Marcia Thornton Jones Books in Order

Cassidy dreads Field Day because she struggles with sports, then finds an old doll in the school basement. It keeps returning after she hides it and even frightens the classroom ghosts, presenting a different test of her abilities.

Jake turns his bullying cousin Dominick into a human to prove he really attends school. Dominick joins forces with another bully, and both swamp monsters risk changing back in the cafeteria while Jake tries to protect his friends.

A new boy in Nina, Jeff, and Cassidy's class floats above his chair and seems partly transparent. His arrival worries both the children and the resident ghosts, who wonder whether another haunting is about to begin.

A school carnival gives the children a chance to win a trip to Fun Zone by creating the best booth. Preparing an attraction becomes a competition of its own as they try to secure the prize.

Jeff, Cassidy, and Nina buy props for their class play at the old Blackburn Mansion. The objects bring singing ghosts back to school, where rival spirits compete for attention and threaten to derail the performance.

Presidential candidate Mr. Youngblood visits Bailey City proposing longer school days and year-round classes. His wolf-like appearance gives the children another reason to worry, and they investigate whether the campaign has brought a werewolf to town.

Someone is spreading the third-graders' secrets through Sleepy Hollow Elementary, and classmates begin accusing one another. Nina sets out to uncover the spy, but catching the tattletale may mean putting her own friendships to the test.

Calliope is distraught when Andrew announces that his family will demolish her old mansion. Suspecting the ghost has a secret there, the children arrange a visit, but entering the haunted house means cooperating with the class bully.

A director wants to make a ghost movie in the third-graders' basement classroom at Sleepy Hollow Elementary. The real ghosts decide to help with the production, but their involvement threatens to turn filming into a disaster.

Career Day inspires Andrew, the class bully, to become a famous ghost hunter. His ambition puts the classroom spirits in his sights, raising the question of whether he can capture them or will become their next target.

On Halloween, children keep entering Mrs. Jeepers' old house without coming back out. Eddie, Liza, Howie, and Melody suspect their teacher is turning visitors into monsters and investigate what is happening behind her door.

A frosty stranger arrives in Bailey City for the Winter Carnival, drawing the children's attention. They begin investigating whether this unusual visitor is the Abominable Snowman, adding a possible monster mystery to the town's seasonal celebrations.

An overnight reading marathon could win Sleepy Hollow Elementary a new computer. When a book reveals a treasure hidden in the school basement, Cassidy's search for it runs into the resident ghosts at their most active hour.

Sleepy Hollow Elementary prepares for the holidays, but the classroom ghosts start causing trouble. Jeff, Nina, and Cassidy must discover what is upsetting the spirits and put things right before the disruptions spoil everyone's celebration.

Liza and the other Bailey School Kids suspect that the town's mad scientist has brought a snow sculpture to life. They investigate whether a real dragon now stands in Bailey City, making the winter weather seem more threatening.

A pet wash at Sleepy Hollow Elementary falls into chaos when the classroom ghosts frighten the animals. Nina, Jeff, and Cassidy must track down escaped pets while dealing with the ghost animals that join the disruption.

Strange puddles in the school bathroom leave the Bailey School Kids wondering whether the plumbing is faulty or a ghost is responsible. The friends investigate the watery disturbances, trying to explain what is happening in their school.

Jake promises to stay in the swamp, but a giant alligator threatens his human friend Emily. Saving her will require help, while an invitation to speak at school graduation creates another challenge for the young swamp monster.

Andrew challenges the girls in a contest to prove boys are better, but Cassidy and Nina refuse to accept his claims. When classroom ghosts join the rivalry, a school competition turns into a battle with supernatural participants.

Santa's reindeer have terrible colds, putting their Christmas Eve flight in doubt. Eddie and the Bailey School Kids face an unusual holiday problem as they try to help the sick animals get ready to pull the sleigh.

