Mary Amato

Writing with Humor, Heart, & Grit

Secret Extras for Good Crooks Fans

by 46 Comments

Hello Good Crooks Fans,

If you’re looking for Billy and Jillian’s songs and games you have come to the right place. Have fun singing and dancing and doing good deeds.

And…a special announcement… the fourth story of the Good Crooks series is coming soon! Look for a special audio book in May and find out what happens next!

 

Songs

Stinky Style Song from Good Crooks Book 3: Sniff a Skunk. Play it here:

If you can’t see the media player, that means your computer is blocking it. Try going directly to Soundcloud: Stinky Style

The Dog Song from Good Crooks Book 2: Dog Gone!

If you can’t see the media player, try going directly to Soundcloud: The Dog Song

Puppet Show

Put on your own puppet show with Billy, Jillian, Poochie, and the Squirrel!

Download these free stick puppets, cut them out, color them, tape a popsicle stick to the back of each puppet, and you’re ready to go.

GC Stick Puppets jpeg

If you want to make costumes for your stick puppets, get some ideas here.

Readers Theater

Print out this script and put on a Readers Theater show.

Write Your Good Deed

Print this activity to write down your own good deed.Good Deed Activity image

Pin the Tail on Stinky Game

Print out this picture of Stinkball without her tail. With the help of adults, cut out Stinkball and her tail. Use these cut-outs to play “Tape the Tail on the Skunky.” Directions of pages 116-118 of Good Crooks Book Three: Sniff a Skunk!

stinker-pinthetail-final

For Teachers & Librarians

See the Common Core teaching guides for Book One and Book Two.

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Comments

  1. I love your songs for the Stinky Style and the Bake Sale for Dog Shelter Rap and please, please! very much make another book. No pressure but please! Do they find their parents and if you don’t want to tell me then write it in the next book. And will they get away from their crook parents? P.S. Please write back. Love, Zella, age 8

    Reply

  2. I liked your book and song. The stinky style song was stinky and funny. It made me laugh. Do you write different books? Is it fun to write books? Is it easy to write books? Do you get ideas from other books to help you write your books? Please write back. Thank you. Rach Pamplin Age 7

    Reply

    • Hi Rach, it’s hard but rewarding to write books! It is so fun to get messages from readers.Thanks for writing.

      Reply

  3. Hi Mary!

    My dad and I loved your book. I loved Stinkball. My dad thought a rocket powered wheelchair ride would be awesome.

    Looking forward to book 4.

    Love Scarlett, age 8

    Whomp. Whomp. Whomp.

    Reply

    • Hi Scarlett, I’m so happy you and your dad loved the Good Crooks. I had fun writing them. I want to write book 4 but I haven’t gotten the okay from my publisher yet. Keeping fingers crossed.

      Reply

  5. Just finished reading book 3 of the Good Crooks. Both my 4- and 7-year old boys have loved this series. They have a great amount of silliness and fun with fantastic events, and a love of good deeds makes it a parent pleaser as well. Can I write your publisher and ask them to let you write a 4th? We can’t wait to get our hands on it!

    Reply

  6. Hi! We are second graders. We loved the book and the song! We want a book four!

    Blairsville, PA students

    Reply

  7. NO BOOK FOUR?!! Oops. How rude of me. I am Isha, and I am 9. I have read your books and they are AMAZING. Are you going to stop the series right before they find out who their real parents are?? No way!
    Love, Isha.
    P.S. Please reply.

    Reply

  9. I am a fifth grade teacher. Your Good Crooks book series was just the ticket to get my struggling readers turned on to reading! It is hard to find lower level chapter books that fifth graders enjoy. These fit the bill! I am so sad to hear there won’t be a 4th book! My class will be HIGHLY disappointed!

    Thank you for the first three!

    Reply

    • I’m happy to hear that. I loved writing the series, and I’m always trying to hook those reluctant readers. My new book, Our Teacher is a Vampire, has lots of humor and interesting graphics to pull readers on the ride. Hope your students enjoy it, too.

      Reply

  10. I am third grade student, and I am gonig to do story telling performonce of “Dog Gone.” Any suggestion? I will sing “Bake Sale for Dog Shelter Rap” becuase I love it. wish me luck!

    Reply

    • Hi, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to see this. I moved and haven’t had a chance to check my messages. I’m so excited that you did a story telling performance. How did it go? I wish I could hear you sing the rap!!!!

      Reply

      • I did great! I won 4th place in storytelling!!! The rap was so much fun to do in each round.
        I think Good Crooks Dog Gone! is a great funny book. I may get another invotation for same story telling performance next month again. Wish me luck again!

        Reply

        • Fantastic! I’m so excited for you. Getting up in front of people and performing takes a lot of courage and is a wonderful learning experience. Good luck again!

          Reply

          • I have a great news, I won the first place in storytelling on Good Crooks Dog Gone!
            Thank you for the wonderful and funny story!!!

      • Dear Ms. Amato,

        During a recent parent conference I learned that you had replied to an email from my third grade student, thank you for being such an inspiration.

        Reply

        • Thanks for your work helping students. I’ve replied to your question via your direct email address. Cheers!

          Reply

  11. Hi Mary Amato, how are you doing? Please do a book four and we know they won’t let you do a book four but please get them concerned to and I love your songs and books but I haven’t got to do book two yet. I wil tell you when I get it and I’ll love it. I’m seven years old.

    From Michah

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you love the Good Crooks and love the songs. I’m writing a new series that will have songs in them, too. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the series will come out in Fall 2017!!!!! I’m CONSIDERING producing a fourth Good Crooks book as an audio book on my own…would you listen to that?

      Reply

  12. This is Michah. Thanks for asking and of course, I will listen to another Good Crooks book and the songs that you make. I will hope you make a fifth and sixth and seventh book. I hope you have a Good day.

    Reply

  13. Please write book 4! And 5 and 6! We loved all 3 books there has to be more!! We would read them all!

    Love, Keith (9), and Ian (5)

    Reply

  14. I’ve been reading the Good Crooks series to my boys at bedtime and we just finished. Please please please find a way to tell us if Jillian and Billy find their parents! We would listen to an audiobook, or purchase an eBook, whatever. We just need to know!

    Reply

    • Thanks! I love that you are reading at bedtime. That is the best ritual in the world. I will keep you posted on the fate of Book Four and Billy and Jillian.

      Reply

  15. Hi! My mom and I love reading your books together and are super excited for book 4. I saw you said it would be an audiobook in May but we can’t find it. Is there a way to get it? We’re dying to know how it all ends!

    Reply

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Humor, Heart, & Grit

I give voice to the funny, sad, messy, and wondrous stories of life, especially the stories of children and young adults. My mission: each book has humor, heart, and grit. If you are a teen and/or you're looking for info about my books and music for older readers, please check out my www.thrumsociety.com site.
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