CJ's Notebooks Books in Order

The CJ's Notebooks books are among the most directly child-rooted parts of Sherwood Smith's larger imaginary world. They were first written when she was young, and you can feel that in the cheerful momentum, the gang energy, and the sense that adventure should ideally include both magic and a good pie fight.

CJ, or Cherene Jennet Sherwood, records the exploits of the M girls, a band gathered around thirteen-year-old Queen Clair of Mearsies Heili. At first the tone is playful. Villains are dramatic, friendships are immediate, and the girls would much rather have fun than save the world.

But the series does not stay tiny. As the notebooks go on, the adventures start brushing up against larger politics, stranger magic, and more serious consequences. That is part of their charm. They preserve the exuberance of childhood even while the stakes rise around the characters.

The books jump between Earth and other realms, between kidnappings, rescues, magical objects, and hidden enemies who underestimate girls at their own risk. CJ's voice keeps things lively and personal, even when the plot widens.

So this series is best approached as the kid-eye-view branch of a much bigger tapestry. It begins with delight, mischief, and loyalty, then gradually reveals how those early adventures connect to larger histories and conflicts in the world around them.