Enter the house with the clock
Start with The House with a Clock in Its Walls. It introduces Lewis's new home, his magician uncle, Mrs. Zimmermann, and the mixture of comfort and dread that defines the series.
Book Series · 12 Books
Lewis Barnavelt Books
In order from The House with a Clock in Its Walls to The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer.
Twelve cozy-gothic mysteries send Lewis Barnavelt, Rose Rita, and their magician guardians against haunted objects, old curses, and dangerous sorcerers.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read the Lewis Barnavelt Books
Read the twelve novels in publication order, beginning with The House with a Clock in Its Walls. The books revisit Lewis, Rose Rita, Uncle Jonathan, and Mrs. Zimmermann, so the supernatural cases are most rewarding after their friendships and magical world have been introduced.
John Bellairs wrote the first three books. Brad Strickland completed the next three from Bellairs's work and continued the series through book 12, preserving one continuous sequence rather than beginning a separate sequel line.
Sources: Penguin Random House's Lewis Barnavelt series page, Penguin Random House's book 10 page.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
These mysteries are intentionally creepy and include ghosts, demons, necromancy, curses, death, threats to children, and villains trying to cause large-scale harm. Warm friendships, eccentric adult protectors, and dry humor keep the books from feeling relentlessly bleak, but sensitive readers may find the occult imagery and suspense more intense than modern comic chapter-book fantasy.
Where to start
Where Should My Child Start?
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$858
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 1973
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
By John Bellairs, Edward Gorey (Illustrator)
A young boy discovers that his new home is haunted by a malevolent spirit and that he has the power to communicate with the dead.
179 pages· 38,975 words· Est. 5.5 hour read
$8.99Save 5%
Paperback
Summary: Orphaned Lewis Barnavelt moves in with his mysterious Uncle Jonathan, only to discover a world of magic and danger. When Lewis accidentally resurrects a sinister sorceress, he unleashes a hidden clock capable of destroying humanity. With time ticking away, Lewis and his magical allies must unravel the secrets of the house to prevent catastrophe. Will they succeed before it's too late?
In reading order
Lewis Barnavelt Series
12 books · Published 1973–2008
#1
Sale price
$858
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 1973
A young boy discovers that his new home is haunted by a malevolent spirit and that he has the power to communicate with the dead.
#2
Sale price
$1139
The Figure in the Shadows
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1975
A magical coin unleashes a dark force, threatening to consume Lewis. Can he be saved?
#3
Sale price
$1139
The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1976
A vanished ring, a missing friend, and a farm full of secrets. Can Rose Rita uncover the truth?
#4
Sale price
$1139
The Ghost in the Mirror
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1993
A powerless witch and her friend must save an innocent wizard from a doomed fate.
#5
Sale price
$1139
The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1993
A boy unleashes a ghostly wizard bent on family destruction in a mysterious manor.
#6
Sale price
$1139
The Doom of the Haunted Opera
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1995
A mysterious opera score threatens to awaken the dead. Can two kids stop it?
#7
Sale price
$1139
The Specter from the Magician's Museum
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1998
A talent show magic act awakens an ancient threat. Can Lewis save Rose Rita from a sinister fate?
#8
Sale price
$574
The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2000
A bridge hides secrets and a monster that even magic may not defeat.
#9
Sale price
$1139
The Tower at the End of the World
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2001
A vacation turns into a battle against a vengeful sorcerer threatening the world.
#10
Sale price
$1139
The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2003
A magical whistle stops bullies but awakens a vampire. Can Lewis survive?
#11
Sale price
$1139
The House Where Nobody Lived
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2006
Mysterious drumbeats and fiery dreams haunt Lewis and Rose Rita in the Hawaii House.
#12
Sale price
$1139
The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2008
A summer of accidents and a hooded figure haunt Lewis. Coincidence or curse?
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Lewis Barnavelt series?
There are 12 books in the Lewis Barnavelt series. It began with The House with a Clock in Its Walls in 1973, and the newest book, The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer, was published in 2008.
What order should you read the Lewis Barnavelt books in?
Start with The House with a Clock in Its Walls and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #12.
What ages are the Lewis Barnavelt books best for?
The series is best for ages 8–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
The people
The Creatives Behind the Books
The people who bring Lewis Barnavelt to life.
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