Riley struggles at baseball and wants his father's approval. Caring for Champ, a former show dog left with three legs after an accident, gives him a new responsibility and challenges what he believes about winning and being worthwhile.

At the bowling alley, Mr. Lovegood eats something strange and places little hearts on everyone. As people begin behaving oddly, the Bailey School Kids investigate whether their mysterious new acquaintance could be Cupid and what his hearts are doing.

Howie always brings his homework, so its disappearance is more than an ordinary missed assignment. The Bailey School Kids consider an unusual explanation, wondering whether a dragon really took it and trying to understand what happened.

Bailey City's holiday decorating contest is underway, but Eddie suddenly prefers reading with library volunteer Grandpa Vamps. Since Eddie usually hates books, his friends wonder whether the new volunteer is a vampire who has put him under a spell.

The town board plans to replace Sleepy Hollow Elementary with a new school. For its students, the proposal raises a frightening question: what will happen to the ghost class living in the basement if their building is demolished?

A new lifeguard rides into the Bailey City pool on a scooter, wearing unusual clothes and taking the children's treasures. The Bailey School Kids try to understand her behavior and wonder whether their lifeguard might really be a pirate.

The third graders campaign for class president with promises about recess and homework. But classroom ghosts Ozzy and Edgar want to enter the race too, turning the election into a contest where supernatural candidates offer a very different agenda.

Great-Uncle George takes charge of Thanksgiving dinner at Liza's house, but his cooking seems unusually quick. When a turkey appears on an empty platter, the Bailey School Kids wonder whether magic explains the meal and George is a wizard.

The Bailey School soccer team keeps losing and needs to learn to cooperate. Strange cave drawings on their bus give the children something new to investigate as they wonder whether their unusual driver can help them win a game.

Sidney spots a leprechaun causing trouble in his classroom, but nobody else can see the visitor. With the St. Patrick's Day parade approaching, he tries to catch the mischievous creature before its antics spoil the celebration.

Little Jack is the smallest child in a village near the North Pole, where his relatives can create snow, wind and ice. Feeling overlooked and unable to do anything special, he searches for a winter talent of his own.

Candy disappears across Bailey City just before the Easter egg hunt. The Bailey School Kids suspect a mysterious woman may be a vampire with a taste for sweets, and they investigate before the town's celebration loses its treats.

The Queen of the Boggarts kidnaps Mr. Leery, leaving apprentice Keyholders Penny, Luke and Natalie to rescue him. With their unicorn, dragon and rat partners, they cross into the magical world, where finding their mentor means facing unfamiliar dangers.

Snow keeps falling, and the Bailey School Kids begin wondering whether it will ever stop. A wild snowboarder draws their attention as they investigate whether the unusual weather has something to do with a snow monster.

Natalie learns that Penny and Luke guard the border between ordinary life and magic, and she could join them by linking with a rat named Buttercup. Working together becomes urgent when the Boggart Queen sends goblins toward their world.

Penny, Luke and Natalie return to Morgantown to find its adults behaving strangely. Longer school days, extra homework and worse lunches make the apprentice Keyholders suspect another Boggart Queen scheme, prompting them to investigate with their magical partners.

Penny and Luke become apprentice Keyholders, charged with guarding the border between the real and magical worlds. A sarcastic unicorn and clumsy baby dragon become their partners as the Queen of the Boggarts prepares to invade.

Logan wants fifth grade to go better, but an impulsive streak, a hostile new classmate and his grandfather's increasing forgetfulness complicate his plans. School mishaps and family worries force him to consider how his actions affect other people.

In the summer of 1943, Cory Woodford wants to prove he is brave like his soldier father and grandfather. Hunting supposed Nazi spies with his friends brings prejudice, loyalty and difficult questions beyond the simple heroes of his comics.

Marcia Thornton Jones and Debbie Dadey guide beginners through writing for children, from choosing a market and generating ideas to planning and developing a book. Later sections address completing a manuscript, marketing it and promoting a writing career.