Peachtree Publishers Title Information Sheet
Fall 2014
Title: Charlie Bumpers vs. the Squeaking Skull
HC ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-808-0
HC ISBN 10: 1-56145-808-2
CD ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-809-7
CD ISBN 10: 1-56145-809-0
Author: Bill Harley
Pub month: 09/14
Illustrator: Adam Gustavson
In warehouse: 08/14
Editor: Vicky Holifield
Print run:
Price: HC: $13.95 / CD: $16.95
Format: jacketed HC / two-CD set
Category: middle grade fiction
Trim size: 5 x 7 ⅛
Ages and grades: 7–10 / 2–4
Page count: 176
Territory: world
Media: India ink and watercolor
Rights: all rights available, except
Illustrations: 20–25 black and
film/dramatic
white drawings
Author’s profile: A two-time Grammy award-winning performer, Bill Harley is a prolific author and
recording artist, as well as a regular commentator for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” He
joined the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence in 2001 and tours nationwide as an author,
performing artist, and keynote speaker.
Author’s residence: Seekonk, MA
Author’s website: www.billharley.com
Illustrator’s profile: Adam Gustavson is the illustrator of more than twenty books for children, as well as
numerous periodicals. He holds a master of fine arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York,
and teaches at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Illustrator’s residence: West Orange, New Jersey Illustrator’s website: www.adamgustavson.com
Sales handle: Charlie Bumpers is looking forward to the big sleepover at Alex’s house on Halloween until
he finds out the entertainment will be watching the scariest horror movies ever!
Book description: This Halloween Charlie and Tommy have big plans. They hope they can get out of
taking their little sisters around and go trick-or-treating in Alex’s upscale neighborhood instead. There
they’ll get tons more candy, they’ll be on their own, and afterwards they’ll get to attend the sleepover at
Alex’s house. But when Charlie finds out that the entertainment at the party is to consist of the “Scariest
Horror Movies Ever,” he is struck by panic. Charlie loves candy, he loves sleepovers with his friends, but
he absolutely hates horror movies.
There is yet another wrinkle in Charlie’s Halloween plans. He is determined to win the big prize (ten movie
tickets) for the best costume, but when he finally comes up with a genius prize-winning idea, he runs into
an unexpected obstacle… How will Charlie be able to enjoy Halloween this year?
Selling Points:
• GRAMMY-AWARD WINNER Bill Harley has a big following; he will promote the series during
his many performances and school appearances
• FUN SERIES FOR YOUNG BOY READERS that doesn’t rely on potty humor or fantasy
• The first book in the series was a JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD selection
• SCHOOL AND FAMILY SETTING will appeal to teachers and librarians
• STORY USES HUMOR to get across some important values such as learning to face one’s fears
and making the best of a bad situation
Sales competition:
ISBN
TITLE
978-0-38573-701-2
Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet
(series)
978-0-78683-882-0
Clementine (series)
978-1-55337-689-7
Martin Bridge: On the Lookout!
(series)
AUTHOR
Graham Salisbury
Sara Pennypacker /
Marla Frazee
Jessica Scott Kerrin
/ Joseph Kelly
PUBLISHER
Wendy Lamb
Books
Hyperion
PUB DATE
3/2009
PRICE
$12.99
9/2006
$14.99
Kids Can
8/2005
$16.95
Awards and honors:
• “The swift-paced story is powered by peppy repartee between Charlie and the people in his life, as
well as his droll internal monologue.” ―Publishers Weekly
• “Readers will be waiting to see how Charlie faces his next challenge in a series that marks a lovely
change of pace from the sarcasm of Wimpy Kid.” ―Kirkus Reviews
• “Narrator Charlie is personable and well-rounded as a Ramona Quimby-esque protagonist who
faces a series of kid-familiar challenges in trying his best to do the right thing.” ―The Bulletin of
the Center for Children's Books
• “…a fast-paced, enjoyable first entry in a new chapter-book series. It’s a good choice for those
who have finished Andrew Clements’s Jake Drake books.” —School Library Journal
Author’s previous books: (bold denotes books by author and illustrator)
ISBN
TITLE
PUBLISHER
978-1-56145-732-8
Charlie Bumpers vs. the Teacher of the Year HC
Peachtree
978-1-56145-770-0
& CD
978-1-56145-740-3
Charlie Bumpers vs. the Really Nice Gnome HC & Peachtree
978-1-56145-788-5
CD
978-1-56145-628-4
Lost and Found
Peachtree
978-1-56145-459-4
Night of the Spadefoot Toads HC & PB
Peachtree
978-1-56145-638-3
978-0-06623-780-0
Dirty Joe, the Pirate: A True Story
HarperCollins
978-1-56145-381-8
The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher HC & PB
Peachtree
978-1-56145-494-5
978-0-87483-572-4
Bear’s All-Night Party
August House
978-0-87483-460-4
Sitting Down to Eat
August House
978-0-06623-778-7
Dear Santa: The Letters of James B. Dobbins
HarperCollins
Illustrator’s previous books:
ISBN
TITLE
978-1-60060-411-9
Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer
William Hoy
978-0-76135-137-5
Hannah’s Way
978-1-56145-590-4
Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be
978-1-58246-380-3
Better Than You
978-0-76137-118-2
The Little Rock Nine Stand Up for Their Rights
978-1-58246-318-6
Calico Dorsey
978-1-56145-537-9
The Blue House Dog
978-1-56145-492-1
Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt!
