The Secret Room

The Haunted Library #5

by Dori Hillestad Butler, Aurore Damant (Illustrator)

Now that Kaz can finally pass through walls without feeling all “skizzy,” he can go explore Beckett’s secret room at the back of the library. What he finds there is a mystery he never expected!

Genres: Mystery, Ghosts, Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 11, 2015

About the author

Dori Hillestad Butler is an American author of more than 40 children's books, as well as magazine stories, plays and educational materials. Her first book, The Great Tooth Fairy Rip-Off, was published in 1997. She is known particularly for The Truth about Truman School, a 2008 young adult title focusing on the subject of cyber bullying, and for My Mom's Having a Baby (illustrated by Carol Thompson), which in 2011 appeared on the American Library Association's list of most commonly challenged books in the United States for its portrayal of conception and childbirth. Her 2010 mystery title, Buddy Files: Case of the Last Boy, won the 2011 Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery published in 2010. Before becoming a children's author, Butler worked for three years as a page at a library.

Reviews

[Kim Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this series with my 7 year old daughter, and we both really like it. All of the books end on cliffhangers, so be sure you have access to the whole series, and read them in order.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who are looking for a not-so-scary ghost story, check out this series about Kaz and his human friend Claire. Together can they find the secret recipe for an old soda pop or who a mysterious doll belongs to?
Part of the Haunted Library series, this is book 5. Based on this story alone, my guess would be that this is a series best read on order as there was a plethora of characters and quite a few references to previous happenings.

[Susan Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun ghost story for kids! But I do think I need to get the earlier ones in the series for kids to read first. The family’s background would make a little more sense. (Library)

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure with Kaz and Claire! Excited to have learned what was in the secret room in the library. Great quick read and perfect grade school aged book and series.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaz and Claire return in a new mystery. This time the mystery revolves around a secret room in the library. For the first time, Kaz is able to visit this room and he and his brother and Beckett discover that the room is full of objects that were originally solid before being turned 'ghostly'. But who did these items belong too? And Claire runs into additional problems when her mother discovers what they are up to and doesn't approve of Claire's talk of ghosts. Butler has kept this series fresh and interesting with each new mystery as well as the ongoing challenges Kaz faces as he develops his ghostly abilities and continues his search for the rest of his family. I've enjoyed following Kaz and Claire's efforts to work together despite the great differences between them and the creativity they have to sometimes employ to solve the mysteries before them.

[Elfeeza Ehsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one has got to be my favourite in the series so far. I love how the story and mystery unfolds and how the characters from the previous books connected to the main characters. Dori Hillestad Butler is a genious! 5 stars for this book!

[Jane Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little John encourages his brother to go check out Beckett’s secret room in the library. They find lots of ghost items including a doll that little John believes may have belong to a ghost girl who was part of a family he stayed with before getting to the library. Clair, Kaz, and little John intend to take the doll over to that family, but find the doll doesn’t shrink when they do, so Clair has to take them in a box. When they get there the girl says the doll isn’t hers, but the family does explain that the reason it doesn’t shrink is because it was once a solid object that was turned ghostly. Back at the library, Beckett, Kaz and Little John sort the ghostly objects into formerly solid at not, in the process they come across a solid envelope labeled top secret but they can’t open it. Clair’s mom seems strangely disturbed by Clair’s interest in the library’s secret room and we learn that Clair’s mom lived here as a young girl when the library was an apartment building. In a tour of the city’s historical society Claire learns that the library was formerly the mansion of a soda bottler. Clair decides to investigate the secret room asking several old folks about the building and ending up at an old folks home where Kaz and little John are reunited with their grandparents. Clair’s mom, after seeing little John glow holding the doll, finally reveals that she too could see ghosts as a young girl and that she had a ghost friend, molly, that could turn objects ghostly, but had warned Clair that ghosts were bad because of another ghost, Annie, who wanted to frighten all the apartment dwellers away. Kaz learns from Clair’s mom how to turn things ghostly and back and turns the doll into a real doll and retrieves the top secret envelope from the wall which turns out to be the long lost soda recipe.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why but this took us forever to read. In this one, Kaz and little John find a secret room with some ghostly objects and some solid objects. They are trying to find out why some are ghostly, how Kaz can transform things to and from the ghostly world, and why the items are in the secret room. They find his grandma and grandpa in a nursing home but they decide to stay with Claire, Beckett and Cosmo. Kaz figures out his transformation skill and they also find out why the secret room exists.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid addition to this series that my 2nd grade daughter enjoys. Kaz learned how to transform things and my daughter was excited about the continual character growth. 4 stars and in to book 6 in this series.

[Alžběta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Na Strašidelné knihovně se mi líbilo, že tam bylo hodně duchů a také příběh, jak děti objeví tajný pokoj a prožívají dobrodružství. Nebylo to moc strašidelné, ale bylo to napínavé! Chtěla bych si přečíst další díly z téhle série.

[Ivka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ako postupujeme sériou, je čítanie stále príjemnejšie a príbeh napínavejší. Ja skvelé sledovať ako sa Kaz mení, učí sa nové veci a stáva sa sebavedomejším. Hviezdičku strhávam za nemožné správanie Klárky a za preklad, ktrý niekedy škrípe pod zubami.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun entry in this light ghost series. This time they find Kaz's grandparents and learn more about Claire's family.

[book are my passion 💜 · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are so cute I have read 5 of them already and only 5 to go :)

[Alexander Rutan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story

[Malia Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and fun books to read to my kids! My kids love them!

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken]

Eleanor says: I like this book because it involves lots of imagination. My favorite thing that happened was when Claire’s mom told the truth. It was important because they found the old artifact.

[Luz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of books is fun and keeps you wanting to know more about what is going to happen next.

[Eleanor]

Anne was scary.

[EthantheErudite · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT WAS SO COOL, I wonder when they will find the rest of there parents.

[Brendon Hamacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly strange and a world filled with interesting ghost rules which definitely went above my daughter (3) but she liked the visuals and the overall feeling. I liked it too.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kaz finally goes through a solid wall to enter Beckett's secret room that includes ghost objects and solid objects. A few of the objects present mysteries that the ghosts and Claire need to solve.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaz is now able to get through walls and explore Beckett's secret room with Little John and Beckett. Most of the items in the room are ghostly, but one, a file marked "Top Secret" is not. As Claire begins to ask about the space in the house where there seems to be a room with no doors, her mother gets nervous and evasive. Kaz continues to try to turn solid objects ghostly and vice versa.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

We can't get enough of these books. Me and my seven year old are plowing through them. We just started number six. I think we will try the Buddy Files next. This author is just spectacular for this age group.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! We find out what's in the secret room! We also find out a lot more about families - ghost and solid alike. I think this is my favorite book in the series thus far. And a quest for root beer? Now this is a story I can really get behind....

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan winter reading 2016, children's book, chapter book, series, the haunted library, ghosts, library, friends, family, mystery, first grade, second grade, third grade

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! We love this series. This book focused more on Claire and Kaz than a real mystery, but my son and I really enjoyed it.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is our favorite in the series so far. Kaz found more family members and learned he had a rare ghost skill. Fun read.

[Kat Ice · Rating 5 out of 5]

still loving this series!!! wish my library had all the books in the series. This would totally be a series I would love to own and reread forever!

[annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

confused by why i only have #5, but ok. i think that it’s okay, but kinda boring.