Chapter Book · April 25, 2024
The Bad Beginning
By Brett Helquist · With Lemony Snicket
Three orphans face a villain, a fire, and a fortune-stealing plot.
192 pages
3.7/5 Goodreads · 19 ratings
Paperback
Children's book Author & Illustrator
Brett Helquist
Biography
Brett Helquist’s celebrated art has graced books from the charming Bedtime for Bear, which he also wrote, to the New York Times-bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket to the glorious picture book adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.
The latest
Brett's most recent book
Reader favorites
Most Popular Brett Helquist Books
Sale price
$858
By the Great Horn Spoon!
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1963
A boy and his butler seek gold in California to save his family from ruin.
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$1498
The Bad Beginning
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 1999
Three siblings face misfortune and a villain's plot to steal their fortune.
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$858
Chasing Vermeer
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2004
A vanished painting, a tangled mystery—can two kids solve the unsolvable?
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$1498
The Reptile Room
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 1999
Three unlucky siblings face a villain, a fire, and a fortune-stealing plot in a darkly comedic tale.
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$1498
The End
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2006
Will the Baudelaires escape Count Olaf's clutches in their final adventure?
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$1498
The Miserable Mill
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2000
Orphans face disaster and mystery in a perilous lumber mill.
At a glance
Book Stats
3
Authored
45
Illustrated
20
Collaborators
Picture books
10
Chapter books
35
Publishing timeline
Books published each year, stacked by book type.
Publication timeline from 1963 to 2024.
Book mix
The share of the catalog represented by each book type.
Book type breakdown: 10 picture books, 35 chapter books.
45
books
Complete bibliography
All Brett Helquist Books
Every title in the Bookroo library, ordered from newest to oldest.
The Bad Beginning
Chapter Book · 2024
Three orphans face a villain, a fire, and a fortune-stealing plot.
Sale price
$1899
The Mona Lisa Vanishes
Chapter Book · Ages 10–14 · 2023
The Mona Lisa vanishes, sparking a mystery that questions its very existence.
Sale price
$1697
Strangeville School Is Definitely Not Cursed
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2022
A mysterious glowing box and strange events challenge Harvey at his new school. Is it cursed?
Sale price
$1699
Strangeville School Is Totally Normal
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2021
A new kid faces bizarre dangers at a school where nothing is normal.
Sale price
$1697
Nadya Skylung and the Masked Kidnapper
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2019
A fearless girl battles a mysterious kidnapper to save her friend in a world of flying ships.
Sale price
$1697
Guitar Genius
Picture Book · Ages 5–8 · 2019
Discover how a curious mind and simple tools revolutionized music forever.
Sale price
$1699
Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2018
Pirates attack a flying ship. Can Nadya save her crew and uncover their true target?
Sale price
$899
The Nutcracker Mice
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2017
A mouse dancer and a young girl must save a ballet from disaster.
Sale price
$799
Martina & Chrissie
Picture Book · Ages 7–10 · 2017
Rivals on the court, allies in life. Can friendship outlast competition?
Sale price
$1697
The Doll People's Christmas
Chapter Book · Ages 4–7 · 2016
Annabelle's Christmas is threatened by a broken angel and unexpected changes. Can she find joy in new traditions?
Sale price
$1799
Bear's Big Breakfast
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2016
Bear wakes hungry, craving something starting with 'B'. What will he choose?
Sale price
$1597
Groundhog's Day Off
Picture Book · Ages 3–6 · 2015
Groundhog quits, leaving the town scrambling to find a replacement for the big day.
Sale price
$1697
The Doll People Set Sail
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2014
Dolls lost at sea must find their way home. Can they succeed?
Sale price
$1248
The League of Seven
Chapter Book · Ages 10–14 · 2014
In a world where electricity awakens ancient monsters, a young hero must unite seven to save humanity.
Sale price
$674
Screaming Mummies of the Pharaoh's Tomb II
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2013
A dachshund puppy and friend uncover a Pharaoh's tomb mystery in ancient Egypt.
