Summerhill Secrets Books in Order
Part ofBeverly Lewis Books in OrderThis page lists the Summerhill Secrets books by Beverly Lewis in order, with quick summaries, series background, and where to start with Merry Hanson's stories.
Last updated: January 12, 2026
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Publication Order
10 books
Shadows Beyond the Gate
by Beverly Lewis
2000
Merry](https://www.amazon.com/dp/155661876X%22,%22description%22:%22Merry) can’t resist investigating when something troubling seems to be happening behind closed doors. As she follows clues and hears half-truths, she learns that curiosity has risks, and that the safest choice can be asking for help.
Windows on the Hill
by Beverly Lewis
1999
Merry](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556618751%22,%22description%22:%22Merry) stays with Ruby Spindler and finds herself drawn into the mysteries of a big old house. As she looks for answers, she learns that some families hide pain behind polite smiles, and some secrets are too heavy for a teen to carry alone.
Hide Behind the Moon
by Beverly Lewis
1998
Merry](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556618743%22,%22description%22:%22Merry) wants to help Rachel Zook, but helping starts to mean bending rules. When a forbidden plan spins out, Merry has to face the consequences of trying to rescue a friend without thinking through the cost.
Echoes in the Wind
by Beverly Lewis
1997
A](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556618735%22,%22description%22:%22A) winter party on the Zooks’ frozen pond should be harmless fun, but it opens the door to new worries and old feelings. As Merry tries to hold friendships together, she learns that one night can change how people see each other.
House of Secrets
by Beverly Lewis
1996
When](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556618727%22,%22description%22:%22When) Chelsea Davis’s mom disappears, the story everyone tells does not add up. Merry is pulled into a frightening mystery involving a secretive community, and she has to decide how far she’ll go to help someone find the truth.
A Cry in the Dark
by Beverly Lewis
1996
Merry](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556614802%22,%22description%22:%22Merry) hears something that doesn’t sound right, and she can’t shake the feeling that someone needs help. As she follows her instincts, she discovers how fear and secrecy can trap people, and how hard it is to step in wisely.
Whispers Down the Lane
by Beverly Lewis
1995
Fifteen-year-old](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556614764%22,%22description%22:%22Fifteen-year-old) Merry Hanson is drawn into a situation that feels bigger than any teen should handle alone. As she tries to protect a friend and do what’s right, she learns that secrets in a small town can be dangerous.
Secret in the Willows
by Beverly Lewis
1995
Merry](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556614772%22,%22description%22:%22Merry) stumbles onto a secret tied to the Amish country around her, and curiosity turns into responsibility. With Rachel Zook by her side, Merry has to decide when to dig deeper, and when to step back.
Night of the Fireflies
by Beverly Lewis
1995
A](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556614799%22,%22description%22:%22A) summer night brings back old grief for Merry, who still feels the loss of her twin sister. When an accident shakes the Zook family, Merry learns that healing is slow, and that hope can show up in unexpected places.
Catch a Falling Star
by Beverly Lewis
1995
Merry’s](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556614780%22,%22description%22:%22Merry’s) crush on Jon Klein gets complicated fast when jealousy and mixed signals enter the picture. Spending time with Old Order Levi Zook changes what she thought she wanted, and forces her to grow up in a hurry.
Series background & context
Summerhill Secrets is Beverly Lewis's teen series set in rural Pennsylvania, close enough to Amish country that the rules of Plain life are part of the landscape even for the kids who ride the school bus. The main character is Merry Hanson, a modern teenager who wants to do the right thing but is not always sure what the right thing looks like.
Merry's world changes when she becomes close friends with Rachel Zook, an Old Order Amish girl with her own questions and pressures. Their friendship is the heart of the series. Merry is curious about Amish life, and Rachel is curious about the wider world, and that push and pull creates a lot of the tension, and a lot of the tenderness.
Secrets travel fast in a small place.
Each book starts with a problem that looks simple and quickly turns complicated. In Whispers Down the Lane, Merry gets pulled into a situation that forces her to choose between staying quiet and stepping in. In Catch a Falling Star, she is caught between a crush, jealousy, and a growing connection with someone she did not expect. In Night of the Fireflies, an accident and an old wound, the death of Merry's twin sister, Faithie, remind her that grief does not have an expiration date.
As the series goes on, the mysteries get bigger and the stakes get heavier. House of Secrets brings frightening questions about a missing mother and a community that is hiding something. Later books lean into the same mix, everyday teen life, school events, pond parties, and friend drama, alongside secrets that can change a family. In Hide Behind the Moon and Windows on the Hill, Merry finds herself swept into plans and places she should probably avoid, and learns how quickly curiosity can turn into danger.
What keeps the story grounded is that Merry is not a superhero. She guesses wrong. She jumps to conclusions. She gets scared and tries to back away. But she also shows up, again and again, and learns that being brave sometimes means asking an adult for help or admitting you cannot carry someone else's pain alone.
These books are best read in order, since relationships shift and trust builds slowly across the series. If you like realistic teen stories with a faith thread, small-town atmosphere, and a bit of mystery in every book, Summerhill is the kind of place you can settle into, even when you know there is something in the shadows.
Edited by
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