Clash of the Secret Code Clubs

By Penny Warner

Cody, Quinn, Luke, M.E., and Mika are the Code Busters—clever clue hunters with a passion for puzzles.

They are ready to prove they are the best at solving codes after Matt the Brat forms his own club. The teachers put on a scavenger hunt throughout the school, and the group that can complete it first wins. But after beginning the hunt, the teachers start disappearing. Will the Code Busters be able to complete the scavenger hunt before Matt the Brat? And can they figure out the mystery of where the teachers have gone?

Can you crack the code? Test your brain with the Code Busters to see if you have the right stuff to be an ace detective. Answers are in the back, if you ever get stuck.

For more code-breaking fun, visit www.CodeBustersClub.com and join the club!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798765612095

Penny Warner

Penny Warner has published more than 60 books for both adults and children. She teaches child development at a local college in California. You can join the Code Busters Club at www.codebustersclub.com.

Book preview

Code Busters Club Rules

Motto

To solve puzzles, codes, and mysteries and keep the Code Busters Club secret!

Secret Sign

Interlocking index fingers (American Sign Language sign for friend)

Secret Password

Day of the week, said backward

Secret Meeting Place

Code Busters Club Clubhouse

Code Busters Club Dossiers

Identity: Quinn Kee

Code Name: Lock&Key

Description

Hair: Black, spiky

Eyes: Brown

Other: Sunglasses

Special Skills: Video games, Computers, Guitar

Message Center: Doghouse

Career Plan: CIA cryptographer or Game designer

CodeSpecialties: Military code, Computer codes

Identity: MariaElena—M.E.—Esperanto

Code Name: Em-me

Description

Hair: Long, brown

Eyes: Brown

Other: Fab clothes

Special Skills: Handwriting analysis, Fashionista

Message Center: Flower box

Career Plan: FBI handwriting analyst or Veterinarian

Specialties: Spanish, I.M., Text messaging

Identity: Luke LaVeau

Code Name: Kuel-Dude

Description

Hair: Black, curly

Eyes: Dark brown

Other: Saints cap

Special Skills: Extreme sports, Skateboard, Crosswords

Message Center: Under step

Career Plan: Pro skater, Stuntman, Race car driver

CodeSpecialties: Word puzzles, Skater slang

Identity: Dakota—Cody—Jones

Code Name: CodeRed

Description

Hair: Red, curly

Eyes: Green

Other: Freckles

Special Skills: Languages, Reading faces and body language

Message Center: Tree knothole

Career Plan: Interpreter for UN or Deaf people

CodeSpecialties: American Sign Language (ASL) and fingerspelling, Braille, Morse code, Police codes

IDENTITY: Mika Takeda

Code Name: Senjin to honor ancestors

Description

Hair: Black, short, straight

Eyes: Brown

Other: Petite

Special Skills: Origami, Haiku poetry, Drawing Manga characters

Message Center: Under front door tatami mat

Career Plan: Artist, Poet, Anime illustrator

Code Specialties: Japanese language, Puzzles, Puzzle boxes

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

The Game of Clue

Chapter 2

Stolen Sign

Chapter 3

Ms. Stad’s Surprise

Chapter 4

The Game Is On

Chapter 5

A Missing Teacher

Chapter 6

Matt the Brat’s Prank

Chapter 7

Weirder and Weirder

Chapter 8

A New Code to Crack

Chapter 9

The Missing Code

Chapter 10

Mysterious Emojis

Chapter 11

The Race Is On

Chapter 12

Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity

*To crack the chapter title code, check out the CODE BUSTERS’ Key Book for ASL Fingerspelling on page 153.

Reader

To see keys and solutions to the puzzles inside, go to the Code Busters’ Key Book & Solutions on page 152.

To see complete Code Busters Club Rules and Dossiers, and solve more puzzles and mysteries, go to www.CodeBustersClub.com.

Chapter 1

Ican’t believe fall break’s over and we have to go back to school tomorrow!" M.E.—MariaElena Esperanto—whined to the other Code Busters Club members in their secret clubhouse.

"M.E., focus! Quinn Kee said to her. I’m trying to solve the mystery and win the game."

You always win! Cody said.

Cody—Dakota Jones—and the four other Code Busters were playing the board game Clue and trying to figure out which of the six colorful suspects had committed the crime. Was it Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Mrs. White, Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, or Professor Plum?

