Showing results by author "Steven Doornbos" in All Categories

She’s not lazy—she’s calculating. She’s not rude—she’s selective. And she’s not just a cat—she’s Sometimes, the most unpredictable (and snack-driven) secret agent the world has never heard of. Sometimes enjoys sunny naps, occasional ear scritches, and ignoring you when you call her name. But behind her twitchy tail and slow blinks lies a feline force of mystery, suspense, and clever espionage. As a top agent in the Purrfect Detective Agency, Sometimes faces off against enemies who manipulate memory, bend time, and steal more than just tuna. This 35-chapter adventure blends...

Love is everywhere—on cards, in songs, on posters, and especially on Valentine’s Day. But one symbol seems to appear more than all the others combined: a small flying figure with wings, a bow, and a mysterious arrow. Cupid. Everyone knows what Cupid looks like. Almost no one knows what he actually means. When Calvin realizes that no one can truly explain Cupid—where he came from, why he shoots arrows, or what he really does—he sets out to find the answer for himself. Along the way, he discovers that Cupid isn’t just a holiday decoration… he’s a story that has changed alongside...

In the heart of Gristle Grove, Halloween is more than tricks and treats—it’s a gateway to secrets hidden just beneath the cobblestones. Calvin, an intrepid boy with a homemade vampire-hunter’s hat, and Pudge, his ever-loyal beagle in a wizard’s cape, thought they’d seen it all. But when a mischievous ghost named Gus and a mysterious spectral guide named Elowen emerge from the shadows, they discover that under the Halloween moon lurks an ancient, unseen doom—and only friendship, courage, and a little moonlight magic can save their town. Join Calvin, Pudge, Gus, and Elowen as they...

Jack and Jill went up the hill… but you’ve never heard the story quite like this. What begins as a simple chore to fetch a pail of water becomes an epic comedy of pratfalls, negotiations, and celestial sarcasm. Along the way, Jack and Jill discover: An angel stuck in the well with a chipped coffee mug and a bad attitude. A goose plotting political takeover (with radish-based bribery). A village ready to riot over “Soup Tea.” And the surprising truth about what it really means to fall—and get back up again. Packed with laughter, heart, and enough biscuits to feed an uprising, this ...

In a world that engineered loyalty and monetized obedience, one silent uprising begins with a single pawprint. “Obedience Ends. Memory Remains.” Valor was never meant to remember. Genetically sculpted and psychologically conditioned to follow orders without question, he was just one of hundreds in an elite canine program. But when the code breaks, so does the silence—and suddenly, the memories come flooding back. Now, alongside a haunted former handler, a disgraced intelligence analyst, and a cast of dogs who have learned the truth, Valor must track the fragments of a system that ...

Silver Wing: Code Red Skies is a pulse-pounding, character-driven military suspense novel that brings together six unforgettable tropes: the Fearless Female Pilot (Samantha “Silver” Mercer), the Loyal Mechanic (Dutch, who knows her jet better than anyone), the Tech Genius (Blaze, who can hack or fix anything with a pulse), the By-the-Book Strategist (Lillian, balancing logic and moral lines), the Rogue with a Heart (Jackal, the unpredictable trickster with deadly instincts), and the AI Conscience (Piper, Silver’s voice of logic and silent partner in survival). Each character plays a ...

“You can’t eat money. You can’t plug in hope. But you can grow a seed.” When disaster strikes—true disaster—there’s no warning. No Wi-Fi alert. No power flicker. Just silence. And then darkness. An EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) has wiped out the grid. Within days, panic takes root where convenience once lived. Grocery shelves are bare. Water stops flowing. Refrigerators become tombs of decay. But amidst the chaos, a garden begins to grow. This book isn’t a work of theory or prepper fantasy. It’s a practical, step-by-step survival gardening manual designed to help you grow, ...

🍳 Saddle up for the funniest showdown in the Wild West! When grumpy Old Big Belly Bill rides into Cactus Junction to ban cows forever, Sheriff Quick Draw McGraw, his trusty burro Bubba, and their “brave until supper” friend Not So Brave the First are ready to defend the town. But at the Not So Okay Corral, there’s just one tiny problem… nobody brought bullets! What follows is a laugh-out-loud standoff full of sheep, silly mix-ups, and the most delicious peace treaty ever — served hot at Nel’s Country Store & Eatery. Perfect for ages 6–10, this richly illustrated ...

You didn’t notice it happen. One day you were living your life… and the next you were managing it. Moments became posts. Conversations became notifications. Memories became storage. And somehow — even with everything easier — life started feeling less real. Why do childhood memories feel warmer? Why does modern life feel busy but strangely empty? Why are we always connected but rarely present? This book isn’t nostalgia. It’s an explanation. In The Last Time Life Felt Real, Steven Doornbos explores the quiet shift from experiencing life to observing it — and why the human brain...

What happens when a falling apple turns into a universe-sized question? In this laugh-out-loud kids science adventure book, Calvin and his loyal (and frequently confused) beagle Pudge stumble into an unforgettable encounter with Isaac Newton — and discover that gravity isn’t just something that makes apples fall. It’s the invisible force shaping oceans, guiding orbiting moons, moving entire planets, and even collapsing distant stars. Blending humor, heart, and big ideas, Calvin and Pudge Meet Isaac Newton transforms complex scientific concepts into an unforgettable children’s STEM ...

