The American classic - now a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, starring Cate Blanchett, Jack Black and Kyle MacLachlan Lewis Barnavelt doesn't have time on his side... When Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan, comes to stay with his uncle Jonathan, he expects to meet an ordinary person. But he is wrong. Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbour, Mrs Zimmermann, are both witches! Lewis couldn't be happier. What's not to like about seeing his uncle practise spells and eating Mrs Zimmermann's delicious cookies? At first, watching magic is enough. Then Lewis experiments with magic himself and unknowingly resurrects the former owner of the house: a woman named Selenna Izard. It seems that evil Selenna and her husband built a timepiece into the walls - a clock that could obliterate humankind. As the clock can be heard ticking away in the house all the time, sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, it is up to the Barnavelts to find where it is hidden in the walls - and stop it. A true race against time...

When Lewis, his uncle Jonathan, and their friends Rose Rita and Mrs Zimmermann take a trip to a small town near Lake Superior, they expect a pleasant holiday. Instead, they find themselves facing the ghastly Ishmael Izard, son of the fiendish creator of the Doomsday clock that was once hidden in the walls of Uncle Jonathan's house. Ishmael is a cruel and heartless sorcerer, and he is determined to wreak vengeance on the entire world. Will Lewis and his friends be strong enough to defeat him, or will their fate be decided by their most formidable foe yet? For fans of Goosebumps.

When Lewis and his best friend Rose Rita set out to explore old Wilder Creek Bridge and the deserted farm nearby, they discover shocking secrets: the destruction of the bridge threatens to release a horrifying monster, the legacy of a long-dead evil magician. Even Lewis's Uncle Jonathan and the magical Mrs Zimmermann may not be able to vanquish this ferocious creature! For fans of Goosebumps.

As Lewis and Rose Rita investigate all the supernatural happenings in New Zebedee, they get more than they bargained for when a new family moves into the Hawaii House. Lewis and Rose Rita are soon drawn into a mystery involving forces far beyond the shores of their imagination. Why are there strange drumbeats emanating from the top floor of the Hawaii House? And why is Lewis having dreams about Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire? For fans of Goosebumps.

It is finally the summer holidays, and Lewis is looking forward to the break from school and spending time with his best friend Rose Rita, his Uncle Jonathan and his neighbour Mrs Zimmermann. But Lewis's hopes for a peaceful summer holiday are shattered as one accident after another plagues him. Is all his bad luck really just a coincidence? Or does it have something to do with the mysterious hooded figure he keeps seeing? For fans of Goosebumps.

The third book in the series following on from the American classic The House With a Clock in Its Walls, now a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, starring Cate Blanchett, Jack Black and Kyle MacLachlan Rose Rita wishes she could go to camp like her best friend, Lewis. She's sure that boys get to have all the fun, but instead she must stay at home and get ready to attend Junior High, where she will have to do 'girly' activities - something she hates! That is until Mrs Zimmermann offers her an adventure of her own - a trip to cousin Oley's farm. Mrs Zimmermann's cousin Oley has left her his farm, as well as a ring that he thinks is magic. But when Mrs Zimmermann and Rose Rita arrive at the deserted farm, the ring has mysteriously vanished. Strange things start to happen around them - Mrs Zimmermann becomes ill, Rose Rita keeps on seeing scary images and Mrs Zimmermann goes missing. What power does this magical ring have? Will the person who took the ring use it to do evil? And will Rose Rita be able to rescue Mrs Zimmermann from whatever evil force that has taken her?

A camping trip with his Scout troop leads Lewis straight to a strange, old grave and a mysterious, magical silver whistle. When Lewis discovers that this whistle has the power to stop the boys in his Scout troop bullying him, he is overcome with relief - finally he can enjoy being part of the Scouts. What Lewis doesn't know is that the whistle also has a more sinister power: it summons a powerful vampire! Lewis is drawn into battle with this ancient evil, and with the help of Rose Rita, Unlce Jonathan and Mrs Zimmermann, he must save his own life and the lives of those he loves. Is Lewis strong enough to destroy the potent spirit? For fans of Goosebumps.

Lewis and Uncle Jonathan have travelled to England to visit family at Barnavelt Manor, much to Lewis's delight - he hasn't visited family outside of America before! Lewis becomes friends with the housekeeper's son, Bertie, and as the two boys explore the manor's garden maze, Lewis accidentally unleashes demonic forces that summon the ghost of an evil wizard adamant on destroying his entire family. Can Lewis fight the maniacal wizard, or will all the Barnavelts perish?

When Lewis and Rose Rita explore an abandoned theatre, they discover an unpublished opera score entitled 'The Day of Doom'. Ignoring a strange omen, they show it to their music teacher, who heralds 'The Day of Doom' a masterpiece. Little do they know that the eerie Henry Vanderhelm, the composer's grandson, arrives with a plan to awaken the dead and enslave the world! Soon, all the adults are enamoured - and enspelled - by Henry Vanderhelm. A mysterious fog descends upon New Zebedee and everyone is trapped inside it. It is up to Lewis and Rose Rita to stop the dead coming back to life. For fans of Goosebumps.

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Two kids find a haunted opera score capable of raising the dead! When Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger explore an abandoned theater, they discover an unpublished opera score entitled “The Day of Doom”. Ignoring a strange omen, they show it to their music teacher, who heralds “The Day of Doom” as a masterpiece. Little do they know that the eerie Henry Vanderhelm, the composer's grandson, arrives-with a plan…A plan to awaken the dead and enslave the world! Books by John Bellairs: The Doom of the Haunted Opera The Figure In the Shadows The Ghost in the Mirror The House With a Clock In Its Walls The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring The Mansion in the Mist The Specter From the Magician's Museum The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder

More than 2,300 works of fiction and poetry are discussed, each cross-referenced to other works with similar or contrasting themes. Winners and nominees for major awards are identified. Books that are part of a series are flagged, with a complete list of books in series included in a final chapter, along with a comprehensive list of awards, of translations, and of young adult and children's books.