It was Cody’s turn so she rolled the dice, hoping to beat Quinn for a change, but it wouldn’t be easy. The mystery took place in a mansion, complete with secret passageways, and players had to figure out where the crime occurred. They also had to guess which of the weapons was used. The first player to guess all three correctly won the game. Quinn had won the last two games.

Still, Cody was determined to beat him this time.

After Cody’s turn ended, Quinn’s was next. Uh-oh. She sensed he was about to make an accusation. Sure enough, he took a last look at his notes, then announced: I say it was Professor Plum, in the library, with the candlestick!

The other players checked their cards to see if they had any of the three mentioned, then shook their heads.

Quinn broke into a smile as he reached for the pack of hidden cards in the center of the board. He slowly pulled out cards showing Professor Plum, then the library, and then the candlestick.

Yes! he called out and shot a fist into the air.

Luke LaVeau sighed and tossed his cards onto the board. Yeah, you won again.

You always win, Mika Takeda said, smiling at him. You’re a great detective.

Quinn blushed at the compliment and tried to shrug it off. Just lucky, he said, humbly. You’ll probably win next time, Mika.

Maybe. We have a similar game in Japan called Cluedo where players have to help Detective Conan solve a lost treasure mystery. The suspects, rooms, and weapons are similar, but there are some differences.

Cool! We should play it next time, Quinn said.

Next time? M.E. said, tossing her cards onto the board. I’m out. I don’t want to spend my last hours of fall break losing another game. We’re Code Busters. We should be cracking some codes.

But we haven’t gotten any messages from Matt the Brat since that last one, Cody said.

She was referring to the text message their annoying classmate, Matthew Jeffreys, had sent them when they got home from Luke’s thirteenth birthday party at the Winchester Mystery House. Luke had invited the Code Busters to take a tour of the mysterious bazillion-room mansion and participate in a fun fake séance. But the party had taken a dark turn when the kids found themselves lost—and then trapped—in the bizarre labyrinth.

What code from Matt are you talking about? Mika said. I didn’t get one.

Cody got out her phone and held up the strange, coded message for Mika to see.

Mika frowned. I don’t recognize the code. What does it say?

He made up a Matt the Brat version of the Phonetic Alphabet Code, Cody answered. But it’s easy to crack. Just read the first letter of each word.

Creeper-Optimus-Dragon-Earwax

Bigfoot-Underpants-Toilet-Toilet-Hulk-Earwax-Alien-Dragon-Sasquatch

Vampire-Sasquatch

Sasquatch-Underpants-Pirate-Earwax-Robot

Sasquatch-Pirate-Yeti

Creeper-Lugey-Underpants-Bigfoot—

IronMan Nessy 13

Dragon-Alien-Yeti-Sasquatch—

Toilet-Hulk-Earwax

Bigfoot-Alien-Toilet-Toilet-Lugey-Earwax

IronMan-Sasquatch

Optimus-Nessy!

Code Busters Key and Solution found on pp. 157 and 160.

Mika deciphered the message aloud, then said, Buttheads? Thirteen days? What battle?

M.E. nodded. Matt’s calling himself Mattster Spy now, and we’re supposed to be the Buttheads. But I’m not sure what this ‘battle’ is all about. Do any of you know?

Before anyone could answer, a loud thud sounded against the clubhouse, startling the Code Busters. To Cody, it sounded like something big and heavy had hit the clubhouse wall. Her first thought was a mountain lion trying to break in. There had been several sightings of mountain lions in the area in the past year, and the kids were a little nervous about running into one.

M.E. grabbed Cody’s arm at the sound. Even though M.E. loved animals, she preferred cute, little, fuzzy ones, like cats and hamsters and bunnies. Not big, hungry, wild ones like mountain lions, tigers, and bears.

What was that? M.E. whispered as she clutched her friend tighter.

Luke jumped up, rushed to the door, and yanked it open. He started to step outside, then nearly tripped over something at his feet. Bending down, he picked up a white object the size of a grapefruit and brought it into the clubhouse.

What is it? M.E. asked, relaxing her grip on Cody’s arm.

This is so old school, Luke said, shaking his head as he unwrapped a piece of white paper that had been tied around a rock. "Gotta be from Matt the