Hale, Bruce 1957-

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Hale, Bruce 1957-

PERSONAL:

Born October 30, 1957, in Los Angeles, CA; son of Clark (in industrial relations) and Ann (a homemaker) Hale; married Janette Cross (a dancer), 1993. Education: Attended University of California, Davis, 1975-77; University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1980. Hobbies and other interests: Hiking, swimming, yoga, performing jazz.

ADDRESSES:

Office—P.O. Box 91835, Santa Barbara, CA 93190-1835. Agent—Steven Malk, Writer's House, 3368 Governor Dr., Ste. 224F, San Diego, CA 92122.

CAREER:

Worked for Asuka Communications (advertising firm), Tokyo, Japan, 1982-83, Trade Publishing (magazine publisher), Honolulu, HI, 1983-86, and GTE Hawaiian Tel (telephone company), Honolulu, 1986-89; self-employed writer, speaker, actor, and illustrator, 1989—.

MEMBER:

International Reading Association, Mystery Writers of America, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (past regional advisor for Hawaii chapter).

WRITINGS:

SELF-ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Legend of the Laughing Gecko: A Hawaiian Fantasy, Words and Pictures (Honolulu, HI), 1989.

Surf Gecko to the Rescue!, Geckostufs (Honolulu, HI), 1991.

Moki and the Magic Surfboard: A Hawaiian Fantasy, Words and Pictures (Honolulu, HI), 1996.

Moki the Gecko's Best Christmas Ever, Words and Pictures (Honolulu, HI), 1998.

How the Gecko Lost His Tail, Words and Pictures (Honolulu, HI), 1999.

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.

The Mystery of Mr. Nice: A Chet Gecko Mystery, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.

Farewell, My Lunch Bag: A Chet Gecko Mystery, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2001.

The Big Nap: A Chet Gecko Mystery, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2001.

This Gum for Hire: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2002.

The Hamster of the Baskervilles: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Trouble Is My Beeswax: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2003.

The Malted Falcon: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.

Murder, My Tweet: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2004.

Give My Regrets to Broadway: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2004.

Chet Gecko's Detective Handbook (and Cookbook): Tips for Private Eyes and Snack Food Lovers, recipes by Nancy Oster, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2005.

The Possum Always Rings Twice, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2006.

Key Lardo, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2006.

OTHER

(Illustrator) Susan Entz and Sheri Galarza, Hawaiian Values, six volumes, Bess Press (Honolulu, HI), 1999.

Snoring Beauty, illustrated by Howard Fine, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2007.

Hiss Me Deadly, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2007.

From Russia with Lunch, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2008.

Pirates of Underwhere (graphic novel), illustrated by Shane Hillman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2008.

Prince of Underwhere (graphic novel), illustrated by Shane Hillman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2008.

SIDELIGHTS:

Bruce Hale once commented: "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."

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: A Chet Gecko Mystery, in which Chet suspects his school principal has been replaced by an imposter, and The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye, 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, noted the author's ability to keep the pace 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."