Meet the five cousins
Begin with Mischief Season, which introduces Benevento and the rules of its witch-filled world.
Book Series · 6 Books
The Witches of Benevento Books
In order from Mischief Season to The Secret Janara.
Six illustrated chapter-book mysteries follow five cousins who confront mischievous witches and spirits in nineteenth-century Benevento, Italy.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read The Witches of Benevento
Read Mischief Season through The Secret Janara in the publisher's numbered order. Individual cousins take the lead in different books, while the mystery of Benevento's witches develops across the sequence.
The stories are short illustrated chapter books rather than a graphic-novel line, and Penguin Random House lists exactly six numbered adventures.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
These are gently spooky stories with witches hiding under bridges and in wells, ghosts, curses, nighttime danger, chases, and frightened children. The illustrations and humor soften the scares. Because the books are set in the 1800s, characters also encounter restrictive expectations for girls and old-fashioned family discipline.
Where to start
Where Should a New Reader Start?
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$1348
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–10 · 2016
Mischief Season
By John Bemelmans Marciano, Sophie Blackall (Illustrator)
Children outsmart witches causing chaos in an ancient town.
128 pages· 8,325 words· Est. 1 hour read
$13.99Save 4%
Hardcover
Summary: In the ancient town of Benevento, five cousins face the mischievous Janara witches. As the farm falls into chaos, Rosa is blamed, and it's up to the twins and their friends to uncover a solution. Can mysterious advice help them outwit the witches and restore peace? Join their thrilling adventure filled with secrets and narrow escapes.
In reading order
The Witches of Benevento Series
6 books · Published 2016–2019
#1
Sale price
$1348
Mischief Season
Chapter Book · Ages 8–10 · 2016
Children outsmart witches causing chaos in an ancient town.
#2
Sale price
$1348
The All-Powerful Ring
Chapter Book · Ages 8–10 · 2016
A mysterious ring may hold the key to stopping mischievous witches.
#3
Sale price
$1348
Beware the Clopper!
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2016
A timid girl faces her fear of a witch in a town of magic and mischief.
#4
Sale price
$1348
Respect Your Ghosts
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2017
Sergio must balance ghostly demands and family expectations in a town of witches.
#5
Sale price
$1348
Runaway Rosa
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2018
A girl defies tradition to compete in a boar hunt for a coveted prize.
#6
Sale price
$1348
The Secret Janara
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2019
A hidden witch lives among them. Can Primo uncover the truth before it's too late?
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Witches of Benevento series?
There are 6 books in the Witches of Benevento series. It began with Mischief Season in 2016, and the newest book, The Secret Janara, was published in 2019.
What order should you read the Witches of Benevento books in?
Start with Mischief Season and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #6.
What ages are the Witches of Benevento books best for?
The series is best for ages 7–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
The people
The Creatives Behind the Books
The people who bring The Witches of Benevento to life.
Keep exploring
Similar Series
Hamster Princess
Ages 7–11
My Father's Dragon
Ages 7–11
Big Foot and Little Foot
Ages 6–9
Geronimo Stilton: Micekings
Ages 7–10
Harper
Ages 7–9
Geronimo Stilton and the Kingdom of Fantasy: Special Edition
Ages 7–9
Magic Animal Friends
Ages 7–10
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Ages 6–10