Sale price
$674
The Amazing Odorous Adventures of Stinky Dog
Chapter Book · Ages 4–8 · 2013
A dachshund with a super stench battles city villains.
Sale price
$674
It Came from Beneath the Bed!
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2013
A puppy writer faces chaos when his story unleashes a hidden menace.
Sale price
$1899
Grumpy Goat
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2013
A grumpy goat's rampage halts when a single flower changes everything.
Sale price
$1049
Thriller
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2011
Mysteries unfold with a body, a terrorist, and a wish machine.
Sale price
$1699
Bedtime for Bear
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2010
Bear's bedtime clashes with friends' snowy fun. Will he join them?
Sale price
$1697
A Christmas Carol
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2010
A miser's heart is transformed by ghostly visits on Christmas Eve.
Sale price
$699
The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2010
A girl discovers a mountain is a sleeping giant. Can she prevent disaster before it's too late?
Sale price
$1348
The Lump of Coal
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2008
A sentient coal embarks on a holiday adventure.
Sale price
$1139
The Calder Game
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2008
A boy and a sculpture vanish in a village full of secrets.
Sale price
$1498
The End
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2006
Will the Baudelaires escape Count Olaf's clutches in their final adventure?
Sale price
$2184
The Beatrice Letters
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2006
Uncover the secrets of the Baudelaire case, if you dare.
Sale price
$858
The Wright 3
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2006
Unexplained accidents haunt Robie House. Can young sleuths solve the mystery?
Sale price
$1498
The Penultimate Peril
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2005
The Baudelaire orphans face worsening peril as Count Olaf's evil persists. Will secrets be unveiled?
Sale price
$1498
The Grim Grotto
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2004
Orphans uncover dark secrets about their parents' mysterious past.
Sale price
$858
Chasing Vermeer
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2004
A vanished painting, a tangled mystery—can two kids solve the unsolvable?
Sale price
$759
Roger, the Jolly Pirate
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2004
A cheerful pirate's idea changes the course of a battle.
Sale price
$1498
The Slippery Slope
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2003
The Baudelaire orphans face chilling dangers and a villain's sinister plan in a snowy landscape.
Sale price
$674
Howie Monroe and the Doghouse of Doom
Chapter Book · Ages 7–9 · 2003
A puppy with a mysterious pain attends a magical academy to face an unspeakable evil.
Sale price
$574
Invasion of the Mind Swappers from Asteroid 6!
Chapter Book · Ages 7–9 · 2003
A puppy and his friend face mind-swapping aliens. Can they save the day?
Sale price
$674
Bud Barkin, Private Eye
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2003
A detective dog tackles a quirky case involving a mysterious dame and a clown with a peculiar calling card.
Sale price
$1498
The Carnivorous Carnival
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2002
The Baudelaire orphans face a terrible lie and a mysterious wolf baby at a sinister carnival.
Sale price
$1597
Milly and the Macy's Parade
Picture Book · Ages 5–8 · 2002
A young immigrant girl dreams up a parade blending old traditions with new American spirit.
Sale price
$1498
The Hostile Hospital
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001
The Baudelaires seek refuge but face unexpected dangers in a hospital filled with secrets and peril.
Sale price
$1498
The Vile Village
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001
Three siblings face peril in a village filled with secrets and danger.
Sale price
$1498
The Ersatz Elevator
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001
Orphans face new perils in a mysterious penthouse near their tragic past.
Sale price
$1498
The Austere Academy
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2000
The Baudelaire orphans face ominous threats at their new school.
Sale price
$1498
The Miserable Mill
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2000
Orphans face disaster and mystery in a perilous lumber mill.
Sale price
$1498
The Reptile Room
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 1999
Three unlucky siblings face a villain, a fire, and a fortune-stealing plot in a darkly comedic tale.
Sale price
$1498
The Bad Beginning
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 1999
Three siblings face misfortune and a villain's plot to steal their fortune.
Sale price
$858
By the Great Horn Spoon!
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1963
A boy and his butler seek gold in California to save his family from ruin.
Creative company
Collaborators
The authors and illustrators who share the credits across Brett Helquist's books.