Book Series · 5 Books

The Secret Books

In order from The Name of this Book Is Secret to You Have to Stop This.

Five funny, puzzle-filled middle-grade mysteries about Cass and Max-Ernest investigating coded clues, dangerous villains, and a secret society.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated

The Name of this Book Is Secret
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
This Book Is Not Good for You
This Isn't What It Looks Like
You Have to Stop This
Reading order

How to Read The Secret Series

Read the five numbered novels in order, beginning with The Name of this Book Is Secret. The mystery, friendships, and conflict with the Midnight Sun continue across the series.

Write This Book is an optional activity book that invites readers to create a story with the author. It is not a sixth novel and is best enjoyed after a reader already knows the series' jokes and style.

Sources: Hachette's official Secret Series page, Hachette's complete five-book collection, Hachette's Write This Book page.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

Hachette recommends the series for ages 8–12. The books mix comic narration and wordplay with kidnappings, threats, villains, a secret society, dangerous chases, mummies, and references to death. There are creepy and gross-out moments, but the overall tone is playful rather than realistic or graphic.

Where to start

Where Should a New Reader Start?

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

The Name of this Book Is Secret
Sale price
$958
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 2007

The Name of this Book Is Secret

By Pseudonymous Bosch

A young girl and her friend try to uncover the secrets behind a mysterious magician's death and a sinister plot to kidnap children with special talents.

360 pages· 58,214 words· Est. 8 hour read
$9.99Save 4%
Paperback
Summary: Cass and Max-Ernest, two daring 11-year-olds, stumble upon the Symphony of Smells, a mysterious box that leads them on a quest to find a missing magician. As they delve deeper, they face hair-raising adventures and sinister villains, all while uncovering a secret so big, even the book's name is hidden. What is this secret, and will they solve the mystery before it's too late?
In reading order

The Secret Series

5 books · Published 2007–2011

#1
The Name of this Book Is Secret
#1 in Series
Sale price
$958

The Name of this Book Is Secret

Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 2007

A young girl and her friend try to uncover the secrets behind a mysterious magician's death and a sinister plot to kidnap children with special talents.

Activity Companion

Write Your Own Secret Story

1 book · Published 2013

Write This Book is a hands-on writing companion, not another installment in Cass and Max-Ernest's story.

Write This Book
Sale price
$858

Write This Book

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2013

The author is missing, and only you can finish the story. Can you solve the mystery?

Good to know

Common Questions

How many books are in the Secret series?

There are 5 books in the Secret series. It began with The Name of this Book Is Secret in 2007, and the newest book, You Have to Stop This, was published in 2011.

What order should you read the Secret books in?

Start with The Name of this Book Is Secret and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #5.

What ages are the Secret books best for?

The series is best for ages 8–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.

Which Secret book is the longest?

This Isn't What It Looks Like (Book #4) is the longest book in the series at 68,480 words (423 pages).

Which Secret book is the shortest?

You Have to Stop This (Book #5) is the shortest at 53,247 words (347 pages).

The people

The Creative Behind the Books

The people who bring The Secret to life.

01

Pseudonymous Bosch

Author
PB

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