Lewis Barnavelt (Brad Strickland) Books in Order
Part ofBrad Strickland Books in OrderFind Brad Strickland's Lewis Barnavelt continuation books in order, with summaries, series background, and practical starting recommendations.
Last updated: July 15, 2026
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Lewis Barnavelt (Brad Strickland) books in publication order
12 books
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
by John Bellairs
1973
Orphaned Lewis Barnavelt moves to Uncle Jonathan's house in New Zebedee and learns the adults around him practice magic. Then he discovers the house hides a deadly clock built by evil sorcerers, and stopping it becomes a race against time.
The Figure in the Shadows
by John Bellairs
1975
Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita stumble into a family mystery filled with old secrets and a lurking presence that seems to move just beyond the light. New Zebedee starts feeling far less safe once the shadows begin to follow them home.
The Letter, the Witch and the Ring
by John Bellairs
1976
Rose Rita's dull summer changes fast when she joins Mrs. Zimmermann on a trip tied to a dead relative, a deserted farm, and a missing ring with real power. The deeper they dig, the darker the magic gets.
The Ghost in the Mirror
by John Bellairs
1993
Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann head into a family mystery where an old mirror, local rumors, and a long-buried grudge start pointing to real magic. Lewis and Uncle Jonathan join the fight when the haunting turns serious.
The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder
by John Bellairs
1993
Lewis, Rose Rita, and Uncle Jonathan face the return of Malachiah Pruitt, a witch-hunter from centuries past whose ghost brings fear and accusation to New Zebedee. It is a puzzle-filled case with real supernatural teeth.
The Doom of the Haunted Opera
by John Bellairs
1995
Lewis finds an old opera score that is really an elaborate spell, and the wrong people are determined to perform it. If the music is completed, the dead may rise to serve a villain with plans for New Zebedee and beyond.
The Specter from the Magician's Museum
by John Bellairs
1998
Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita visit a museum filled with magical curiosities, then find themselves facing a specter tied to its sinister past. Escaping the danger requires courage, clues, and help from trusted adults.
The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge
by John Bellairs
2000
Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita discover that something dangerous may be lurking beneath an old bridge. Their search brings them into contact with hidden magic, local legends, and a beast that should not have been awakened.
The Tower at the End of the World
by John Bellairs
2001
Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita investigate a strange tower and the old magic surrounding it. What begins as a local puzzle soon leads them toward a danger with consequences far beyond New Zebedee.
The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost
by John Bellairs
2003
Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita are pulled into a mystery involving an eerie whistle, a grave, and a ghostly threat. Their search leads through New Zebedee's past, where old wrongs have not stayed buried.
The House Where Nobody Lived
by John Bellairs
2006
Lewis Barnavelt is drawn to an abandoned house with a troubling history and signs that it may not be empty after all. Old magic and buried secrets turn a neighborhood mystery into a dangerous investigation.
The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer
by John Bellairs
2008
Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita uncover clues pointing to an old sorcerer's dangerous legacy. With Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann, they must stop a threat that turns New Zebedee's past into a very present danger.
Lewis Barnavelt (Brad Strickland) books in chronological order

The House with a Clock in Its Walls
by John Bellairs
1973Lewis Barnavelt, Book 1
The Figure in the Shadows
by John Bellairs
1975Lewis Barnavelt, Book 2
The Letter, the Witch and the Ring
by John Bellairs
1976Lewis Barnavelt, Book 3
The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder
by John Bellairs
1993Lewis Barnavelt, Book 4
The Ghost in the Mirror
by John Bellairs
1993Lewis Barnavelt, Book 5
The Doom of the Haunted Opera
by John Bellairs
1995Lewis Barnavelt, Book 6
Series background & context
Brad Strickland continued the Lewis Barnavelt books after John Bellairs's death, returning readers to New Zebedee, Michigan, and its unusually haunted collection of homes, graveyards, shops, and old stories. Lewis is still the bookish, uneasy boy at the center of things, with Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann nearby when magic gets dangerous.
Some early continuation books were based on work Bellairs had already begun. Others are new stories by Strickland, written with the established characters and setting in mind. Together, they extend the series beyond Bellairs's original trilogy without moving away from its basic appeal.
Lewis and his friend Rose Rita Pottinger continue to find clues in the wrong places. A strange building, a relic, a magician's collection, or a secret from New Zebedee's past can lead to supernatural trouble. Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann bring knowledge and magical skill, but the children still have to face fears, solve puzzles, and learn from their mistakes.
New Zebedee keeps its shadows.
The later books preserve the series' blend of comfort and alarm. There are family meals, arguments between old friends, school problems, and quiet neighborhood scenes. Then an old curse or hidden enemy turns the familiar world strange. The stories are scary enough to create tension, but they keep faith in courage, friendship, and the idea that help can come from unexpected people.
For the fullest experience, begin with Bellairs's The House with a Clock in Its Walls, The Figure in the Shadows, and The Letter, the Witch and the Ring. Once those are finished, move into the continuation books in order. The Tower at the End of the World and later entries let readers stay with Lewis's world while following fresh mysteries.
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