The Curse of Cuddles McGee

While poking around their neighborhood, mystery-solving, swamp monster-fighting middle-graders Arlie and Ty fi nd a buried coffee can fi lled with the bones of a hamster and the handwritten curse (on glittery unicorn notepaper) from his home-schooled owner, Mandy:"Here lies Cuddles McGee. A curse upon those who disturb his grave."The fact that the i in "lies" is topped with a heart doesn't make them any less scared, especially when the obese, angry, and undead Cuddles comes back to life and starts trashing the town.Once again, it's up to Arlie, Ty, and Mr. Boots -- the fashionably dressed Chihuahua, to save the town from destruction, reanimated dead hamster-style.

Emily Ecton is the author of The Great Pet Heist as well as a number of middle grade books published under the names Emily Ecton and Emily Fairlie. She is also a former writer and producer for “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!,” the Peabody Award­–winning comedy news quiz on NPR. She lives in Virginia, with Howdy, a law-abiding dog with no known criminal affiliations. Visit her at EmilyEcton.com.