Giles Barnes is new in the neighbourhood, but it isn't long before he's befriended by Tina and Kevin Quark, the local geniuses, who investigate strange occurences of all description.

Barnes and the Brains Book 1: A Bad Case of Ghosts

Giles Barnes and his family have just moved -- into a very strange house. Creaks, rustles, and fluttering sounds fill his bedroom. His mother insists there are no such thing as ghosts, but Giles decides to investigate. He enlists the help of his new neighbours, "local geniuses" Tina and Kevin Quark, and their "ghostometer," and together Barnes and the Brains solve the mystery -- and get rid of the ghosts for good!

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BUY IN CANADA

Action-packed stories for beginning readers!

Giles Barnes is new in the neighbourhood, but it isn't long before he's befriended by Tina and Kevin Quark, the local geniuses, who investigate strange occurences of all description. Whether it's ghost birds, invisible magicians, or renegade robots, Barnes and the Brains are on the case...

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Reviews

"These elementary-level chapter books are perfect for the beginning independent reader. Interest-grabbing action begins with the first page, and the mystery and suspense of the problems to be solved carry the reader through to the end. The amusing characters, with their distinctive personalities, are drawn simply but fully and the author makes use of a rich and varied vocabulary. All of these elements unite to create a very appealing new series. Highly recommended."

– Deborah Dowson, CBRA 2000

Book 2: A Strange Case of Magic

When Giles, Tina and Kevin see books moving in the library all by themslves, they know they have to investigate. But Tina's amazing ghostometer doesn't pick up any ghosts, so what could that mysterious presence be? Nobody expects what they actually find -- and once again, it takes a dose of Giles's own common-sense magic to get things back to normal.

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Book 3: A Crazy Case of Robots

Tina Quark has invented the ultimate robot! The Tinatron 1000 is programmed to perform any task flawlessly -- from cleaning to homework, and everything in between. When Tina asks Giles Barnes to robot-sit, the robot's perfect ways drive him perfectly crazy. And when Tinatron's circuits start to overload, sparks fly! Can Barnes and the Brains outsmart a renegade robot?

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Book 4: An Incredible Case Of Dinosaurs:

When Miss Frost sees a very large something in her swimming pool, she calls in the Quark geniuses and their best friend Giles to investigate. With the help of Tina's latest invention, a bathysphere, they discover a pair of Hydrosaurs, supposed to have been extinct for millions of years. Miss Frost thinks they'll make her a fortune, but Giles and Kevin have other ideas.

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Book 5: A Weird Case of Super-Goo

A blue glow is slowly spreading over Aunt Lillian...

This wrinkle cream is going too far. Giles's aunt has become a kid again, and everybody's treating her like one. It's time for Barnes and the Brains to outsmart the super-goo, and get Giles's kooky Aunt Lillian back into her own skin!

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Book 6: A Creepy Case of Vampires

Walking past the old church at twilight, Giles and Kevin see a dark figure on the bell tower. Suddenly, the mysterious form disappears in a swirl of bats...

Soon, Barnes and the Brains are on the case. Father Peter is desperate to solve his bat problem. But when Tina's invention fails, it's up to Giles and Kevin to clear the church of bats... or could it really be vampires?

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