Colleen A. F Venable

Twelve-year-old Katie is dreading the boring summer ahead until she realizes the mysterious neighbor who hired her to catsit is one of the city's greatest supervillains.

"Mads is pretty happy with her life. She goes to church with her family, and minor league baseball games with her dad. She goofs off with her best friend Cat, and has thus far managed to avoid getting kissed by Adam, the boy next door. It's everything she hoped high school would be. until all of a sudden, it's not. Her dad is hiding something big--so big it could tear her family apart. And that's just the beginning of her problems: Mads is starting...

Guinea pig Sasspants knows something is wrong with ninth-grader Viola, the new pet shop assistant, so when Mr. Venezi goes missing Sasspants and Hamisher put their private investigation skills to the test.

"The family toaster is preparing to take over the world with an army of evil robots, but it needs your help to build them! Several obstacles lie in its path: your homework, a pesky little sister, and even a dastardly kitty cat. Just follow the instructions to build a series of robots, and world domination is within reach!"--Provided by publisher.

Did you know that Patrick Swayze was 35 when he got his big break in Dirty Dancing? The Swayze Year is an entertaining and inspiring humor book that proves you're never too old to reach your potential. The Swayze Year celebrates later-in-life wins with short profiles of one person for every year from age 35 to age 100 who climbed mountains-metaphorical and literal-wrote their own storylines, and found their happy little trees at a more mature age....

The animals in Mr. Venezi's pet shop are used to how forgetful he is. Then he hires the perfect assistant, Viola. She does her job so well that Mr. V hardly needs to be there. In fact, one day, Mr. V doesn't come back at all! But then Viola starts ignoring the animals. Has Mr. V given the pet shop to a villain? Or is some other mystery afoot? Sasspants, PI(G)fluffy-but-determined guinea pig detective (and junior detective Hamisher the hamster) will...

Mr. Venezi has put up a help wanted sign in the pet shop. He needs someone to keep track of the animals. But more help might mean he sells more pets, and the animals will have to leave their home. Sasspants, PI(G) fluffy-but-reluctant detective is on the case. She fixes the signs on all the cages, but then a vandal turns turtle into turnip and fish into knish! Are the crazy ferrets behind it? The game is afoot for Sasspants and her sidekick Hamisher!...

Sasspants, Hamisher, and company have never had it so good. Now that Mr. Venezi's Pets and Stuff doesn't actually sell pets, everybody has time to explore other interests. There's scuba diving in the fish tank with the Steves, theatrical performances with the mice, and walrus toothbrushes and aardvark neckties for everyone! It's not all good times, though. Mr. Venezi's been mistaking his bills for fan mail and a dragon may have moved into the shop....

"Still training to be a sidekick, Katie protects the city against mysterious robot attacks--while trying not to feel like an outsider within her own friend group"--

When guinea pig Sasspants leaves Mr. Venezi's pet shop to live with Detective Nichols, and hamster-detective Hamisher retires, the case of the missing bookstore cat must be solved without their help.