978-1-58246-256-1
Yankee at the Seder
978-1-41691-814-1
The Lost-and-Found Tooth
978-1-57091-871-1
A Very Improbable Story
Snow Day! HC, HC & CD & PB
978-1-56145-418-1
978-1-561455-54-6
978-1-56145-553-9
978-1-41691-813-4
The John Hancock Club
978-1-58246-184-7
Rough Tough Charley
978-1-58246-163-2
Just Kidding
978-0-68986-869-6
The Last Day of School
PUB DATE
09/2013
04/2014
10/2012
10/2008
4/2012
5/2008
9/2006
8/2009
12/2005
12/2005
9/2005
PRICE
$13.95
$16.95
$13.95
$16.95
$16.95
$15.95
$7.95
$17.99
$14.95
$7.95
$15.95
$15.95
$15.99
PUBLISHER
Lee & Low
PUB DATE
4/2012
PRICE
$18.94
Kar-Ben
Peachtree
Knopf
Lerner
Tricycle
Peachtree
Peachtree
Tricycle
Margaret McElderry
Charlesbridge
Peachtree
3/2012
10/2011
9/2011
1/2011
9/2010
8/2010
9/2009
3/2009
7/2008
1/2008
9/2007
6/2010
Margaret McElderry
Tricycle
Tricycle
Margaret McElderry
6/2007
5/2007
4/2006
3/2006
$17.95
$16.95
$15.99
$9.95
$16.99
$15.95
$16.95
$16.99
$16.99
$16.95
$16.95
$19.95
$7.95
$16.99
$15.95
$15.95
$15.95
BISAC:
• JUV019000 JUVENILE FICTION / Humorous Stories
• JUV005000 JUVENILE FICTION / Boys & Men
• JUV017030 JUVENILE FICTION / Holidays & Celebrations / Halloween
Charlie Bumpers vs. the Squeaking Skull Plot summary
Bill Harley, illustrated by Adam Gustavson
HC: $13.95 / CD: $16.95/ HC: 978-1-56145-808-0 / CD: 978-1-56145-809-7/ Ages 7–10 / Fiction
This Halloween Charlie and Tommy have big plans. They hope they can get out of taking their little
sisters around and go trick-or-treating in Alex’s upscale neighborhood instead. There they’d get tons more
candy, they’d be on their own, and afterwards they’d get to attend the sleepover at Alex’s house. But when
Charlie finds out that the entertainment at the party is to consist of horror movies—including The Shrieking
Skull, the scariest movie ever—he is struck by panic. Charlie loves candy, he loves sleepovers with his
friends, but he absolutely hates horror movies.
To put another wrinkle in his Halloween plans, Charlie is determined to win the big prize (ten movie
tickets) that will be awarded at his school for the best costume. But he’s having a hard time coming up with
a prize-winning idea. His best friend Tommy plans to glue hair all over himself and go as a werewolf. Can
Charlie top that idea? And then when a stormy wind turns his sister’s umbrella inside out, it inspires a
genius plan: he’ll use broken umbrellas to construct the wings for a fantastic bat costume. But he’s going to
need help. His mom is having to work overtime this week and won’t be able to make the costume for him.
Charlie feels bad that his little sister (the “Squid”) is upset that he won’t be taking her trick-or-treating
this year, but he really wants to go to the big party at Alex’s house. But can he enjoy himself when he is
dreading the scary movies so much? His brother Matt tells him that even he was scared out of his pants
when he watched The Shrieking Skull. But Matt comes to his rescue and offers to “de-scarify” him by
telling him spooky stories every night just before bedtime. The Squid eavesdrops on their conversation and
misunderstands. She can’t see what would be so scary about a “Squeaking Skull.”
At last things seem to be working out for Charlie. His mother has talked with Alex’s mom and found
out that the “scary movie” will be Space Gremlins, and agrees to let Charlie go. His costume idea is now
even more exciting. He’s not going as just any ordinary bat—he’s now going as a “rabid bat.” And best of
all, Ms. Bromley, the art teacher, is going to let Charlie work on his costume at school.
But as Halloween gets closer, Charlie begins to wonder if he’ll be able to enjoy Halloween after all.
Matt’s de-scarification program—nightly tales of the terrifying “Long-Fingered Man”—is just making
Charlie more anxious than ever. Then he learns that Kyle, one of the guests at the party, plans to slip in a
copy of The Shrieking Skull for them to watch. And the Squid lets out Charlie’s costume idea, which results
in one of her first-grade friends winning the prize for best costume!
On Halloween evening Charlie and his friends make the rounds in Alex’s fancy neighborhood
expecting tons of candy, but the trek is long and the candy supply is surprising slim. Back at Alex’s house,
they eat pizza and watch Space Gremlins. Alex’s parents turn out the lights and go up to bed. Kyle then
insists on watching The Shrieking Skull, but Tommy has the bright idea of having Charlie tell them Matt’s
spooky tales of the Long-Fingered Man. It turns out that Charlie is actually a very convincing storyteller,
and with Tommy’s help, they frighten Kyle and he leaves the party. Charlie is a little sorry about scaring
Kyle, but he’s relieved that they won’t have to watch the Shrieking Skull!
The next morning, Charlie goes home, thinking that he probably would have had a better time trick-ortreating with his little sister. He gets a wonderful surprise, though, when the Squid presents him with the
full bag of candy that she has collected for him in their neighborhood.