The Underdogs Fake It Till They Make It

“The Underdogs will have young readers HOWLING with laughter, SNIFFING for clues, and BARKING with delight.” —Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood, creators of the Real Pigeons series Perfect for fans of comical animal do-gooders like The Bad Guys, The InvestiGators, and The Chicken Squad, this hilarious chapter book series follows a group of bumbling dog detectives and their newest recruit—a cat! In this second case, the Underdogs must sniff out the identity of an art forger. Crime is on the rise in Dogtown, and it’s all thanks to a mysterious art forger! They’ve stolen one of Puplo Picasso’s masterpieces out of a museum and swapped it with a fake. Such a big case would normally go to the Top Dog detectives, but they’re out of town on vacation . . . So it’s time to call in the Underdog Detective Agency: with Barkley the German shepherd, Carl the Chihuahua, Dr. Spots the Dalmatian, and Fang . . . the cat. (Yes, a cat!) What the Underdogs lack in skill, they make up for in grit and determination. And they are determined to catch the culprit and prove they are the best sleuths in town. Can Fang, Barkley, and the others solve the case before the thief strikes again or the Top Dogs return from their trip? You’ll have to read to find out in this paws-itively hilarious mystery!

In a city gone to the dogs … get yourself a cat.​​ The Underdog Detective Agency has a proud tradition of sniffing out trouble (plus sniffing each other’s butts). They’re on a mission to catch Dogtown’s elusive cat burglar … but if they want to crack this case, they’re going to need help!​​ Enter Fang. Letting a scruffy street cat join the Underdogs is a bold move, but sometimes you’ve got to risk it to get the (dog) biscuit.​​​ Jump on the case with Fang and Barkley as they hit the mean streets of Dogtown. Will they catch the cat burglar? Is Barkley’s bark worse than his bite? Will they bond over furballs? Find out all this and more in The Underdogs Catch a Cat Burglar.

Perfect for fans of comical animal do-gooders like The Bad Guys, The InvestiGators, and The Chicken Squad, this hilarious chapter book series follows a group of bumbling dog detectives and their newest recruit—a cat! In their fourth case, the Underdogs have a bone to pick with whoever took a one-of-a-kind guitar. Crime is on the rise in Dogtown, and it’s all thanks to a guitar bandit! It’s nearly time for DogAid, the hottest music festival in town, but Mick Wagger’s lucky golden guitar has gone missing. Could one of Mick’s biggest fans—the Boneheads—be behind it? Or a fellow rockstar like Justin Beaver or Catty Perry? Or an enemy Mick made on the road to fame? No matter who the culprit is, if they’re not stopped, the festival will be ruined, and no one will get to see The Rolling Bones hit the stage. So it’s time to call in the Underdog Detective Agency: with Barkley the German shepherd, Carl the Chihuahua, Dr. Spots the Dalmatian, and Fang . . . the cat. (Yes, a CAT!) What the Underdogs lack in skill, they make up for in grit, determination, and disguises. The team jumps on the case like a drummer on a beat, but will the Underdogs be able to stop the thief and save the show? If not, they may end up in treble. You’ll have to read to find out in this paws-itively hilarious mystery!

#1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica tackles football! Will Tyler can fly on a football field. He may not be the biggest running back around, but no one can touch him when it comes to hitting the hole and finding the end zone. And no one can match his love of the game. When Will has a football in hand, he may as well be flying for real because life can't touch him - his dad isn't so defeated, his town isn't so poor, and everyone has something to cheer for. All of which does him no good if the football season is canceled. With no funding for things like uniforms and a cared-for playing field, with seemingly every other family moving to find jobs, there simply isn't enough money or players for a season. Unless one kid can rally an entire town and give everyone a reason to believe . . . For fans of his bestselling novels Travel Team and Million-Dollar Throw, Mike Lupica delivers a feel-good sports story that will have readers cheering where they sit. “There's plenty of action for sports fans, and readers will root for Will and his teammates till the very last page.” –School Library Journal “[F]ootball fans will…respond to the detailed and exciting game action once the season gets rolling and find inspiration in Will and his teammates' tenacity.” –Publisher’s Weekly “Will's ingenuity and loyalty are encouraging, causing readers to want to cheer him on as he makes his dream come true.” –VOYA

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of HEAT and TRAVEL TEAM. Everyone calls Nate Brodie "Brady" because he's a New England quarterback, just like his idol, Tom Brady. And now he's got a chance to win a million dollars by throwing one pass through a target at halftime in the Patriots; Thanksgiving night game. More than anything, Nate's family needs the money—his dad's been downsized, his mom's working two jobs, and they're on the verge of losing their house. The worry is more weight than a 13-year-old can bear, and it's affecting his playing for his own football team. Suddenly the boy with the golden arm is having trouble completing a pass . . . but can he make the one that really counts?

Behind the Scenes The Heart of the Matter Volume 4 (God Cleansing My Insides, Me Facing Truth about Myself) is just what this book is about. The Lord began to do a deep cleansing of my insides, the inward sins that was killing me. The inward hatred and unforgiveness that was fueling my bad behavior. The issues that made my spirit sick and flesh weak. And when He began to do His work in me, I had to face the real truth about myself that I was no good for anything or anyone. I appeared to be very happy, nice, and helpful but I knew everything I said, did, or thought was distorted. My motives were all clouded and wrong. They all were coming from a place of falseness, it wasn't real because I wasn't real. I was detached emotionally and physically from everything and everyone. You can be making and having babies, married, working, and helping people, while being detached from it all. Read how the Lord Jesus cleansed me from my sins, washed me from my iniquities, blotted out all my transgressions, purged me with hyssop, and created in me a clean heart and right spirit that I might know truth in my inward parts and wisdom in my hidden parts. "Thank, thank God for you. Be encouraged, you are going a great work, mighty woman of God. Bless you." --Rev. Charles Caston Sr. (Brookhaven, MS) "Powerful writing, God has really done something great in you. How, when, do you find the time to write and in detail of every account? I am very proud of you." --Rev. Amos Bridges (Monticello, MS) "Sometimes the best story you can tell is yours. You never know what a person is going through or been through. Keep doing what God has called you to do. Don't let no one stop you. I am very proud of you and no matter where God take you, you are always my member first. I love you." --Rev. Wyatt Lewis (Hazlehurst, MS)

The Underdog Detective Agency has a proud tradition of sniffing out trouble (and sniffing each other’s butts). Detective Barkley (a dog) and Detective Fang (a cat) are cleaning up the mean streets of Dogtown one crime at a time! In The Underdogs Hit a Grand Slam, Barkley and Fang take centre court to find out who’s stealing all the tennis balls in the lead-up to the Dogtown Tennis Grand Slam. Could it be Boris Barker, the famed international tennis pro? Or what about Steffi Gruff? Or Novak Dogavic? Fang and Barkley jump on the case like a dog with a ball, but can they save the day and serve up the criminal mastermind in time? Or will it be game, set, match?

Thorne Roberts is a Hollywood Adonis. America's teen heartthrob. Just another raven-haired, sharp-jawed, entitled bad-boy celebrity with a pretty face. Everything I detest. So when he comes into my family's place of business and makes demands, I shut him down. But now my parents are being sued, and it's my fault. Their business and my future are at stake. So when he stares at me with those brilliant green eyes and proposes a fake relationship to get him out of trouble and save my parent's bakery from inevitable demise, I say yes. After all, how hard can it be? All I have to do is fake-date America's hottest Hollywood star without getting feelings involved. No biggie. There's only one problem: He's not quite the wild child the media makes him out to be. He's actually kind of broken and . . . sweet.