M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales facts for kids
M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales, also known as Pals in Peril, is a series of exciting books for young readers. They were written by M. T. Anderson. These stories are a mix of funny jokes (called satire) and respectful tributes (called homage) to old-school science fiction and action comics. They also honor classic kids' mystery books like The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Tom Swift.
The books have cool black-and-white drawings inside by Kurt Cyrus. The stories are about the wild and funny adventures of three best friends: Lily Gefelty, Katie Mulligan, and Jasper Dash. These friends are all very different. They often find themselves solving tricky mysteries and stopping bad guys from taking over the world.
The first book in the series, Whales on Stilts, came out in 2005. It was published by Harcourt. Parts of this book were inspired by the ideas of famous writers like H.G. Wells and John Christopher, especially his Tripod series.
The Exciting Books in the Series
- Whales on Stilts (2005)
- The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen (2006)
- Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware (2007)
- Agent Q, or the Smell of Danger! (2010)
- Zombie Mommy (with Kurt Cyrus) (2011)
- He Laughed With His Other Mouths (2012)
Meet the Main Characters
The main characters who go on these amazing adventures are:
- Jasper Dash. He is a clever inventor and also has a PhD in Egyptology (he studies ancient Egypt!). Jasper is the hero of a make-believe book series about his adventures as a "Boy Technonaut." He is a funny take on characters like Tom Swift, who are super smart and always inventing things.
- Katie Mulligan. She is a middle-school student who fights evil supernatural creatures in her own fictional book series called Horror Hollow. Katie is a tribute to popular horror stories for teens, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Goosebumps books.
- Lily Gefelty. She is also a middle-school student. Lily is described as a regular American girl, which makes her very relatable among her unique friends.
