The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald

Since 1960, both boys and girls have enjoyed reading about Alvin Fernald and his Magnificent Brain. Whenever it kicks into action and a glassy stare comes into his eyes, it's time to watch out! Because Alvin is thinking up another marvelous invention.

Maybe it's the Foolproof Burglar Alarm for his bedroom door, or a Sure Shot Paper Slinger for delivering newspapers from his bike. Or a Portable Fire Escape, very handy when it comes time to crawl out the window for a secret meeting with his best pal, Shoie. No doubt about it, as his sister the Pest says, "Alvin is a genius!"

With his best friend Wilfred Shoemaker (Shoie for short) and the Pest, who always tags along, there is never a dull moment as Alvin unfolds the most brilliant plan of his career to solve the mystery surrounding the old Huntley place.

Paperback $7.99. 128 pages, ages 8-12.


Alvin's Secret Code

The warm, tingly feeling that had been smack in the middle of Alvin Fernald's stomach ever since Miss Peppersmith had closed and neatly lined up her books that Friday afternoon, had grown bigger as he and Shoie walked home from school.

Now, here, in his hand, is the reason why! Alvin's sixth sense tells him that the crumpled note holds a secret message in spy code, which is about to catapult the two secret agents plus Alvin's younger sister Daphne, the Pest, into the intricacies of authentic code detection and the dangers of a newly stirred-up 100-year-old mystery.

Even Alvin's Magnificent Brain is nearly put on overload before the bang-up solution to the code and the mystery carry the three agents to an ending that is satisfying to all...well, to almost all. This classic tale from 1963 includes Alvin's own notes on cryptography in an appendix at the back.

ISBN 9781930900851, Paperback $9.99, 160 pages, ages 6-12.


Alvin Fernald, Mayor for a Day

Alvin Fernald, possessor of the Magnificent Brain, strikes again this time causing citywide repercussions with his one-day administration as Mayor of Riverton.

Author Clifford B. Hicks teams our hero with Speedy Glomitz, the only kid who has ever offered Alvin any competition in the brain department. With Speedy's help, Alvin wins the opportunity to be Mayor of Riverton for one day. Alvin and his friends discover the virtue of teamwork, and in a wild Alvinish climax, foil the villains and even institute a few needed civic improvements.

Boys and girls will enjoy this amusing, fast-paced story, which was first published in 1970, and peppered with the original comic illustrations from Bill Sokol.

ISBN 9781930900868, Paperback $9.99, 144 pages, ages 6-12.

Alvin Fernald's Incredible Buried Treasure

Alvin Fernald is back! Not only back, but he finds himself in the middle of a mystery as exciting and hilarious as The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald.

Alvin reaches back to the Civil War, at least figuratively, to bond with a boy who buried a national treasure in order to save it. With the aid of the Pest (Alvin's sister Daphne), and his best friend Shoie, Alvin solves a secret message to reveal the whereabouts of the treasure. This is living history, bound with laughs galore. Clifford B. Hicks has written another classic which both kids and adults will enjoy!

Permanently lowered from $17.95 to $5.00, with a remainder mark.

ISBN 9781930900431 Hardcover 187 pages. Ages 8-12. $5.00