight against a pla...)
Will Fuzzy and his friends be able to fight against a plan to ban class pets, or will they be thrown out like yesterday's juice box? 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!
https://www.amazon.com/Fuzzy-Fights-Back-Class-Pets/dp/1338145274/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659925&sr=8-17
2018
(Clark the Shark’s mom is making brownies for school. But ...)
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 chocolaty Level One tale will have beginning readers ready to take a bite out of reading!
https://www.amazon.com/Clark-Shark-Many-Treats-Level/dp/0062279165/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=bruce+hale&qid=1576659886&sr=8-13
2019
Bruce Hale was born on October 30, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, United States. He is a son of Clark (in industrial relations) and Ann (a homemaker) Hale.
Hele studied at Lunada Bay Elementary and at Palos Verdes High School. He attended the University of California, Davis, California, United States in 1975-1977. He got his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1980 at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Bruce Hale started his career at Asuka Communications (advertising firm), in Tokyo, Japan, in 1982-1983. Later he worked in Trade Publishing (magazines), in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States in 1983-1986, and in a phone company GTE Hawaiian Tel, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States in 1986-1989. Since 1989 he has been a self-employed writer, actor, and illustrator.
Hale is the creator of a series of humorous chapter books featuring fourth-grade amateur sleuth Chet Gecko and his sidekick, Natalie Attired. Using the riffs first made popular in hard-boiled detective stories of decades past. Hale’s protagonist spouts outlandish similes and slang as he narrates tales such as "The Mystery of Mr. Nice," in which Chet suspects his school principal has been replaced by an imposter, and "The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse," in which a chameleon suspects her brother has been abducted by an angry Gila monster named Herman. Chuckling at Hale’s “corny jokes, clever wordplay, and amusing asides,” Sharon McNeil, reviewing The Mystery of Mr. Nice in School Library Journal, praised the author’s ability to keep the pacing of his faux-gumshoe mysteries swift. Hale’s black-and-white cartoons add to the humor of his tales in their depiction of a range of animal characters who take the role of the other schoolchildren at Emerson Hicky Elementary School, where the main action of the stories takes place. In a Publishers Weekly review of "The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse," a critic noted that since Hale’s emphasis is on humor rather than on the element of mystery in his plots, mystery fans may not be entirely satisfied with the tales of Chet Gecko, “but beginning readers especially will appreciate the offbeat, likable cast and quirky comedy.” However, for Connie Fletcher, who reviewed "The Mystery of Mr. Nice" in Booklist, “the swift plot, clever wisecracking, and hard-boiled style make this chapter book a terrific read.”
(How well do you know the lunch servers at your school? Su...)
2017(Children’s Choice Book Award Finalist Clark the Shark is ...)
2015(From the comic genius behind CHET GECKO comes a new kind ...)
2015(A funny, larger-than-life adventure for fans of No, David...)
2014(Will Fuzzy and his friends be able to fight against a pla...)
2018(Just when Max Segredo learned that his father is still al...)
2015(Fuzzy has a great new plan as the Adventure Director of t...)
2018(Clark the Shark loves Christmas more than anyone! When Cl...)
2016(What do you do when your favorite teacher starts turning ...)
2016(Class 5B has a substitute teacher - and he's the worst! F...)
2018(Everyone knows the story of Sleeping Beauty: A handsome p...)
2008(Most folks know him as the best lizard detective at Emers...)
2008(Clark the Shark is a great read-aloud picture book, with ...)
2013(Don’t shed a tear, 'cause there’s nothing to fear! Clark ...)
2014(Be bold, be smart, and speak from the heart! Clark the Sh...)
2017(On a magic surfboard, Moki the Gecko flies, journeys unde...)
1996(Fuzzy is the ambitious and unfortunately named guinea pig...)
2018(Get ready for muckraking time at Emerson Hicky Elementary...)
2007(Something is very wrong at Monterrosa Elementary - again....)
2017(Clark the Shark’s mom is making brownies for school. But ...)
2019(Chet Gecko loves a good mystery. Almost more than he love...)
2001(It's tough to be ZeKe. He's got his hands full: There is ...)
2009Bruce says, a main character is memorable if they have a unique point of view and attitude, those elements combine to give you a great voice. He's made seven series, and the ones that stay in print have those strong attitudes and views from the very first page.
Quotations:
"Drawing pictures of the characters is part of my process for writing, I was a cartoonist before I was an author, and what a character looks like often shapes their personality in a way just writing about them does not."
"When I write, I usually picture the story action in my head, as if I were watching a movie, and I strive for a cinematic flavor in my storytelling. Coming from that performing background, I know what grabs an audience - dramatic openings, cliffhanger chapter endings, etc. - and I try to incorporate all those tricks into my tales. As an actor and storyteller, I’ve always loved doing different character voices, and when I write, I do the same thing. In my head, I’m playing that character - I actually hear his or her voice in the accent I’d use if I were telling a story."
“I love disappearing into a story, whether I’m writing or reading it. And I love humor. While I’m writing, if I can crack myself up or if I surprise myself, I know I’m doing a good job. I feel fortunate to be an illustrator, too - so that I can create the reader’s entire experience in my books.”
Bruce Hale is a member of Dramatists Guild, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (former regional advisor for Hawaii chapter), National Speakers Association.
Bruce's favorite food is sushi, favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookies and favorite color is aqua blue.
When he was asked, what’s the best thing about being a writer, he answered: "It's a three-way tie between making a living creating stories, enjoying sharing those stories with kid readers, and being able to go to work in my PJs."
Bruce Hale married Janette Cross (a dancer) in 1993.