Spark and the Grand Sleuth: A Novel

by Robert Repino

Overview

An army of toys, a menacing threat, and a thrilling adventure collide in the high-stakes sequel to middle grade adventure Spark and the League of Ursus.
 
Spark may be a cute and cuddly teddy bear, but she’s also a fierce protector. Weeks after rescuing her human owner—a budding young filmmaker named Loretta—from a hideous monster, everything seems to be returning to normal. But then Spark is summoned before the mysterious Grand Sleuth, the high council of teddy bears, who task her with a dangerous mission: locating the portal to the monster’s world.
 
During her daring quest, Spark discovers a terrible secret that changes everything. In order to keep Loretta and their whole town safe, she must enlist the help of her loyal toy friends and team up with an unexpected ally. As the menace grows, Spark realizes that Loretta has a hidden power that may be the key to saving them all . . .
 
This dark middle grade fantasy is perfect for fans of the Nightmares! series and Holly Black’s Doll Bones.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683692218
Publisher:	Quirk Publishing
Publication date:	03/23/2021
Series:	League of Ursus , #2
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,060,890
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Robert Repino is the author of the War with No Name series for adults and The League of Ursus duology for children. He lives in New York, where he works as an editor at a scholarly press and teaches at the Gotham Writers’ Workshop. Robert had two special teddy bears when he was growing up: Bear and Blue Bear.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

Spark sat on the shelf, her usual spot, between a set of worn-out diaries and a basketball trophy. In the window, the sun crept higher into the perfect blue sky, reflecting off the movie posters that lined the wall. It was Friday. The children were at school, the parents at work. While they were gone, Spark kept watch. Teddy bears like her were meant for this. They were meant to stay on the lookout for monsters—and anything else that could harm their human companions. This afternoon was quiet, like always. So Spark thought nothing of it when Zed—the sock monkey—called to her from the windowsill.
     “A delivery guy just dropped off a package,” he whispered.
     Only a few weeks earlier, Zed would never have left his place on the shelf. Usually, he stayed put and begged Spark to stop sneaking around. But he had become more daring lately, ever since encountering his first monster. When he was feeling particularly brave, he boasted that he was the first sock monkey to join the League of Ursus. Spark admired this newfound courage, though his efforts to keep watch sometimes went too far. Zed was always anxious, even when the danger had passed (or was never there in the first place).
     “Did you hear me?” Zed asked, tugging at the little wool cap that was sewn to his head.
     “I heard you,” Spark said. “Delivery guys leave packages all the time.”
     Zed turned away from the window. “The package just moved.”
      Spark jumped from the shelf, climbed onto the desk, and joined Zed on the windowsill. Below, a plain cardboard box the size of a microwave oven sat on the front steps.
     “Delivery guy knocked twice,” Zed said. “No one answered, so he stuck a note to the door and left the box.”
     In another hour, Zed would probably find something new to worry about. A distant police siren or a squirrel scratching on the roof. Until then, Spark would have to humor him. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Mom and Dad will grab the box when they get back.”
     “What’s inside?” Zed asked.
     “Maybe it’s a new toy. Maybe that’s how you got here,” Spark teased.
     Zed’s mouth dropped open. This possibility clearly blew his mind. Spark realized she’d better explain before he started asking questions she couldn’t answer.
     “Look,” she said, “have you ever heard of a monster that attacked a house from a box?” She pointed to the package, looking as harmless and bland as everything else in the neighborhood. “And how big could he be? That box is so—”
     The package moved.
     “—small?”
     The branches outside the window hung completely still. Couldn’t have been the wind, Spark thought.

Editorial Reviews

Praise from Spark and the League of Ursus

“Repino pits an indomitable squad of teddy bears...against a child-stealing monster...the climactic battle, when it finally arrives, becomes a breathless, close-run thing replete with rousing exploits and tests of courage.”—Booklist

“A secret world of sentient toys comes to life in this gently creepy, Toy Story–tinged adventure.…With its exploration of themes such as family, loyalty, bravery, and the power of imagination, this story is both entertaining and uplifting.”—Publishers Weekly

“A thrilling adventure.”—Kirkus Reviews

“I liked this book because it had an engaging storyline. It was just the right amount of suspenseful without being too scary. The story was exciting to follow, so I could read it quickly. I would recommend this book to other people because it was fun and easy to read.”—Shreya, age 9, reviewer for Kids' Book Buzz

“Grab a flashlight and burrow under the covers! Spark and the League of Ursus is the perfect bedtime adventure, with a fierce, fluffy hero you'll want by your side when the lights go out.”—Kirsten Miller, New York Times bestselling co-author of Nightmares! 

“A heroic teddy bear, an Amazon Princess doll, and a fellowship of stuffed animals must save their beloved children from some truly scary monsters. I loved the imaginative world building and likable characters (toy and human alike) of this fast-paced tale. A blast from start to finish!”—J.A. White, award-winning author of Nightbooks and the Thickety

“Spark and the League of Ursus will fire the imagination and spur the adventures of any kid with a teddy bear. Also, any adult with a teddy bear.”—J. W. Ocker, Edgar Award-winning author of Death and Douglas

“If Toy Story had teeth, you’d have Spark and the League of Ursus. A thrilling and heartwarming tale that will make you look twice under your bed and never take your teddy bear for granted again.”—Tania del Rio, author of the Warren the 13th series

“Enchanting, zippy-paced, and just scary enough to make me want to dig deeper under the covers in the dark of night (and pull my old teddy bear out of the closet), I dearly adored Spark and her human.”—Natalie Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic

From the Publisher