Welcome to the bubbly, bold, and brilliantly polite world of Beverly Blowfish, where puff and poise live side by side and the most powerful crown isn’t made of pearls—it’s built from kindness. From the muddy beginnings of a shy, squeaky guppy to the sparkling depths of queenly elegance, Beverly’s journey is filled with fashion flops, underwater misadventures, and heartwarming moments of self-discovery. Whether refereeing a school argument, hosting a tea party for the sea’s misfits, or standing up to reef-wide gossip, Beverly proves again and again that true SoFISHtication means ...

There was a day when things started feeling… off. Not broken. Not dramatic. Just confusing in a way that made everyone slightly more tired than usual. Rules stopped making sense. People talked without listening. Problems grew bigger than they needed to be. And everyone seemed to be in a hurry—without knowing why. That was the day Calvin started noticing. With the quiet help of his beagle, Pudge, Calvin began to see something strange happening all around him: common sense hadn’t disappeared—it had simply been ignored. This story isn’t about fixing the world. It’s about noticing ...

Lunch is supposed to be simple. Eat your food. Talk with friends. Get through the day. But for Calvin, lunch becomes something more when he notices an empty chair, a quiet moment, and the way some kids hover—wanting to belong, but unsure where they fit. With his loyal, snack-loving beagle Pudge always nearby, Calvin helps create something unexpected in the school cafeteria: a place where you don’t have to be loud to be noticed, popular to be included, or perfect to belong. Calvin and Pudge: The Sack Lunch Social Club is a warm, humorous, and deeply relatable story about kindness that ...

Some laser engraving jobs are routine. Some push the limits of your tools. And some? They crack open the door to an entirely different reality. Jax Rivers was just trying to keep his small engraving business alive when a mysterious artifact landed on his workbench. He didn’t expect it to talk. He didn’t expect it to open gateways to impossible worlds. And he definitely didn’t expect to be hunted across dimensions by rival engravers, storm-wielding guardians, and the oldest beings in existence. Now, with a sarcastic best friend at his side and an enigmatic guide who may or may not be ...

Welcome to the warm, wild savanna—home to towering elephants, cheeky monkeys, and one remarkably determined dung beetle named Donald J. Dungbuster. With a heart as big as his favorite poop ball and a family that rolls right along beside him, Donald shows us that life, love, and legacy can all be built on even the messiest of foundations. From monsoon floods to beetle bake-offs, elephant encounters to poop-powered parades, this is a story of resilience, laughter, and one quirky beetle’s quest to feed his family, win big, and always roll with purpose. Perfect for young readers with ...

Calvin and Pudge Discover the Real Story of Unicorns Through History History believed in unicorns. Should we? Were unicorns ever real? Not the glittering kind from fairy tales — but something far older… and far more fascinating. In this children’s historical adventure book, Calvin and Pudge follow the legend of the unicorn across thousands of years. From prehistoric giants that may have walked alongside early humans, to ancient civilizations carving one-horned beasts into clay seals, to Greek historians, medieval kings, Arctic narwhals, and modern science — the mystery unfolds layer...

Some kids are loud. Some kids are fast. And some kids notice things no one else sees. When a quiet new student named Arnold joins Calvin’s school, most kids don’t know what to make of him. While others race across the playground, Arnold kneels near the fence with a magnifying glass, listening to bugs and watching the tiny worlds beneath their feet. Calvin—and his loyal beagle, Pudge—soon discover that Arnold isn’t strange at all. He’s observant. Thoughtful. And quietly brave in ways that matter. As friendships form, misunderstandings arise, and the playground begins to change, ...

What if the very first phone call in history accidentally reached the future? In Calvin and Pudge Meet Alexander Graham Bell, young readers step inside the laboratory where the telephone was born — and discover how one invention changed the world forever. This STEM chapter book about inventors blends humor, heart, and hands-on science as Calvin and his loyal beagle Pudge explore sound waves, vibration, and electricity in ways that make complex ideas clear and exciting. Perfect for families looking for Alexander Graham Bell for kids, this time travel historical fiction adventure brings the...

Giants of the Bone Sea A Post-Apocalyptic Monster Fantasy of Ancient Titans and Human Survival When the earth begins to fracture and colossal stone titans rise from beneath a dying world, humanity believes it is facing extinction. But the giants are not invaders. They are regulators. In this sweeping post-apocalyptic science fiction epic, a fractured world must confront a truth buried beneath continents: the planet itself is alive — and it is correcting imbalance. Blending the scale of epic monster fantasy with the intensity of a kaiju survival thriller, Giants of the Bone Sea follows a ...

You don’t need acres of land to build income from plants. You need the right crops — and the right system. In 12 Profitable Plants To Sell On Your Way To Becoming A Millionaire: A Practical Guide to High-Profit Crops, Backyard Income, and Scaling a Small Plant Business, you’ll discover how ordinary soil can become a steady income stream when approached with strategy instead of guesswork. This is not a fantasy farming book. It’s a practical blueprint for growers who want real results. Whether you have a backyard garden, a small greenhouse, woodland acreage, or even a spare room for ...