Aven Green

Third-grader Aven Green has been solving mysteries for a really long time-a whole month!  She's solved many important cases like The Mystery of the Cranky Mom, The Mystery of the Missing Ice Cream, and The Mystery of the Smelly Feet. Her record is nearly 100% (only The Mystery of the Cereal in My Underpants remains unsolved to this day). Aven asks all the right questions, wields her detective kit carefully, and follows up on every clue. Then her teacher's lunch bag (with her lunch still in it) is taken and Aven's great-grandma's beloved dog goes missing! Can this perceptive detective crack two cases at the same time? Luckily, Aven has a super-powered brain full of lots of extra brain cells to take on both cases. See, she was born without arms, so all of the cells that were supposed to make her arms went into making her brain instead. At least that's her working theory for The Mystery of Why I Have So Many Extra Brain Cells. Dusti Bowling grew up in Scottsdale, AZ, where, as her family will tell you, she always had her nose in a book. Dusti holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Education, but she eventually realized that her true passion was writing. She lives in AZ with her husband and three daughters. Gina Perry graduated from Syracuse University, worked as a compositor in animation, then an art director for a stationery manufacturer, before discovering her true passion-writing and illustrating children's books. She lives with her family in NH.

Now that third-grader Aven Green has retired from sleuthing, it's time to conquer a whole new world: baking! Aven knows she's an expert baker of cakes and cookies since she's been baking with her mom for a really long time. Plus no one bakes quite like her. She cracks eggs with her feet and measures sugar and flour with her feet (plus measuring cups) since she was born without arms. And now Aven has her eye on the prize: a beautiful blue ribbon for baking at the county fair. So she teams up with her friends Kayla, Emily, and Sujata. But It turns out they all have very different tastes and a lot of opinions about baking. Talk about a recipe for disaster! Dusti Bowling grew up in Scottsdale, AZ, where, as her family will tell you, she always had her nose in a book. Dusti holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Education, but she eventually realized that her true passion was writing. She lives in AZ with her husband and three daughters. Gina Perry graduated from Syracuse University, worked as a compositor in animation, then an art director for a stationery manufacturer, before discovering her true passion-writing and illustrating children's books. She lives with her family in NH.

Aven Green, the remarkable heroine of Dusti Bowling's Life of a Cactus series, marches to her own beat in this hilarious, upbeat, and unforgettable chapter book.    "Realistic, affirming, and uplifting. "-Kirkus Reviews    Third-grader Aven Green is a real professional musician! She just needs to choose what instrument to play. When she decides to try the piano, Aven is disappointed when she can't master Mozart in one whole day. To pick up Aven's beat, her parents take her for a four-hour drive to see someone just like her play the guitar. With new inspiration and a special gift from her great-grandma, Aven is ready to take on the school talent show. Will she be ready in time? Or will she blow her big chance?   Dusti Bowling grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, where, as her family will tell you, she always had her nose in a book. Dusti holds a bachelor's of psychology and a master's of education, but she eventually realized that her true passion was writing. She lives in Arizona with her husband, three daughters, one bobcat, a pack of coyotes, a couple of chuckwallas, several rattlesnakes, and a few herds of javelina. Dusti can be found on Twitter (@Dusti_Bowling) and Instagram (@dustibowling). Gina Perry graduated from Syracuse University, worked as a compositor in animation, then an art director for a stationery manufacturer, before discovering her true passion-writing and illustrating children's books. She lives with her family in New Hampshire.

Aven Green, the remarkable heroine of Dusti Bowling's Life of a Cactus series, marches to her own beat in this hilarious, upbeat, and unforgettable chapter book.  Third-grader Aven Green is an expert soccer player. She even has her own top secret moves! But when her friend Sujata joins the team, Aven has a hard time learning to help the new player shine. When the time comes to choose a new team captain, will Aven learn to share the spotlight and understand what it means to be a team player? Praise for Aven Green Music Machine: "Realistic, affirming, and uplifting." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review Praise for Aven Green Sleuthing Machine: "Bowling's beloved "Life of a Cactus" protagonist returns in a new series of chapter books that capture her life as third grader. . . . Young readers will laugh aloud at Aven's funny reactions . . . [and] they will be intrigued by the practical skills she has perfected. . . . This chapter book companion to Bowling's well-loved middle-grade series is a recommended purchase." -School Library Journal (Starred review) Dusti Bowling grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, where, as her family will tell you, she always had her nose in a book. Dusti holds a bachelor of psychology and a master of education, but she eventually realized that her true passion was writing. She lives in Arizona, with her husband, three daughters, one bobcat, a pack of coyotes, a couple of chuckwallas, several rattlesnakes, and a few herds of javelina. Dusti can be found on Twitter (@Dusti_Bowling) and Instagram (@dustibowling).   Gina Perry graduated from Syracuse University, worked as a compositor in animation, then an art director for a stationery manufacturer, before discovering her true passion-writing and illustrating children's books. She lives with her family in New Hampshire.